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When do college musicians get paid during their 4 years?

When do college musicians get paid during their 4 years?

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Katherine’s Answer

If you're a music student at a college, you wouldn't get paid for doing any work that fulfills course requirements. But if you're a college student and you're trying to figure out when and how to start using your skills to earn some money, join whatever Facebook groups you can find, especially if they're for your local area, and start attending any concerts and so on that are happening near you, so you can start learning who the musicians are in your scene and what's going on that people might need your skills for. Create a profile on Thumbtack or Lessons.com and get leads sent to your phone or email for students who want music lessons and you can start doing some teaching (keep 10% of what you earn aside for tithing to God, and keep 30% of what you earn aside for paying taxes, and you'll do best financially as long as you can try to have reached out in some way to at least 5 new possible business connections each day).

If you're really adventurous, put your own recordings up online on Patreon or YouTube or somewhere to let people pay for watching you, or advertise on campus that you will perform somewhere at some time and see what kind of audience you can attract.

Get with the churches and the grade schools near you and see what they might like to use you for musically.
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Francisco’s Answer

Hey, current college student here! One great way to make money is by finding a group of similar musicians to work with. If you're a singer, maybe try to form an acapella or barbershop group. If you're a guitarist, find a drummer, bass, and sax to make a jazz combo. Look for local restaurants, bars, or if you're under 21 a family friendly bar. Reach out and ask if there's a night they'd like to have you play. Churches are also often open to hiring musicians, especially mennonite churches.
Another great option is busking, if you're up for it! Depending on where you are, you may need to go to a city hall or similar in order to get a permit, I know New York City and Chicago require them. But other than that, all you need is your instrument, a chair, something to collect money, and a good 10-20 songs/pieces that you know confidently. Some of the more clever buskers will set up a Venmo account and have a QR code printed out so people without cash can still pay. If you can get your hands on a solar powered amp or a good battery pack, then you could use a speaker/amp to help project your sound.
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Paul’s Answer

You'll only get paid for gigs you take outside of school, so it will be up to you to hustle, make connections, and find paid opportunities for performing.

Here's a tip I got from a performer friend of mine. This works particularly well in major music cities like Nashville or LA. If you're a serious performer - and frankly, have the chops - find out who the best person in the city is at your instrument, and take lessons from them. That person is always in demand for live or studio gigs, and has more than they can handle. They will often recommend their students for the gigs they cannot fill themselves. That's because they already know you, your skill and temperament, and will know which one of his students will not make him look bad!

Hope that helps.
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