S3C 2010-11-12 18:01:27

if your main incentive for making music is about the popularity then yes, you should give up. Because you have little to no control over that, and to truly understand music and be a good musician, you have to look past the shallowness of that matter that has nothing to do with the music itself.

Getting feedback to know where you can improve is one thing; getting reviews and fans as means of validating your sense of accomplishment is another. That's not to say *some* attention is entirely a bad thing, as after all music is meant to be shared and for other ears to listen to- but you should already have a good level of satisfaction after you upload a track..."this sounds okay, I feel good about the amount of work I put into this song and the overall outcome...and if others like it, then awesome!"

It shouldnt be your fans who keep you going (alternatively, its also narcissistic to dismiss them- so its great that you appreciate and personally thank them) but ultimately yourself that keeps your heart moving in the direction where you want to be. Taking a break to reevaluate your intentions and possibly to gather some inspiration is a good idea- if your desire to make music (continues to) comes back, then maybe its naturally in you to stick with you music, if not, then maybe you've moved on.

there are plenty of occupations besides music education, although they are significantly less available in their job opportunities...even getting a job in one of the following would likely entail that your competent in several categories from

-Composers
-Arrangers
-Conductors
-Producers
-Disc/Radio Jockeys
-Mixing Engineers
-Mastering Engineers
-Sound Effects, Synthesizing departments
-Studio Musicians
-Live/Gigging Musicians
-Musicologists/Historians
-Music Theorists

(and just because you might not have music as a career path doesnt mean you cant be a successful musician in your own right)

Good luck.