I was just having a conversation with a fellow musician, in
which he was venting that his career was not moving in the right direction fast
enough. He was of the opinion that after five years of dive bars and empty
house’s he should be somewhere by now.
Let me say that this is a talented fellow, not the best
singer but pleasant to listen to and he has interesting songs but out of
respect for his wishes, he will not be mentioned by name. “Dude,” I say to him, “this is free press for
you!” he’s shy. He was embarrassed to be named for his concern, as if it would
show him to be a failure or something. I don’t get it but herein lies his first
major hurdle. Confidence.
Trust Yourself
Believe it or not, musicians can be incredibly shy
and introverted people. It’s a conundrum, a paradox we all deal with. Well, if
you want to be a professional, get over it. Talk to people. Be real.
You must have a certain amount of confidence in order to
succeed in the business. Talent alone, as I’ve said before just doesn’t cut it.
You may think you’re the best thing since SRV but if you won’t talk to anybody,
you might as well be playing to your cat.
Don't Be Afraid of Your Character Flaws
More specifically;don’t be afraid to look like a fool. In fact a foolish
performer will be remembered, heck, it might even be your strong suit your
forte if you will. Embrace it! Take it out and show your foolishness in public!
Persistence Pays Off
I often point out that it Took Dave Mathews ten long
years of plying in coffee shops, bars dives, anywhere he could in front of
dwindling audiences as well as festival audiences so you need to be patient and
stubborn about it. Make your success.
Be Self Sufficient as a Performer
Stay focused on your goal and be your own
musician, even if you are a part of a band, don’t hinge your personal success
on others. You may break up and if so, you’ll want to maintain your own
momentum, in whatever form you choose.
Enjoy The Ride
Be sure to enjoy every moment of the
journey! If you can't enjoy where you are now, you’ll never notice the moment
when you achieve you goals, nor will you enjoy them and if you aren't enjoying
yourself, stop wasting time. Ours and yours. Being a musicians is first and foremost
about enjoying yourself, it sure as heck isn't about the money!
Do It For The Love of Performing
Oh, did I not
mention that getting paid can be quite difficult for a while? Not impossible
mind you, just difficult, unless you're willing to turn down the occasional
unpaid gig. Yea, that’s the tough bit for a lot of would-be pros.
At first, you’re going to have to play for free, just to get
yourself out there. But if after a year you are still playing for free, you’re
doing something wrong. If you’re good, people will want to pay you. Don’t let
anyone tell you different.
So get out there, talk to fans, bare your foolish soul, and
put in the time and effort to get as many gigs as you can and then demand
payment after about a year or so. If you do these things consistently, you will
advance your career.
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