How do I actually make a living from music?

You have learned to move through the business without drowning in it, and that alone puts you ahead of many gifted players who never bothered. Making a living, though, is a different beast. It is less about talent and more about steady income from many small streams, and that math can feel cold next to the music itself. A living in music is usually built, not landed. Few people survive on one thing. They stack it: performing, teaching, session work, licensing, small consistent gigs. Look honestly at where money already trickles in for you, and grow that one channel deliberately. A career becomes solid when several modest streams together cover your life. This week, pick the one income source with the most room to grow and give it real attention. You are not selling out by treating this as a business. You are protecting your ability to keep making the art. A living is what lets the music continue, so build it patiently, one stream at a time.