Day Job: How Musicians Pay The Rent (2014 Series)

Series produced by Joshua McNichols

Caption: Day Job: How Musicians Pay The Rent, Credit: Joshua McNichols
Image by: Joshua McNichols 
Day Job: How Musicians Pay The Rent 

Not every musician gets to be a rock star. Most musicians support their musical passions by working day jobs. In fact, you may not even know these people are musicians when they're washing your windows, arguing your case in court, or teaching you to jump off a trapeze platform without fear. In Day Job, we connect the music you love - with the people in your neighborhood. Based in Seattle, with long a term plan to expand to other cities.

You can subscribe to the Day Job podcast here: http://www.northwester.org/dayjob/

I've also set up a URL that's easier for hosts to say on the air - and for listeners to remember: dayjobmusic.org

This is the second time I've produced Day Job episodes. I first explored the concept as an online audio series for Seattle Weekly back in 2007. In contrast, the 2014 series is a more formally organized podcast.

Day Job episodes come in two formats - a self-contained podcast version, and a shorter, edited radio version.


8 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Mike Notter of the Seattle bands Motopony and Hannalee cleans windows for a living, Credit: Joshua McNichols / Day Job
Mike Notter (currently with the bands Motopony and Hannalee) used to be in a band with a bunch of other window washers (Shim). Back then, cleaning ...

Bought by KUOW


  • Added: Dec 05, 2014
  • Length: 16:10
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Ben Todd of Lonesome Shack restores broken guitars, Credit: Joshua McNichols / Day Job
Ben Todd restores guitars for The Trading Musician in Seattle's Roosevelt neighborhood. And he's become deeply embedded in the local music scene. B...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio


  • Added: Nov 03, 2014
  • Length: 12:56
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Ivan Galvez of Picoso, Credit: Joshua McNichols / Day Job
Ivan Gálvez plays timbales with the Seattle band Picoso. He also scans my brainwaves with an electroencephalogram machine at the hospital where he ...

Bought by KZYX, New Hampshire Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: Jun 11, 2014
  • Length: 11:16
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: A trapeze student, Credit: Joshua McNichols
Kari Kirkland stands on a narrow platform high above the ground. As a trapeze instructor, her job is to convince students to jump off that platform...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio, Delmarva Public Media, and KUOW


  • Added: May 20, 2014
  • Length: 16:18
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Chris Cunningham of Ravenna Woods has a day job as a paralegal, Credit: Joshua McNichols
Chris Cunningham fronts the Seattle band Ravenna Woods. He looks the part, too, with a lip ring, skinny jeans and facial hair. What he doesn't look...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio and Delmarva Public Media


  • Added: May 20, 2014
  • Length: 10:42
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Matt "Spek" Watson at The Station, Credit: Joshua McNichols
Seattle's Matt Watson performs as a rapper and producer under the name Spekulation. He used to hate his day job serving espresso. After being outed...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio, XRAY.fm, Delmarva Public Media, and New Hampshire Public Radio


  • Added: Apr 30, 2014
  • Length: 13:13
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Pi Day at Pies and Pints, Credit: Joshua McNichols
Kennith Darling played bass with Seattle band The Trouble Starts. That is, he used to, until the band broke up. "I feel like I lost three really cl...

Bought by KUOW and Delmarva Public Media


  • Added: Apr 30, 2014
  • Length: 11:06
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Lesli Wood of The Redwood Plan, Credit: Joshua McNichols
Lesli Wood has achieved almost every goal she's set for herself. She's a professional lawyer. And her band, The Redwood Plan, has played to big cro...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media


  • Added: Apr 30, 2014
  • Length: 14:20
  • Purchases: 1