Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Viccy wrote
That's not silly at all. It all just depends how soon and in what way.
+1. I know people making a living off it. Very few make a
really good living off it though - it is a tough business. You have to be a flexible player, hard working, dedicated and very professional. Most guys end up doing all kinds of gigs, teaching, sessions, etc. to make ends meet.
This reminds me, Alan - I was talking with a drummer who studied in New York at the Drummers Collective (!) and he said their attitude was very much that you shouldn't try to be a jack of all trades; they encourage all "students" to specialise as much as possible. And I can totally see where they're coming from in a market as competitive as the USA's. But, of course, that just doesn't hold water here, and it's quite unfortunate - it's generally the case that you have to do so many differing styles and types of work just to get regular, decent, paying gigs in South Africa. To wit, at the time of this discussion we were shooting a four-on-the-floor yawnfest of a music video, because it pays the bills (barely). His main paying gig is with an out-there jazz ensemble. (It should be noted that the guy whose pop song it was rocked up in a brand-new BMW X6...)
So I think your assessment is spot-on: while the big-market guys are putting so much work into specialising, almost invariably this side of the ditch we're working hard at being able to do anything. Underneath that, flexibility, a hard-working ethic, dedication and professionalism are all required in the same amounts.
