What are the possible chances for me ?

[kghayesh]

I have something that is buzzing my mind all the time. I don't know what should I do in my life later.

I am doing a Computer Engineering degree which I will finish next summer. In the meanwhile, I love music so so much that  I really can't live without it. I have been playing for 4 years until now. I know it is not that much but i think i've progressed a lot. I finished my ABRSM grade 8 this year. I play advanced pieces like Chopin's first Ballade and more. But what's most siginificant is that I love music itself not especially playing the piano. I can't get enough of all this musical atmosphere.

Music is becoming a more and more important part of my life in the past 4 years. Manytimes, I give it a higher priority than doing something in my college (which is supposed to be more important !). If I have the choice to do what I really want regardless of anything, I will, definitely, put Engineering aside and go for a career in music. I know it is hard to secure a succesful musical career with a decent income, but It is what I want to do most.

My other option will be to move on in Engineering and go work for a big corporation after I graduate, with a good salary. This would be so normal for a guy like me and for most of my colleagues. I can do that easily, but inside myself, I won't be much satisfied with my life coz i will feel i can live happier with music.

But, There are many prospective problems. I am 20 years old now. And I know that in order to have any chance i must finish a B.Mus degree, which will take another 3-4 years after I graduate next year. Which means that I will be ready at 25 !! (Do you think that's too late ??) Add to this that the surronding atmosphere of people here see a big difference between the social prestige of an Engineer and a concert pianist, a conductor or a musician. The thought that music is not a sophisticated science and that it is just a skill learnt is dominating the minds of normal people out there. A serious misunderstanding !!

I know the possible career options in music are many (performing, accompanying, teaching,.....etc.). My utmost dream is to lead a succesful performing career. But, I know it is so hard and competitive. I don't wanna be another dorky accompanier who does nothing but be a tool for other instrumentalists and singers to play their music. Accompanying is a beautiful and fun thing to do but not for a full-time job. That's what I think. I always see accompaniers as doing so much work and in the end all the credit goes to the soloist who may even be playing a much easier part than the accompaniment.

About teaching, I really feel teaching is a pretty boring and so risky thing. You may do some excellent work with a student and in the end get nothing just because he/she is not much motivated or is not the right person or whatever. I have always felt sympathy for my teacher. She works a lot with many pupils who are not always repaying all her efforts with them. Teaching is totally dependent on whom you are teaching to. Plus for me, teaching is a pretty repetitive thing with little innovation and independence.

So, to conclude this long and boring post, I would like to know whether I had a chance to make a succesful musical career, and if so, what are the possible available opportunities for a guy like me ??

[jmao]

Definitely the answer you weren't expecting, sorry Just wanted to add that you and I have a lot in common. Except for the fact that I'm not 20... I'm much younger. I love music, I personally think it's the greatest pleasure in life. I'd love to study a career related to music in the future, but I'm not sure if that could offer a nice income. I definitely wouldn't like to be a piano teacher... Well if your interseted in hearing my poor personal opinion I think you should go on with Engineering and then look for the possibility to go on with music as well. If music cannot offer you a decent income you'll have the engineering degree. My teacher says that most of his pianist friends have other careers, one of them is a doctor and another one is an economist.
Oh anyway what would I know??  Just wanted to say that I don't know what to do either.

So I'll wait until someone that's capable and knows about the subject gives you a real answer.

[m1469]

It seems you are pretty much aware of your possibilities... If you have to fight for it, whatever it is going to be, it needs to be worth the fight (in your opinion).

Best regards,
m1469

[dorfmouse]

Which means that I will be ready at 25 !! (Do you think that's too late ??)

Come to Germany! By the time most people graduate here they're practically pensioners! (In kindergarten they're already growing beards!)

Totally unhelpful reply, sorry 

[barnowl]

Hell, I'd go for the musical career.

You want to be happy and fulfilled. You want to be immersed in music, and all that it implies.

Do it.

At 25 you're still very young.

[kghayesh]

Hell, I'd go for the musical career.

You want to be happy and fulfilled. You want to be immersed in music, and all that it implies.

Do it.

At 25 you're still very young.

I said if i want to be happy and fulfilled, I will definitely go for a music career, but will the music career pay me back on the long run ?? I am talking financially and socially.. Will it be worth or I'd better be conservative and move on with Engineering ?

[chadefa1]

I hate to be the mood killer, but choosing the piano at this stage seems too risky. Competition is so hard that the chance of becoming a concert pianist (at least an interesting one) is insanely low. In other words, there is a high probability that you'd end up accompanying, which doesn't seem to be what you like.
Now, if you are an engineer, there might be ways to go around it. Is there no way you could work in sound? You'd work with musicians at least. Or try research: it might just be that you like creativity and a PhD and a research career might give you a chance to explore that, while of course playing piano on the side (on the other hand, research doesnt leave much time for anything else...).

I don't mean to discourage you. The main problem, as I see it, is not at all that you'd end your studies at 25, but that your chance of standing out of the crowd of genius pianists is low. Now, you might be a true genius and that's a different story.

Sorry for the not so cheering post...

[stevehopwood]

You may well hate me for saying this, but everything in you post suggests you have not any concept of what is involved in being a professional pianist.

If you are not prepared to be a 'dorky accompanier' and feel that  'teaching is a pretty boring' then I suggest you stick to computer engineering - at least you will make a living.

The world is full of brilliant young soloists who started younger, had more opportunities and achieved more by the age of 10 than you can hope to achieve in a lifetime. Most of those will 'fail', in international terms.

Merely loving the piano is not enough. To enjoy an international career, a musician has to be fantastically gifted and fantastically lucky.

On t'other hand, if you are prepared to cobble together a living from playing solo, accompanying and teaching, then there are possiblilties. Guess how I know? 

If you go the Steve route, though, don't expect to make much money. You won't.

Steve 

[bench warmer]

In today's tecnological environment, your two interests may not be mutually exclusive.
There are "a helluva lot" of digital devices that produce, emulate, synthesize, mix, transform and lots of other things to wave functions we call music.  They all have processors that need to be designed & integrated into systems, they need firmware & software. You have a basis in both. Investigate the possibilites.

Here's another semi-random thought:  Music/piano makes a great avocation, the engineering has a higher probability of paying the bills. I'm not sure if the engineering would make a "fun" avocation.

Good luck on your choosing.

......And stevehopwood  above has valid thoughts to consider

[kghayesh]

Insert Quote
You may well hate me for saying this, but everything in you post suggests you have not any concept of what is involved in being a professional pianist.

If you are not prepared to be a 'dorky accompanier' and feel that  'teaching is a pretty boring' then I suggest you stick to computer engineering - at least you will make a living.

The world is full of brilliant young soloists who started younger, had more opportunities and achieved more by the age of 10 than you can hope to achieve in a lifetime. Most of those will 'fail', in international terms.

Merely loving the piano is not enough. To enjoy an international career, a musician has to be fantastically gifted and fantastically lucky.

On t'other hand, if you are prepared to cobble together a living from playing solo, accompanying and teaching, then there are possiblilties. Guess how I know? 

If you go the Steve route, though, don't expect to make much money. You won't.

Steve

Thanks for this cheerful, yet insightful post 

I just want to ask another question. What do you think of a musician's social prestige among other people ??
For example, imagine this situation, you are in a social gathering somewhere and you meet a bunch of new people. You are sitting with a lawyer, a doctor, a footballer, an engineer, a pop singer, a scientist and a businessman. How would you feel yourself compared to those people belonging to different classes of the society ? Would you feel inferior to them, same as them or of a higher class ?

And I am not asking that because I want to be in a higher class or something. It is just because someone told me before that musicians belong to a lower social class in the society. They are not like Engineers or Doctors or college professors who work in critical jobs, They are just a tool for entertainment. I don't know but back at this time, I didn't know how to reply. So who can i ask better than a combo pianist-teacher-accompanist with 30 years of experience  ??

No offence made of course!!

[musik_man]

Do you really want music to turn into a job?  At least for me, that would be frightening(luckily I suck enough to where it's not even an option.)  Stick with Engineering.  Then you can afford a nice grand that'll make all those music majors drool.   And a job with reasonable enough hours that you can play it.

[lagin]

Performing as a career is risking for anybody, but teaching on the other hand has many opportunities even out of your own home.  Why not do your career that you've started on already while, at the same time, pursuing music to the point that you can teach on the side.  Then see if it leads into full time?

[teresa_b]

I have some experience in your dilemma.  I always loved music, and could have majored in piano performance, but by age 20 I knew I was not good enough, and not a "natural" performer anyway.  I chose Medicine, and I have not regretted the choice, although there are plenty of drawbacks to it--there is no professional field without boring moments or extremely difficult challenges. 

I say, go for the Engineering degree-you're so close anyway!  Meanwhile, don't stop working on piano on the side, even if it's not intensive.  Get involved in a chamber group if you can, or play concerts in church or other places like that.

I am involved in my local chamber orchestra, and have played 4 concertos with them, and a couple of Trios--Beethoven and Mozart.   I also know a guy here who is an engineer and puts on his own solo piano/chamber concerts every year as fundraisers, and his concerts are well-attended!

As for the social thing, no one will respect you any more or less whether you're an engineer, doctor, lawyer or musician--I think if you strive for excellence whatever you are doing, that's what gains you respect.

Have fun and good luck!
Teresa

[princess_moose]

There is nothing wrong with accompanying at all. I find it really rewarding to think that I'm playing with a soloist who has worked really hard etc. No I haven't accompanied concert musicians, because I'm nowhere near good enough, but I get such a buzz out of just accompanying younger kids in concerts or exams. I get the same rewards out of teaching. I love it. How is teaching repetitive? If you have lots of students, all of whom learn differently and learn different repertoire and have different aims then you can get a great deal of variety into your teaching.

However I'm not sure you should go into music as a career if you turn your nose up at so many things. Keep it as a hobby and just enjoy playing for fun.

[tompilk]

im the same...there are too many people in competition... like 1 in a million chance even if you could play all the stuff they play for concerts... there must be thousands of pianists in just england better than me when they were my age!!!
Tom

[tds]

You may well hate me for saying this, but everything in you post suggests you have not any concept of what is involved in being a professional pianist.

If you are not prepared to be a 'dorky accompanier' and feel that  'teaching is a pretty boring' then I suggest you stick to computer engineering - at least you will make a living.

The world is full of brilliant young soloists who started younger, had more opportunities and achieved more by the age of 10 than you can hope to achieve in a lifetime. Most of those will 'fail', in international terms.

Merely loving the piano is not enough. To enjoy an international career, a musician has to be fantastically gifted and fantastically lucky.

On t'other hand, if you are prepared to cobble together a living from playing solo, accompanying and teaching, then there are possiblilties. Guess how I know? 

If you go the Steve route, though, don't expect to make much money. You won't.

Steve 

steve, i visited your website and happened to see your fee. honestly i was rather surprised how little you charge for both full recital and midday one. is that common in england for professionals of your level?

bottom line, i wish to see more deserving income/respect for pianists in general. i mean to think of such tremendous devotion to music, countless hours since childhood, oven rigorous self-slavery-we all deserve better, eh? aint pretty, aint pretty.

ps. i am listening to your mozart. charming! i have a hard time trying to get the right style for my mozart pc k. 414. practiced 6 hours on it alone today, completely neglecting my other 3 1/2 hour repertoire. its gotten better by the end tho.

*listens to your 2nd mov* hmm i like it much!

[stevehopwood]

steve, i visited your website and happened to see your fee. honestly i was rather surprised how little you charge for both full recital and midday one. is that common in england for professionals of your level?

bottom line, i wish to see more deserving income/respect for pianists in general. i mean to think of such tremendous devotion to music, countless hours since childhood, oven rigorous self-slavery-we all deserve better, eh? aint pretty, aint pretty.

ps. i am listening to your mozart. charming! i have a hard time trying to get the right style for my mozart pc k. 414. practiced 6 hours on it alone today, completely neglecting my other 3 1/2 hour repertoire. its gotten better by the end tho.

*listens to your 2nd mov* hmm i like it much!

Thanks ever such a lot for your kind comments, tds. I really appreciate them.

I am a teacher who plays, rather than the other way around and do far less playing nowadays than in the 1980's and 90's. In the UK, there are hundreds of small music clubs\societies that book artists such as myself. They are able to pay little but provide the backbone of a career for a young performer just starting out.

There is a 'critical point' at which a soloists starts to be able to charge higher fees and can expect more quality bookings at more prestigious venues. Reaching and passing this point requires UK pianists who do not become international stars to spend at least a decade 'hanging on in there'. They have to promote themselves tirelessly during this decade in order to ensure the bookings keep on coming in. Stop self-promoting and the concerts stop.

I never passed this 'critical point'. In truth, I never wanted to. I hate travel and do not really like playing concertos, despite some of the stupidly difficult ones I have performed live. Performing for me has always been a huge source of both pleasure and musical development. My playing informs my teaching and always has done, and is the reason I can teach absolutely anyone.

Rarely a week goes by without me playing something live, somewhere, even if that is only accompanying an exam. Next week, for example, I have some exams and a mid-day concert with a young cellist playing, amongst other items, Beethoven's G minor cello sonata.

None of this leads to a busy solo performing career. The purpose of my website is really to attract pupils rather than performances. All the performance stuff is to establish that I actually have something to teach, especially to advanced players. It does also lead to performing engagements sometimes, but the London Symphony don't tend to look at it when looking for soloists 

Steve 

[kghayesh]

I have another silly question.

Is a B.Mus an absolute must for anyone who wants a career in music ??

My intuition tells me that music is an art and it is not something like Math that must be studied thoroughly in order to excel in it. I think talent, consistency and a good teacher can be enough to develop an advanced musical taste, experience and interpretation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Nakamatsu
Check out Jon Nakamatsu, the 10th Van Cliburn winner. He didn't study music at college  and only studied privately with one teacher until he won the U.S National Chopin competition and the prestigious Van Cliburn.

[stevehopwood]

I have another silly question.

Is a B.Mus an absolute must for anyone who wants a career in music ??

Not a silly question, and the answer is 'no'. It is perfectly possible to fulfil a musical career with no qualifications whatever.

It is rare, though. Qualifications usually come out of training, and we can do nothing without that.

The rarities are usually those so fantastically brilliant that they do not need qualifications.

Not me, sadly.

Hey ho

Steve 

[bflatminor24]

Steve has some good points, as do the others in this forum. I am in a similar situation.

I am turning 19 on July 10th, and my career aspiration is to become a corporate/international trade litigation attorney. This entails four years of college (Johns Hopkins University), three years of law school, five years of working in a patent law firm and then two years of business school before attaining this career. However my passion is for music as well.

I'll cut right to the chase: Steve is right, and you should stick to engineering. It will give you the balance and stability and a comfortable lifestyle that people need. However, never give up music. You should still practice and perform for your peers. I plan on doing the same. I want to be a practicing attorney who also gives local recitals, playing my favorite pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Alkan, and Godowsky. You can do the same.

Stick with the JOB that gives you a comfortable lifestyle and a consistently respectable position and salary, while pursuing your passion for music. Besides, don't turn a beautiful passion into a perfunctory career of tagging along with orchestras, accompanying, and performing works you don't enjoy (such as new contemporary music you will be commissioned for). Keep music your passionate hobby, play what you enjoy, at your leisure. Keep the engineering job for what it does best: pay the bills, and give you a 9-to-5. Hope this helps!

-Max Hammer

[stevehopwood]

Max makes some great points here.

The most passionate musicians I know are 'amateurs', i.e. they do not earn their living from music. Their approach is anything but 'amateurish'.

I love playing with students so much because they have not been ground down by the need to earn a living from their playing.

Steve 

[bflatminor24]

Steve,

Good points! I also took the liberty of browsing your site, and listening to your recordings. Very impressive, if I do say so myself. I study with Dr. Nicholas Isaacs, who also studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London (if this is indeed the same school) and who now teaches at the Community School of Music and Arts. Quite a wonderful teacher and person.

I have one question you may be able to answer from a teacher's perspective.

I just performed my five-piece repertoire in concert, which went VERY well. I have to perform August 10th with my friend, and I'm looking for an etude encore to learn. Here is my performance repertoire:

June Concert
Beethoven - Appassionata
Rachmaninoff - Prelude Op. 3/2 in C sharp minor
Rachmaninoff - Moment Musicaux Op. 16/4 in E minor
Liszt - Un Sospiro
Liszt - La Campanella

August Concert
Bach - WTC Book I C sharp major
Chopin - Op. 51 Impromptu in G flat major
Rachmaninoff - Prelude Op. 23/5 in G minor
Rachmaninoff - Prelude Op. 23/2 in B flat major

I have all of these pieces learned, but I have a month and a half to learn no new material! What etude should I learn?

I have been teaching myself Chopin 25/5 in E minor and 25/6 in G sharp minor (thirds), but perhaps you have another suggestion for a nice etude encore :-D

-Max

[canardroti]

[quote author=kghayesh link=topic=18778.msg202616#msg202616

I just want to ask another question. What do you think of a musician's social prestige among other people ??
For example, imagine this situation, you are in a social gathering somewhere and you meet a bunch of new people. You are sitting with a lawyer, a doctor, a footballer, an engineer, a pop singer, a scientist and a businessman. How would you feel yourself compared to those people belonging to different classes of the society ? Would you feel inferior to them, same as them or of a higher class ?


I've been in similar situations. being in a social event where your'e surrounded with people who have studied or are studying medecine, laws, engineering , finances. Whatever class those people are in , they always admire MUSICIANS.  I'm sure that anyone one this Earth admires or highly respects any type of Artist. Majority of the population see art as something you're either born with or without it.  The truth that it takes an insanely amount of work ,discipline and dedication and much less talent.
In my experience, I've never felt inferior nor superior. I just felt like I've made the right choice.

I think you should just finish your engineering degree and work on the music one on the side.
hope that helps, cheers.

[kghayesh]

I read on the websites of many Music colleges that in order to apply for a postgraduate degree, u must have completed a Bachelor degree, which does not necessarily have to be in music.

So, If I apply after I finish my B.S.c degree in Computer Engineering, will it be acceptable, although this is something so far from music ?

Candidates who apply to MBA (Master of Business Administration) can come from any undergraduate education background (law, business, medicine, engineering, music,.....etc.) Does the same apply to music ? (If so It will be such a wonderful thing I reckon)

[princess_moose]

To do a postgraduate study in Music, one would assume that you can prove that musically you are that level. I can't see how you can suddenly go from an undergraduate computer engineering degree to a post graduate music one.

[m1469]

I read on the websites of many Music colleges that in order to apply for a postgraduate degree, u must have completed a Bachelor degree, which does not necessarily have to be in music.

So, If I apply after I finish my B.S.c degree in Computer Engineering, will it be acceptable, although this is something so far from music ?

Candidates who apply to MBA (Master of Business Administration) can come from any undergraduate education background (law, business, medicine, engineering, music,.....etc.) Does the same apply to music ? (If so It will be such a wonderful thing I reckon)

Yes, this is just fine.  All they care about (at least as far as degrees go) is that you have "AN" undergraduate degree in something (anything).  But this is also true :

To do a postgraduate study in Music, one would assume that you can prove that musically you are that level. I can't see how you can suddenly go from an undergraduate computer engineering degree to a post graduate music one.

And while it's true, just because s/he is getting an undergratduate degree in computer engineering doesn't mean that s/he is not capable of demonstrating a graduate degree capability/potential in music.  Basically, if s/he auditions well and does well on the exams, that's it (as long as the school accepts you).   And there is really nothing "sudden" about it.  No matter what, diligent study and hard work must go into one's preparation, and holding an actual undergraduate degree in music does not automatically place you as a more qualified/prepared candadite for graduate school.  There are still the auditions and tests.

With that being said, each school has it's individual standards and requirements.  If you would seriously like to go to graduate school, think about the specific teachers you would like to study with, what school they are at, and then get into touch with them directly.

Best wishes,
m1469

[kghayesh]

Thanks m1469. I always liked your posts. 

[stevehopwood]

I read on the websites of many Music colleges that in order to apply for a postgraduate degree, u must have completed a Bachelor degree, which does not necessarily have to be in music.

True, but unrealistic. It does happen, but not often.

It is possible to do a postgrad at music college without doing a music degree first, but you would have to be a fantastically brilliant player.

Steve 

[bartolomeo_]

I dunno.  I have a day job involving computers and play on nights and weekends.  It's not a bad arrangement, the money is good and steady and I can play what I want.

[b.piano]

well.. I have a quistion too . the same quistion maybe.

I'm fourteen years old, started to read notes and play keybord when I was 6.

I alwayse loved Piano. but I didnt have one coz it is expensive  in Syria where I was living.
 
and I never had a Piano teacher, my father, which is an excellant guitarist, coudn't teach much about piano. so. to become a pianist .it was like a far dream.
then we moved to Kurdistan, & I never stopped to play keybord, although I felt like it was meaningless to play without a good teacher.. I didnt go far in playing keybord coz I had no teacher.

but now. hre in Kurdistan I'm about to buy a Piano. & next year I'm going to (not sure how to spell it) Conservatware (wrong spell I guess) sometimes I feel like I have no chance to become a world class pianist.. & some times I feel like I'll become one. I can't imagine living without music & piano.. I find myself when I play piano..

so. what do you think?? should I study music?? I'll move on in music anyway>> but when I study music it'll become what I do for the rest of my life which is what Iwant...

thank you.

bye. 

[kghayesh]

You seem so passionate about it. If you go there, you will really enjoy your life there, so why take life the hard way  ??

I don't know exactly what's your level, but I think you are the one to say whether you can make it or not. Maybe when you go to the "Conservatoire" (that's the right spelling), you'll get to meet other pianists and know their level, so u know how do u compare to them.

BTW, It is great to meet a person from Syria. I am from Egypt, near you. I hope you have a better musical life than ours, which is pathetic !

[elias89]

It's never too lait!!!

[b.piano]

Dear kghayesh ,elias89:
thank you guys so much for your support. that's what I need sometimes..


kghayesh, you are from Egypt??
I've been there before.. 9 years ago. when I was 5 years old!!
thank you for the right spell .
so you can speak arabic?? thank god coz sometimes I dont understand everything.. so maybe I can ask you???

see you

[bflatminor24]

As I always say, expect the worst and anything else is a blessing. That way you're never entirely disappointed.

The musician's life is a hard one, so don't expect to play music you like, travel to cities you enjoy, or make a substantial income. Be prepared to be out of work for months, traveling to the armpit of the country, playing music that sounds like camel vomit, and being paid a fast-food salary.

Unless of course, you are the next Arrau or Richter or Hamelin and you are that incredible that nobody can comprehend your ass-kickery and they pay you $40,000 for a performance that took you 5 days to prepare for.

Or not.

~Max~

[b.piano]

Hi again.

dear Max:

1st thank you for what you said.

the way to became a good pianist is such a hard way.

it wont be easy at all.

but now I believe in myself.. I believe that I can become a good pianist. thats my dream in my life. that's what I alwayse wanted to do.

and i'll do it, no matter what people say, coz here in Kurdistan, if you say I wanna become a pianist.. people will say ( are you crazy ? )

this is how it goes for music here,

I find no suppor from people around me. my family only supports me.

so to become a pianist.. is a hard challenge here more hard then UK where you live I guess.

but I'm ready to do it

& I'll do it

& make people see how wrong they are when they say being a pianist is a bad thing.

thanks again.

[lostinidlewonder]

I studied engineering at university for years then decided (after a lot of struggle, because I did like engineering a great deal too) to do music as a career.

Tell you what, both careers will be tough and difficult, if you choose engineering you have to be prepared to live with the fact that your musical potential will NEVER realise its maximum as it would if you where to devote your life to your muisc. If this fact is unbearable for you then you must do music, if you can live with it then you must do engineering.

If you choose music then you shouldn't expect money to be a big part of your life. If you have desires to earn a living off performance then you should really try to put yourself under pressure music learning wise. You should force yourself to memorise and master faster and faster all the music you get your hands on. Most people have some fantasy that becoming a musician is easy and its just like learning music at the rate you did when you learnt as a youngster with your teacher. It isn't, in fact choosing music as a career demands a huge amount of organisation and self disipline if you want to achieve anything and really music condemns you to a hermits life in front of your instrument.

Choosing music as a career should have nothing to do with money, society or anything else. You choose to do music for your entire life because you have no choice, you are drawn to it, or you must use it to live! I have met many musicians who do it only to live, because otherwise they would be unemployed and on welfare. I think this must be a requirement for most musicians, the music within us distracts us so much that in a job outside of music we will never be fully focused.

If this doesn't sound like you then you shouldn't push aside your engineering. All musicians who devote their life to music as their sole occupation do it because if they didn't they would not be living life. Music is life for a musician, they cannot be seperated from the relationship.

If you are uninterested in teaching music (something 99% of musicians end up doing) then you are simply putting yourself on the MOST risky of all musical occupations. To be only a performer and earn your sole income from concerting is very risky and is destined to fail more often than not early on in your career. The longer you hang in there, the more you build your name, the easier it becomes, but you should expect 20+ years of trying to build your name before it become easy!

Being a performer is a business, it no longer has anything to do with how well you can play pieces, or how much you have practiced. It has everything to do with selling seats and trying to encourage people to return the second time round. The golden secret is to give your audience something they didn't know they needed, do that and you are on your way to a successful performance career.

Businesss is tough and ruthless, trying to sell your concerts is going to be very demoralising if you don't work your ass off. The reality is, YOU must sell practically 90% of the tickets to your first few concerts. If you put posters and talk on radio or get in newspaper articles, this scatter gun approach will only hope to sell you a few tickets here and there, nothing which would really pack the concert hall. So how you go about doing this is all up to you, and this is where most people fail, not because they can't play the piano, but because they have no idea how to market themselves. DO NOT GET A MANAGER TO DO THIS, you must be able to do it all yourself before you even imagine to have a manager. If you do not know the ins and outs of your own business then you are setting yourself up for disaster if you totally rely on someone to do it for you! Learn how to sell seats to your concert, it is very exciting!

I remember giving preview concerts before my first solo recital at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre at a local Yoga club. This club had about 100 members to which I played relaxation, medatation music for them on the concert Yamaha upright they had in there. At the end of the session I sold there and then 40 odd tickets. Now I also went to retirement villiages, local schools, churches, univeristies and other social clubs. It is all about networking, getting to know the community that you are playing your concerts in. This is how you must do it if you are starting out, the community must get to know you, this can be hard in a big city, but in smaller communities this is a breeze.

I personally find selling tickets to concerts in a town with population of 1000 much easier than a city of millions. Simply bceause you can network yourself easier with less people! Up in far north West Australia they rarely have concerts of any type so if someone turns up willing to entertain the whole town flocks together!

A musicians path is not linear. You might see people making names for themselves with big international concerts, or graduate from famous schools with famous teachers. This is not the only way to go, this is A way, but a musicans life is not this one dimensional. You do not even have to have an international career if it doesnt interest you! You dont even have to perform. You could play piano for yourself for the rest of your life and that would be a musicians life, selfish albeit.

[kghayesh]

Thanks lostinidlewonder !!!!
What a wonderful and interesting post.