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My understanding is that the realistic way a musician makes a living without "making it" is session recording and teaching. What's the equivalent of that for c
by Cushman 15y ago
My understanding is that the realistic way a musician makes a living without "making it" is session recording and teaching. What's the equivalent of that for comics?
- cmaggard 15y agoLocal clubs and improv/comedy classes?
- lupatus 15y agoIndie publishing and art classes. Edit: Oops. Wrong "comics".
- rquantz 15y agoJust to add to the "working musician" profile: there are lots of opportunities for paid live performance, whether in clubs, with live orchestras or bands, or for events. Most musicians I know make most of their money with a combination of live performance and teaching, rather than with session work, which has largely dried up everywhere except LA. Even here in NYC there's very little money in recording anymore.
- jdietrich 15y agoI can't speak for the US, but in the UK there's a broad spectrum of "professional standup", from people playing 10 minute slots at comedy nights for £50 a time, through people touring small theatres and arts centres with 100-200 seats, all the way up to people playing arenas and doing TV. The general rule of thumb here is that you can make a comfortable living with ~15,000 twitter followers - just enough fans to make a tour viable.
- ocelotpotpie 15y agoAssuming your write your own material, the rough equivalent for a comic is getting a writing gig. TV shows, for other comedians, etc. You basically write "session" material as a comic the same way a "session" musician would be a hired gun.
- nerfhammer 15y agoBeing a writer for a TV show isn't "making it without making it", it's "making it" proper.
- ocelotpotpie 15y agoAbsolutely - I didn't intend to downplay being a TV writer. In that vein, being a session musician is also "making it" as well. But "it" is subjective - if "it" is being on stage, you didn't "make it" in either case.