The first thing all aspiring musicians should know before pursuing this career path is, it is not easy.

To persevere through all the challenges, it takes a true love of the art and a keen mind to always remember why you wanted this in the first place. There are days you will hate it and days that will make you realize you would never dream of doing anything else.

The most important thing to remember is that practicing and performing

should be enjoyable the majority of the time, so do not let the laboriousness take away from the joy.

Below is a list of just a few of the major challenges musicians have to overcome as well as what you should know before committing to this life;

Professionals Still Have to Practice… All The Time.

Once you get famous, or land a sweet gig, the hard part has only just begun. It is still essential to practice almost daily and improve every aspect of your performance.

The music industry is pretty cut throat, so by doing this you will continuously prove that you deserve the opportunity you have been given.

Don’t let another hard working musician steal your spotlight because you got lazy once you thought you “made it.”

It Requires Professionalism 

Not everyone in the music industry will give you the consideration you deserve, but a good rule of thumb to follow is to “kill them with kindness.”

No matter how uncouth an upper level executive, producer, or other artist may have been towards you, never let your reaction result in the creation of a bad reputation for yourself.

Despite how it seems, the music industry is actually a small world, and it is essential to build strong connections and relationships with everyone, no matter how hard it may seem.

You never know who you could encounter again and who could turn out to help you and your music career in the future.

Know Difficult, but Essential Skills

If we took a vote, I bet many musicians would agree that sight reading music is one of their least favorite things.

However, this is an essential skill and can potential get you ahead of other musicians who lack in that particular area.

For example, many of the best guitarists do not have the first clue when it comes to sight reading. They are phenomenal artists, but this rules them out when it comes to gigs that require sight reading.

Treat Your Body Like a Temple

When you don’t take care of yourself, your performance will also begin to lag. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, eating right, and staying healthy, the life style of a busy musician will begin to take its toll.

One of the most important lessons you must learn is to take care of yourself first and as a result, your music and creativity will benefit.

Young and inexperienced musicians often suffer from overuse injuries. They often damage their physical well being when playing or practicing for extended amounts of time without stopping. Therefore, it is extremely important to be vigilant of your body’s needs in addition to the care of your instrument.  

Mind Your Own Business

The number one thing to remember is to never get discouraged or let other people’s success or failure influence your success.

Always remember that you there will be people out there who are better than you, and many many more who are worse. Turn your competitive energy into practice, hard work, collaborations and learning experiences. 

Never get swept up in competition, but rather, focus your energy on bettering yourself.

Stable Working Hours? Forget About It

Many musicians do not keep a regular working schedule, so be prepared for uncertainty, stress, and very unstable working hours.

Most musicians claim that the the biggest difficulty in the industry is the insecure work life of the freelance musician. 

You often have to be available and ready to perform at any time if a job calls, and even the lucky musicians who are contracted to perform have to deal with grueling tour and travel schedules, leaving little time for a social life or relaxation.

Work Hard and Reap Little Reward

Most musicians have to except the fact they will be living modestly at first, and maybe even for a while.

Some musicians will never have a stable income to depend on, while others get lucky and will never have to worry about money again.

Despite the fact that it may take years before you have a large enough income to not be stressed financially, this should not cause anxiety or discourage you from following your dreams.

As long as you live within your means and create some form of a stable cash flow, you should be able to cover your necessary expenses.

This could mean teaching music lessons on the side or getting a flexible part time job just to pay the bills.

Always Be Hustling

Most musicians already know that it takes an outgoing and creative personality to figure out how to get their music heard by the right people, and generate a healthy income with new gigs every week.

One of the easiest things a new musician can do is to find multiple streams of income. This can provide a lot of work, new performance opportunities, and great networking potential. 

If you are interested in becoming a successful professional musician, The Atlanta Institute of Music and Media can get you on the fast track!

Our music school graduates have worked along side some of the most successful artists of today. Do not wait to begin your new and exciting career path as a professional musician, call today or click on the button below for more information! 

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