No Matter the Game, The Play Doesn't Change
Making it in the arts has always been difficult, but these days of the independent musician as business owner/CEO/COO/CFO/social media coordinator, booking agent, tour manager, and every other acronym just make the landscape even more demanding. But as complicated as it all seems, there is a simpler way to look at our aspirations as musicians to make music a long-term and regular part of our lives.
Whether or not the aim is to make a career in music, there are a few habits life-long musicians employ. These habits open the door to opportunities, and not just those that lead to financial gain.
Being a musician is a mindset. As with any career, we gain expertise over time. We may graduate as doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, psychologists, pilots, or teachers, but that’s just the beginning. Experience is what we need to become better at our craft, more networked, and more aware of our own unique contribution to our field. Maintaining technical excellence through practice and study is the first habit of a lifelong musician. But we can’t stop there.
When I moved to Nashville in the late 90’s, I was green as a cabbage leaf. I thought that if I worked hard enough to write the best songs I could and that I’d eventually catch a break. Only part of this turned out to be true. Working hard made it possible for me to take advantage of a break when it blew my way, but breaks don’t catch air in a vacuum.
As a second habit of lifelong musicians, I had to put myself out there to be eligible for opportunities. This means hanging out where musicians are, and be willing to be seen. The word ‘networking’ sometimes carries a corporate overtone, so changing the language we use can make the process of socializing for the purpose of building community sound more appealing. Engaging with a larger pool of creators also lets us learn how we can each contribute within a common interest.
Almost all artists are insecure. We all wonder if we just got lucky, and consider what might have happened had we not gotten that one particular break. The lifelong musician knows that there are times of famine and times of feast. Like the stock market, we’re in it for the long haul, not making knee-jerk withdrawals when the decimal points go south. So the third mindset of the musician-for-life is to remain curious about a variety of musical traditions instead of losing ourselves in short-lived musical trends. Learn the history of the music you enjoy, and study the great and small artists who contributed to it all along the way. Be curious about music outside your tastes, and let it inform your own musical choices.
I once heard a wise teacher say, “Always be ready for your chance.” We may not be able to control whether or when our chances come, but we can adopt the mindset of a musician who is prepared for them when they do.
Stay creative,
