Comments on: Road Warrior without an Expense Account Part VIII: Burnout http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html double bass news, stories, downloads, podcasts, and more! Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:11:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account Part IV – Rising Tide, Shrinking Pool http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-4730 Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account Part IV – Rising Tide, Shrinking Pool Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:50:32 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-4730 [...] Part VIII - Burnout [...] [...] Part VIII – Burnout [...]

]]> By: Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account Part V – Regional Orchestras http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-4729 Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account Part V – Regional Orchestras Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:49:47 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-4729 [...] Part VIII - Burnout [...] [...] Part VIII – Burnout [...]

]]> By: Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior Without an Expense Account Part X—Refocusing (Musical Entrepreneurship) http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-4711 Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior Without an Expense Account Part X—Refocusing (Musical Entrepreneurship) Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:50:37 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-4711 [...] Part VIII - Burnout [...] [...] Part VIII – Burnout [...]

]]> By: Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account Part III –The Rise and Fall of the Full-Time Orchestra http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-4698 Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account Part III –The Rise and Fall of the Full-Time Orchestra Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:42:44 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-4698 [...] Part VIII - Burnout [...] [...] Part VIII – Burnout [...]

]]> By: Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account — Part I: Adjunct University Teaching http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-4694 Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog » Road Warrior without an Expense Account — Part I: Adjunct University Teaching Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:39:29 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-4694 [...] Part VIII - Burnout [...] [...] Part VIII – Burnout [...]

]]> By: Liz http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-552 Liz Tue, 15 May 2007 16:02:00 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-552 Just found your blog through hellafrisch.<br/><br/>What a great series....I will have to come back later to read it in more detail.<br/><br/>My life was like that in the 90s in Southern Ontario. Used to do the commute from TO to Windsor a lot (about 500 km-usually by train though). And many places in between. I actually enjoyed it. Had some debt, but Canadian universities are a *lot* cheaper. (was about 3K a year 15 years ago). However I don't know if I could have continued it. (my own career path is pretty eclectic actually-things are starting to come together just in the last year)<br/><br/>It will be great to follow you as you develop your new career path. There is life after burnout... Just found your blog through hellafrisch.

What a great series….I will have to come back later to read it in more detail.

My life was like that in the 90s in Southern Ontario. Used to do the commute from TO to Windsor a lot (about 500 km-usually by train though). And many places in between. I actually enjoyed it. Had some debt, but Canadian universities are a *lot* cheaper. (was about 3K a year 15 years ago). However I don’t know if I could have continued it. (my own career path is pretty eclectic actually-things are starting to come together just in the last year)

It will be great to follow you as you develop your new career path. There is life after burnout…

]]> By: Jason Heath http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-544 Jason Heath Mon, 14 May 2007 17:21:00 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-544 Thank you all so much for these excellent comments, insights, and elaborations. It is great to hear that I'm not the only one that feels this way about the current state of the music business and about the freelance world in general. Thank you all so much for these excellent comments, insights, and elaborations. It is great to hear that I’m not the only one that feels this way about the current state of the music business and about the freelance world in general.

]]> By: Brittany http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-495 Brittany Thu, 03 May 2007 05:27:00 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-495 Hi Jason,<br/><br/>I'm a professional bassist and music educator in the Northern Virginia/DC area. I just wanted to thank you for the great blog you have here. <br/><br/>You are telling it like it is. I am 35, and I have been fighting with burnout for several years now. The scramble to find work, gig, practice, teach, run a business, deal with various personalities, and pay for the roof over my head...it's both addictive and really hard. <br/><br/>I see so many of my peers struggle with burnout; however so little is really said about it. Unfortunately, there is even less help. <br/><br/>You have shown burnout can be an opportunity to re-invent yourself. I am in the process of doing the same. <br/><br/>A friend found your site and recommended it to me...he saw a lot of my life in your blog stories. (Thankfully, I have never had to deal with a car fire though!) <br/><br/>Thanks for taking the time to write about the life. I have students who are seriously considering "following in my footsteps". It is their choice, but I am sending them here to read your blog. Then they hear my war stories. At least then they can make an informed decision.<br/><br/>Peace and much respect to you,<br/><br/>Brittany Hi Jason,

I’m a professional bassist and music educator in the Northern Virginia/DC area. I just wanted to thank you for the great blog you have here.

You are telling it like it is. I am 35, and I have been fighting with burnout for several years now. The scramble to find work, gig, practice, teach, run a business, deal with various personalities, and pay for the roof over my head…it’s both addictive and really hard.

I see so many of my peers struggle with burnout; however so little is really said about it. Unfortunately, there is even less help.

You have shown burnout can be an opportunity to re-invent yourself. I am in the process of doing the same.

A friend found your site and recommended it to me…he saw a lot of my life in your blog stories. (Thankfully, I have never had to deal with a car fire though!)

Thanks for taking the time to write about the life. I have students who are seriously considering “following in my footsteps”. It is their choice, but I am sending them here to read your blog. Then they hear my war stories. At least then they can make an informed decision.

Peace and much respect to you,

Brittany

]]> By: Jason Heath http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-490 Jason Heath Tue, 01 May 2007 02:58:00 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-490 It's great to hear your experiences, Elaine. Music (and the performing lifestyle) is addictive for me, and I find myself missing it in all of its shambling messiness when I take time off. Even the all night drives evoke some nostalgia! It’s great to hear your experiences, Elaine. Music (and the performing lifestyle) is addictive for me, and I find myself missing it in all of its shambling messiness when I take time off. Even the all night drives evoke some nostalgia!

]]> By: Elaine Fine http://doublebassblog.org/2007/04/road-warrior-without-and-expense.html/comment-page-1#comment-489 Elaine Fine Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:23:00 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/?p=1075#comment-489 Thank you for telling it absolutely like it is, Jason. The problem for a lot of musicians is that our whole sense of self worth and pleasure is hard-wired into what we get from practicing and playing music. And we want to do it with people we like and for audiences that appreciate it. That means we have to drive as much as we play. Our problem is that many of us just can't do anything else well because we don't get the kind of satisfaction and pleasure that we get from music.<br/><br/>I could not support myself financially (that means having a place to live, a car, and having food to eat) working as a musician in the mid-west (that means playing in three orchestras, teaching at a community college, playing wedding gigs, teaching private students, and writing music). I married someone who got a university teaching job, and that's the way I have been able to support my "habit."<br/><br/>I have been at it for 18 more years than you have (I just turned 48 today), and I can say that things aren't going to get better for freelance musicians, especially in the mid-west. Thank you for telling it absolutely like it is, Jason. The problem for a lot of musicians is that our whole sense of self worth and pleasure is hard-wired into what we get from practicing and playing music. And we want to do it with people we like and for audiences that appreciate it. That means we have to drive as much as we play. Our problem is that many of us just can’t do anything else well because we don’t get the kind of satisfaction and pleasure that we get from music.

I could not support myself financially (that means having a place to live, a car, and having food to eat) working as a musician in the mid-west (that means playing in three orchestras, teaching at a community college, playing wedding gigs, teaching private students, and writing music). I married someone who got a university teaching job, and that’s the way I have been able to support my “habit.”

I have been at it for 18 more years than you have (I just turned 48 today), and I can say that things aren’t going to get better for freelance musicians, especially in the mid-west.

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