Saturday, April 2, 2011

Perseverance. Use it.

The answer to a successful career in music is perseverance. An obvious prerequisite is musical proficiency, but seriously... we've all heard and seen performers/composers/educators/etc who lead us to think, "I can do that...and better."

Persevere five years after school and you've probably outlasted many of your peers*. A few years of hard work and you'll realize you can do it.

Your gigs get better, your reputation grows, your music and business skills evolve, and you're making a living as a musician. There's nothing more rewarding.

The challenge is, the work never ends. If you're driven, you'll never feel as though you've arrived. You're always looking for the next gig, recording project, commission, connection, or new opportunity.

Embrace it. Enjoy the challenge. Make career planning and development part of your routine and enjoy the ride.

Thanks to composer Jenni Brandon for inspiring this post. Check out Jenni's great music at www.jennibrandon.com


*As a side note, this statement isn't passing judgement on those who leave the music business. Life and career changes happen. Ask around... how many sociology, psychology, education, etc graduates are working in their field?

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