There’s no application. You can’t contact a recruiter. You don’t interview and your degree isn’t particularly useful. Don’t even bother with LinkedIn! How in the world does somebody interested in a career as a working, performing musician get started? Though a small few start on a professional track in music from a very early age cause they come from musical families, are ‘discovered’, or are just put in the right environment at the right time by their doting parents, most of us musicians have to figure out the answer to that question on our own to some degree. It is a tough and often strange road but one that is traversed successfully by all kinds of fantastic people.
Let’s start with as concise of a definition of ‘working musician’ as is possible. How about this:
A working musician is someone who makes all or a significant portion of their income performing music in a variety of settings, including concerts, private functions, public spaces, religious, and educational institutions and recording studios.
The majority of working musicians I know also teach, which to me is a different practice from performance, or do something else, from composing music for television to working day jobs, to make ends meet. After all, gigs generally happen nights and weekends and that leaves a good chunk of time to do things other than perform (unless you’re on tour). If you’re recording a lot, you’re mostly doing that during the day. Being an NYC musician and living in the times we live, I don’t know too many ‘studio’ musicians, i.e. musicians who make their living recording in a studio. A studio scene does exist still in Nashville and LA and maybe to some extent in NY but I don’t know a whole lot about that world so I won’t be talking about it here but am planning on writing an article about how the business of recording music has changed so dramatically in the last twenty years.
Performing can mean a lot of things. I’m not distinguishing playing a sold-out concert from a wallflower background music gig from a dance class from recording in a studio. In all these examples, different as they are, you’re getting paid to play your instrument. I don’t equate making your living as a musician with being a superior performer — plenty of full-time, ‘working’ musicians are far less interesting to me as artists than those who may make their living doing something else. But I do think there’s a group of us who take pride in making a living playing music, enjoy the lifestyle and find the variety of settings and opportunities quite stimulating.
There’s a plethora of ways to work as a musician but before you put yourself out there, it’s good to know the prerequisites for “applying” for the job. You need to be able to:
- Play your instrument in tune and in time with an understanding of rhythm, dynamics, articulation, etc. You need to know your instrument. Please take a few lessons with a professional you look up to as a bare minimum!
- Own an instrument that is in good shape! If you’re borrowing a friend’s bass and want to be a bass player, go out and buy one. What if you get called for a gig and you don’t have something dependable to play on?
- Have some experience “playing out”. If you’ve just dabbled with your guitar in your bedroom, you’re in for a whole ‘nother thing on your first gig. Practice playing with people and for people however you can before trying to get paid to do it.
- Know the scene you’d like to dive into. Most styles of music have active scenes, where there are communities of musicians with shared interests and influences. You can blend and defy genres later on but if you’re trying to get called for work, it’s helpful to have an identity when you start. I also think it’s really important to demonstrate a passion for the kind of music you want to play. You don’t need to be a scholar or an ascetic devotee to your musical gods but you should be immersed in something.
- Know what’s expected of your scene and of your instrument in that scene. As a jazz musician that means having an understand of swing feel, knowing tunes (melody, harmony and form of 50 or so “jazz standards is probably a bare minimum), being able to solo over a tune and not constantly wonder where in the form you are, etc. If you’re more interested in, say, musical theatre work, you might not really need to know any tunes in particular by memory or be able to improvise over them but you need to be a superb sight reader!
- We’ll save the “is a 4 year music bachelor’s program worth it?” discussion for another day but my opinion is that while a degree is NOT a prerequisite it does give you a structured way to get really good as a musician and make connections for life. I’ve felt I had an uphill battle to fight at times having not attended college for music. Many successful musicians I know not only attended prestigious conservatories but also were actively playing music during high school! But I also know many musicians who attended small music schools or didn’t attend school at all and are doing just fine. Moreover, there’s quite a few deep in debt who regret their decisions to attend fancy schools with large price tags.
If you read the above list and feel pretty confident you’re ready to go, it’s time to move somewhere where there is a music scene, ideally with savings in your bank account because this ‘working musician’ thing will take time to become a reality, and hit the ground running. Before getting into specifics, let me just make a general observation after having spent 10 years in the profession: The musicians who are most successful at gaining employment and staying employed are the ones who are dependable, consistently spend time on their craft and sound, get out to hang and are easy to work with. I don’t think this is too different from many other lines of work! With that in mind I’ll try to outline a few more specific ways to get started with a career in freelance gigging:
Jam Sessions
Going to jam sessions in the scene you’re trying to break into is a surefire way to at least meet people. You may not get hired for anything, even after going for a long while, but if nothing else you can get the scoop on the scene you’re into, make a bunch of new friends, get better on your instrument and learn the things that you didn’t know you needed to know. There’s not a ton of “you’re hired!” moments at jams where you just got up and play your ass off and instantly get hired for a gig. OK, that basically never ever happens ever. And yeah, you will meet a lot of annoying amateurs and people with insecurities on and off stage. But regular attendance at a few different sessions will keep you on people’s minds. Staying at home will lead you nowhere. “Out of sight, out of mind” indeed. You will not get called by people because you are ranked somewhere on some list or have a nice website. You get called by other musicians and bandleaders because they remember you. It takes a lot of years of hanging around any kind of scene for you to make a permanent imprint on enough people’s minds that you can take your foot off the gas pedal and even then…
You can also set up jams at friend’s studios, apartments and spaces. This is a good way to build relationships, grow together musically, try new pieces you’re writing and play other’s music and meet friends of friends. In the freelance music world, you’re trying to both deepen and develop relationships while meeting new people as much as you can, especially when you’re starting out. When I reflect on who has called me for gigs it often ends up being people I’ve played with a handful of times. Sometimes you get called by people who not only have never met you but are referred to you by a musician you barely have played with. Knowing a lot of people is extremely helpful in the path towards getting work.
Befriending more experienced players on your instrument
I have not had a “father-figure” mentor in my musical life but I’ve had teachers and I’ve had musicians anywhere from my age to 30 years plus my senior that I’ve looked up to. One really good thing to do is meet people who play your instrument who are playing a way that you admire and have the kinds of gigs you’d like to have and go check them out. Communicate clearly to them that you really like their playing and are just trying to learn more. Some may never call you for anything. That’s fine — you learn just by watching them. Some will, eventually. I’ve gotten a lot of gigs from fellow pianists who were older than me and/or busier than I and looking for a sub. As musicians get better and busier, different opportunities may arise for them and they need someone to cover their gigs. A lot of their peers will already be busy and that’s exactly where you come in. If you’re reliable and good, you do them a favor by covering their ass and you get yourself a gig, a gig that may turn out to be steady.
Peer group
Get together with your friends and shed. Get drunk together. Get some coffee. Go on a hike. Get drunk again. OK now watch out, you may have a liquor problem. Go see your friends’ shows and support them. Call them for gigs. Be a good friend. Just because you support friends and hang with them doesn’t mean you should expect work to come from that but it’s really great to feel part of a community and a peer group. The more you deepen your relationship with your peers the more likely they are to recommend you for projects that they’re involved in and bands they work with. Your peers will know your playing best and those projects they recommend you for are the kinds of things you want to be doing in your musical journey.
If you don’t already have friends who are musicians, find some. It’s important to know and trust musicians so you can get through the top-turvy, crazy nature of this journey a little saner and stronger. You friends are the bulwark against the seeming entropy that a freelance lifestyle can often invite.
Booking your own gigs
When I was just starting in NY and pretty gig-less and doing other things to make/save money (SAT instruction, tutoring at a high school, working some odd jobs, living at home, etc.) I actually had the idea to start a band playing jazz for weddings and private events. Nightingale Jazz Band doesn’t really play much anymore but our vocalist and I got a lot of gigs from just establishing a website, paying a minimal amount for advertising and investing in a good video. Running an event band like that ultimately wasn’t for me — you spend a lot of time emailing, texting, writing charts, organizing rehearsals, dealing with clients and people in the wedding industry (which I kind of loathe) and doing everything EXCEPT practicing — but in the 4-5 years we were quite active I got more of a chance and to develop improvisational fluidity, a repertoire, and relationships with the musicians we used than I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t started the band. I also developed some business savvy. These experiences help me to this day: Now when I get called for gigs with jazz singers, I feel more confident that I can take care of business because I’d already done the type of gig they are asking me to play countless times.
I think you can be creative with this. I got a gig at a vineyard after emailing a list of 50 of them on the suggestion of a family friend who said wineries were often looking for live music. They eventually hired me for what turned into a steady (albeit seasonal) gig for over 5 years. The emails probably took me between one and two hours to write and send. I’ve seen musicians take a once a month show at a local bar and make into a weekly hang, curate concert series in places where they didn’t exist before, develop bands from scratch into extremely busy and in-demand outfits. You don’t have to wait for the work to come to you.
I guess I’ll walk back my snarky website comment and say having a strong online presence will help you book gigs as a bandleader. A brief aside: “marketing” yourself to people in the music, entertainment, and hospitality businesses (where a lot of music “jobs” can be found) is an entirely different matter than developing a reputation as a musician among other musicians. They are two different approaches and what works in one world often does not in the other.
Broaden your skill set
If you find yourself working but wishing you had more dates on your calendar, you may need to start taking other types of gigs than those you initially set out to get. Restaurant gigs, church gigs, dance class gigs, musical theatre gigs, singer songwriter gigs, accompaniment gigs, wedding gigs, corporate gigs, and so it goes. Find people on your instrument who do them and ask them what they needed to do be prepared to do those types of gigs. If someone asks you to do one and you’re feeling bold or desperate enough, fake it and say “yes, I can do that”. That may seem irresponsible but at some point you need to “leap before you look”. No one’s life is in your hands and you may find yourself a new niche!
Broadly, you can do more things to enhance your appeal. Learning a new instrument, including how to sing in a band, getting into other genres of music and hanging out in new scenes come to mind. Or if you really just want more work in a certain world, dive deeper. Sometimes you think you’ve exhausted all you’re options in a scene when really you just need to shuffle things up a bit.
Cold Call
If you’re particularly hungry, you can reach out to agencies that book bands and offer your services. This might be something like a wedding band or an agency that books groups for private parties. You might also try to get a contract with a cruise line. Whoever you call, let them know your skill set, attach a video/website, offer to audition. These agencies are often looking for particular instrumentalists to plug holes as needed. You might not get a lot of work at first but you never know. These are very different situations from getting referred by a friend but if you’re professional, know the skills that you need to possess and are able to do the job, you might just get hired. It’s also helpful to…
Get a car
This one is certainly not necessary but for better or worse (and I often wonder which one), having a car has opened up a whole class of gigs to me that wouldn’t be open to me otherwise. Of course, in most cities in the U.S. everyone has a car so this move is probably necessary. NYC is definitely not car-friendly but there are plenty of gigs to be had in surrounding suburbs and regional cities and town. Weddings, festivals, smaller clubs in the suburbs and smaller cities of the region, wineries in eastern Long Island, colleges across the area – if you don’t have a car you often can’t make these gigs, especially if you have gear to bring. Sometimes people call you for those types of gigs because you have a car. Ah, what a great way to feel like a complete accessory.
The car thing is a mixed bag. Yes, you get called for those gigs but having a car is expensive and a hassle. I totaled my car coming home from a wedding gig in Mystic, Connecticut this past summer and the accident forever changed my view on car ownership. On top of that, our planet is burning and our rates of automobile ownership and use are totally unsustainable. But I still have one and depend on it to get me to gigs. It’s an option worth considering if you’re trying to work more.
……………..
I used to think a career in music performance was exclusively the realm of child prodigies and those from musical families. The truth is that it’s possible for anyone willing to put in the work. Music has always been and will always be one of the most ubiquitous parts of human culture. People want to hear music live and because of that there are myriad opportunities to perform. As a musician I’ve played in hotels, restaurants, basement clubs, burlesque clubs, skyscrapers, theaters, concert halls, lobbies, farms, atriums, boats, stores, a pharmacy, a woodworking shop, parks, castles, beaches, mountainsides, mountaintops, churches, casinos, synagogues, airports, offices, catering halls, old age homes, dance studios, wineries and state fairs, among other places. I’ve played with musicians from around the globe. Music is the truly the universal language. So if you’re unsure this endeavor is for you, take comfort in the fact that there is and always will be demand for music. You just need to get out there and find chances to play. Happy gigging!
Alex Clough's Blog 