What would your choice be?

[ll00l0l]

Would you rather be a mediocre but financially successful musician (like many of today's pop artists), or an excellent but obscure one (like many of today's jazz/classical artists)?

[lammie200]

[JGinNJ]

I split the difference, I'm both mediocre and obscure.
I'm better than I need to be as an amateur, but not good enough to be successful as a pro.

I think the "successful pros" are successful because they're good at marketing themselves, networking, playing music people want to pay for, etc.

[AllanAllen]

Would you rather be a mediocre but financially successful musician (like many of today's pop artists), or an excellent but obscure one (like many of today's jazz/classical artists)?

I want to be me and play what I like.

[RJVB]

Would you rather be a mediocre but financially successful musician (like many of today's pop artists), or an excellent but obscure one (like many of today's jazz/classical artists)?

Can't you be both? Finance the latter by accepting to be (seen as) the former?

[jazznylon]

Option 2. The only use I have for money is to not be homeless and eat pizza. Don't have much interest in anything else to spend on. Though buying a cool expensive instrument would be nice..

[sgosnell]

I made my decision well over half a century ago. I was not a musician, other than playing for my own amusement. I know reality when I see it.

[pingu]

1345919[/URL]]Would you rather be a mediocre but financially successful musician (like many of today's pop artists), or an excellent but obscure one (like many of today's jazz/classical artists)?

either would be good

[Stevebol]

[ccroft]

All I ever wanted was to play music I loved and earn like a plumber. Didn't happen.
I've been a cabinetmaker for 35 years, playing music I love. It worked out OK.

[mr. beaumont]

I'd like to own a restaurant that a real chef cooks my family's recipes with their own twist (read: makes them better), and then I play the guitar, talk to every table, and bring out shots of limoncello to folks who spend a lot on dinner.

[AllanAllen]

I'd like to own a restaurant that a real chef cooks my family's recipes with their own twist (read: makes them better), and then I play the guitar, talk to every table, and bring out shots of limoncello to folks who spend a lot on dinner.

I’d be happy with a weekly gig at your restaurant.

[RLetson]

Some nicely funny responses here. I just returned from a week at the Ashokan Western and Swing camp, where I hung out with sure-enough pros, accomplished pro-ams with day jobs, and straight-up amateurs who could nevertheless swing their butts off. A portion of all those categories had a bit of visibility in their own local or genre environments, several of the pros had conventional musical careers (including teaching at major institutions), and the rest of us just like making music.

It's not an either/or world, except for questions such as "Can you make a living or raise a family on your music?"

I think this recollection of mine might be relevant: Years ago, I had friend who played out regularly with a rock band. When I remarked that I'd never be good enough to play for money, he replied that musical skill wasn't the only important thing in keeping a band employed. "Somebody has to book the gigs and make sure everybody turns up on time and make sure we get paid," he said. The implication was that a guy with that skill-set might be forgiven slightly diminished musical chops. (Not that anybody in that band was sub-par.)

[Hep To The Jive]

It's totally possible to be an excellent musician and make good money. Maybe not a super star on the pop charts, but make a comfortable living on your own terms. Just saying.

[John A.]

I'd like to own a restaurant that a real chef cooks my family's recipes with their own twist (read: makes them better), and then I play the guitar, talk to every table, and bring out shots of limoncello to folks who spend a lot on dinner.

Well, if you stick with the art teacher thing it should only take a year or two to save up the 7-figure stake you need for that.

[mr. beaumont]

Well, if you stick with the art teacher thing it should only take a year or two to save up the 7-figure stake you need for that.

Banking on the inevitable resurgence of high paying rhythm guitar gigs. I'm going to be ready!

[emanresu]

The beauty of "mediocre" is that you can do brilliant music still.

[sgcim]

A guitar player friend of mine was telling me the other day that he had the first guitar book that Howard Roberts wrote many years ago, and he said the most important advice that he, HR, could give anyone reading the book was to never under any circumstance tell anyone that you were a jazz guitarist.

[ll00l0l]

Can't you be both? Finance the latter by accepting to be (seen as) the former?

Zappa was known for this, and Schnittke.

[Spook410]

I am grateful I didn't try a career in music. Given this choice was made back when that was still a thing. Now I get to be an amateur good enough to gig while being able to enjoy the life I earned as an engineer. Mediocre.. check. Obscure.. check. Perfect.

[sgosnell]

Since I retired I'm playing far more than I ever did while working, almost every day. I'm still only mediocre on a good day. I have no discipline, and I don't really practice, I just noodle. But my only real motivation is making myself happy. I can do that well enough.

[Stevebol]

I am grateful I didn't try a career in music. Given this choice was made back when that was still a thing. Now I get to be an amateur good enough to gig while being able to enjoy the life I earned as an engineer. Mediocre.. check. Obscure.. check. Perfect.

I gave it my best for 4 years many years ago. I wanted to at least try for my parents who were musicians.

[RJVB]

Zappa was known for this, and Schnittke.

Canadian Plume Latraverse would probably fall in this same category. Not being able to sing in tune, play more than a few simple chords or write lyrics and music that don't come across as silly parodies are his hallmarks. IMHO there's just a tad bit more going on behind the scenes.
(No idea about his financial "worth" though.)

[rpjazzguitar]

Would you rather be a mediocre but financially successful musician (like many of today's pop artists), or an excellent but obscure one (like many of today's jazz/classical artists)?

If I didn't need the money, #2.

If I needed the money to support a family, #1.

[yebdox]

I figured out 40 years ago this equation: the talent required for success is inversely proportional to the popularity of the chosen media. (Not really true, but it seemed so at the time.)

So, I chose to forego a career in music after 4 years of playing pro in order to play only what I enjoy. Downside: few gigs. Upside: no requests for Freebird.

(“Imagine if you will, a world beyond sight and sound, a land where jazz club patrons insist on guitarists playing Wes Montgomery’s solo on “Impressions” note for note, where Lynyrd Skynyrd solos are the object of derision and jazz musicians are celebrated at a level never felt by mere “influencers” on TikTok, but are the objects of desire of beautiful women and the envy of manly men everywhere. A world known as… The Twilight Zone!”)