In a competitive and saturated industry like music, it often gets hard to distinguish exactly what is needed to thrive. Income is not always stable and can be difficult to find, especially when starting out. Luck is a huge factor in being able to go from playing music on the side to doing it full time, but creating a strong framework to build on, and a little elbow grease, never hurts. These tips are here to help you turn your passion into a budding musical career.
Successful musicians are confident and adventurous.
It takes a lot of courage and confidence to take away the safety net of a stable job, but serious musicians completely turn themselves over to their craft. By taking away the safety measure of traditional jobs, musicians force themselves to succeed in the only plan they have going for them. This is a huge motivator to get started and put 200 percent effort into a career in music.
They are extremely hard workers.
A lot of times, people think musicians just sit around all day playing music. In actuality, the most successful professionals are jacks-of-all-trades, learning the ropes in terms of marketing, promoting, and finding their own gigs. In a way, they are much like entrepreneurs: they create their own product and have to create their own way of getting it out there to people. Professional musicians take on many roles, especially when starting out, searching for those paid gigs and trying to brand themselves in a vast market. It is important that they enjoy educating themselves on all the aspects of making music, to ensure success if the opportunity arises.
They are willing to practice every day.
Stagnation is a killer in the music industry. Musicians must make daily practice as vital as breathing air or drinking water. Having passion is definitely important, but being able to practice everyday is what helps musicians improve and rise above others trying to do the same thing.
They are good with budgets and don’t mind living a modest life.
Being a musician does not guarantee waterfalls of money. Depending on what kind of musician you are, income could be sporadic, leaving a lot of anxiety and stress if the money is not spent in a smart and efficient manner. Musicians learn to budget themselves and stick to the basics so what income does come in will cover their living expenses, leaving their brains free to focus on music. To stabilize a bit of income, Musicians become very creative at finding ways to make money. Teaching and workshops are always a great source of stable income, while helping musicians grow their skills and network at the same time. Another great idea is to license out their music for ads, television, and movies.
A successful musician has a patient attitude and does not give up.
Patience and persistence are key traits to have in the music industry, as becoming successful in music takes time and an unwillingness to give up. A lot of people look for the ‘big break’ early on in their careers and end up losing hope when it does not come. The truth is, a lot of well-off musicians that seem to come out of nowhere started building their framework and planning for their ‘big break’ for years. These are the professionals who are actually successful in the industry and can adapt to all sorts of situations that arise.
Bottom line is, if you want to follow your passion into music as more than a hobby, do it. Jump right in and work really hard without giving up. Give yourself a stress free financial environment to focus on your music, and keep trying.
great article, and so true. tk u