Check out some similar questions!

lojo 54321 · Dec 21, 2009, 09:32 AM

I'm 14 now and I keep thinking about my future and I play the piano and saxophone and are going to play the flute, clarinet and oboe and I really want a job in music but there salaries are pretty lame and I go to a grammar school so everyone wants me to get a job with a lot of money and I was wondering is there any jobs that can get me a high salary with these instruments

Also, I was thinking of becoming a concert pianist and a part time sax/clari/oboe teacher
What salary would these give me?? :)

Clough · Dec 21, 2009, 10:50 PM

Hi, lojo 54321!

When a person has some sort of career in music, it's often not how much they make that matters to them, but the love of what they do. Plus, the associations and friendships that can be developed with other musicians can be incredible! In addition to that, if you become some kind of music teacher, the positive influence that you have on the students can be with them for the rest of their lives.

I also play a number of instruments and sing. I taught music in schools for many years. Pretty good money at times doing that. I've also taught private lessons to instrumental and voice students for a number of decades. As long as there's enough students, the money is great! But, private students who are young, do eventually grow up, move on, move away, go to college, get married, etc. So, finding new students can frequently be a challenge...

I also tune and repair pianos. The money there is great, as long as I have enough customers.

There are other things that I do musically in order to make a living. For more information about that, please see my profile.

If you keep up with playing the woodwind instruments that you are learning, do well at them and join a musician's union in a large metropolitan area, you'll most likely have opportunities to play in the pit orchestras for musical theater productions. Woodwind players for those usually have to be able to play a number of different woodwind instruments. For instance, you might have the clarinet book, but within that book, also have to be able to play flute, saxophone, etc.

What you ultimately make monetarily, as a musician, depends on where you are, the opportunities that are available, if a private teacher - the number of students that you have, who you know - networking, and of course, how good you are at what you do.

Thanks!

Clough · Dec 27, 2009, 02:13 AM

I do hope that you return to this thread, lojo 54321!

I was really looking forward to discussing this with you! I rarely find people on this site who have very similar interests as I do.

Thanks!

lojo 54321 · Oct 6, 2010, 01:24 PM

I have been asking around and "apparently" you have to start the piano in the womb and be grade 8 by the time you pop out to be a proper concert pianist, is this true

THANKS !

Clough · Oct 13, 2010, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by lojo 54321

i have been asking around and "apparently" you have to start the piano in the womb and be grade 8 by the time you pop out to be a proper concert pianist, is this true

THANKS !

Hi again, lojo 54321!

I haven't been on the site in awhile and so just now noticed your post here.

I didn't have a real piano lesson until I was in college. Did play the piano as well as the organ before that, though.

In answer to your question about starting the piano at a very young age in order to be a proper concert pianist, I would say that no, you don't necessarily have to start it when you're really young in order to be successful. However, starting young can give a person a head start.

Thanks!