The Practical Pro Musician

It can be so so tempting to want that really cool, shiny new music toy... And if you're anything like me, the shinier the better. But sometimes, the best next piece of gear is something a little less sexy and a little more impactful on our music careers. Let's talk about it today... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is there something you wish you could change about the music scene you're trying to "make it" in? For many of us, it might be that our music scene doesn't value musicians the way we'd like to be valued... So we're being underpaid. If this sounds anything like a thought you've had, today's episode of the show is for you... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I talk about this topic a lot because I get the most questions about it from other musicians. Is there a right way and a wrong way to network? Is there a secret to networking so that it is actually effective, but also not extremely awkward and dishonest? You bet... Let's talk about it on today's episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's almost a guarantee that there will be someone in your life that either:Won't understand why you're trying to be a pro musician,Won't be supportive of your pursuit of a music career,Or both!So today, let's talk about the inevitable... What can you do to deal with an unsupportive friend or family member? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

No joke: if you can master what we're talking about this week, you'll have the single greatest weapon in your arsenal that any pro musician could dream of having! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are times when warming up, running through some scales or rudiments, and mentally preparing for a practice session before beginning that session is called for... But what about when you've got 30 minutes of practice time and you've got 4 new songs to learn? Let's talk about it... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A couple of practical tips (and maybe one not-so-practical tip) for finding time in life to do things you enjoy, simply because you enjoy them! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The fastest way to torpedo your music career before it even starts is by having a plan that is too detailed. Let's talk about why, and what you should do instead of over-planning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let's talk about money. Specifically, a fun concept that I've used to afford (or at least justify purchasing) tons of awesome gear for many years! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tales and tips of what not to do from your local name-dropping musician. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today, let's take a fun look at some of the ways that touring can change aspects of our personalities, and the real-world consequences that can have. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What can you actually do right now that will start you down the path of becoming a pro musician? What about if you've already tried to start, but feel stuck? Today's episode is for you... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It hit me the other day that I've never shared this story with you. 12 years ago, immediately after getting fired from my dream gig I was offered a job as a real estate agent, even though I've never worked in real estate before, and I was in my early 20's. So today, I'm going to share my story of how that job came about, why I never actually worked that job, and an incredible, life-changing lesson I learned along the way. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I recently sat down with a friend who plays for one of the biggest artists in the world. He let me in on something that (to me at least) was too cool not to share... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I recently got to play a show with an old friend and we did things just like the "good ole days"... No tour bus, tour manager, or our own sound guy- or anything else that I got used to having as a professional musician. We just jumped in the car and drove 5 hours to play a show for a few hundred people. Doing things the old way got me thinking: What would I do if I had to start over in my music career from scratch? I came up with some ideas, and I hope that these ideas will help you in your journey.Those ideas are:Practice my tail off to get better at the basics.Post videos of myself playing along to music in a real context.Reach out to others for collaboration. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm going to tell you something today that might sting a little. And it probably will make some pro musicians out there kinda mad... But it's ok. This episode will help demystify some of the process of getting gigs as an aspiring pro musician. And if you're a pro musician and are feeling angry about me saying "Getting gigs isn't hard," I'll explain to you why you're wrong. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are many things in our music careers that can take time and effort in order to achieve or address. But today, we're going to talk about something you can do that is the opposite.Let's talk about how to find more time to focus on music today. And what's great about this exercise is that it works for virtually anything that you'd like have more time to do, but can't seem to find the time for. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One VERY common challenge that most of us have faced, or will face at some point is this: How can I start charging people for my musicianship when there are tons of other musicians in my scene willing to do it for free?Today we'll discuss 3 principles that will help you move from playing for free to playing for pay! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we'll discuss 3 different seemingly-unrelated happenings in my life, that all point to the same concept that will help YOU continue forward in your music career. Plus: what does chugging coleslaw in a high school cafeteria have to do with getting gigs? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does becoming a professional musician change our behavior- specifically in musical/professional situations? Or do we have to change our behavior in order to become pro musicians? Kind of a chicken or the egg type of question, I know. Well, I actually think we change our behavior first. The reason that the most successful pro musicians all seem to carry themselves in a certain way is not because they graduated some class, achieved some level of success and then decided "OK, now I'll start acting more professionally." Nope... Part of their success can be attributed to the fact that they already were behaving this way. So what about you? How can you unlock the superhero within yourself and become someone greater in the moments where it matters most- specifically if you're shy or introverted? Let's talk about it.Here's a link to the book I mentioned in this episode: The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.