“Is Music A Good Career Choice For Me/My Child?” plus 1 more

Is Music A Good Career Choice For Me/My Child?

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 05:00 PM PST

From mentoring children in his music program, to releasing his own successful tracks, to becoming the arranger/keyboardist/guitarist for the world famous Apollo Amateur Night Band, Matt Oestreicher proves there is nothing he can’t do. And now with his most recent blog post on his website, he gives his audience a much needed laugh when telling us the truth about going on the music industry career path.

Still on the fence about whether or not you should buy your kids that drum set that they’ve been begging you for? Read Matt’s blog post first, it just may tip you over. :)

IS MUSIC A GOOD CAREER CHOICE FOR ME/MY CHILD?

Should my child become a professional musician? This is the question I get most often from conscientious dads/moms who want to make sure their child chooses a field that will enable them to have stable income and employment.

MY ANSWER: NO.

HERE ARE THE REASONS:

1. If you are looking for economic stability in your chosen field, music is probably one of the worst fields to choose.

No explanation necessary, this is the very reason why people ask this question.

2. When something you love becomes your profession you will have to do a number of tasks that do not relate to your passion.

A successful music career involves spending a large part of your day on non-musical tasks. For example:

curating social media content

updating your website

booking performances/ scheduling with musicians

researching venues, music blogs, music services,

promoting your performances

and the list goes on and on and on

Popular advice right now is to spend 50% of your work time on music and the other 50% on the business side of your career.

Question if you would be better served by keeping music as a hobby where you can focus on only the parts of it that you like.

3. Revenue streams are drying up:

How many CD’s have bought lately? How much music in general have you and your friends purchased lately? When I was growing up, every spare cent was allocated towards the newest cassette or CD purchase at Tower Records, Coconuts, or Sam Goody (none of which exist anymore - hint,hint)

4. It’s very difficult to become established as a solo artist:

The sheer amount of individuals and groups putting out original music now makes it very difficult to cut through all of the noise and to get heard in order to build an audience. A vast majority of people who attempt to make a career of their own music do not succeed. It’s hard to find accurate statistics, but surveys like the following suggest that over 90% of artists are “undiscovered.”

https://www.musictimes.com/articles/3563/20140121/youre-musician-chances-totally-undiscovered-new-study.htm

HERE ARE THE REASONS TO GO INTO MUSIC:

1. Perhaps your stability job isn’t that stable after all:

Every day there are new stories in the news about other fields that will be destabilized by technology - truck drivers, lawyers, cab drivers, food service workers, retailers, have already felt the changes. You may end up choosing a job for security only to realize there is no security to be found - now you have the worst of both worlds.

2. New revenue streams are being created:

Sites like Patreon, Indiegogo, Kickstarter, Pledgemusic, and more are allowing music to connect with fans directly for support.

You can make passive income for years with songs that are streaming on platforms like: spotify, tidal, apple music, and pandora.

3. If the idea of reading this and making a pragmatic decision about whether to go into music or not makes you furious and nothing can dissuade you.

Use that passion to fuel your career in music everyday and will your way to a successful career.

4. If you can’t do anything else: you think of, dream of, music all day every day and you believe that it’s what you’re put on earth to do.

There’s nothing stopping someone who will not be denied from having success in the music industry. If you show up hungry every day and do whatever it takes you will succeed. However, don’t expect that you will succeed immediately. You need to be able to give it at least a couple of years. If you don’t find the success that you are looking for in 6 months and are discouraged, perhaps you don’t have the passion that you thought you had for it.

Read more about Matt Oestreicher and keep up with him on his website. Check out his latest single, Soul Doctor here. And don’t forget to follow Matt on his socials

https://twitter.com/mattoestreicher
https://www.facebook.com/mattoestreicher
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWy1hUkVc4aH3UKT-Oy-bag

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High Notes: How Intelligent Artists Seek Further Inspiration

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 05:00 PM PST

Artistry isn’t the easiest thing. Making great art isn’t something that you can simply do on command. It’s a process that calls for a lot of thought and care. It’s a process that requires a degree of “magic,” too. If you’re a smart artist who wants inspiration that can assist you with your work, then you should look into various helpful routes right now.

Soak up Amazing Art

If you’re an artist who is stuck in a creative rut, you can get inspiration back by listening to works of art that strike a chord with you. Listen to some of your favorite tunes from childhood. Watch a classic film that’s evocative and poignant. Go to a museum to look at the finest paintings from decades and centuries past as well. All of these things may help you feel energized and excited about working again.

They Speak with People Who Know Just How They Feel

Intelligent artists frequently cope with creativity ruts by connecting to others who know perfectly well how they feel. If you want to find inspiration, you should seek advice from people who have conquered unpleasant ruts in the past. Ask successful artists how they dealt with not being able to come up with excellent ideas for days or weeks on end. Ask them how they realized they were finally out of their ruts as well.

Rely on Inspiration from All Sources

Recreational cannabis can be helpful to brilliant artists who are all about in-depth inspiration. If you’re keen on unwinding, relaxing, and forgetting all of your concerns for a while, recreational cannabis may be able to get you on the right track. For instance, there are many highly regarded recreational cannabis dispensaries (in legal states), so that you can browse all of the available choices.

Pamper Themselves Appropriately

Stress can interfere greatly with inspiration and the creative process. If you want to escape from artistic obstacles, then you should take a break for a while. Give yourself time for a soothing nap. Head outdoors for a walk that can help clear your head. Take a pleasantly warm bath. If you relax, you may just pinpoint your source of inspiration again. Time can often be a wonderful elixir.

Intelligent artists know how to cope with creative ruts. They know that these ruts are never permanent, too. If you’re an artist who doesn’t want to let stumbling blocks get the best of you, recreational cannabis may be a superb addition to your days.

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