Wait, that's all I have to do to regain my status as a colonial power?

I never knew it would be so easy.

I did not state that many people make the "rockstar" salary. That was the poster I was responding to.

In the US, the majority of "independent" arts who make middle-class, stable incomes are folks who compose for TV/movies and contribute to music libraries.

Making money as a performing artist is very difficult, not the least reason of which is that in the US touring rock acts (regional bands, for example, which 3-4 decades ago could make a hard but respectable living touring around their region) haven't gotten a pay raise in 40 years (that is, the per-man take for a night is about the same as it was in the 1970's -- a regional touring band, assuming it can find regular venues -- which is difficult -- can expect to make 125$ per man, per night, before expenses). The only local/regional "music" occupation that can play regularly and make a decent per-man income is that of a DJ.

Most of the folks working in the "music industry" are not musicians.

If you do not agree that we should encourage a robust system whereby musicians (and other artists) can make a middle-class age and contribute/enrich our society, you and I will never be able to have a reasonable conversation.

The gulf between "average independent musician income" and "super rich musician" is astronomically huge.

If you want our culture to have a rich music component, full-time musicians need to make a decent middle-class living. Currently the number that can is vanishingly small.

FTFY. And of those very few, the ones who are making a living that's equivalent to even a 1st year helpdesk employee usually had help from a label at one point or another.