I am honestly considering a huge risk

[mcanty]

I am 32 years old, I make good money for somebody my age. I am an airport exec.But I hate the corporate world and I am seriously thinking about resigning and taking a year off to concentrate on songwriting. How ridiculous is that? Somebody slap me......I would live off of my retirement and just devote everything I have towards making it as a writer. Am I insane?

[ddusty]

insane? probably. aren't we all a little bit?Since it could take a number of years to get some decent income coming in from any library deals, the "sane" response would be to keep the day job while you crank out the music in your spare time. If you get a handful of placements that start bringing in a trickle of money, it won't seem as crazy to quit the day job.Hmm, i feel your pain, part of me wants to tell you to "GO FOR IT". But another part of me thinks it would be crazy to live off your retirement now at 32. No one can make this decision for you, of course. So I will offer no help except, good luck! I am curious as to which way you decide to go. As i tell all my colleagues:"Work is for suckers!"Rob

[Casey H]

Quote:I am 32 years old, I make good money for somebody my age. I am an airport exec.But I hate the corporate world and I am seriously thinking about resigning and taking a year off to concentrate on songwriting. How ridiculous is that? Somebody slap me......I would live off of my retirement and just devote everything I have toward making it as a writer. Am I insane?VERY bad idea, especially if you are going to live off money you've already put away toward retirement. The odds of making it as a songwriter at all, let alone earning a reasonable income at it, are very poor. Not that it can't be done... We have 1-2 folks here who make a living writing for film/TV. But it took them 5-10 years to get to that point.Most of us have issues with the corporate world... But no food on the table as an issue dwarfs that! I feel your pain. I work full time which takes a lot of time and energy away from the music. Many days by the time dinner is over, my brain is too fried to do anything... But, real life means real responsibilities. Fortunately, I really like my job in software engineering. Why not compromise? Keep your job but devote as much weekend and evening time as you can to music... Or find a job you like better? Or a job with less hours? Or a job relating to music in some way?As the old saying goes, "don't quit your day job yet"... Casey

[sgs4u]

Quitting your day job is a fabulous idea! If you don't have any children, and you're prepared to live the life of a writer. Charles Bukowski comes to mind... We can all virtually guarantee you, that the grass is not automatically greener, when one decides to jump into writing music with both feet. (yes, I mixed metaphors) Just a different set of problems. If you are feeling frustration with the corporate world, writing music may appear very appealing. But the same things that bug you about your current "corporate world environment," will likely also be very obvious, in this other writing world, you are drawn to explore. My perspective is that of a 47 yr old piano player, who has never had a real "day" job. I've had a fabulous career, but not a lotta cash, yet. The best advice I can give is, study, and teach what you want to learn. Instead of quitting, a 6 month leave of absence, might be a long enough period, for you to judge your abilities to compete, and thrive, in this wacko marketplace.

[andreh]

Quote:I am 32 years old, I make good money for somebody my age. I am an airport exec.But I hate the corporate world and I am seriously thinking about resigning and taking a year off to concentrate on songwriting. How ridiculous is that? Somebody slap me......I would live off of my retirement and just devote everything I have towards making it as a writer. Am I insane?As long as you know you'll be tapping into your savings to survive and that's okay with you, then I say go for it! If you're doing this for life-fulfillment reasons and not expecting to immediately start making money via music, then why is this any different from taking a year off to, say, join the peace corps or travel the world?Just make sure you leave the door open for your corporate job to come back to when you need money again...André

[andreh]

Quote:Since it could take a number of years to get some decent income coming in from any library deals,Even though the main focus on these boards seems to be on library deals (for a number of valid reasons), there are MANY other ways to make money in the music biz besides through library cuts. After all, the libraries are just middlemen...often very well connected middlemen, but middlemen nonetheless.André

[andreh]

Quote:We have 1-2 folks here who make a living writing for film/TV.CaseyI hope the numbers are bigger than that! I can think of at least 6 people on the forum, and the forum only constitutes a small percentage of total Taxi members. Not to mention the large number of successful composers not affiliated with Taxi at all.I agree with your points about the risk, Casey, but I don't think success in this field is as unobtainable as "rumor has is" (providing one is willing to put in the time & effort required to achieve it).André

[andreh]

Despite my posts above, I believe there is GREAT risk in pursuing a career in music. As a person who left his big $ corporate job at the age of 31, I understand the motivation well...the need to write is more than a passing fad for many of us - it's a true calling.However, it did take several years (and a huge bite into my savings account) for me to start earning an actual living this way. Steve and others make good points about the green grass; there are other concerns to deal with in this scenario, not the least of which is, "can I pay the rent next month?"Life is short, though, and I wouldn't want to die knowing I didn't at least try...do you love music that much, are do you just hate your job? André

[Casey H]

Quote:Quote:We have 1-2 folks here who make a living writing for film/TV.CaseyI hope the numbers are bigger than that! I can think of at least 6 people on the forum, and the forum only constitutes a small percentage of total Taxi members. Not to mention the large number of successful composers not affiliated with Taxi at all.I agree with your points about the risk, Casey, but I don't think success in this field is as unobtainable as "rumor has is" (providing one is willing to put in the time & effort required to achieve it).André Yea, I shouldn't have said 1-2, it is more than that. And I may have leaned toward the negative side. It's hard to answer this without knowing the person, their finances, TRUE level of determination and commitment, skills to fall back on if it doesn't work out, etc.I still say don't jump into this unless you have a very solid plan mapped out. How long can you survive on savings? (minus any investment in equipment required). What if it doesn't work out? How long would it take you to get a job?On the up side, you are only 32, no family commitments(??), and have money saved up... That puts you in a much better position than someone who is 45 and raising 3 kids, etc...BTW, have you submitted songs to TAXI for film/TV listings and gotten any critiques? You might want to use this information to get some feeling where you are right now. That doesn't mean that if you are not "there" yet, it's bad... It just helps you evaluate your starting point.Also, are thinking of making it music by writing songs for others to record or for film/TV? Film/TV is where the best chances of deriving a steady income are. You can still pitch songs for artists but you will need to depend on film/TV to eat while you go after that which is the absolute hardest nut to crack. Casey

[linziellen]

Hey there,Do you have any writing experience Mcanty?Lindsey.