| Question - So what's it
take to succeed as a performing musician? Should
I take a chance or am I just dreaming? |
Becoming a successful musician
Success as a performing musician is rare. Even those
that are successful often don't appear to have found
true success. There are musicians that I've worked with
who have succeeded in the business but are little more
than walking zombies do to drugs and alcohol abuse.
At least half a dozen musicians that I knew died in
traffic accidents traveling to gigs. There was a recent
report that the average life span of a rock star is
47 years. That's probably true.
I also know many musicians that have
followed the rock and roll dream for decades without
even a glimpse of success. They're addicted to the dream
like some people are addicted to narcotics. I know all
of this sounds negative but it's my realistic assessment
of the chances of becoming a successful performing musician.
Do you have what it takes?
Who do I believe has a shot? If you play in a band,
and it's apparent that the audience and other musicians
believe that you're special, give it a try. Move to
Hollywood or New York City and give yourself a time
limit of a year or two. The true test is when you stand
on a stage in the big city, do they still think that
you're special? Do you and your band connect to the
audience better than your competition? If so, don't
give up on your dream, you're almost there. Someone's
got to do it and it just might be you.
If you haven't stepped on a stage by
the time you're nineteen DO NOT give yourself two more
years to fulfill your dreams in lieu of an education.
What usually happens is, during that hiatus you'll get
sidetracked and never return to school.
When confronted with reality, duck
Success in the rock music business
typically happens very quickly. If you don't make it
by the time your twenty-five don't count on major label
support.
In a nutshell, I wouldn't recommend
a career as a performing musician based solely on your
own personal dreams, desire, and motivation. Desire
and motivation are absolutely necessary, but there must
be some external factor to prove that you've "got
what it takes." If your motivation and desire doesn't
lead to live performances with a special connection
to the audience by the time you're nineteen, go to college
or continue your education in some other fashion. After
you've completed your education you may wish to continue
exploring your musical dreams.
"Life is what happens while you're
busy making other plans." - John Lennon
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