I'm a former blue collar musician myself. I spent a lot of time touring the various dives and bar rooms across the United States, mostly in the south and mid-Atlantic states. It is a risky business but you've clearly got your head screwed on correctly. You have a vetted alternative in your college studies and you have proof-of-concept to demonstrate your potential for success!

I had very little. My little band was regionally known for a while and running out of very sketchy barrooms with $20 in our hands typified our experience. Though I failed commercially as a musician, I can tell you this; I regret nothing! I saw more places, met more people, and experienced more things than I would have ever had access to had I not spit in the face of hard reality and chased a long shot dream. I don't have as many things as the next person, but I have riches they drool over when I tell them a story or two from my rambunctious past. That's called losing the battle but winning the war.

Remember that part as you go forward, that the ride and the people you meet on the track are what comes first and I promise you cannot lose.