This is a big topic among musicians. Having a career in music is what many musicians would love to do. It’s just like being paid for something that you would probably do for free because you love it so much.

Many musicians feel they can’t do it because they don’t believe that they will make enough money to be sustained or they believe that they can do it but just don’t know how to do it.

I have been a professional musician for sometime now and I know that it is possible. First thing is you have to believe and know that it is possible for you to live very comfortably as a professional musician. By professional I mean music is how you make your income, not that you are musically perfect. (All things are possible to them that believe) 

Second thing you have to ask yourself (and be honest) is music something I really believe I am destined to do.

My personal conviction is that when you do the thing or things that God has gifted and destined you to do, then you will be the most successful in that than in any other thing.

So identify what your true gift or gifts are and develop them and really go after excellence in the area of your God given talents and gifts.

The problem is people see other people operating in their God given gift and see the success that they are having and try to copy them based on what they see. This is ok if your gift is in the same area as the person you are watching. You actually could learn from them if your gifts are in the same area. You don’t want to make the mistake of pursuing something that you really are not gifted to do.

For example when I was in Jr. High School I use to want to play pro ball because that is what all my friends wanted to do. I joined the team and just so you can know I AM NOT A GIFTED ATHLETE.

I remember playing in a game and I did so bad that the WHOLE GYM laughed at me! And after enough times of me embarassing myself I figured out that pro ball was not my calling. LOL. I decided to focus on what I was good at. I was good at music and I was gifted in music.

I also remember being asked by a teacher to play saxophone in a school program. I did it and when I got through the WHOLE GYM gave me a standing ovation.

Isn’t it interesting that the same people that laughed at me when I was doing what I was not gifted at were the same people that gave me a standing ovation when I was doing what I was gifted at. Your success is in doing what God has gifted you to do.

Let me clear this up. People sometimes don’t know what I mean when I use the term gift. From my understanding a gift is a God given talent, ability, know how, an edge, and anything that comes easier for you than most people.

This is the misconception. Just because you are gifted in a particular area does not mean you don’t have to work hard in that area.

Because you are gifted in something means you really should work harder at it.

Some of the most talented and gifted people I know are also some of the laziest people I know.

This is because they have only relied on their gift alone and have not mixed hard work with it.

It is like the story of the tortose and the hare. The hare was naturally much faster (gifted) but he was lazy and he believed his speed gave him a license to be lazy and he would still when the race. On the other hand the tortose wasn’t as fast so he had to really on the principle of hard work to get things accomplished.

We all know that the tortose won the race and the hare lost.  And the tortose won because he worked hard, did not give up, and kept pressing on until he finished the race. He Won.

That’s what we want to do. We want to WIN! And you can win if you do what God has gifted you to do and work HARD at it.

Be the best you possibly can be. You will reap the benefits from your hard work.

“Be not deceived for God is not mocked for whatsover a man soweth that shall he also reap.”

 

Getting to the point of thinking like this is really just half of it. The other half of it is the business part of it.

You have to look at it in terms of “Supply and Demand”. In other words what do I have, what can I do, and what do I know that other people want or need. This is your product.

Identify your supply and ask yourself is there a demand for it.

Do people want and need what I have to offer?

If the answer is yes then you need to figure out how to get it out to people.

Sit down and make a business plan.

Ask yourself:

1. what is my product

2. who will want to buy or pay for my product

3. how will I let people know about my product

4. how much will my poduct be sold for

5. how will I distribute my product to people.

I am using the word product loosely. Your product could be a service that you offer or something that you actually do your self or even a tangible thing that you sell.

 I learned this from piano master George Duke. You want to create as many streams of aggresive and passive income as possible. Meaning you want money flowing in to you from more than just one place.

Aggresive income is income you make from you physically doing something. (example) I played keyboard for a wedding reception and made $200 dollars. This is agressive income.

Passive income is income you make from not physically doing something. (example) You recorded a CD of music and people buy it over the internet. In other words you have done the work and now you are making income from something you have already done.

In a sense you are not having to use physical energy to make the income other than make the CD available to people. This is an example of passive income.

Examples of Aggressive Income for a musician:

Playing for a Band, Touring, Producing A recording project, Teaching Music Lessons, Playing for a church, music engineering just to name a few.

 

Examples of Passive Income For A Musician:

CD’s, DVD’s, Books, Digital Downloads, and videos just to name a few.

 

You have to set up a system to where you can be paid for your passive income products. The internet has made creating passive income much easier.

You also have to set up a system in which people know about your aggressive income products as well.

So in conclusion there are many ways a musician can have a solid career in music. You have to have a product that people want whether it is you playing the organ or having a CD that people want.

People only want to pay for quality. Your product has to be a quality product.

You have to set up a system for people to know about your product and a system where they can pay for your product.

Lastly, make sure you are doing the things that you are gifted to do and mix hard work with it.

(send me a shout and let me know if this helped anyone) 

Be Blessed,

Kenny Hollins