Earning that dollar!

So you wanna earn some spondoolies playing music huh??

So to start you off here is my 5 top tips you need to consider when looking to build a career in music.

1 – LEARN TO PLAY

Get on YouTube and check out the leading players in your instrument, this is the standard you should always be aiming for. There is no point competing with a local player if you’re going to compete you need to be competing with the biggest players in your field in the world.

2 – PLAY EVERYWHERE

It’s all very well practicing in your bedroom, but the real experience is out there gigging as much as possible. A lot of musicians think they should be paid from the word go, however the reality is you need to be doing a couple of hundred gigs in originals and covers bands learning about gigging and most importantly enjoying it!

3 – TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY AVALIABLE

Something that musicians tend to be very bad at! Take every opportunity available whether it’s paid or not. Even just playing on a mates demo can be a great opportunity to gain experience and you never know what is awaiting in the future.

4 – GO THE EXTRA MILE

Can you sing? How about doing BV’s? 

Can you drive? How are you going to get to gigs? 

Have you good industry standard, versatile equipment? Can your gear provide for stadium gigs, the little pub down the road, studio, pop, metal, jazz? 

5 – “ON TIME, IN TUNE”

My all time favorite rule! In a nutshell do you look the part, are you on time, act professional and are you prepared? Keep in a mind a professional, friendly attitude too as no band is going to want to take you on tour if you’re going to be a pain to live with. Remember the people you meet on the way up are definitely the people you meet on the way down!

STAND OUT:

What makes a musician stand out to me is 100% attitude! I generally assume that when a musician comes to me for advice or looking for work that they are already at a high standard of playing so I tend to pay more attention to their attitude than their playing ability. Keep in mind first impressions too, I know it sounds simple but turning up early having learnt the part to the highest possible standard and wearing relative clothing is key. The amount of musicians who fail at the first hurdle by turning up late, not knowing the track properly, in a superman t-shirt full of excuses is astonishing. 

DON’T BE A REBEL:

In my opinion having a career in the music industry is easy, I’m not saying becoming the next Beyonce, but sustaining a career and earning a living is simple. Yes it’s hard work but it is simple! I feel that where musicians often go wrong is overcomplicating things and not being willing to put in the work. Generally (including myself) musicians have a rebellious streak. Someone who says, “I don’t want the normal 9-5 job” generally has a rebellious nature and this is when they often fall down as they end up rebelling against their own career by not wanting to get out of bed at 8 or having a controversial image because they don’t want to wear the suit and tie. 

So my advice is keep it simple. Look the part, act the part, make sure you have outstanding time keeping and know your stuff!

Written by Damian Keyes, founder of DK Music Management