Are You A Successful Musician?

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How do you rate your musical success?

The answer to that question lies in your level of ambition. I know many musicians who consider themselves successful yet have never played to wide audiences. On the other hand, I know musicians who believe they could be more successful and have played to venues holding several thousand people. I’m not saying one is any better than the other, but there is a difference in the approach of each.

If your only ambition musically is to get on stage and have a good time, chances are, you don’t require a big audience to fulfill your needs and most likely, aren’t as aggressive in promoting yourself. However, if you truly want to take on the world, chances are, you spend a lot of time thinking about how to get in front of ever increasing crowds and are marketing yourself consistently.

So what is success exactly? 

Well it all depends on how you personally measure it. I say, don’t concern yourself with how the industry sees success because the industry is always lagging behind while the trendsetters are doing new things and breaking new ground. Only after a band is successful will the industry at large take notice so don’t sit around waiting for your big break. Make it happen.

For myself, I consider a successful night to be one that I connected with the audience and made them forget their troubles. If the audience it entertained, I’m a happy guy. Of course, getting paid is a factor but that’s not solely my measuring stick. I myself am of the opinion that if you’re not getting paid on a regular basis then you’re not very serious as a professional musician, and that’s fine if you’re a hobbyist.

Sell Yourself

There are always exceptions to every rule of course, but if you really want to succeed in the music industry, you need to be active and aggressive in your approach. I’ve seen a lot of talent go unnoticed because they either lack the motivation, or they simply don’t know how to market themselves.

The thing with marketing is that what once worked a year ago, may be ineffective today and that is where due research comes into play. But the main thing is to be active and consistently putting out new material, performing and getting out there; if even to see others play.

 Don’t be afraid to approach a fellow musician if you see they are doing well. If you ask them how they made their way, chances are they will be happy to give you some advice and share a bit about their process and if they won’t, you don’t want their advice anyways.

Put In Your Hours

Whether your dreams are big or small, the key to success always includes refining your skills and a lot of practice. If you’re not striving to do better in that area, again, you’re not really a musician. Musicians put in a lot of sweat equity into their craft to stay competitive and g beyond their current skill level.

 In fact, I’ve never met a musician who was worth anything that did not think they could be better and know more about their craft. These people do research and find new techniques on a constant basis for fear of getting left in the dust by their counterparts. Nobody wants that!

Love Your Craft

Perhaps the number one requirement before all else is passion. If you do not love what you are doing, you need to stop, right now.  If you are bored, do yourself and your fellow musicians a favor and do something else with your time. Anyone who is really successful truly loves what they do, even if it’s selling insurance. If you are not absolutely passionate about your craft, you will never be anything more than mediocre and in the age where anyone can put their music out in front of mass audiences, nobody pays attention to anything that doesn’t reflect authentic passion and love, hell, sometimes, the passion and enthusiasm is actually more important than the talent, although if you suck, the only real value you have is being a train wreck.

Are You Any Good?

Now if you are not very talented, all the dedication and passion in the world will not be enough. So learn to manage your expectations and do not blame others for your lack of recognition; only you control that. If you want an unbiased opinion of your skill level, put your music on the internet in front of people who don’t know you because your friends and family will tell you you’re the greatest even if they cringe at every note you play. I suggest you promote the hell out of it on YouTube and SoundCloud and see what kind of response you get. If you’re really bad, people will not hesitate to let you know.

No matter what your intentions are or what skill level you are at, as my friend and session man John Miladelaroca says (Cold Comfort Blues Band, Big Papa & the TCB)” Do your homework and come to the gig ready to rock.”

Do you agree? Feel free to leave your comments below