How to become a Professional Musician. The best part of being a pro musician is that you make a living out of your passion and every novice musician aspires to be one someday. Read more on the challenges faced.
Every serious music student wants to become one
This is what every music student dreams of, to make a living out of music!
Once your instrument becomes a part of your life, it is very difficult and frustrating for you to do some thing else for a living and it is but natural to think in the lines of becoming a professional musician.
After all, there is this Chinese proverb which says that “Find a job you love and you do not have to work for the rest of your life” and I am sure we all love our music.
But are you really good at it?
Even if you play an instrument (piano, guitar, etc) well, it would still be a good idea have an honest evaluation of your skills if you intend to make your hobby into a career.
It is no doubt commendable if you are the only or probably one of the few in your class or in office who knows about music. But then to assume that it would be a piece of cake to make a full time profession in music, stop dreaming and come back to reality.
I know many musicians who have taken music lessons for years, and are good performers as well, but are hardly able to make any money out of their profession.
Being mediocre is not good enough
Being mediocre is not good for a performer; for that matter it is not good for anybody in any field. This is not to discourage you but this is a fact that a very small percentage of all the students who take years of music lessons go on to become concert players. Very few of them are actually able to make a living by doing live performances.
So then what happens to the rest who have also spent years taking piano lessons or learning any other music instrument?
The reality is that most of them get into teaching music, with those occasional performances in between. And teaching can actually provide a decent income once you’re established, and there is really a dearth of good music teachers.
Students of certain disciplines have an advantage
So why is it that students of particular musical instruments have an advantage over others, say for instance students who are learning to play the guitar or the keyboards?
Because they are more likely to learn the nuts and bolts of music production, which definitely is an added advantage in today’s world. Most keyboards already have a USB port for easy connection to the computer. There are also devices that enable a guitar to be easily connected to a computer.
Besides, there are some cool music production software that makes creating a song a piece of cake. With some practice, it is possible to create songs that would sound as if they have been recorded in a top studio.
But if you play any other musical instrument such as flute, clarinet, etc. then you will have to put in extra efforts to know more about the digital medium. You will probably come across all the software at a much later stage, or probably not at all.
So if you are a budding musician who plays the guitar or piano, consider yourself lucky and enjoy the benefits.
Understand how music production is done on computers
In today’s world it’s important not just to be good at what you do, it’s equally important to promote yourself. A good quality recording of your demo songs is something that you should have handy so that you can share it with important people. But then you just can’t rush to a recording studio every time you want to record your demo music.
This is where having a good recording setup at home or at your disposal really helps, especially if you want to promote your work well. So if you are budding musician, it’s important that you get yourself updated in the area of music technology as well. That is one skill that will help you survival as a musician in the digital age.
Lack of understanding of the digital medium can be the difference between a full time profession and a part time hobby for any musician.
What sort of work do full-time musicians do?
Contrary to what many people feel, there are still lots of opportunities for somebody who wants to earn a living from music.
Broadly speaking, the opportunities are either performance related such as gigs or concerts, or for providing the background score for various kinds of videos and films. Most musicians prefer these kinds of activities; obviously it pays well but then more importantly your music reaches a much wider audience. Every opportunity that you get is basically an opportunity to showcase your talent and land something really big.
Music Management, composing music for video games, becoming an entrepreneur are other things that you can do to survive in the music industry.
Dr. Dre is a musician but he has a thriving headphones business (he sold a chunk of it for millions).
Read: How to survive and make a living in the modern music business.
Related businesses/professions like music therapy and music teaching on the other hand are less glamorous but much more stable. But many chose to do it only to supplement their income or chose not to do it all to concentrate completely on the other activities.
What if you’re stuck in another profession?
So if you’re still asking if it is possible to earn a decent living out of playing music, I would say ‘yes’ if you are young and single, as most of your expenses would be for your own self. If you a virtuoso in your instrument and if you are located in a place where the style of music you play is popular, then you should get enough high paying live performing opportunities.
But what about those who may not be virtuoso’s but are good enough? What if you are married, have a family to support, have to pay your mortgages? What if you main profession is a high paying one like a lawyer, doctor or a software professional?
Would you be able to chuck that away?
Perhaps, in these situations it is not so easy to make a decision, you will have to do some planning and think carefully before you take a decision to quit your job/existing profession in order to pursue a career in music.
How to get on to the road to become a Pro Musician?
Once you have spent a few years learning your craft, it’s important for you to decide what sort of work you want to do.
If you are part of a band and serious about making your own music, you should concentrate more on promoting you music.
Those who don’t play for bands can take up composing/arranging assignments for other clients. This will also help you develop your network, build your portfolio of work and give you the confidence and experience to create music for any kind of work.
Qualities of a Pro Musician:
- You have to be well organised. Schedules can be busy and erratic, and most of the time you have to juggle multiple things – gigs, lessons, studio work, and so on
- Communicate Well: because you may have to deal with people who don’t know anything about music, so you may have to lead most of the conversation. You should also be able to take directions well (from people who don’t know music and make them happy)
- Know your stuff. That’s very important and that is the reason you’re considered a pro. You should know what music to play, use the right instruments, has a good understanding of various music genres and styles, and also dress appropriately for the gig.
- Cell phone is an important tool required for business nowadays, but remember to turn it OFF at rehearsals & business meetings, and do NOT check your messages until after the rehearsal or meeting, etc. is over.
- Self Motivated & a good team player. Always be ready to offer new ideas and be enthusiastic about your music career. Be cooperative and try to get along well with others. At the same time, you also need to be highly determined and persistent to do well in your career.
Be flexible about what you take up
Even if you love playing your instrument, I am sure you will not mind doing something else, if you have to, which is still related to music.
In fact, if at all you decide to take the plunge and become a professional musician, you would still be doing a lot of activities related to music, besides playing your instrument.
There are various other professions in the music business which you can consider taking up to supplement your income. Some of these are teaching, arranging, composing, studio musician, concert pianist, band, sound engineer, DJ etc.
You can also work on assignments related to music production for Radio, TV, film, or video games.
Also Read: How to make a living in the modern music business
It may not be very easy to get some of these jobs but you will have to keep on trying. You will have to make your demo music and mail it to various contacts, you will have to personally go for auditions, you will have to visit music studios, production houses, meet a lot of people, and do some initial jobs for free to develop relationships.
But eventually you will find out that you can get decent amount of work and you will feel very happy about it.
It is just like finding a new cheese, you will know this if you have read the book [easyazon_link identifier=”0399144463″ locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]”Who moved my Cheese”[/easyazon_link]. If not, please read that book; it is a must for people who are thinking of taking up a new profession.
Social pressures
As usual, lot of people may discourage you but as mentioned earlier, if you plan well, you should do fine.
You should also realize that if you are going to take up a lot of performing activities, you will have to be on the roads most of the time, which could affect your personal life so you need to discuss this with your family.
Lastly, if you are planning to chuck your current job to become a professional musician, I would advice you to do both the things in parallel for some time before taking that plunge.
Related Posts
- Does music college really help students?
- How to make a living in the modern music business
- Advantages of being a Keyboard Player
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KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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