--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think by the time I finished college I…" description: "\"I think by the time I finished college I was calling myself a professional because I was, you know. I was making a living playing music.\" — Terry Bozzio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/terry-bozzio-11117_calling_i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i_1911863.jpg" --- # I think by the time I finished college I was calling… ![“I think by the time I finished college I was calling myself a professional because I was, you know. I was making a living playing music.” quote by Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/terry-bozzio-11117_calling_i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i_1911863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/terry-bozzio-11117_calling_i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i_1911863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/terry-bozzio-11117_calling_i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i_1911863.jpg) > “I think by the time I finished college I was calling myself a professional because I was, you know. I was making a living playing music.” [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑identifying as a professional early can boost confidence and career momentum. **In simple terms:** Calling yourself a pro fuels progress. Key Takeaway Embrace the professional mindset. Themes career identity confidence music industry Mood motivational personal Type reflective career‑focused When to use this quote - band auditions - solo gigs - teaching music Key Concepts self‑efficacy role modeling Questions to Reflect On - When did you first feel professional? - What does being a professional mean to you? A Different Perspective Premature self‑labeling may create pressure to meet expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Making a living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-living/) [Playing music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-music/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [At this stage, my chief professional goal is simply to keep on writing and making a living at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-saberhagen/at-this-stage-my-chief-professional-goal-is-simply-to-keep-on-writing/) [Fred Saberhagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-saberhagen/) > [The jingles saved my life. When I got hired to do that, I was on top. I finally was making a living doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/the-jingles-saved-my-life-when-i-got-hired-to-do-that-i-was-on-top-i/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [Playing live and making a living from music was always the only goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-capaldi/playing-live-and-making-a-living-from-music-was-always-the-only-goal/) [Lewis Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-capaldi/) > [We've given up making a living, its all this crazy love poetry now!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/we-ve-given-up-making-a-living-its-all-this-crazy-love-poetry-now/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [The only people who have control over their careers are the ones you see on the covers of magazines. Everyone else is just plodding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-baldwin/the-only-people-who-have-control-over-their-careers-are-the-ones-you/) [Adam Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-baldwin/) > [If you love writing or making music or blogging or any sort of performing art, then do it. Do it with everything you've got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-love-writing-or-making-music-or-blogging-or-any-sort-of/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I'm fortunate that I'm making a living at it now because I'm not equipped to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-m-fortunate-that-i-m-making-a-living-at-it-now-because-i-m-not/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [“There’s a common misconception that work is necessary. You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are “making a living”.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tan/there-s-a-common-misconception-that-work-is-necessary-you-will-meet/) [Adrian Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tan/) > [Before I became a writer, I was running a jazz bar in the center of Tokyo, which means that I worked in filthy air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/before-i-became-a-writer-i-was-running-a-jazz-bar-in-the-center-of/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Why should I stop working? If I do, I'll die and it'll all be finished. 'm lucky to work in the most perfect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/why-should-i-stop-working-if-i-do-i-ll-die-and-it-ll-all-be-finished/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [I always felt that making a living wasn't the easiest thing in the world, and I decided I was going straight ahead and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-day/i-always-felt-that-making-a-living-wasn-t-the-easiest-thing-in-the/) [Doris Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-day/) > [“No difference making a living with what’s between your ears and making one with what’s between your legs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-vickers/no-difference-making-a-living-with-what-s-between-your-ears-and/) [Dennis Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-vickers/) > [Any time you're making a living at what you love to do, you're blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/any-time-you-re-making-a-living-at-what-you-love-to-do-you-re-blessed/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-by-the-way-he-she/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [It isn't called TV money for nothing. There was a time where I paid my rent by doing theater for years, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/it-isn-t-called-tv-money-for-nothing-there-was-a-time-where-i-paid-my/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) ## More by Terry Bozzio > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I'm very grateful to be where I'm at and be able to play. That's really the bottom line for me. Survival and being able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-m-very-grateful-to-be-where-i-m-at-and-be-able-to-play-that-s/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I have tons of tunes, maybe 30 tunes that I still think are great, and only because some jerk at a record company didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-have-tons-of-tunes-maybe-30-tunes-that-i-still-think-are-great-and/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [In America we're in this awful situation, and you know, I hardly get any royalties anymore because music is just stolen from the internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/in-america-we-re-in-this-awful-situation-and-you-know-i-hardly-get/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I try to put what's evocative in the music to me, I try and put that out there in terms of titles and imagery,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-try-to-put-what-s-evocative-in-the-music-to-me-i-try-and-put-that/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I had been composing just for myself, and people would say I played so orchestrally, and wondered if I thought about having someone write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-had-been-composing-just-for-myself-and-people-would-say-i-played-so/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Half the stuff I've written was written when I was half asleep watching the David Letterman show when some boring actress was on talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/half-the-stuff-i-ve-written-was-written-when-i-was-half-asleep/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I'm not Stravinsky, I never will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-m-not-stravinsky-i-never-will-be/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I don't really have that much control over where I play. I put out parameters and I accept what I can. If it's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-don-t-really-have-that-much-control-over-where-i-play-i-put-out/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [There's nothing that can prepare you for fame and for the music business at any point in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/there-s-nothing-that-can-prepare-you-for-fame-and-for-the-music/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I feel qualified and competent to try anything that's thrown my way because I don't have to be a success. I can just try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-feel-qualified-and-competent-to-try-anything-that-s-thrown-my-way/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [It's very difficult to make a living in music these days. All it takes is somebody paying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/it-s-very-difficult-to-make-a-living-in-music-these-days-all-it-takes/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I'm not a haiku artist, but I wanted to use the phrase 5, 7, 5 in the melody that flows over time. So the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-m-not-a-haiku-artist-but-i-wanted-to-use-the-phrase-5-7-5-in-the/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I don't think I really started to seriously compose until around that time when I was 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-don-t-think-i-really-started-to-seriously-compose-until-around-that/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [You just chip away until the puzzle is complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/you-just-chip-away-until-the-puzzle-is-complete/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) [Explore all 61 Terry Bozzio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) ## More Calling quotes > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [NBC is making a movie about Martha Stewart that will cover the recent stock scandal. They are thinking of calling it 'The Road To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/nbc-is-making-a-movie-about-martha-stewart-that-will-cover-the-recent/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [“There is no interaction without God with interaction with men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/there-is-no-interaction-without-god-with-interaction-with-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [When I was a little boy, I was reading Dante and I was saying to myself 'Bravo, Dante, Bravo.' It's so beautiful, the music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-was-reading-dante-and-i-was-saying-to/) [Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/) > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [\*Calling someone I don't want to answer\* \*Please go to voice mail. Please go to voice mail. Please go to voice mail..\* Hello? -\_\_\_-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/calling-someone-i-don-t-want-to-answer-please-go-to-voice-mail-please/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Sometimes you hear a voice through the door calling you... This turning toward what you deeply love saves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/sometimes-you-hear-a-voice-through-the-door-calling-you-this-turning/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Please be slow to judge ‘brothers’ who have a different calling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/please-be-slow-to-judge-brothers-who-have-a-different-calling/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) Browse all 3,811 Calling quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think by the time I finished college I was calling myself a professional because I was, you know. I was making a living playing music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Bozzio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i-was-calling-myself-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Calling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i-was-calling-myself-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/terry-bozzio-11117_calling_i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i_1911863.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/terry-bozzio-11117_calling_i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i_1911863.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/terry-bozzio-11117_calling_i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i_1911863.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think by the time I finished college I was calling myself a professional because I was, you know. I was…” — Terry Bozzio", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terry Bozzio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think by the time I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i-was-calling-myself-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-think-by-the-time-i-finished-college-i-was-calling-myself-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```