Well, happy Friday to you, if you’re listening to this the day it airs, it is the day after Thanksgiving (a holiday here in the US) where stuff ourselves with food and hopefully have an enjoyable a few days family. But this time sometimes also comes with some feelings of panic. The Christmas gigs are about to kick into full force, there’s short term financial stress from buying presents for Christmas, paying for the travel to see family for all the holidays, and sometimes guilt from family for not being around more because you had some gigs, or needed the time to practice for an audition that’s coming up.

And sometimes hearing about your friends or family member’s success in getting a new job, or buying a house, or having another baby brings up some shame or insecurities about where you are in life and can make you question some of your life choices.

So that’s the backdrop for today’s episode. If you’re feeling a little bit of that, we’ve been there, and I think you’ll find some encouragement and perspective from our discussion.

Links we Mentioned:

Confusion about Musician Incomes

Different types of musicians:

• Hobbyists
• Weekend Warriors
• Day Job/Moonlighters
• Freelancers playing for free to gain exposure
• Full time freelancers/Per Service Musicians
• Salaried position musicians

Gig-Mas

“Take everything you can get, because Winter is Coming! (Or January is coming)

But is the stress of cramming all the gigs for an extra $100-200 worth it?

Uncertainty of the future:

• Dry Seasons (snack & famine)
• Unpredictability of gigs (reliable vs. one offs)
• Limited run (musicals, tours)
• Getting cut
• Contract negotiations/strikes/lockouts

Budgeting:

This is obviously a complex topic, but here is Dave Ramsey’s super simple place to start:

Suze Orman

Becoming our patron means that you’re pledging the monthly dollar amount of your choice to support our show. In return, Patreon contributors will receive exclusive access to:

• Behind the scenes content (what goes on when we’re not on our best behavior)
• Bonus content (all the good stuff that doesn’t make it into the final product due to time constraints)
• PLUS we’ll publicly thank you in person on air for your support.

It’s basically a monthly subscription with all sorts of cool perks. Most importantly, you can adjust your pledge anytime you like!

Just like Haydn needed Prince Esterházy and libraries needed Andrew Carnegie, WE need YOU to be our Patron so we can keep creating great, free, inspiring shows.

How do you get through this crazy time of year? Any Advice?