How to Get Started In The Music Industry

I have always thought that one of the most important things you can do in order to have a successful career in the music industry is not to box yourself in.  You may not end up doing exactly what you originally set out to do, but any job in the industry opens doors to others.  Making the best out of every experience is essential to your success in the long run.  On that note, it can be difficult to break into an industry like music that is typically very tight-knit and fast-paced.  Here’s some suggestions on how to get started and how to make it work.

Most people will suggest that internships are the best way to get experience.  I agree to a certain extent, but I think they have their place and time.  Taking an internship in a new field is definitely expected, so don’t be fooled into thinking you can avoid that step.  I have had many an internship (some more enjoyable than others), and they are exactly what they sound like.  You are there to do anything and everything that needs to be done, and you will like it, damnit.  The key to not getting stuck as an eternal intern is to show your interest in doing and learning more.   Do everything quickly; ask questions; and take the initiative to do things without being told.  Employers don’t want to hire someone that needs to be walked through the job on a daily basis.  If you show your eagerness to do even the most mundane tasks, you will be taken seriously and your work ethic appreciated.

At this point, I do have to say that I think the music industry has gotten away with this “unpaid internship” business for way too long and way too often.  Less specialized fields pay their interns as a matter of principle, but for some reason the music industry seems to get away with making people work 40-hour weeks without paying them under the guise of it being a “learning experience.”  Again, this has its place, but don’t be fooled into thinking an internship is going to open that “magical door” that will make your career.  Yes, occasionally (VERY occasionally) some people get that lucky, but I wouldn’t bet on it.  You have to take pride in the work you do and the abilities you have, and working for free isn’t exactly a great way to say “Hey, I’m worth something!”  My personal feeling is that anyone with a degree in music business or a more specialized track of the music industry should not be taking unpaid internships.  Period.  Having a degree in this field already puts you a few steps ahead of most other people, and any company that can’t recognize that is not a company that you need to fool around with.  It’s important to work with people who understand your dedication to the field and aren’t just looking to fill an empty desk.  It’s okay to demand pay that is equivalent to your experience and skill set.  Internships are what you do when you don’t have any work experience in the field.  If you’ve already had 5 internships, you have work experience!  Don’t get trapped in the “experience” game.  Some people spend years and years getting so much experience that they could run their own companies, and they never get paid a dime just because someone has convinced them that it’s the only way to do things.  It’s not!

I think the most personal advice I can give to anyone is not to be scared.  The music industry is very much a reputation game, and it has everything to do with the people you know and connections you make.  Me being a fairly introverted person (on most occassions), it sometimes takes a little extra effort to make sure you are noticed.  This is probably the most difficult thing about the industry to get used to if you’re not the type of person who thrives in social situations.  You have to be able to turn the personality on and off.  It is sometimes awkward and uncomfortable, but no one will know what great work you are doing if they don’t know you exist!  My first internship was with a recording studio when I was 16.  I was shy, young, and inexperienced, and I saw more “life” in that studio in the first week than I had ever seen growing up in the suburbs.  Whereas I did make the mistake of not putting myself out there as much as I should have, I have continued to keep in touch with the people who ran that studio and every employer or contact I have made in the industry since then.  In fact, that first internship led to my first “real job” in the industry 3 years later.  Remember the people who took a chance on you, because they are often the people who will come through for you the most later on in your career.

I think it’s important not to let the possibilites intimidate you.  The music industry has always been a bit of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” field.  I can be easy to get so caught up in choosing a path that the opportunities start passing you by.  My best jobs have always come from the most unexpected places.  Being in the right place at the right time has a lot to do with it, so get out there and meet people!  Make sure everyone knows who you are and how serious you are about what you do.  Finally, don’t be afraid to share your opinions.  This is one of the few fields where you can be absolutely down right, obnoxiously honest and people respect it.  If that’s not a reason to love this industry, then I don’t know what is!

Listening to: Depeche Mode – “Get Right With Me”

Entrepreneurship As An Option?

Ha, I know.  It seems rather unlikely these days to even consider starting your own business.  With the daily costs of living steadily increasing and finance rates going through the roof, finding the money to start your own business isn’t exactly the most realistic option; however, I am here to tell you that it can be done.  In fact, I am going to go so far as to tell you that it really should be done…more often, that is.

Being a creative person, I tend to surround myself with lots of other creative people.  This being the case, we tend to spend a lot of time talking about our choices in “creative degrees” which have gotten us disappointingly “uncreative jobs” over the years.  More and more people are graduating from college to join the much talked-about “real world” only to realize there are less and less jobs available.  It is easy to become disenchanted about the path you have chosen, especially if you are looking for a career in the Arts.  The bottom line is that most employers are looking for people with experience who are reliable and can weather the current storm that is our economy.  Unfortunately, students who graduate college Summa Cum Laude in Business may not have shot in hell if they have no job experience.  It’s not that Education is not valued among employers but simply that employers are looking for more from their employees.  With so few jobs available and so little money around to compensate for those jobs, employers do not want to take their chances, and we are left sitting around wondering what to do.  I have a suggestion.  If you cannot find the job you want, then make the job you want.

This may seem a little “head in the clouds and starry-eyed” for some people, but it can work.  It has worked for me, and I am happy that I have ridden the sometimes bumpy ride of self-employment.  I am happy with where I am in my career, and I did it my way.  Now it’s not exactly as if I’m rolling up to the Benz dealership looking for a new ride, but I am paying the bills…which is a step in the right direction.  I think that many recent grads or folks with very little industry-related experience are scratching their heads right now, wondering how they can possibly get more experience in the work force if nobody will hire them because of their inexperience.  It is quite the dichotomy….hence my proposition.  There is no better way to learn than to jump in with both feet and just start trying things out.  Take things into your own hands, and learn how to run a business while getting the experience you need to run someone else’s.  Of course, the next questions is where all that money will come from.  I have a solution to that, too.

Start small.  You have to start small and start smart in order to grow your business and your reputation.  It is unrealistic to think that you can go take a loan out from the bank and suddenly be able to support yourself and/or a family as soon as you get started.  Loans need to be paid back, and the current interest rates don’t exactly lend themselves to your making a profit anytime soon.  So, you need to problem solve.  If you have a bit of money set side (even as little as a few hundred dollars) that you can spare, use that for your start-up costs.  There is no better way to motivate yourself to start making money with your business than by investing your own money to begin with.  Secondly, do not go into this thinking that your new company is going to replace your day job.  It won’t.  In fact, if you are in the music industry, you should know better than to think that you will ever have just one job.  What it does mean; however, is that you may be able to supplement the income from your day job with  a business that may EVENTUALLY replace your day job.  At the same time, you are getting the industry experience you need to expand your resume and list of abilities.  Here’s some tips:

Choose a business that has very little overhead (they do exist).  In other words, choose something that you can essentially do from your home, with the help of your laptop and cell phone.  Do not expect to have any employees at first, if you want this to work.  If you are a musician, one of the most lucrative things you can do with your abilities is to teach privately.  This has been my full-time job for 5 years, and it provides incredibly flexible hours that you can work around another job, as well as little to no investment on your part as long as you have an instrument to teach on and a space to do it in (Yes, your living room counts).  If teaching isn’t really your thing, then start a blog or website.  Creative people often forget that creativity doesn’t come as easily to everyone else.  You DO have knowledge that not everyone has, and people will pay you to share it.  Find local advertisers for you blog, and you will be surprised how quickly it will catch on.  There are many more options: consulting, booking bands, managing bands, building websites, promoting bands, starting a classical group that plays weddings…the list goes on.

There are tons of options out there for people who want to get their feet wet and make a little extra cash on the side, but mainly you just need to get out there and DO IT.  No amount of wishing or hoping is going to change the current job market, so you need to start changing it for yourself.  Starting a business does not have to be scary.  It should be exciting and fun, and people will rally behind you if they can sense how serious you are about making something happen.  Be smart, diligent, and hard-working, and you will be surprised how quickly things will fall into place. Being a waitress during the day does not mean that you have to forget your dream.  All it means is that you will have to work a little harder to get it, and you will be better for that.

Listening to: 22-20′s – “Devil In Me”