Playing with signed artist vs engineering job? Help.

[synthdogg]

Lots of stuff written here, and there's still a lot of questions about the OP's situation and intent.....and here's some more questions? What do you wnat to do with your life? Do you want to be in a band that you're a part of and making your own music? Do you want to be a sideman going from tour to tour? Do you want to be an engineer?

I agree with many above that your situation is risky in regards to your current band "making it" or making it with you still a member....but if you're willing to work your ass off, this gig could be just the thing to hook you up with something else down the road. As long as your not willing to settle and assume this is your gig for the rest of your life, treat everyone you meet as if they're about to give you your next gig (They may be...) and start to really network, then the road can be a great place to be.

Are you willing to move to make it happen? How dedicated do you feel to this? If you're not willing to give things up for the work then bail now and keep your job.

[Griffinator]

I have friends in name bands today who say they have all but given up on selling cd's or chasing a record deal because internet downloading has killed that market. They live off their performances which means they are on the road for life, and that's not as much fun as it sounds.

 

Anyone who can't sell CD's and shwag at a show is doing it wrong.

 

If they're expecting to just sit back and watch the people storm their door to buy CD's, they're badly confused about the nature of the business.

[J. Dan]

It's hard to jump into the job market with a resume that says you were a musician for the last 20 years unless you want to teach music or be a church worship leader.

 

That's exactly why I suggested doing contract work "on the road" if possible. Just to keep something on your resume and keep up with current technology. If you start your own one man consulting company and can point to a number of jobs you did during that time while touring, that will keep you in the game. There are a ton of companies using contract IT and engineering consulting people because of the nature of the projects - they need a lot of resources to get the project done, then when it's done they support it internally.

 

In fact, I'd say your current profession is one of the more likely ones to be able to continue during a tour.

[frogmonkey]

Do you love your job? If so, I would say keep it. If it's just "tolerable", I would say don't let it keep you from doing what you love. That is, assuming that you love to play music and tour.

 

If you follow your bliss, you might not make the same kind of money. But money can't .

 

I know a few engineers who have quit their jobs to be musicians or otherwise follow their bliss.

 

One of them quit an IBM job and played drums in my band for 4 years (he supplemented his income with drum teaching and carpentry). Then he got tired of being a pro musician and took a job again with the same company-- making twice as much as his old job! Then he got laid off. But he moved to Hawaii with his super-genius gorgeous Hawaiian girlfriend, and it seems his life is pretty good.

 

Another guy (formerly a bass player in both my bands) juggled his IT job with playing music. He decided to quit both bands and travel in Thailand and India. I guess he does a good job for his employer, because he still has his job, telecommuting from Thailand!

 

As for me, sometimes I think that a big reason I'm still a pro musician is because I don't want a job. I hate jobs. Bosses. Alarm clocks. Uggh. I teach piano lessons. I have a house and a wife, and we're working on kids We get by financially, and I feel like I have everything I need and more. But when I look at people with real jobs making 60k, 75k, 100k or more, that seems like a huge amount of money to me-- like that is rich.

 

My main point is: follow your bliss.

[Eric VB]

Man, be serious This is [not a great opportunity] for you.

I chose engineering as my primary job back tehn because I knew it would allow me to play when I want, where I want, and with who I want.

On the one hand, working as a sideman for a solo artist signed to a (small?) indie label is probably not your last career move if you should choose it. It's not likely that that's what you'll be doing from now until you're 70.

 

On the other hand, just how far can you penetrate into the inner circle of the music world as a part-time musician?

 

For example, The Who needed a replacement bassist when John Entwistle passed unexpectedly. Who did they call?

 

Certainly not the guys with day jobs who play music part-time.

 

The grass is always greener, it seems, no matter what side of the fence you end up on.

 

While this might be a good move to get you started in the music biz, if you're not comfortable with risk then it may not be the basket for you to put all of your eggs in.

 

OTOH, in today's world there is plenty more risk with day jobs than in the past. Ask all the people who are recently unemployed. Nobody works for one company through their entire career anymore. No location is safe from economic downturn and unemployment (except maybe NYC -- but it's freakin' expensive to live there!), so it's better to be free to move to where the lucrative jobs are (i.e. don't buy a home, at least not now when you can't sell it).

 

In other words, nowadays you need to be able to handle risk at least to the point of keeping up with endless change (employers, places we live). Full-time musicians have been doing that for a while now, just on perhaps a more accelerated time frame.

[Mark Schmieder]

Yes, I had to make this choice at least twice in the past decade.

 

I don't make an "engineer's salary" since I sidestepped into the Audio Industry eleven years ago, but nevertheless it is steady work and even with the economy this year, the only thing that would have made me lose my job would have been the shuttering of the doors. I have full confidence in my permanent employment.

 

But that's not why I chose not to go with the touring bands. The real reason was that I would have been a cog in the wheel. I am an extremely prolific composer and arranger, and barely have time to fully realize 10% of my work as it is, due to other commitments. If I was to commit most of my musical energy to someone else's project, as I have done in the past, I would ironically have less time for my own music (and music I write for others) than I do holding down a 60+ hour a week engineering job.

 

So ask yourself what your priorities are in terms of security, level of creative contribution, stability of the gig, etc. And if you have a mortgage and/or family, you might not want to take the risk on a band unless you are extremely confident they'll be around in a few years (or even a year's) time.

 

The two professions are not mutually incompatible, by the way. My company would support a brief leave of absence or a long vacation if I chose to go on tour. Others here have done it. I would have to be careful to time it right, but I know several people who work as Engineers in the Audio Industry who have an "understanding" with their employers.

[Mark Schmieder]

As for full-time vs. part-time musicians, I consider myself a full-time musician, because I spend 40-60 hours a week at it. Many people who depend solely on music for their income put in far fewer hours than that. I think it's a mistake to equate choosing music as your primary career to be the same as choosing that to be where you spend all of your time. Established musicians have families, gardening, etc. and don't necessarily spend much time practicing, writing, touring, etc. They aren't the same thing.

 

The point being, you can have your cake and eat it too. Sure, you won't get chosen to replace a musician who dies unexpectedly. But you wouldn't get that job anyway unless you'd already been doing it for twenty years. The people who get the John Entwhistle replacement gigs, are people in well-established cover bands, and studio musicians. Simon Phillips has stood in for HOW many dead drummers in 60's/70's acts by now?

[The Real MC]

I'm an engineer who had been at this crossroad back in the 80s. There's more to consider besides the benefits of staying at your engineering job.

 

Your situation with the artist will require you to sign a "work for hire" contract that will net you zero royalties, zero profits from merchandising - only a puny poverty-level salary regardless whether you work 40hr/week or 24/7. You won't be earning a salary 365 days of the year - only when the artist is touring (100 days if you're lucky). Not only is it not enough to make a living, you won't have any left over to put into retirement or to save for a house. And you are expendable at any time, they can and will drop you in the middle of the road when they decide your services are no longer required. And that contract will grant them immunity against lawsuits or accounting audits so you have no legal recourse. And they can badmouth you so bad that you will never get another job in the music industry.

 

The music industry is anything but professional and moral. They exploit young malleable gullible musicians like you.

 

Now consider the consequences of leaving your engineering job. Your services with said artist are later terminated and you'd like to return to your former job. Not only has your position been filled in your absence, but they will be very reluctant to hire you back knowing how you left them high and dry. You're an engineer and a professional - employers do not look highly on that. And when you are interviewing for jobs and a prospective company finds out about the gap in your work history, they won't be anxious to hire you.

 

Maybe I am not touring the world but I am enjoying playing music with my local buddies and can finance my music gear habit with my job, and STILL pull a 401k and savings.

 

It's all about the long-term view.

[Mark Schmieder]

This is why I say you can have your cake and eat it too.

 

There's a lot of other options between sitting at home playing for yourself, and touring internationally with a top act.

 

Plenty of acts tour regionally once every year or so, requiring a minimal sacrifice from their players in terms of brief leave of absence or saving up vacation time to use for the tour.

 

And one can also find success at music without leaving the home, or at least one's main home base.

 

So make sure you ask yourself what your short-term and long-term goals are, and how you personally measure success.

[Steve Nathan]

 

 

Artist: Darrell Scott

Album: Theatre of the Unheard

Title: The Man Who Could Have Played Bass for Shanana

 

I walked into the lounge of the Windsor Arms Hotel

Where a band was playing Fifties songs

The ones we know so well

And they played just like the record

Not a note was out of place

Then they finished with "Goodnight Sweetheart"

By the guy who played the bass

 

As he walked by the table I offered him a beer

Said I was a player too

I had been for many years

And we talked about the business

All the years out on the road

How forever sweet sixteen

Was such a heluva heavy load

 

And he said, "Ya know I could have made it once

If Id have listened to a friend

He had set up this audition

With a fifties group back when

But it was 1967 and I had dreams of moving on

The man who couldve played bass for Shanana

 

Shanana, Shanana

 

He said, "I see them on the TV shows

Every now and again and I see my buddy playing

The saxophone the way he did back then

Oh we used to play the circuit

Any dive that had the pay

But wed have done it all for nothing

Just to get a chance to play"

 

He said, "I talk to my family on every Sunday night

And I tell em where Im working next

And how the band is getting tight

And my children always ask me

How much longer Ill be gone"

The man who couldve played bass for Shanana

 

Shanana, Shanana

 

Well, we all have our stories

How we try but cant forget

And how we sit in contemplation

And we lick our own regret

Theres the one we could've married

Theres the job we could've had

Theres the winning run we could've hit

If we had a more loving dad

And theres the house we couldve bought

When the prices werent so high

And theres the loving words we couldve said

Before that loved one died

Theres the road we couldve traveled

Theres the one we traveled on and on and on

And theres the man who couldve played bass for Shanana

 

Shanana, Shanana, Shanana

[marino]

I can only relate my personal experience: Basically, I had no choice. All I wanted as a kid was making music, and that has never changed. I have no other comparable interest or attitude; I would have been totally frustrated and unsatisfied doing anything else.

Of course, that meant that I worked very hard at being the most complete musician I could manage to become.

Even in these horribly difficult times, I can only envision myself doing something musical; nothing else would fit.

 

In order to endure a musician's life, I think you have to have a similar kind of drive. If you have doubts - have doubts.

 

 

[bloodsample]

Wow, I am amazed and very thankful for all the replies!

 

All your stories were very inspiring.

 

I don't think I can remember all the comments and questions but I'll try to clear some things up.

 

First of all I'm 24 and I have no "attachments". Since I graduated (only about a year ago) I have had a pretty hard time finding a job up until recently. This is what caused me to worry about taking a break from this field. If I had trouble finding a job shortly after graduating then what chance would I have after a few years of touring..

 

You all brought up some really good points. I do have a tremendous passion for music. Music is not something I want to do, it's something I have to do. But music to me does not have to mean touring or making money. Regardless of what I do, music will always be a part of who I am [/corny line].

 

That being said, the reason I'm considering this opportunity (even though it's not my own project) is because it's the closest (I think) I'll ever get to making connections with the big boys. If money were not a factor I'd jump on this right away. Unfortunately life ain't that pretty.

 

The "grass is greener" comments are very true. One of my biggest fears is having regrets. But like someone said, no matter what I choose I'll find a reason to regret not having chosen the other.

 

I think I'm going to combine a bunch of your advice and talk to the singer and see how rough the schedule will be and see whether I can manage to do it while keeping my job.

 

Worst case: I keep my job, make money, buy fancy gear (GAS relief) and play random local gigs for fun. Pretty good case IMO.

 

Best case: The band makes it really big and I can do music full time (unlikely and foolish).

 

I guess I don't want to be a hired musician in that I play in many different bands. I'd want to be part of one band and focus on that. But I guess this is much harder to be financially successful at.

 

I guess the fact that I'm even second guessing pursuing this band should mean that it's not the right thing.

 

If only I could look a few years into the future...

 

I'll keep you guys posted as things unfold.

[S_Gould]

I think you answered your own question. If you had described your situation and were gonna do it, and asked "is there something I don't know/am overlooking?", that would be an understandable bit of self-doubt. Just the way you asked the question (as a young person without the commitments/responsibilities of family/mortgage/major debt, etc.) suggests you wouldn't be comfortable with the uncertainties inherent in the life of a full-time career in music.

This statement from your follow-up post really says it all - "I guess the fact that I'm even second guessing pursuing this band should mean that it's not the right thing." .

 

The positive side of this is, if you're REALLY meant/suited to be a musician, first & foremost, you'll end up quitting your job and going on the road/in the studio with someone else. Obviously something about this situation isn't right for you, or you wouldn't even ask...

 

 

Scott

[Markyboard]

A lot of this is a rehash of what others have said here. I'm also an engineer (EE - 27+ years) and way back when considered the same at your age. Looking back on it I know I was never seriously going to take the music path. Like me you probably busted your ass to get an engineering degree (really hard if you absolutely hate it) and for a good reason but like me your passion is music, not engineering. Having a passion for something is not enough. You have to be damn lucky and damn good. I was neither although we can all dream of how good we might become and hope we get lucky.

 

The reality is if you have a degree or something to fall back on, you will fall back on it when the going gets rough, and it will get rough. The guys that make it in music i.e. "really" make it have nothing to fall back on. They generally suffer for many years if not their whole life even if they are REALLY good. A few make it, or make enough to get by, but most don't. Some make it for a while and then things go south. Some eventually give up and get some shitty job or even a decent job. Having said that I really have a great deal of respect for the guys that took a shot at it, fell short of their dream but still became successful in a music related field. Maybe not the most lucrative career at first but eventuially worked their way into a decent paying and satisying music career.

 

The other approach is to fulfil your passion doing music on the side while being an engineer, lawyer, sales rep or what ever helps pay the bills and secure your future. You can gig part time/weekends and still work your day job although for me that's a bit much with kids and such so I just do the home studio thing for fun.

 

Now here's my long winded experience in engineering. I "suffered" many years (on and off) of hating my job, working with geeks and being in a Dilbert environment bored out of my mind. Music and my desire to buy equipment got me through these agonizing times. Also being able to understand electronics as related to synths got me motivated to learn electronic design. I started bringing my Memorymoog schematics to work and would ask experienced engineers including (stupidly) my lead/boss questions on how certain circuits worked. Man - that guy hated me. I was eventually fortunate (three different time over 27 years including now) to get assigned to projects with a senior engineer/lead/manager who was well respected but totally cool, teaching me the technical ropes, how to talk respectfully and professionally when required and a lot about life. I gravitated to doing those aspects of engineering that I liked ("real" design, troubleshooting, lab check-out etc.), learned to take responsibility and got really good at the technical stuff by asking questions and never caring whether it would make me look bad. Most importantly I avoided being one of the bullshitters that everyone sees through but never reveal. I also avoided becoming one of these fluffster chart maker/presenter types who sit in meetings all day kissing someones ass. I'm one of those leads now, we get our work done, make our bosses/customers happy, do some really cool stuff and have a blast while trying to keep our all too often party atmoshpehere in check. I put in way to many hours, get paid for every single one (addictive when you want to buy equipment) and work with a great group (now). I often leave at the end of the day wondering if this can possibly last until retirement. I did make my last house payment 2 days ago and while I didn't live my dream the fact is it was a dream and I have no regrets

 

Good luck.

 

[DanS]

I do have a tremendous passion for music. Music is not something I want to do, it's something I have to do. But music to me does not have to mean touring or making money. Regardless of what I do, music will always be a part of who I am [/corny line].

 

Worst case: I keep my job, make money, buy fancy gear (GAS relief) and play random local gigs for fun. Pretty good case IMO.

 

Not corny at all, I feel the same way.

When I was a teen, my parents supported my musical interests, but my father always insisted I have a regular job to fall back on. One of my dreams was to have my own project studio, and I've realized that dream. One of the benefits of having a regular day gig is that serious GAS usually transforms into the Acquisition part pretty quick.

I play in a great band, have my studio for my projects at my leisure, and have no regrets.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Let me add one more thing here... a lot of people suggest that when you pick a job, it should be something that you love. I don't particularly agree. First, familiarity breeds contempt. Plus, that way leads to the job becoming your life, which is not what a 'job' is supposed to do. Were I to do it all again, knowing what I now know, I -might- opt for the career that I could leave at work when I went home. And the idea of a 'passion' for music is that makes me say this. Because, if you loved chocolate, and you got a job eating chocolate every day all day, it would not be long before you hated chocolate. In pursuing a job in entertainment, you are not going to get to eat the kind of chocolate that you like all the time. Most of the time you'll be eating some other type of chocolate that isn't as good or satisfying as you might like, but you gotta keep eating anyway.

 

 

[frogmonkey]

You're 24? That's too young to be held down by a job.

 

Pursue your music as far as you can right now. If you can keep a good job at the same time that's great, but don't let the job stop you from doing what you want!

[Bobadohshe]

Interesting to hear about you at this cross roads. This has been the story of my early to mid twenties. I'm 28 now and living in L.A., with a degree in Structural Engineering from one of the best Structural Engineering schools in the country.

 

Question: Why the HELL are there so many musician/engineers!? It's awesome, it's scary. I think I'll start a thread about it.

 

But back to your dilemma. Man, that's tough. 24 ain't old by any means. But 24 ain't super young either. It really isn't. The vets on this forum may sit there and balk at me saying that, because from their perspective 24 and 28 are probably BOTH young. But think about what could happen in a couple short years, when you get to my ripe old age of 28. You reach an age where you look around and see the knuckleheads you graduated with, who were once in the exact same situation as you: they're suddenly driving Beamers and Mercedes. They suddenly are putting down payments on houses. They're suddenly having kids, and marrying other hot engineers. They're going to bed at 10:30 and waking up at 6:30, which is a nice regular schedule. In the meantime, you're still loading out at 1:45 in the morning in a freezing Montreal night for $90. Hey, $90 for a 3 hour gig is $30 an hour, that's a sweet wage right? Well are you making $30 for 8 hours like your colleagues are starting at? Maybe if you teach like crazy, but not if you're on the road with an indie act.

 

So think this to yourself: are you OKAY with that scenario? Will you be jealous, will you feel like you're missing out on something, will you feel like your old friends possibly look down on you a little bit or don't understand what you're doing with your life? If they're your friends hopefully not.

 

This indie scenario isn't your golden ticket, and I know you realize that. But it could be your ticket to the next level in music, whatever that is. If you keep open ears and a good attitude, meeting people along the way, and if you support and help shape this artist into an incredible live act, then you are honing skills for a future in music. That's what I did, touring with a successful Christian Reggae band in college during the Summers, going to Europe, New Zealand, Brazil, holding down a church gig and music retail gig when in town, and it seasoned me and helped me meet people to further my growth.

 

If at some point you do want to enter your field to work full time, you have to keep your head mentally there. I know that finishing school was the hardest thing I had to do, as by that point I never intended to be a Structural Engineer, but I just had to see the damn thing through as I'd gone so far down that road and had to prove to myself that I could do it. But even though it's been only a couple years, I feel like I could never go back and actually get a job doing that now. That may not be a good thing, and if you do intend to work later in your field, you have to almost keep part of your mind engaged with it and not give yourself fully to music if that makes sense.

[Tonysounds]

The good news is you can still be in a great band, and enjoy some local success...even regional if you stick it out long enough. You may be the leader, but there are worse things. Once you have established a following, the worst part of being a leader (booking gigs) becomes much much easier.

 

Good luck with everything, and you'll be glad to know that music never has to leave your life, even with a "straight job". I haven't stopped since my first gig at age 15, and I'm 47 now.

[Joe Muscara]

other hot engineers

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

other hot engineers

 

You'd better believe it. There were only three female engineering students at C-MU when i was around, but all three were dynamite.

[Joe Muscara]

other hot engineers

 

You'd better believe it. There were only three female engineering students at C-MU when i was around, but all three were dynamite.

There were a few pretty ones here and there, but as soon as I got away from the engineering department and saw the women on the rest of campus, I forgot about them!

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

24 ain't old by any means. But 24 ain't super young either. It really isn't. The vets on this forum may sit there and balk at me saying that, because from their perspective 24 and 28 are probably BOTH young.

 

No argument here. By the time I was 24 (16 years ago -- eek), I was married and working at a pretty serious job in the audio industry. But that never stopped me form being a "real" musician who would do recording sessions at night after work, would play gigs on weekends, and continued to write music often.

 

Granted, I couldn't have toured, or taken weeks off work to stay in the studio 24/7. But at no point did I stop being a musician, or lose my passion for music, just because I decided to go the route of the day job.

 

I think a lot of lives are dictated by fear of regret... that you'll look back at a certain point and feel you took a wrong turn. However, as someone said, no matter which path you take, there are advantages and disadvantages, so it's not like there's a clear-cut direction which is right or wrong. The ONLY advice I can give is to go into which ever way you choose with your eyes wide open. Don't choose your path based on just instinct, or without doing the small amount of investigation which will help your decision become that much easier.

 

By the way: I am perfectly happy with the direction I took, and given the opportunity to do it again, would do the same thing. That's a good feeling. I hope it works out that way for you too.

[GovernorSilver]

I am yet another engineering graduate posting here - my degree was a BS in Computer Engineering (half EE, half Computer Science). I didn't start working on my music skills with any degree of seriousness until I was already in college, so that negated a successful switch to a music major. My university's music program was pretty lax in that I only needed to fill out a form to switch over, but I switched back to an engineering major after adding up my college debt and the likelihood of making enough money after college to pay the debt and my rent at the same time.

 

I have several musician friends in the area who work day jobs and simply use their vacation hours to tour. They don't seem to look at working a non-music day job as a life sentence like bloodsample seems to think (maybe he doesn't but that's the impression). Even those of my muso friends in the area who don't tour still work hard on their own music and play shows in the area - neither fame nor money are motivations for their art. I think they just make music because it's part of who they are. They happily coexist with musicians who make music full-time because they're not trying to take their jobs a hotels, weddings, etc.

 

If you go with the engineering career, I suggest you do not look at it like a life sentence. If you have a real passion for music, you'll keep working on it on the side. If you have basic people skills and keep your eyes open, you might find opportunities. I knew a guy who left his IT job to tour with a techno band because he met the band members, they liked his music, he got along with them, and they decided he could be a contributing band member.

[B3_borne]

Question: Why the HELL are there so many musician/engineers!? It's awesome, it's scary. I think I'll start a thread about it.

 

Yea I find it scary too.

 

I'm a Mech Eng also.

 

In my youth after finishing my schooling, I went full time playing music, touring, etc. I was young, no commitments (wife, kids) so it was an easy decision and the money was good back then (70s & 80s). But as time went on, I saw smaller and smaller paychecks and in the mid 80s I quit and got a day job. I didnt play at all for 10yrs, the music industry left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

But the music was calling me again and in the mid 90s I joined a cover band, for the fun of playing music. Now Im self-employed and can regularly take-off and do a 3 wk tour with an artist. What Im seeing in this area, is east coast artists touring out west, are not bring their bands with them. Theyre doing pick-up bands, way cheaper for them, so I get called quite often and really enjoying it I dont have to worry about the money side of music.

 

[b3maniac]

Well, it is am amazing trend that so may here hare in the engineering field.

 

I am another member with an engineering degree.

 

I was fortunate that my father was a surveyor, so I was able to play full time after collecge for a number of years, and also work with him when the road trips were slow. I actually stayed on the road long enough to get my fill and not want to play every night....every night became :work" and I think eventually took a lot of the fun out of it.

 

So in the log run, it has been my degee that has supported my music and GAS thru the years.

 

If I had to do it all over in todays world, I think I would focus on using the degree rather than going on the road.

That would keep the music a passion rather than a job.

Don

[Mark Schmieder]

I made a decision early in life, at age 19, not to have regrets.

 

The first opportunity I had for a major regret was when I switched out of Music School into Math & Science (and History, my double-major -- I always played it safe with a backup plan).

 

Little did I know at the time, than several decades later, I would be more successful than I ever dreamed. And I don't measure success by fame and by dollars. My goal was to write music for an appreciative audience, in a context that supports a story. That includes stage, film, opera, ballet, etc. And that is exactly what I am doing now, and I couldn't be happier!

 

But I did take a strong detour at first, to establish myself in my career, and make enough money early in life that I could afford to take a monstrous pay cut later on. This was my life plan from the beginning, and I was 41 when I "retired" from the computer industry to reapply my engineering skills directly in a musical context.

 

My father was my guiding light in all of this. He and my mother met in Music School, but he switched to Math after seeing how cut-throat the classical world is during an internship with the Chicago Symphony (yes, he is that good on flute). His life plan all along was to retire at the earliest possible age (54-1/2) and then return to music -- which he did. So I had this example before me, and it worked for him so I knew it would work for me.

 

Life will always have its challenges -- work included. But even in these tough times, with salary cuts, layoffs, etc., I can't imagine going back to "The Industry" to make more money. Every time I think about it, and how I could pay the bills, buy a piano, etc., I am reminded of the freedom that is afforded by working amongst other creative people whose main goal in life is to celebrate the arts, whether peripherally or directly.

 

And I am doing both: peripherally through my day job (you may have detected my enthusiasm for the MJ comeback tour, which I was getting increasingly involved in right before his death), and directly through my composing, arranging, and performing.

 

I cannot say whether I could have taken a shorter path to where I now am in life, but I suspect the arrival of the internet has empowered people with much more knowledge and context for decision-making that can take a short-cut around some of life's hard lessons. But on the other hand, first-hand experience knows no substitute, and one can't expect there to be no rocks in the road on life's journey.

 

The important thing is to always remember that tomorrow is another day, and even the most serious crises in life (our own lives and the world situation) are temporal. As George Harrison famously sang, "All Things Must Pass". Don't live in the past or the future, but always be mindful that whatever you are doing today, this does not determine the possibilities for tomorrow.

[MusicWorkz]

Civil Engineer/MBA here. I agree with most everyone that if you are without major responsibility or commitment, you have an opportunity now to explore something you more than likely may not have later.

 

As Tony said, it may be a situation where you can have your cake and eat it, too. Find out the particulars and like Bill said, make a choice....

[DanS]

other hot engineers

 

Yeah, this is funny, but things have improved, a great deal...

[RichieP_MechE]

Not to steer this thread OT but...

You'd better believe it. There were only three female engineering students at C-MU when i was around, but all three were dynamite.

Hey Bill, I'm a fellow grad of CMU too! (Just graduated this past May, BS Mechanical Engineering). There's considerably more female engineering students there nowadays, though few are what would be considered 'dynamite'. The male/female student is definitely still out of whack. The admissions office claims it's 3:2 but I'd swear it's more like 10:1.

 

There were a few pretty ones here and there, but as soon as I got away from the engineering department and saw the women on the rest of campus, I forgot about them!

Yeah, fortunately CMU has pretty popular Art, Music, and Drama programs which attract a fair share of eye candy.