@digsmithd said: "Reality...are you gifted...i mean a sell able musician.Kid i know is crazy great player at 14-16/schooled...great drummer too.Told him be able to get a great singing voice.Not so easy.Whart said great song writer...something different?"
The difference is that the gifted performer is just that- a voice or an instrument on a recording who may see some money if the recording sells but little else. Given the proliferation of streaming over physical media, I'd say "good luck" to seeing much money as a performer, not matter how gifted"
There are exceptions of course--songwriting is different because you get paid if the song gets covered. If used in a TV show or movie, you make money. Holding those rights as the author is important.
I have friends that appeared on very famous records as performers who earn almost nothing. There are also people that wrote a few big songs who simply clip coupons.
The OP is young and has time to develop. Getting to be an in demand performer is probably even harder- stage presence, almost like actor/model/etc. The Internet has diluted this to a level of banality. Think of how few "big acts" there are today- not legacy stuff that is out there to earn a little more in their dotage. (And yeah, that's the other thing with being a performer- you have to keep working).