I'm a musician and a situation has come up where I don't know what would be ethical or not. I had a gig in a couple weeks that I had already promised my time for, got the music, went to a rehearsal etc. That gig doesn't pay. Today I was asked to play a gig the same night (even though they're not at the same time, they're in two different states and there's not enough time to change outfits and go between the two) that pays.

So is it unethical to drop the unpaid gig for a paid one even though I technically committed to the unpaid one? I've heard horror stories of people declining a gig that would have made their careers because they already had one in the books. I really doubt this would be a career defining gig, but I'd also really like to get paid and I'm sick of playing for free. (I'm also sick of having to go to another state for paid work, but that's another story).

To further complicate matters, me making that extra $80-100 plus gas ($50 stipend) isn't a life or death situation and that's probably not that much money to a lot of people. Basically, I need to make money in a "I need to be independent" sort of way, not a "I need to eat/pay rent sort of way" if that makes sense. But that's vitally important to my well-being because my dependent tendencies taught to me and enforced by my parents are ruining other relationships and causing me to be isolated. I know if I ask my parents what I should do, their response would be to not work so hard and if I need $100, they'll give it to me.

Also, going on the paid gig will also include 6+ hours on the road and an overnight stay (that won't cost me anything but still) meaning a loss a lot of valuable time to work on homework during a short weekend between school weeks. If it was during the summer, it wouldn't be a problem, but my schedule is so packed (and there's not much I can do about it without affecting the quality of my education) that everyone has advised me from even getting a part-time job during the semester.

I just don't know what would be the ethical or smart thing to do! Or should I always go where the money is and ignore what other issues that might come up as a result?