Philip Glass learned plumbing from the staff at a supply store and started with simple jobs like sinks and toilets, eventually working on hot water heaters and pipes. While installing a dishwasher in a SoHo loft, Glass was discovered by Robert Hughes, who expressed disbelief that a famous artist was doing manual labor. Glass calmly explained that he was an artist but also a plumber and needed to finish the job. These manual labor jobs, along with driving a taxi and running a moving company, were essential to support himself and the Philip Glass Ensemble before his music could provide a sustainable income. Glass worked these jobs for years, even after gaining some recognition, and eventually quit his taxi-driving job in his 40s when his music career finally took off.
Source: Wikipedia
The Far Mountains 