It also occurs to me...

... that, not as a primary or even a secondary source of income but rather more in the realm of pocket change acquirable by something I could just enjoy doing, I might have the ability to be a studio musician of some kind. At least in terms of playing the flute, at which I am arguably (at least potentially) competent enough to certainly walk into a studio, sight-read a piece of music, and play backup on something. My brother Donnie told me about how when his band recorded a ballad for their upcoming album, they pulled in a bunch of studio musicians whose sole purpose it was to sight-read the parts handed out to them and be conducted by the guy who wrote the parts.

I could do that. Maybe.

Anybody out there have half a clue as to where I might want to start researching such a thing? I'm going to talk to my brother as well as one friend who has actually had some studio time; spazzkat also has mentioned technical college classes that he's given to understood people of the studio musician ilk might be expected to take. Other insights are welcome!