Most people, when talking about career in music, probably think in terms of being a superstar, or release albums as a band.

I think those are every musician's ultimate dream but alas, I am not too sure about the potential of such a future in Malaysia unless you target the Malay audience. I always hear people complaining about no future in Music in this country, but if you use your head and think out of the box a bit, there're many ways you could try without falling down hard and still earn a decent living.

It's not to say impossible, but you could get Nathan East's dvd video where he talks about career in Music.

For Chinese/mandarin based musicians, from what I heard, Taiwan is the place to go.

Even the non-vocal bands, can make a career by releasing instrumental based songs (preferably original, or you could license them) as albums and sell in other countries. I think these non-vocal based songs have potential since it transcends language barrier.

Of course, I only speak from what I gather from the local musicians/bands I know.

These are the ultimate dream lah, releasing your own album. Some also write songs for famous big stars in Asia and collect royalty from them. Usually these people are armed to the teeth with music theory and know how to create/write great songs without the need to be too specialized/proficient in any particular instruments.

After that, comes other choices, where if you're not stubborn or eccentric enough, below are lists of career options I can think of.

1. Game music composers, charge your fee as an independent contractor, but your style of music knowledge must be wide, and you need a lot of IT skills to deliver your songs in digital format , which may not necessarily just be wave/mp3, could be .MID or for people like me, I prefer them in Mod/XM/S3m format since long running music can run and repeated for hours and take only 100kb or less, probably even less with compressed samples. I am heading towards this path because I need these for my projects, and very few people locally know how to create proper game format music that I want/need. If you know how to create XM/S3m/IT/MOD based songs, please PM me.

2. Create mobile ringtones, either original or rearranged/licensed songs, for mobile ringtone companies. There was a boost in demand in the recent few years for musicians to work on these ringtones. I used to work in a big mobile ringtone company but not as a musician. I know many musicians in this particular industry last time and some are visually impaired people who even managed to get in.

3. You can even branch into sound processing/mixing later on if you want, learn up sound engineering, etc, and learn to be good at computer software.

4. Be a music teacher, don't look down on this path. This is lucrative, especially if you're good in 'snob' instruments such as the Piano and violin. You can give tuition and work less than 8 hours a day, less than 5 days a week, girls are notorious for sweeping this industry. hehehehe.

5. Work for yamaha or similar big companies as a sales consultant, then work your way up as a manager, get paid a full-time job but at the same time, work on your own songs and music and hope to make it big one day as a band/musician. This route is taken by many rising guitarists who wants to be able to learn many things about various guitars and amps, without having to spend so much money on them. They get to work and learn, and play guitar (bosses encourage this to attract customers). It is a sort of a dream job for the young musician. Some of these people really manage to convince stubborn guys like me to part with my money. These fellas can really create GAS in you. Buggers.


Overall, computer knowledge, is bloody essential, not just simple computer knowledge, but knowledge of good software like Cubase, and the likes, etc.

If all you know is play the instrument and don't know how to use computer based software to record/edit/mix/arrange your music, you probably can't go very far unless you just aim to join some orchestra (but you gotta be the best of the best lah, usually parents damn rich to send you to snob instruments classes).

Even Steve Vai knows how to use computer software to edit/mix/arrange his own songs. I really take my hat off this guy, these people really really know how to improve their knowledge even at such an age. They're so humble and willing to learn.

Even Nathan East is IT equipped, my jaw dropped when he brought his whole 'band' in his notebook. *LOL*

Unless you're a vocalist, I think other areas of music has more potential and are more 'safe' choices. I think the type of musicians who really need to worry about their career are the vocalists, unless they're into those snob vocals like opera tenors, sopranos and the likes.


One more thing to add, I believe we live in very interesting times. Production cost of musical instruments have gone down, thanks to China and Indonesia's labor and material costs.

Gears nowadays, I feel are more affordable, decent in quality for the price. Compared to other people I know who spend money on tech gadgets like mobile phones and high end notebooks and DSLR cameras, I think my expenditure did not have to go near theirs to get decent gear that I desire, unless of course you're talking about the Piano, which I think is not as cheap as last time due to rising cost of the wood because of deforestation. (But this is where the digital piano comes into the picture, such as the Yamaha Clavinova)

Overall, I am glad that my spending comes at a time when these gears (electric guitar) is within my desirable range of budget.

This is exactly like the IT industry.. aiyooo... except in Music if you make it, you make it big.

You know, the only instance where I see an actual musician would be useful in the eyes of those non-musicians would be when you need to perform live in a gig etc.

If they just want offline media recordings such as Mp3, wave, etc...


Haiyoo.... no need any musician who knows any instruments.

Just use computer software, arrange all the notes for the lead, rhythm and percussions etc using software and hand up...

Bet ya those people can't even tell if it's recorded in a studio or computer generated.

This is ultimate tipu but 1 person alone probably can sapu all the money.

So... must learn how to use cubase and similar software already.

Knowing how to play instruments alone very susah cari makan outside of gigging in clubs etc.

Technology will overtake many traditional jobs, and never would one's slightest expectation that they would replace musicians who only know how to play instruments and can't compose/arrange songs.

This post has been edited by bman: Apr 21 2008, 04:25 AM

Yeaaaaa! Crossroads 1986 Eugene Martone vs The Shredder from Hell !

NEVER GIVE UP!

You can always do other job/work for a living but never give up the dream.

Nowadays, with the Internet and youtube, we should be even more grateful because we have a chance to introduce ourselves, and get more contacts/network.

We just need to be less stubborn and adapt.

Classical vs Modern is like

Tube amp snobs vs solid state amp/modeling crowd.


Digital Modelers all the way!!!!


To hell with tube amps and the snobs

Classical players, you all are looosaaahhsss.

So what if you know all the theories ?

You all are doomed to be nothing more than robotic players who reproduce all the classical scores by mozarts, beethovens and the likes of them, and none of you could ever come up with pieces that are commercially viable enough for the mainstream yuppies and teens and youths. You're all doomed to entertain uncles, grandpas, grandmas only.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

Most of all the nice songs we hear nowadays are all modern pop/rock and stuff.

They make $$$$$$$ and more youngsters heard of Nirvana, Linkin Park, Britney Spears than they've heard of Chopin, Paganini and the likes.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk nyuk.

These musicians probably died paupers compared to people like Quincy Jones, Dionne Warwick, Debbie Gibson, you get the idea.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

Duhh.. but I make more money than you. Duuuhh..

I am sure you can play a modern piece.

Nobody's saying classical players can't play modern pieces. In fact, I always advocate a classical background to my friends who really wanna make music their main career to give them an advantage, especially if they are going to write songs/music one day. It helps a damn lot in soloing as well.

What's questionable is whether classical music lovers could come up with pieces that the young generations nowadays wanna listen. It's not just the talent alone, but the attitude. You can be damn good but if you're stubborn and don't want to deliver what the mainstream desires, then starve lor, even if you have skills like the next beethoven, especially in a time where very much less people appreciate beethoven and the likes of it.

But anyway, I don't like nirvana or linkin park or britney. I just oblige your urge to have something to debate on. I know you musicians are a weird lot, and talented for sure, but creative people tend to have problems getting along with their colleagues, and they're usually their own worst enemies, so no matter how talented they are, one way or another in their life time, if they don't thread carefully, they'll trip and f*ck themselves up over and over again. This is the same with artists, the painters, etc..

The music industry is dominated by corporate labels that know what the people want, and they also know how to shape what people want. So if one is so adamant on his/her own believes then you either start your own label for marketing/publish, or fade away into oblivion, even if you're the next prodigy who is as good as beethoven.

I would much rather make money selling the software I wrote, using music as secondary helper to what I do. Not gonna make music my main career because the chances of being totally independent are much harder than compared to being an IT geek hitting it big with his next software, especially in a country like Malaysia where creative industry has the least opportunities for those who desire to be in them, and even Singapore is not spared from such problems.

Not meaning insult musicians in this forum, but most musicians I know, are kinda starving, precisely because they cannot adapt, too firm/strong in what they believed in and unable to evolve, not just musically, but socially, and also unable to take advantage of technology, so most of these talents are left behind and fade away.

Talents, are a dime a dozen, if I don't like your face, you're a nobody, that's how the industry is, that's how people with money view their workforce/employees. Sad, but that's the truth, so there's no need to really say

Oh I am classically trained, but I am better than you modern players.


Ok fine, then we send the prodigy to some big corp label and instantly the guy in suit guy says ' I don't like your f*cking face and attitude, and talents like you are a dime dozen, I don't need employees/stars that are too talented but difficult to work with. I just need someone who is good enough, and I can package him/her up and make guys or girls go crazy over him/her and fatten my pockets'

So you see, talents are only a small part of what will shape your future/career.
Many talented musicians, artists, creative people have been buried alive in their career simply because they don't know how to evolve not just musically, but socially and commercially.

Talents are a dime a dozen, and this applies not just in music, but also other industry, IT, game development, you name it.

When one is not in a position to shape/change or influence anything, best not to rattle the status quo until one reaches that level, unless you wanna be buried prematurely like how I was in another industry, but that's another story to tell for another day.

Actually, I was illustrating a point. It is not about being jealous towards talented people because I am considered a talent in another industry that has nothing to do with music.

I am just saying, talent is not the only equation that will shape one's future.

You probably won't see my point because as mentioned, you are only 16, and very stubborn, just like I was, but in another industry unrelated to music.

For every example of you digging out a classically trained musician in the comtemporary modern music, there're always other examples that could be used to counter your examples, but this is like participating in a mud wrestling, it's a pointless waste of time.

The truth is, talent alone is never a sole desirable trait when people are considering to work with you or groom you.

Me cannot lah, I am not trained from young, played less than 3 years. Music is not my forte.

You need to get someone more experienced in the modern music.


But if you need someone to write out code for program, then you can call me.

Actually, if people have read me blurting out Eugene Martone vs the Guitarist from Hell, you'll know that I actually much respect musicians who has classical training background.

I am not really bashing the classical prodigies lah, I know they're good. I am also learning up music theory myself, starting with classical theories on music notes/chords/arpeggios etc.

But as I've mentioned, talent, is not the sole factor in deciding one's future. I am merely just humoring the guy since he's dying for a debate and no one wants to get into one with him.