Future Of A Guitarist???
It also depends on what you're willing to do to make it. Are you going to try to make it playing music that you know is good? Or are you willing to play the crappy music that's popular today to make it? If you choose the second route, you'll have a better chance, but you have to live with the guilt lol
# 1
Originally Posted by: bbzswa777It also depends on what you're willing to do to make it. Are you going to try to make it playing music that you know is good? Or are you willing to play the crappy music that's popular today to make it? If you choose the second route, you'll have a better chance, but you have to live with the guilt lol
Agreed....what are we willing to do for it??
# 2
Sounds like the difference between pursuing your art/dream vs. playing for a living/job.
Very few of us get to have a 'good job' doing things we truly love. It's my perception this is especially true for musicians. At least the bio's of Miller, Holly and scads of others seem to suggest such.
Some play for a living during the day and play for love at night...
Very few of us get to have a 'good job' doing things we truly love. It's my perception this is especially true for musicians. At least the bio's of Miller, Holly and scads of others seem to suggest such.
Some play for a living during the day and play for love at night...
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
-- Chet Atkins
# 3
I am never giving up I am a great guitarist and I want to make it I want my main job to be a guitar player is it still possible
# 4
Is it possible? It is if you want it bad enough to MAKE it happen. Assuming someone has the skill (honest evaluation from your critics who you actually listen to and here what they say), it is possible.
But EVERYTHING difficult to attain is difficult for a reason. A little luck (knowing the right people) or getting to know the right people helps, but most if not all of making it in anything is having the skill and then busting your hump. If you are willing to pursue it, when you don't think you can go another step, then you are heading in the right direction. No guarantees, but the saying "Nothing improves your luck as much as hard work" applies. You know the garbage some big time artist put out and you know profoundly talented people who aren't known. Usually the former pushed themselves into their position with tenacious endurance and the later waited/hoped to "get discovered". Getting discovered is rare.
Now imagine you have a widget that is the best widget you have ever seen. Pretend your music business is the widget and now promote "it" like the widget. It requires marketing and getting in front of the right people and never, never, ever, stop.
Look at President Lincoln's resume for some inspiration on never giving up.
Now look back at some of the prior post for specifics you should do; but unless you are astoundingly good and have the determination and patience to work very hard for years you should reconsider this path.
I am not a professional musician, but I am very successful at what I put my passion into and the same principles apply. I was told I couldn't make it, but I knew I had the skills so I would not take no for an answer. I had no choice but to succeed and so I pursued it as if my very life depended on it. That is what it takes. I kept going and I still work circles around my competition 30 years later.
Go for it full tilt or go home. There is no middle ground or easy path. Good "luck" :)
But EVERYTHING difficult to attain is difficult for a reason. A little luck (knowing the right people) or getting to know the right people helps, but most if not all of making it in anything is having the skill and then busting your hump. If you are willing to pursue it, when you don't think you can go another step, then you are heading in the right direction. No guarantees, but the saying "Nothing improves your luck as much as hard work" applies. You know the garbage some big time artist put out and you know profoundly talented people who aren't known. Usually the former pushed themselves into their position with tenacious endurance and the later waited/hoped to "get discovered". Getting discovered is rare.
Now imagine you have a widget that is the best widget you have ever seen. Pretend your music business is the widget and now promote "it" like the widget. It requires marketing and getting in front of the right people and never, never, ever, stop.
Look at President Lincoln's resume for some inspiration on never giving up.
Now look back at some of the prior post for specifics you should do; but unless you are astoundingly good and have the determination and patience to work very hard for years you should reconsider this path.
I am not a professional musician, but I am very successful at what I put my passion into and the same principles apply. I was told I couldn't make it, but I knew I had the skills so I would not take no for an answer. I had no choice but to succeed and so I pursued it as if my very life depended on it. That is what it takes. I kept going and I still work circles around my competition 30 years later.
Go for it full tilt or go home. There is no middle ground or easy path. Good "luck" :)
# 5
The original post (a year-and-a-half ago!) specifically addressed 'record deals'. Subsequent posts spoke to indie labels, issuing one's own CD, etc. Since then there's been some interesting comments and advice but it's all been light on one facet, IMO; the changed and still changing music business.
I've never been much of a fan of the record companies and their history of rip-off contracts, fixed prices and stunts like charging more for CD's which were/are cheaper to produce than the records they replaced. But the karma that paid back those actions has been a bit extreme...CD sales have taken a big drop and continue to drop (it can't all be blamed on weak songs and weak singers and auto-tune ;) )
Study up on what some musicians are saying about streaming music, most recently Taylor Swift ( http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/11/taylor-swift-squares-off-with-spotify-catalog-remains-on-rdio-pandora/ ). The very last sentence of that article; "...Pandora...pays on the order of 0.009 cents per stream of a song." :eek:
I've never been much of a fan of the record companies and their history of rip-off contracts, fixed prices and stunts like charging more for CD's which were/are cheaper to produce than the records they replaced. But the karma that paid back those actions has been a bit extreme...CD sales have taken a big drop and continue to drop (it can't all be blamed on weak songs and weak singers and auto-tune ;) )
Study up on what some musicians are saying about streaming music, most recently Taylor Swift ( http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/11/taylor-swift-squares-off-with-spotify-catalog-remains-on-rdio-pandora/ ). The very last sentence of that article; "...Pandora...pays on the order of 0.009 cents per stream of a song." :eek:
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
-- Chet Atkins
# 6
Replying to my own post above... :rolleyes:
This is a really interesting post from the Spotify CEO about the issue of streaming music and specifically addresses the payments structure/revenue stream. https://news.spotify.com/se/2014/11/11/2-billion-and-counting/
The "Future Of A Guitarist" is still not visible...the music industry is still in flux.
This is a really interesting post from the Spotify CEO about the issue of streaming music and specifically addresses the payments structure/revenue stream. https://news.spotify.com/se/2014/11/11/2-billion-and-counting/
The "Future Of A Guitarist" is still not visible...the music industry is still in flux.
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
-- Chet Atkins
# 7
Well, I believe that luck has very little to do with the success. If you aren't focused and working very diligently toward a goal it will not materialize. Technology will always change the landscape of commerce in all walks of life. The music business is no different. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. One thing is certain, music isn't going anywhere. We will always need our music. Musicians will always be the people who find a way to meld expressive gifts to the craft of putting vibrations together. In a hundred years, who knows what the guitar or any instrument popular today will look like. We will always stop and listen to gifted purveyors of sound expressing themselves through song. We musicians of today come from a noble lineage of performing and composing good music for people's souls. The traveling minstrels and the improvising musicians who played in old leaky churches in Europe 2 or 3 centuries ago. Just think of all the great music that will never be heard. Now just think of all the music that is recorded daily all around the world. Most of that will never be heard by all of us. But all of it will be heard by some of us! Now how do we target the people who resonate with our particular brand of vibration and allow them to enjoy and compensate us in some way so we can continue to make this art. The middleman is the problem as he has set himself as the gatekeeper. Things like Kickstarter have taken the keys away. The future will force artists to do what we are supposed to do, be creative.
# 8
