It’s simple: you, too can set yourself up to fail—just follow these easy tips:
- Avoid networking
- Don’t use business cards or bump iPhones with contacts
- Come to rehearsals late and unprepared
- Be difficult to work with: have an attitude, be a Diva
- Don’t bother returning calls or emails promptly
- Only use social media for your social life—don’t let anyone online know that you’re a musician
- Don’t invite people to your performances
- Assume that someone else is going to take care of managing your career (booking your performances, attracting your audience, handling your finances, taxes, and whatnot).
- After performances, don’t socialize with fans or colleagues
- Don’t keep in contact with former teachers, employers, colleagues, donors
- Don’t record and release your own performances
- Be convinced that you need to win a competition in order to have a career
- Wait until you get an agent, are “discovered,” or get that lucky break, and then start your career
- Don’t join relevant professional music organizations (such as Chamber Music America, American Composers Forum, College Music Society, etc.)
- Don’t read the publications (online and print) relevant to your field (such as String Vision, ArtsJournal, The Strad, Chamber Music, American String Teacher, International Musician, Strings, etc.)
- Don’t bother learning about the business side of your profession (AKA the music industry): after all, you are an ARTISTE!
On the other hand, if you’d rather succeed in a music career, do the reverse of the above!
Beyond Talent is readily available on Amazon.com. Trained as a cellist, Ms. Beeching formerly directed the Career Services Center at New England Conservatory and is a consultant to the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Angela maintains a thriving private practice based in Boston and is committed to helping musicians and institutions build paths to success through project-based coaching and consulting.
Copyright, Angela Beeching, May 10, 2011. http://angelabeeching.com
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