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[duane massey]

As far as our industry goes, what is your goal? Or, what SHOULD be the goal?

[David Parker]

As far as our industry goes, what is your goal? Or, what SHOULD be the goal?

Early on my goal was to get to where I could handle most of the major Christian artists coming to houston in medium to smaller venues. I achieved that goal, worked with many of the top Christian artists of the day. Lots of outdoor festivals, topped out doing a show at Houston Baptist University for Natalie Grant, multiple Dove award winner. Things changed, clients changed, business fell off, I got asked to work for a cover tune band in clubs. Downsized everything to where I could handle everything by myself, developed a clientele, worked that gig for a few years. Now I'm closing it all down. Getting out of that world, and not sure if I'll even keep a rig. Now I'm enjoying entertaining at nursing homes, solo gig, tiny powered speakers on sticks, sometimes no PA, just an acoustic guitar.

as far as an end game, liquidating equipment seems futile. I've depreciated everything 100%, so if I sell it off, the income taxes would make it worth more for me to keep everything, so if I keep it and don't use it, why? And at this point, technology is going crazy, and my most valuable pieces are losing value to new gear coming out that does more for so much less.

[Ivan Beaver]

As far as our industry goes, what is your goal? Or, what SHOULD be the goal?

The goal should be to be able to make enough money to have a decent living and be able to save some money for retirement.

And hopefully have some fun in between

While this is usually the last thing on peoples minds (it was last on mine for the first couple of decades)-it becomes more important as you get older.

The sooner you get started at it-the easier it is.

[Bill McIntosh]

As far as our industry goes, what is your goal? Or, what SHOULD be the goal?

Mine is backwards from many of the posters: retire from the day job so I can do more audio gigs.   

Moral of my story is:  do not get good at something you don't enjoy. 

[David Parker]

Mine is backwards from many of the posters: retire from the day job so I can do more audio gigs.   

Moral of my story is:  do not get good at something you don't enjoy. 

I did that. I retired from my day job the first of 2013. I thought I would enjoy the sound jobs more if I didn't have to work all week long. didn't turn out that way, your mileage may vary. I've started hating going out on sound jobs. I enjoy them once I get there, but dread leaving out all week long.

[Scott Stephens]

  Sometimes, life can really suck. But a good job that you love, decent money and a good family helps life suck a whole lot less.
  I make money 99% of the time, I love what I do 98% of the time, and I'm loved 100% of the time. If you don't love what you do, no matter what, the money ain't worth it.
  Life is short, have fun
scott

[Robert Piascik]

Ahhh... "Wozzeck all about, Albie?"*  (that's an old Music History joke from college for Dick Rees

In my eyes, our job is to help the artist present their act accurately. Our job doesn't improve the performance (the playing) and if we do it correctly (like baseball umpires) few people should notice us. Of course, too many people believe that it's our job to make the musicians better and get mad at us when we can't actually do that.

I want to be compensated fairly for the equipment I bring and the time I spend at the gig. Beyond that, the family stuff is all a separate issue...


*sung to the tune of "Alfie"

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

As far as our industry goes, what is your goal? Or, what SHOULD be the goal?

Your post's title asks a different question than the body. Our industry's goal sould be satisfying clients profitably enough to stay in business.

A person's personal goal/endgame may be more complicated. To quote Langston Holland, "there are easier ways to barely eke out a living", so at some level you need to enjoy the work, or at least the result.

I earn my living in another industry, which frees me up to only take on sound/production jobs that are a good fit. I do enjoy and am good at the technical aspects, but I find that what really drives me is raising the quality of events that are missionally aligned with my personal value system.   

I have done a few jobs where the clients turned out to be jerks, or unnecessarily difficult to work with (usually when I stray too far from missionally aligned organizations). After fulfilling my contracted obligations to them, I fire the client. If I didn't have that freedom and had to take on any job that paid so I could eat, I don't think I would last very long doing this.

My personal end game is to continue doing this on the side, with this possibly turning into a more full-time-ish thing if I ever am able to not need to work for a living, however my family is too important to me to be gone all the time, so my version of full-time might look different than what some folks here consider full-time.

[duane massey]

Thanks, TJ, I suppose it was a bit confusing, but actually both are OK. I was more interested in the target in regards to our industry. Obviously all of us want to get paid, and we hope to enjoy our work.

[John Sabine]

My reply is that I don't care about the industry. The industry is a tool, like a hammer, a console, a microphone. I use the industry to give the best service and products that I can to my customers but on the whole the industry hasn't cared much about the little guy for years so my endgame regarding the industry is to make as much profit and give the best service to my customers by using and sometimes in spite of the industry.

[ProSoundWeb Community]