In this web content, written in the author’s voice, Max Alper reflects on a conversation he had with a student named Billy who was considering giving up on music due to struggles with mental health and the challenges of making a living as a musician in Brooklyn. Alper discusses three types of professional musicians he has encountered: independently wealthy artists, lifers who dedicate their lives to music, and dayjobbers who pursue their art alongside other work. He encourages Billy to embrace his day job and emphasizes that success in the music industry is not solely determined by financial wealth or time spent on the craft.
https://klangmag.co/lifers-dayjobbers-and-the-independently-wealthy-a-letter-to-a-former-student/