How to Handle Being Left Out

Quite often, in the music industry (and even in school bands), you will find that there will be times where you will be excluded – not even considered, passed up on for a job opportunity, or not included for any variety of reasons. How you handle these situations, will help you maintain a healthy career …

How to Treat Your Fans

Just to start out – the most important thing to remember about fans is that no matter what the fans say or do, it is always a compliment. They are your FANS, they love you, so if they say or do something insulting, it wasn’t meant that way! In this article, I have listed some …

The Role of Image and Gender in Your Music Career

In the Jazz world, image isn’t as important as it is in many of the other music industries, but appearance still plays an important role in the shape of your career. Having “been” in the jazz industry and working with or knowing other musicians who have been in it longer or have performed in other …

Marketing Yourself | The DIY Musician III

This article is for when you get out of college and you’re ready start your career but are not sure exactly how to go about it. The first step to establishing yourself as a musician is to sell your name as an artist. You really have to promote yourself – without being overly aggressive. You …

Finding Work as a Musician | Starting Your Career Part I

One of the greatest difficulties in becoming a musician is starting to find work. Most kids that graduate from college do not yet have steady work in music, and many are not even sure about how to approach beginning their career. The music world is enormous, and when you are fresh out of college, it …

Being Young in the Music World

The greatest struggle young jazz musicians face, is truly knowing what one needs to do to get their career started. When you first start out, it seems as simple as just playing your instrument. What few realize, is that there numerous other elements imperative to becoming a professional musician. Music, at times, can seem overwhelming. …

Working As Your Own Manager | The DIY Musician

As an upcoming artist trying to pave your way and setup your A-team, the difference between a manager, booking agent, and publicist can be pretty blurred. So, to start out, it is important to clarify the difference (especially since it’s illegal in some states for one person to take on more than one of those …