This is a follow up to the most popular (by far) video on my YouTube channel…

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I made this video during the restless days of the pandemic. It wasn’t meant to be anything groundbreaking- just reminding music majors to check the obvious places for work.

In the three years since this video, my outlook has evolved about work, being an artist, and earning money. Here’s a quick synopsis of what happened (career-wise) since I made this video…

2021-22

-Moved back to Denton, TX from Los Angeles; reclaimed my first organ job.
-Taught about 40 lessons/week in three TX public school districts, and a few online/private studio lessons.
-Somehow managed to also play with the Flower Mound Symphony Orchestra and start The Pan-Tones.

2022-23

-Scaled back to one district and online/private studio- about 10-15 students a week.
-Started freelancing in DFW, selling arrangements on my website, performing with The Pan-Tones.

2023-24 (this year)

-Only teaching privately/online.
-Still freelancing, more frequent engagements with The Pan-Tones, more arrangement sales and business on my website.
–First time being hired as a writer.

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Multiple jobs

When I made the above video in LA, financial stability was extremely important to me. There was a major learning curve figuring out how to live in an expensive city as a family of two musicians and two young children. For most of our time there, I had a church job, a teaching job, and a third part time job. I was very focused on jobs.

The pandemic and other factors led us to move back to Denton in June 2021. I was anxious to find work, and unsure of what to expect. Fortunately, I was able to tap into my connections. The timing worked out with the church looking for an organist, and my former professor and colleague recommending me for teaching jobs (THANK YOU).

However, I became overloaded with teaching, and quickly realized that lifestyle was not for me. Too much driving, and too many quick interactions with too many students that didn’t care enough. It felt like my soul was dying every time I had to teach a student that didn’t care about making their music beautiful. I didn’t have nearly enough time or energy to practice. I was drained, and unappreciated.

On top of that, I couldn’t control my rate in the public schools, and scheduling around kid’s band classes was a nightmare. Seeing no way to improve that situation, I exited the system.

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Working for myself

As I considered how to make money while not compromising my art, it became clear that I had to primarily work for myself. I felt deeply that leaving my teaching positions was the right choice, though I didn’t have a clear idea of how I would replace the income.

Over a couple of years, I consistently made little choices towards the artistic path. I started to understand how valuable creativity is- a limited, but constantly renewable resource. There is only so much bandwidth at a given time, but it can be used and reused without diminishing.

Now, I feel the energy I invest in a creative endeavor could not possibly be compensated for what it’s worth to me. I inhabit an entire world when I’m working on a project. So if it’s not something I have an interest in, it’s a very large sacrifice.

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Jobs I hired myself for

Here are some of the roles I hired myself for. Many have paid me, to varying degrees, in one form or another. I did these things out of my own interest, often for a number of years, before ever being paid.

–Arranger ($)
–Band leader ($)
-Blogger/writer ($)
-Piano/organ/accordion player ($)
-Singer ($)
–Video editor
–Graphic designer
-Social media manager

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Pros and cons

Con: Jobs I’ve given myself look and feel less official than having a company hire me to do something.

Pro: I value my work much more than anyone else.

Pro: I know I’ll be hired for anything that needs to be done, and that the job will be done properly.

Con: I don’t know exactly how or when I’ll be compensated.

Pro: I make all the artistic decisions.

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Financial stability

There was a financial gap to be filled between working jobs and working for myself. Leaving a job (and not replacing it) causes in a temporary drop in income.

I felt comfortable with that choice because we had several months of living expenses in a savings account- what financial people call an emergency fund.

This created a buffer, buying me time to think calmly about what direction to take. I could make my decisions on a longer term scale, instead of choosing what would earn money the quickest.

Creating financial stability is crucial to maintaining an artistic career. Ideally, there are multiple buffers: emergency fund, savings accounts, and investments. Without this, even little risks will seem threatening, and the safe route will always be more attractive. Being constantly cornered into making decisions because of money will influence your artistic direction.

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Personal brand

Yes, sometimes the responsible decision is to earn some money at a job or gig. But other times, the time and energy may be better invested on personal projects. Building a personal brand and business is a challenging job- but one that we have a lot more control over than most. No one can fire us from being ourselves!

I was strongly affected by what happened during the pandemic. In a weird flip of perspective, players I regarded as having achieved a lot as performers (playing with orchestras) were suddenly completely unemployed. On the other hand, my work as a church choir director, teacher, and food service worker didn’t budge. They changed to online and take-out, but I didn’t actually lose any income.

It was shocking to see how quickly things can change, and how little control orchestral musicians had during a crisis. I vowed to never completely hand my life’s work to an organization outside of myself.