Subject: Ways to Kill a Music Career
You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com. If you don't want to receive these e-mails any longer, go to the bottom of this message and click on "unsubscribe." Hey there Friend, I received a very exciting email from one of our fellow guitarinistas this week. My friend Amanda H. is a longtime subscriber and has been working hard on guitar for over two and a half years. Like so many of us, she has struggled with the age-old question..."What am I going to do with my life?" Amanda has come to the conclusion that music is where she belongs and has decided to pursue going pro! Since she and I have become friends, she likes to ask me for feedback on things and this subject is no exception. As you know, I have no problem yapping about all things guitar and music, so before I get rolling on the topic of becoming a professional musician, I want to offer a caveat: I am not a pro musician at this time. I still work a 9 to 5 job that supports my family. These facts are the essence of what makes me perfectly qualified to write this article of advice to you. On the heels of that disclosure, I think the best place to start is what NOT to do when starting a music career. But first, a story... I've had dreams of performing on stage since before I was a teen. Long before American Idol or Britain's Got Talent, I imagined myself singing in front of an audience and winning a competition, basking in the roar of the crowd as I finish singing my song. When I got the itch to play guitar, I envisioned myself performing with my band, singing and playing in concert halls and stadiums. I was like the kid who imagined himself hitting the game-winning home run in the World Series. It wasn't until my first year in high school that I was lucky enough to meet my future bass player. As that wise old Roman philosopher Seneca once said, "Luck is when opportunity and preparedness meet" (paraphrased), I saw an opportunity to jam with someone else and I felt like I could play enough songs to make a jam session worthwhile. Now I don't remember if I was consciously thinking about it at the time, but one of the reasons I was drawn towards playing in a band was to raise my social status. I'm naturally introverted and was pretty quiet in school. I didn't have many friends at all, and I didn't really have an interest in sports (it didn't help that I was always the last kid picked in gym for kickball). Sports involving balls (foot, base, golf or soccer) were never my thing... What I did have an interest in was girls. I believed being in a rock band was my ticket to maybe, just maybe, having a date with a girl before I was in my 30s. Sure enough, that little belief paid off well. Why? For even the shiest person out there, putting yourself out in front of others to perform shows a level of confidence most people don't have. You may be scared sh!tless, but the fact that you get out of your comfort zone and take action makes you stand out in other people's eyes. People are drawn to confidence - even more that good looks or money. But that can be a double-edged sword in your pursuit of a music career, and that brings me to the first gotcha to watch out for. Music Can Be A Demanding Bitch If you want to make music your career, you are more likely to succeed if you keep your heart in check. What do I mean? Music can become an all-consuming endeavor. To create the best opportunities to succeed, you almost need to draw a line in the sand and say, "from this point forward, I'll live, eat and breathe music." Once you have made that decision and start developing and working your plan to make it happen, other people in your life might not fully understand the commitment you've made to yourself. As my friend Rick P. once told me, to make it in music you need to realize that your life will be unbalanced, and you need to be OK with that. You also have to realize that the rest of the world is preaching the exact opposite. We read and hear about creating balance in your life from psychologists and self-help gurus. While I tend to agree with that philosophy, there are times in your life when the only way to create the huge momentum that is necessary to make it as a professional musician is to be completely consumed in the work. In fact, this is true for any professional pursuit - if you want to be the best. Want to be the best attorney out there? You're not going to be spending your college time partying or looking for a serious relationship. You're going to be studying. Want to be a professional athlete? That's right, your time will be spent training and studying other great athletes. Your time is your most valuable asset and you must be very careful where you spend it. It needs to be used to sharpen your skills and grow your chances of reaching your goals. Unfortunately, this means that when it comes to matters of the heart, it's usually better to keep it casual - in the immortal words of Nazereth, "Love Hurts". If you happen to be romantically involved with someone, they can actually become jealous of you and your goal. Relationships take work to grow and keep fresh, but when your primary focus is on your music career and not your partner, there will be friction. Unless they are pursuing similar goals, you music can become a wedge between you and your significant other. The odds of the relationship working out are pretty low. If you continue giving music 110% of your effort, your partner isn't getting the support and attention they need. If you focus more on the relationship than on your career, you won't build the momentum you need to get your career rolling. This was my biggest mistake on my musical journey. I gave up my music career to make my girlfriend happy. But when I quit music, one of the things that attracted her to me was gone, and that was the start of the end. I eventually lost her to my best friend, and it took me over a decade of "wandering in the desert" to come back to music. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying don't go out with people or have some fun. Just don't put yourself into situations where the emotional investment could take away from you achieving the goals you set for yourself. You must guard your goals and dreams and protect them from outside influences. If I were to do it over, I would reverse the approach and get my career going before entertaining any sort of serious relationship. I would work my tail off to achieve the goals I set for myself. There's plenty of time for love later. Besides, you'll be happier, and it will be easier to grow a relationship when you don't have the stress of also trying to build a successful career. Alright, this article has gotten too long, so over the coming weeks I'll come back to the topic of how NOT to sabotage your goals of becoming a professional musician! Until next week, keep it frosty, Rockers... Peace~ Dave Dave "Eddie" Vance is a rock guitar enthusiast and gear nut. He has been playing guitar for over 30 years and enjoys tormenting the neighbors every chance he gets. When he's not slaving for the man, you can find him rocking out with his B.C. Rich Bich guitar, a cold beer and some sweet tunes. He also runs Learn-To-Play-Rock-Guitar.com, but you knew that already! Follow Learn To Play Rock Guitar:I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? 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