Career choices: Music composer or an Engineer?

[lostkeys22]

I know that career choices and planning is, at the core, my own choice. However, I still would like some helpful prods or advice!

Please read through the whole thing before you decide on a slant to go for.

So here's the biomedical engineering side:
I'm not a genius, but I'm quite creative. I love to draw, play and create music (but more on that later). Being modest, I have a good brain that understands and enjoys advanced math and science. Even though they were the hardest subjects high school, I loved the notion of having so much to find and understand in this universe. It's that concept of knowing complex stuff about the world that fascinates me. I did some research, and I immediately thought that I would want to be an engineer. Why not, I said. They make good money, they get to USE this knowledge to build cool and revolutionary stuff, they basically invent and create EVERYTHING we use!! That, combined with my wanting to go into genetics since biology class propelled me into genetic and biomedical engineering. The concept of altering and enhancing the human body to overcome disease and injury seems like something I would like to do. I've seen amazing stuff as products of imaginative biomedical engineers. I love to build and create models with modeling and CAD software. All this propelled me into pursuing a biomedical engineering degree.

Downside: However, lately, I have been annoyed with myself at times. BME is one of the most challenging fields, as it encompasses four huge science disciplines: biology, mechanics, chemistry, and electricity, applied to medical uses! This is a tough field, and my course of study is very tough. I have these notions in my brain that I am submitting myself to a life filled with little social life, nerve-wracking work, and approximately $70k - 100k as possible pay for my efforts. I'm scared that I won't be able to enjoy the fun side of life that includes friends, family, marriage, etc. NOTE: I don't know how much of this is true or not. Could someone, preferably an engineer, shed light on this aspect of your lives?

This is why I got this crazy notion of a music composer in my head...
Essentially, I have loved music all my life. My whole family is blessed with the ability to comprehend, enjoy, and play music. I can sing fairly well, and I have been playing piano since childhood. When I reached high school, I was able to find music composition software and I started composing my own pieces from there - I have even created a full concert piece with a full selection of concert band instruments, including parts for percussion. Now, I find myself composing new pieces. Also, throughout the years I've loved music in the films, especially bombastic and epic ones, such as the themes from The Last Samurai, Transformers, Narnia, The Avengers, Remember the Titans, etc. Essentially, a lot of Hans Zimmer and music that he mentored as well. I suddenly got this crazy idea in my head: what if I became a film music composer?! The reason I chose this is because I love to compose music. I feel annoyed with the fact that I'm growing up (I'm a college student, by the way) and that I'm getting a job. I keep thinking to myself that a good job does not entail work that I consider to be boring. It is work that I would love to do, something that I wouldn't believe I'm being paid to do, and when I say paid, aren't we thinking huge sums of money per contract? That's why music composition entered my mind.

Downside: Now, even though this seems like a lot of awesome stuff, there's the component that this is an artist job. I probably won't have a stable career - I'll have to constantly market myself to film producers and directors, convincing them that I can create commercially viable music. The question is: am I that good enough? I don't know. I could be a huge hotshot composer, or I could be sunk in mediocrity and bankruptcy. Even though my instincts say that I should go for something, I feel like I'll regret this later, because this is the real world, and while dreams can come true, it's only if you're blazingly passionate about them, and I'm not sure about that with me. I also have a question of social life here: would I have to spend my whole life creating music, without taking time for family, friends, etc.? I ask, because I know, from composing, that it takes enormous amounts of time and energy. Once again, I ask for facts in response to what I think I know.

I'm just scared because I don't want to make a decision I'll regret. While I am thankful for having two distinct interests in profitable and helpful jobs for the individual and the community, I wish sometimes that could be one-minded and pursue only one thing, know what I mean? So, I'm asking for your advice.

[HonestAbe]

Why not both? Engineering is my primary job but music production is my hobby on the evening/weekends.

Pursuing both opportunities will minimize your risk of failure

[Lisa A]

tl;dr

If you are actually good at math and science, and you can hack an Engineering degree, and if you are any good at it, you will likely be employed and be able to support yourself for most of your life.

If you are going for a career writing music for movies and television, you are likely to wind up working as a waitress for a living.