How to succeed in music: advice from 9 successful musicians
Old joke: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Answer: Practice, practice, practice
No joke: How do you make a living in the arts?
Answer: A million different ways
There’s no one way to create a career in the arts. Yes, practice, practice, practice comes into it, but that’s just the starting point. In a profession that has few clear career paths and fierce competition, musicians face what can seem like impossible odds when they launch their careers. What all but a handful of musicians discover is that creating a career starts with making an internal commitment to being both the best artist they can be as well as choosing to take charge of their journeys rather than waiting for someone or something else to do it for them.
It ain’t easy. Many of the posts on No Dead Guys have touched on aspects of what’s required to make a living in music but at the most, they’re guideposts for pianists who are already committed to finding their own way. These posts, while helpful (I hope), are limited in that they reflect my experience, not everyone’s. One such article, Pianists and the Good Student Syndrome, prompted a No Dead Guys reader to ask me for more information on how everyday working musicians craft careers for themselves.
This post, drawn from a handful of the many pianists and composers I’ve interviewed on this site, features diverse musicians who have married what they do best with what people will pay them to do, and by doing so have crafted a way to make a living making music.
Pianists
Sarah Cahill Internationally known concert pianist, writer, music critic, producer, instructor at San Francisco Conservatory, and host of a radio show, Revolutions Per Minute which airs every Sunday evening on KALW 9.7 FM in San Francisco. She has commissioned over 60 new compositions.
“Think outside the usual paradigm of a classical concert career. Think of what you can offer that is different, unique, and valuable. It may not be Beethoven Sonatas and Chopin Scherzos. I know a young pianist who is organizing concerts in prisons and musical fundraisers for Ukrainian refugees. She understands the need and responds to it. Also, do research. If you love Frederic Rzewski’s “The People United Will Never Be Defeated,” you could be the hundredth pianist to play it, or you could go on IMSLP and find Rzewski scores which have never been performed before. Which would your audience be more interested in? Dream big, and diversify your repertoire. It can only make you a better pianist.”
William Chapman Nyaho International solo recitalist, duo pianist and chamber musician. Advocate of music by composers of African descent.
“I encourage young pianists starting off on their careers to explore and celebrate their ancestry by searching for composers from their background to diversify and expand the canon. Perform music from all parts of the world.”
David Saffert Collaborative pianist who performs with classical performers or appears as Liberace in the cabaret act, Liberace & Liza: a Tribute, he formed with singer and actress Jillian Snow Harris.
“I fully encourage artists who are able to marry their different disciplines to make mistakes and make them big. Performing one art is already a risk, so attempting two or more will feel perilous. But it is those great and powerful hits and misses that educate our future choices to be more successful. And keep in mind that you will most likely have a wider net of audience interest if you combine your skills. Liberace & Liza are as much comedy as music and we are able to bring in audiences who have these multiple tastes in entertainment. Oh… and one other thing: practice! But you already knew that.”
Jill Timmons Concert pianist, recording artist, artist-in-residence, university professor, career coach at Arts Mentor, author of The Musician’s Journey.
“First and foremost, be yourself. As Oscar Wilde said, “Everyone else is taken.” It’s a simple idea, but it does, I think, take courage and confidence, and yes, a sense of humor. Life is short. What are you waiting for? Go out and play, play, play. Search for the best teacher/mentor you can find for YOU. Learn everything you can. Be curious and humble about learning. Be open to advice and guidance from someone you trust, especially when it is sometimes difficult to accept. Act like a sponge. Share knowledge with other musicians and develop your networking friendships. Reach out to underserved audiences and share the beauty and richness of what you know. Most of us begin our training in early childhood. It’s a marvelous thing we can offer to others. Don’t stop. I am often reminded of something my dear teacher Gyorgy Sebok said to me when he was 75. “Well, I am finally playing the way I want to….” As one of the great piano luminaries of the 20th century, he offered a precious word of inspiration to all of us. As you complete your professional training, begin developing a 5-year plan to achieve your goals, knowing, of course, that it may morph (into something better) as you “build the road.”
Composers
Mary Ellen Childs Award winning internationally known composer interested in all the senses: she is known for works that speak not only to the ears, but to the eyes, and even the nose.
“The best way to get better at composing is to do it. Say yes to projects, make your own opportunities, figure out a way to hear your pieces played. To my way of thinking a work isn’t complete when you’ve finished the score - that’s just marks on a page. And the computer version of music (if you’re writing for real people) isn’t it either. Music isn’t finished until it’s been heard. Working closely with performers teaches you so much. Hearing your work teaches you so much. Absorbing audience responses teaches you so much. Struggling with the blank page - over and over again - teaches you so much. I often tell my students the best way to learn to compose is to do it for 20 years. Then you begin to understand it.”
Scott Pender Composer of concert music, theater, stage, and dance as well as theme music for the C-SPAN series “First Ladies: Influence & Image”. Former TV producer.
“1. Write lots of music. Do it every day. Make it a habit. Don’t worry if everything’s not a masterpiece.
2. Expose yourself early on to music outside the Western classical canon. I am so glad my parents had an eclectic record collection when I was a kid. But I wish I had gone further and gain some exposure to and knowledge of non-Western music. For young composers, I would try to listen far and wide: non-classical, music of Asia, Africa, indigenous peoples of the Americas, etc. It will open your mind to possibilities you never imagined. And it’s SO much easier now with internet access than it was when I was young.”
Joel Pierson Composer, pianist, author, band leader for the CAMI Music represented jazz group, The Queen’s Cartoonists.
“#neverstop”
Melanie Spanswick British pianist, composer, author, teacher, and adjudicator. As a writer and composer, Melanie’s work is published by major publishing houses: Schott, Faber and Alfred. Her piano refresher course, Play it again: PIANO (Schott), is an international success.
“Keep going! And stick to your guns. If you feel you have something to say or have a gut feeling about writing music for a specfic medium, then you must find a way to do it. Never pay attention to what others are doing (or saying), and try to keep a firm image in your mind of what it is that you want to achieve.
I am a big believer in manifesting. When I was just starting out as a writer, I was fortunate to find a wonderful mentor. He is not a musician but he does know all about the profession. He has continually taught me 'how to think'. This has been absolutely imperative to my overall success.
When I started writing and composing, I would frequently take long walks near where I used to live. I'd walk for miles, clearly imagining my books and my music published by specific publishers and being successfully sold around the world. It was only a few years later that my life mirrored this image.”
Simeon Walker Composer and performer of Peaceful Piano Music, writer, champion of bringing back salon concerts.
“The most important thing I have come to learn is that things never seem to happen when you think you want or need them to, but when you look back, the timing often seems to make sense on reflection.
I am 34 and I sometimes wish that I had got to this stage a lot earlier, and whilst that would have been nice, I wouldn’t be able to make the music I am making now without the experiences I have encountered - the frustration, effort, doubt, commitment, successes and failures that have occurred so far have been hugely valuable (although we don’t always realise it at the time). My perception and understanding of myself and my abilities - and indeed limitations - as a musician and a composer continues to grow and I am mostly just very thankful and grateful for the privilege of being able to have a career doing the thing that makes most sense to me.
Having a sense of who you are and what you’re trying to do/say through your work is so important, and the pressures we can often feel from comparing ourselves with others - especially through social media - can sometimes be quite exhausting and maybe even damaging. Having said all of that, I think I am also still trying to work out why I do what I do. It’s a lifelong exploration, I guess. When I have found the answer, it’ll probably be time to stop.”
Photo by Ian Schneider, courtesy of UpSplash