What is there to do for a jazz musician to make a living nowadays?

[Bobsynth]

I have been fortunate enough to be a working musician for 56 years. I have worked from 3 to 5 nights a week for most of my life. However, I didn't accomplish that as a jazz musician, although i do play jazz. But I also sing, and play most other styles of music. that's how I have been able to last in this business. I guess my message to you is enjoy being a jazz musician for the love of it, and plan on it being a great way to supplement your reegular income from your steady day job. Also, be able to play all types of music that you enjoy, in order to get more work. Good Luck.

To make a living and career with music, what can a jazz musician do? Just out of curiosity, my plan is to study jazz at uni (college), some people I know doing that are also doing gigs and such at the same time, but after that what can a jazz musician do? I definitely want to make music my career but I don't know exactly what I can do. Also if anybody who's been through that has any tips it would be greatly appreciated, cheers

[timscarey]

I've been out of music school for 6 years now and would like to add a few thoughts....

I live in a pretty large town with a pretty healthy music scene, the people who really make a living from playing are the Theatre, Symphony, Ballet, and Opera musicians, some of whom are also very active jazz musicians.... something to think about.

There are also (jazz) rhythm section players who play 6 nights a week for around $80-$120 a night plus the weekend corprate gigs/ weddings... Although this alone is really not enough to live comfotably, except for a very small number of people who are super, super, super good... and connected.

pretty much everyone teaches... or has a day job. or both.

Being a musician is not stable by any means, although in this day and age, what job really is? At any rate, the ability to teach music and play it at a high level is a univerisal skill that can be used to make money, but it's a scary thing to try to live on.

There are a lot of houses with 4 or 5 musicians living together who all play together as well, that is pretty common, as well as the musician husband/day job wife combo, I see that one a lot too.

I personally teach 40 or so students a week through 4 different marketing sources that I have built up over the last 6 years, most of them come to me but I do go to peoples houses a few days a week. It's a lot of work, but I love it.

I also am fortunate enought to play jazz several nights a week and get paid to do it. I by no means would attempt to live on that alone, but it's enough that I consider myself a "pro" at least in as much as I get paid to play music that I write or arrange.

I recently go hired as an adjunct faculty member teaching theory at my old college, if I can hold on to that gig, I'll probably be lucky enough to keep doing this for a while longer. something to think about as well.

good luck!

oh yeah,... and i'm a bass player.

[the*doctor]

I'm hoping to study music and education at university to become a high school music teacher. Then I can spread the love of jazz and run school jazz bands,etc. Plus I get to play music all the time

[Reg]

How much do you need to make... I play gigs that pay from $50 to $500.
I try and get a few good paying gigs booked so I can play some good playing gigs. I can make $1000 a week pretty easily.
Your not going to make great $ playing music... even if you are one of the best, get other investments, or some other source of income to supplement. $1000 a week won't cover... and when you need more $... music becomes just like any other style of work... work.
Teachers become teachers... Working musicians tend to play lousy gigs that pay... Not always... but generally. Most don't have the motivation or energy to cover different gigs and still be able to really play what they want or love...
I do have lots of friends that have and still make an OK living from playing music. Have lots of friends that make an OK living from teaching, both educationally and privately...
I'm from school of if you don't have a few music degrees... you almost don't have a chance. Not that the music degrees will make you a jazz player. Generally they will steer you away from what makes a jazz player. But they will open doors and they will help give you a basic musical foundation that will help speed up the process of becoming a jazz player. ( as well as speed this process up of understanding how the world works).
The one fact that doesn't really change, from any approach to playing jazz... you need to have your skills together. We all know what those are... you can't BS your way to becoming a good jazz player. Reg