The Musician's Way Blog

“For music and service to become your way of life,
you must confront economic realities.”
-The Musician’s Way, p. 299

Aspiring classical musicians commonly study in a context resembling the ancient “master-apprentice” model.

That is, they take lessons from one individual over a span of years and depend on that person to cultivate their artistic, technical, and career skills.

Does that educational arrangement make sense? Continue Reading

“How can music schools better prepare graduates for the innovation economy?”

The April 2013 issue of The Musician’s Way Newsletter brings together more than 20 articles and resources pertinent to student and professional musicians.

You’ll discover creativity and songwriting tips, new websites that list performance opportunities, music education features, and a story of classical musicians who are adding fizz to their music scene by performing in a pub. Continue Reading

“If you’re dedicated to becoming a professional,
you have to prepare to compete in the marketplace.”
-The Musician’s Way, p. 300

Countless young musicians aspire to become professionals, but few understand the music industry well enough to make wise choices about how to grow their careers. Continue Reading

“Take the action and the insight will follow.”
–Anne Lamott, author (The Musician’s Way, p. 107)

Suppose that you want to start a creative project – compose a solo, write a song, design a logo, or whatever.

You’ve done your research and set aside time to work.

Do you typically dive into such projects, or do you tend to procrastinate?

Continue Reading

“Your habits in the practice room make you the musician that you are.”
-The Musician’s Way, p. 20

I’m pleased to present this guest post by Dr. Lisa Dawson of Indiana Weslyan University. -GK

The Musician’s Way by Gerald Klickstein is being used by the Voice Department at Indiana Wesleyan University as a core text throughout the 2012-13 academic year. This post outlines our pace of study. Continue Reading

“It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?”
–Henry David Thoreau, author

In a classic episode of the animated comedy South Park, the main characters track down a clan of gnomes who have been stealing the townspeople’s underpants.

The gnomes explain that their actions are part of a 3-phase plan – shown here – that’s guaranteed to bring in handsome profits.

Unfortunately, I’ve found that musicians often pursue comparable half-baked scenarios. Continue Reading

Benny Goodman & Ella Fitzgerald

“People have often said to me, ‘You’re so relaxed when you play.’
Relaxed my elbow. It’s practice.”
–Benny Goodman, clarinetist (The Musician’s Way, p. 199)

It may seem that elite musicians like Benny Goodman excel on stage because of inborn traits.

But despite any genetic factors that might affect our musical potential, the mastery that experts display under pressure actually results from their having amassed specific performance skills. Continue Reading

“With a narrow view of success, musicians unconsciously limit their career options.”
–Angela Beeching (The Musician’s Way, p. 300)

Although veteran musicians might derive the bulk of their earnings from full-time jobs, rising artists often depend on multiple income streams.

To assemble such portfolio careers, though, performers require diverse skills, few of which are covered in traditional music curricula. Continue Reading

Arts entrepreneurship isn’t a slice of the educational pie – it’s the pan.

I hope that lead-off sentence strikes a chord with you as it does with me.

I adapted it from a statement attributed to Andrew Rasiej (“Innovation is not a slice of the pie – it’s the pan”).

Here are 3 reasons why I find those words and entrepreneurship education so compelling. Continue Reading

“I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward,
in the work that precedes what the world calls success.”
–Thomas Edison (The Musician’s Way, p. 216)

If we want to present self-produced events, one way that we can mitigate financial risk and boost our bottom line is to partner with non-profit organizations and then raise money via grants.

This post summarizes two strategies for doing so. Continue Reading