7 characteristics of highly successful musicians

Everyone knows that the most important requirement for being a professional musician is the ability to perform at a professional level. Because of this, musicians spend their formative years in practice rooms, learning notes and honing technique. Their hard work pays off in terms of competitions won and degrees attained. Then, accolades in hand, the musician is launched into the musical marketplace where they are expected to figure out how to build a sustainable career in a culture with few clear paths to success.

I’ve written many articles on No Dead Guys about the challenges musicians face when crafting their careers, and have featured numerous interviews with pianists from all over the world, all of whom have created or found work for themselves in this fiercely competitive field. Are these people more talented or luckier than the many gifted players who haven’t yet found their footing? Or are there traits that—in addition to their playing—set them apart from others?

What I’ve learned over the years is that while many different things influence who succeeds and who flounders, there are common characteristics that every successful musician I know shares. These traits guide them at the keyboard as well as in all other aspects of their lives.

Tenacious

Successful people don’t give up. They may have to adjust their expectations and find ways to recover from failure, but they refuse to throw up their hands in despair and give circumstances and other people control of their lives. This tenacity can be found in the smallest details of their music and their lives. And because they don’t give up easily, many times they outlast those who abandon the music field for other forms of employment.

Truthful

The music industry is small and gossipy. Exaggerations, half-truths, or outright lies don’t hold up well in a profession where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Successful musicians know (or learn) that being truthful is more than a personal virtue—it also builds professional trust as most people want to work with musicians who have impeccable integrity.

Humble

Successful people know what they do well, but unlike many strivers around them, they know not to trumpet their successes to people all the time. The humble musician isn’t one who scrapes and grovels before others; it’s one who knows and accepts their successes and their failures. They meet others at their level, not with an attitude of superiority.

Gracious

Impeccable manners still matter. In fact, in a society that tends to throw civil discourse away, being gracious and courteous sets a musician apart from poorly-mannered colleagues. Being gracious means treating everyone with respect. It means learning and following the ways of polite society, even if these ways seem old fashioned. Graciousness is a power move in a profession rife with artist tantrums.

Professional

The most successful musicians know that they’re, in effect, running their own businesses when they’re supporting themselves through their music. In the business world, professionalism matters. For musicians, this means keeping meticulous track of finances, developing and employing superb communication skills, and responding promptly to business communications. It also means keeping one’s online presence appropriate and up-to-date. Most potential concert presenters and media gatekeepers judge musicians based partly on their online material and how professionally they communicate.

Responsible

Successful musicians know that showing up when they’re contracted to do so, responding when they promised to, meeting deadlines, and following through on everything in a timely manner can make or break their career choices. Gaining a reputation for being a “flake” who blows things off is a one-way track to opportunities drying up. This reads as obvious, but the profession is littered with talented people who can’t seem to grasp this and then wonder why their careers aren’t going anywhere.

Grateful

No one asked us to make music. We chose to do it. No one forces others to listen to our music. They choose to do so. Just because we can play the piano like a dream doesn’t make us a higher form of human being than those who don’t. Successful musicians know these things. And rather than expecting people to applaud them for gracing the world with their presence, they’re grateful for what they’re given. This gratitude works out in practical ways. When they book a gig, they help promote it through their networks. When a gatekeeper   gives them publicity or does them a favor, they say thank you and do what they can to repay the favor.

Ultimately, all of these characteristics can be summed up with the old adage, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In less Biblical terms, “don’t be a jerk.” Consider other people’s perspectives and needs rather than just your own. Abandon the spirit of scarcity and greed for one that embraces opportunity and generosity. In doing so, you’ll build a successful life, not just a career.

Photo by Samuel Clara, courtesy of UpSplash