5 Tips On How To Become A Musician

5 Tips On How To Become A Musician

Becoming a musician is not just about playing an instrument well. In fact, for many musicians, once they have acquired the minimum standard of competency to play gigs, they discover that it is more about their relationships with others in the music industry that helps them advance in their pursuit of becoming an accomplished musician.

There are many elements that can be learned to become a professional musician, however, the following 5 points are some of the most important and often overlooked aspects that can help you achieve your goal:

1. Punctuality

Being punctual for rehearsals and gigs is incredibly important. Continually arriving late means that you are unreliable and gives the impression that you don’t care about your profession. It also shows a lack of respect for everyone else involved and no-one wants to deal with that, especially the organizers of the gig who have plenty of talented musicians knocking at their door who are prepared to be punctual.

To bring the point home, remember the times in your life when you were on the receiving end of waiting for someone who constantly turned up late. Not a good feeling right?  When applied to a professional setting tardiness is even worse and far less tolerable and it will eventually have a detrimental impact on your musical career.

2. Personality Issues

Your talent, no matter how brilliant, will only take you so far. The way you interact with other band members can make or break their willingness to allow you to stick around. Everyone prefers hanging out with people who are fun and easy to get along with. Remember that when you eventually go pro you will be spending a lot of time with the people you will be performing with and if you are unable to easily blend in with the group, it will make things that much harder for you. However, if you hit if off well with everyone from the start, you won’t have to worry about the competition vying for your position.

3. Communication is Key

Being part of a group means being part of a whole process. Are you a good communicator and effective collaborator? Being able to communicate clearly and work well with others in a group is incredibly important if you want to become pro. If you find working in a group setting difficult, you will have a hard time becoming part of a team. Communications skills such as being inclusive of others and taking criticism graciously are important in any profession. In order to be a part of a pro team you will have to brush up your communications skills if they are lacking.

4. The Importance of Preparation

Proper preparation before a performance is key to alleviating nerves and putting on a good show. Professional musicians know how to prepare for performances, a large part of which is practice. Imagine being backstage minutes before the start of a concert and you are feeling nervous and worried about things that could go wrong? Preparation is the only way to avoid these feelings and being confident that things will go as planned.

5. Understand the Business Side

Becoming a professional musician means a lot more than just playing music. As part of a professional outfit you will be expected to do a lot more than just practice and perform. A band is a business and each team member is there to help it grow and become more successful. This means helping to finding new opportunities and ways to get noticed as well as networking with others in the industry. Are you able to help with inbound and outbound marketing tactics and getting new gigs? If you are able to bring these skills to the table you will be far more valuable to the group.

As you can see, there is far more to being a professional musician than just playing well and turning up at performances. By honing these additional talents and skills you will become a valuable member of any professional band and you will enjoy the experience that much more.