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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > 10 tips for the aspiring professional musician
10 tips for the aspiring professional musician
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kudzurunner
4822 posts
Jul 29, 2014
7:38 AM
I watched blues-rock guitarist Gregg Wright play a killer set from 6 to 7 PM this past Saturday at a blues fest in Midland, TX. It was 98 degrees and he was standing in the sun. He never slowed. He's a great player.

If you go to his website (http://www.greggwright.com/), you'll find a blog. One blog entry struck me as particularly relevant to conversations we've recently been having here about what constitutes a pro.

Here's the blog entry in its entirety. It's entitled "Ten Important Tips for Aspiring Professional Musicians":



I've had the blessing of a 30 year career making a living doing what I love most . . . creating and playing music. It's carried me to every corner of the earth. I've met and worked with some of the most fascinating and amazingly talented people on this planet, too numerous to name. This is not by chance. I work very hard at being the very best "professional" musician I can be. If you want a career playing music, here are ten "must know" tips to help you acheive and maintain that goal:

1. Practice Makes Perfect: There is no substitute for hard work and getting to know your instrument inside out. Hit the "woodshed." You want to be able to play easily and smoothly, whatever an artist or producer asks of you.

2. Always Be On Time: This is one of the most important marks of a true professional. Music is a business and runs like any other business or profession. Time is money! Too many musicians think because they're talented, they can show up whenever they want. Big mistake!!! I remember when I worked with Michael Jackson. He was a real stickler for being on time. If you showed up late, you simply disappeared. Your services were no longer required. What a shame if you lost a great gig like that because you couldn't be on time!

3. Be Well Prepared: I can't tell you how many times I've seen excellent players show up to a session or rehearsal completely unprepared for the day's work. If someone gives me a tape or CD of material to learn, by God when you see me again, I will know that material better than you, inside out!

4. Have Good, Reliable Gear: Make sure you have the very best gear you can afford. A good musician can make crap gear sound great. Imagine what that same musician can do with great gear. Expensive but worth it. Nothing can replace a great sound!

5. Be Courteous; Be Nice: Why do so many people have the misguided notion that being difficult or unpleasant makes you a better artist? Being an asshole doesn't make you "edgy" . . . it just makes you an asshole! Trust me, nobody wants to work with an asshole!

6. Modern Communication: Once upon a time, musicians waited for gigs by the telephone. This is no longer the case. I'm talking especially to you older players! Today's working musician needs to have his or her communications universe in complete working order. A laptop, business cards, cell phone, web presence, etc. If you don't have these tools at your disposal, you are completely out of the loop. You literally don't exist!
kudzurunner
4823 posts
Jul 29, 2014
7:38 AM
7. Have Reliable Wheels: Very hard to be successful if you can't get from point A to point B on time, with all your gear, ready to rock.

8. Get A Passport: Kinda hard to do those international festivals without a passport. Proper documentation for everything is paramount. Get it done!

9. Show Up Sober: Save the party favors for after the gig or session. Nobody wants to pay their hard earned cash to watch you stagger around the stage, hitting sour notes because you have double vision and can't see your instrument clearly!

10. Keep It Real: In many ways, this is the hardest because there can be so much B.S. in show business. My mantra for keeping it real is simple; the world was perfectly fine before I was here and will continue to be be perfectly fine after I'm here. It doesn't need me or anyone else. It's up to each of us to contribute something positive while we are here. The world owes us nothing! The true mission of the musician is to uplift the soul and spirits of people. Humble yourself, serve the music and wonderful things will happen.
puri
151 posts
Jul 29, 2014
7:48 AM
I love it, thanks a lot!
BronzeWailer
1358 posts
Jul 29, 2014
3:40 PM
Sound advice. Thanks for sharing Adam.

BronzeWailer's YouTube
jawbone
551 posts
Jul 29, 2014
4:13 PM
Yep - Sounds like he has his crap together !!!
Very good advice !!
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If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
GMaj7
479 posts
Jul 29, 2014
7:07 PM
Very well stated...!!
Somewhere there needs to be a point about your image.
Don't relish in the "struggling and poor artist" reputation.
The world doesn't need to know you are dirt poor.. and that just cheapens your rep...
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
STME58
1007 posts
Jul 29, 2014
11:25 PM
I bailed out on music in college, believing the "Starving Artist" line. I wonder how many people that follow the 10 tips listed end up as starving artists. My guess is that most talented people who are trying bu aren't earning a living with their talent, are not following these tips.

This is pure conjecture on my part. I would be very interested to hear from those who have experience on the subject.
Frank
4954 posts
Jul 30, 2014
4:19 AM
I read this, this morning from Jeff Nelsen...neat story :)

Dale Clevenger is a living legend in the music world. He played principal horn in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for over 48 years. I often ask him why he never decided to take it seriously. We're colleagues now, teaching at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music together, and we're having a blast. One of his quotes I share all the time is, "Warm up!? I never cool down."

The story goes that Dale was teaching a young horn player in a public master class. He asked the student to play the beginning of the solo piece he'd diligently prepared. The hornist played well, smiled, and looked to Dale for commentary.

He looked at the student and asked, "Have you every heard me play before?" The boy excitedly smiled and giggled out a, "Yeah, I listen to you a lot." Dale replied, "Ok play it again, and this time play it like you're ME playing this piece."

The kid went at it again, and leaned into every musical mark, and swooned and slurred his way through what may have been an out-of-body experience. He'd never played it better his whole life. The audience reacted in kind, cheering full out.

Dale waited and said, "Yeah, just what I thought. I'm a much better horn player than you are."

Last Edited by Frank on Jul 30, 2014 4:20 AM


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