The life of a musician is a lot like a puzzle and boy there are a lot of pieces to fit together.
Family and friends are a substantial piece of the puzzle. Without them, we lose our support system. They are there when things go right and also when things go wrong. We definitely love to celebrate our successes with them.
Not all, but most musicians also have a day job. It’s very difficult to earn a living full time as a musician. Most of us do it for the love of the art. The day job is definitely a large piece of the puzzle, as it pays the rent and helps finance our passion.
Just an interesting observation, I find that a lot of musicians I know or have chatted with, work in engineering or other very technical fields. My personal theory on this, is that the creative side of the brain is used in both solving engineering and technical problems as well as the creation of music.
Networking with other musicians is the last major piece of the puzzle, enabling the discussion of anything from booking techniques, to song choices, to solving technical issues with gear. Recording and production, songwriting, marketing, the latest trends and many other topics are also frequently on the table. Social media groups, messaging, video chats and texting are just some of the methods we use for communication.
As you can see, we are definitely a complicated breed made up of lots of interlocking pieces. Have an awesome day my friends. Cheers!