ABSTRACT
Julien started playing bass with a few friends and left them to join a new group, changing music from a pastime to a full-time commitment. He learned the trade and was soon on the road traveling from city to city and one stage to another. He learned the life of the itinerant musician, which was often unstable, boring, and difficult, and was far from the Bohemian image of the artist. He changed groups again, multiplying adventures and musical engagements, experiencing improved conditions and relationships with members of the rock scene that were less difficult. His itinerary is rich and complex and also in many ways representative. But it is also atypical in other ways, and it sheds light on the phases, mobilities, and circulations inherent in the life of a musician, as well as the range of activities, varieties of ways of participating in the music scene, and the working conditions of musicians.
