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Question for composers who work a non-music day gig: How do you compartmentalize — turn the day job “off” and clear your head so that you can focus on composing?
For the time I have been doing this my hours have been flexible and I do most of my writing in the morning when my head is clear. I make it a point to leave work at work. I’ve always made it a point to have a balanced life (meaning a life where i can work and have ample time to work on music) and have made it a priority for over 30 years now, since I started working. Not having kids probably helps. My dogs and my music are kind of like child-substitutes.
Thankfully I enjoy the work and the people I work for.
But…some days are better than others but I just try to treat the writing like a second job wherein I have to show up no matter what.I’m just focused on trying to get faster at finishing cues, etc.
The moment I punch out of work, my mind is on what I’m going to do musically tonight (record, mix, practice, etc).
I look at it this way; “Music is what I love to do, but unfortunately it doesn’t pay the bills (yet), so my day gig provides me the money to do what I love to do”.. 😉
I see what you’re asking MichaelL. I have a long commute so it helps me to reflect on the day and mentally prepare for the days ahead so that by the time I get home I’m ready to get back to my rig.
My “problem” is I can’t turn off the music 🙂 I always have ideas in my head about current works in progress and new mix tricks I want to try, etc. I also have a computer based job so I spend a lot of time listening to other music in my earbuds while working, etc. My cell phone is also full of scratch ideas that I record during the commute or at lunch hour when I have a moment.
Try meditation, just a few minutes of silence and turning yourself off. I have found it does a great job of cleaning out the rubbish in my mind.
I’ve been doing this for 20 years. The “day gig” at times has included periods of heavy “crunch time” and lulls of almost nothing to do. In that 20 years I’ve worked my way up to an executive level position. Based on my 20 years of a day gig I’ve noticed the following:
1) Oddly enough, when it’s busy at work…. I get more music done!!!!
I’m sure this is different for each person, but for me, knowing I don’t have a lot of time to devote to music makes me use the time more efficiently.2) Most “Days off to do music” are not as nearly as productive as I think they will be. When I specifically take days off to do something (unless it’s for a very specific task like mixing) I usually don’t get as much done a I think I will.
I remember 3 years ago juggling 3 soundtracks in addition to the day gig. It was a BLAST. The good part is that I had the flexibility to leave work early. The funniest part is that one of those projects was a “ghost writing” project for a hollywood composer who composed exactly 10 minutes of a 90 minute movie. I did the rest of the movie because the producer couldn’t afford for the composer to do the entire film!!!!!
The funniest part of the whole thing is that even if this started making enough to replace my income, I think at this point I am so “conditioned” to do things this way I don’t know if I would trust myself to do only this.
Also, the more I learn about how the film business runs, I’m not sure I would trust my livelihood to it!!!
I’m fairly new to production music, but boy is it fun! I like the fact that I can determine what I write…. it’s a freedom you don’t really get in film music.
But I also wonder if, because of technology, it’s become a total race to the bottom that will have almost all of us bound to a day-gig.
abellboy
The moment I punch out of work, my mind is on what I’m going to do musically tonight (record, mix, practice, etc).
That really goes to the heart of my question, Guscave. How do you clear your day job out of your head, so that you can focus on your music?
I guess the best way I can explain it is that I put more emphasis on what’s more important to me. My day gig is important in that it pays my bills, but music is my passion. I can get any day gig to pay my rent, but getting something else to fulfill my passion is a lot harder.