How Much do Music Artists Earn?

[oboesax]

Very interesting thread.

Very eye-opening to read all the posts in this thread. I wonder though if marriage and having kids is a significant obstacle for a musical career. It's been true before and even more so today that a financially rewarding career in music takes an unusually intense uncompensated dedication in the beginning and may, with luck, pay off in the end. With this in mind, I suspect that marriage (and especially having kids) would and the priorities it brings to one's life would have a disastrous affect on all possible chances in this delicate career choice.
....but so far I feel that I couldn't have had some of the success (in music and otherwise) with the elevated responsibility to work hard and provide for a family.

I have two daughters in the arts. One is 25 and is a succesful self-employed professional artist/painter. The other is 17 and wants to be a full-time professional musician/saxophonist. Both say they do not plan on having children, as they want to succeed in their fields.

My 25-year old does not spend money the way many Americans do. She does not own a car. She spends half the year in the US, living with us and utilizing her art studio, which is my 3rd floor. The other half she spends in Europe. This method allows her to save her money to buy a house/studio, and put a lot of money into her IRA.

[Jacques5646]

Jacques, what interests me is the current level of government involvement for the average European musician today. Do top tier ensembles still receive majority funding from Gov't? What about B list C list 'artistic' ventures?....Or, as here in the US, is funding mostly managed now by the foundation/ non-profit grant system ? (good anecdote, by the way!)

I drafted a rather lenghty answer to this interesting question and, after having sent it, discovered it never made its way into the forum... Perhaps this f...... filter.
A bit in a hurry now. Shall try again soon.
J

[Lance714]

I have two daughters in the arts. One is 25 and is a succesful self-employed professional artist/painter.... Both say they do not plan on having children, as they want to succeed in their fields.

Sounds like their decision is quite reasonable if they have important career ambitions. To me, what's interesting is your attitude to this matter. Parents are notorious for their cruel, biologically driven instinct to want their children to eventually procreate. They've done it; now they want YOU to do it as well. So, if you're cool with their decision to not have children, then my hat's off to you.

[pete]

I drafted a rather lenghty answer to this interesting question and, after having sent it, discovered it never made its way into the forum... Perhaps this f...... filter.
A bit in a hurry now. Shall try again soon.
J

Nope. Not in the queue.

The thing I often do is post a quick reply (like this one) and press the "reply to thread" button instead of the "post quick reply" button.