To some extent I agree. I taught guitar while I was in undergrad for my music performance degree, and having a guitar in my lap and reviewing the absolute basi

To some extent I agree. I taught guitar while I was in undergrad for my music performance degree, and having a guitar in my lap and reviewing the absolute basics with kids was way better than making pizza or pouring beers to make a paycheck like the other guys in my studio were doing. It gave me an edge that I'm grateful for, and being able to practice between lessons was insanely valuable. But I have to reiterate that for me it translated into unhappiness when I got to the playing/performing/writing/networking loop. Those between-lesson practice hours became directed at making more money and not making myself better in a way that fulfilled me. So I kept grinding on my programming career until I had the work/life balance that I needed and now I don't feel too drained to enjoy my passions when I get home. It sounds like we have different goals though, because my definition of "taking the music gig forward and advancing" is probably unconventional. I'm not telling anybody what to do, I'm just saying that I had the same experience the article describes and it was a great growing experience to learn from.