Making it as an artist vs. making it as an engineer

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curtiswyant
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Making it as an artist vs. making it as an engineer

Post by curtiswyant » Wed Nov 09, 2005 4:56 pm

Thoughts? Which path would you choose if given the option?

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soundguy
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Post by soundguy » Wed Nov 09, 2005 5:49 pm

making it as an engineer, engineer is just a job. you dont hear people talking about wanting to really make it as an accountant, however there are superstar accountants for fortune 500's I suppose the same way there are tchad blake's or whomevers.

making it as an artist is just winning the lottery if "making it" is meant to be interpreted as making money. One of my best friends in the universe has made it as an artist tenfold and is also continually broke.

If you "make it" as an engineer you can pay your bills. if you "make it" as an artist you've won the lottery.

thats my take on it.

each is a totally different path. I would chose which ever you really would kill to achieve. I think the chances of anyone casually making it in any profession these days are pretty tough without intense comittment, whatever you chose, chose it because you want to do it more than anything in the world, not because "I hear it pays well" even though that worked out ok for bon scott.

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Post by joelpatterson » Wed Nov 09, 2005 7:22 pm

Well this might seem kind of shallow, but I'd much rather have my songs on people's lips and my picture on the album cover, just no duh?

But that's a daydream. I really dig when I think, this concert next Sunday with the Sage City Symphony is going to turn out awesome, the new gear I got, and the way everyone is so keyed up for it... driving down the road tonight, I thought, this is incredible, this is how I pay the bills. I am helpless out in this world except for the one thing I can do, show up at a concert and leave them with a goddam fucking slice of the spatial reality that they lived through, preserved for ever. Hundreds of dollars a concert, it's all so arbitrary. Freakish.

Every step is a dizzying new turn, seems to work tho.
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Post by cgarges » Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:52 pm

What do you mean by "make it?" Doing reaonably well financially? Well-enough to pay your bills? Well-enough to turn down any work that's not interesting to you? Well enough to throw a Fairchild 670 in your shopping cart? Becoming a household name? Are there any engineers that really are a household name? Being featured in TapeOp? Mix? Maxim? Savage Male?

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soundguy
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Post by soundguy » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:23 pm

damn, if that aint the definition I was struggling to find.

making it is being featured in the new issue of savage male.

dave
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Post by cgarges » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:46 pm

soundguy wrote:damn, if that aint the definition I was struggling to find.

making it is being featured in the new issue of savage male.

dave
I knew you'd appreciate that.

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Post by TapeOpLarry » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:51 pm

I think Chris is right. There's no easy way to define "making it". There are people I meet who think I've "made it" as an engineer. To me? That's a fucking joke. I feel like a rank amateur and really wish I got more jobs from well-known bands.

During a session we sat around at dinner and talked about this. When is one really happy with their achievements? For an artist, what defines "making it"? A major label deal? I hope not! Making a living off of their art? At some point the art takes a back seat to hard work, and I doubt there's any artist who's making a living off of music that would love to trade in the touring and PR BS for a life of just writing songs and playing when the felt like it.

For an engineer? Is making a living enough? Even as a studio owner I have no guarantee that there will be enough dough in the bank to cover all the bills next month. I'm in the middle of paying bills right now - believe me it's more than a non-studio owner could ever imagine! Is that success?

Partly I think that varying degrees of success bring more work, much that wasn't anticipated when you first picked up a guitar or recorded on a 4-track. And whether this extra work makes one happy is up to them. I don't MIND all the extra work that TApe Op and Jackpot! bring, but I'd sure rather be recording a great song than paying bills, and I'd rather be reading Tape Op on a day off instead of editing the damn thing!!!
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soundguy
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Post by soundguy » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:51 pm

further proof that michael stipe never made it.

dave
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Post by JGriffin » Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:18 pm

Meanwhile, I've been gainfully employed as an engineer for over ten years and still feel odd that most of it involves radio ads. So there you go. It ain't just about making a living wage twiddling knobs either.
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alissa
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Post by alissa » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:38 pm

man.

it sounds like you dudes need to get back in touch with your chi.

if it makes you feel any better, i make a living schlepping food to rich people.

edit: i should add that i did get fired from a very reputable career as a research scientist. several years back. and ironically, i make more money now. the whole episode did sent me on a weird philosophical trip though. after which, i decided that there was no such thing as 'success'.
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JGriffin
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Post by JGriffin » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:48 pm

thanks for the shot of perspective, mistress.
"Jeweller, you've failed. Jeweller."

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all of the above

Post by mwingerski » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:41 pm

I don't know if there has to be a line drawn...
I've done a good bit of touring and recording as an artist... and now i'm doing a good bit of engineering and producing... i love both and i think the artist thing fit when i was a bit more in touch with my young and stupid side... and now the engineering fits with my old and stupid side...

they're different jobs.. one difference being who it is you're serving... as engineer you serve the clients needs (which hopefully means serving the song)... as artist you serve the needs of your muse, ego, art, fans, whatever (and hopefully the song)... I remember feeling how I just wanted someone else to take care of everything technical when I was an artist and now as the engineer I like being the one to take care of that stuff to clear the way for the artist to be as creative as possible... so it just depends on where you're at... and it might change from day to day even...

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digital eagle audio
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Post by digital eagle audio » Mon Nov 21, 2005 12:44 pm

TapeOpLarry wrote: I'd sure rather be recording a great song than paying bills, and I'd rather be reading Tape Op on a day off instead of editing the damn thing!!!
come on, they aren't that thick :wink:

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