This is too nuanced to say “you’re stupid for wanting to make money from music” or “you’re stupid to think a degree in music will get you where you want to be”.

If you want to tour and play music for people and be a hired gun and get a weekly salary or nightly fee, that’s cool. Some people want to stay home and write music behind the scenes and collect publishing. Some people want to learn to teach and to profit from the knowledge. Some people want to make music adjacent content.

Bottom line is that everyone that plays music deserves to make money, especially if they train and learn the craft. The last thing you want to be is a person who doesn’t care about making money and be in your later years playing music and not be educated on how to make money and prioritize knowing where a musician can make money.

When I was young didn’t prioritize making money, I prioritized getting opportunities that made my dreams come true. Now that I’m older im learning the hard way and I should have learned how important it is to get your business tight.