How much money do jazz musicians make?
Most commonly…. not a lot, but it really depends. A jazz musician can be paid very well if he/she has built up a reputation, but such a reputation takes a lot of time and effort to build, time which (in our country’s current economical condition) is very costly. I’d supplement by taking whatever day job you can and playing your gigs at night. You may also consider free-lance teaching, it’ll sharpen your skills, you’ll feel rewarded personally AND you can make a decent living if you have enough students! As for scoring/producing music, I would DEFINITELY make sure to study very hard when you take Music Theory if I were you. It’s *possible* to get into the business without, but I wouldn’t count on it, especially considering the sheer volume of people in line to get that kind of job. It’s a flooded market, just like the rest of the music industry, so having experience and education under your belt is the best way to go.
