I have to admit I had some great mentors who taught me the little-known secrets of being a professional jazz musician (such as "don't let your friends drink band drinks," "make sure you know how to sing a ballad," and "always take care of your drummer because he has to haul the most stuff"). However, there are a lot of things that I wasn't hep to. So here are:
25 things I wish someone told me about being a jazz musician when I was 18…
- Study Marketing, Business, Graphic Design or Contract Law. You will spend more time doing that than anything else.
- Keep track of every hour you spend working on music, doing press interviews, negotiating contracts, filing receipts and licking stamps, because a three-hour gig requires far more time than three hours and you need to make sure you are adequately compensating yourself.
- The "fat" photos you destroyed when you were 18 will be "skinny" photos in your 30's.
- Something called the Internet will be invented, and whatever bad note you hit, bad outfit you wore or bad thing you said will be circulated for far longer than you realize.
- If you are a jazz musician who makes less than $200K a year and do any educational work you should consider opening a non-profit.
- Watch out for scams and stalkers, especially if you are female.
- Play to the audience, not other jazz musicians; the former are your bread and butter.
- A well-fed sideman is a better-playing sideman.
- Being a proficient and emotionally empathetic is more important than being technically perfect.
- Write thank-you notes. Even if you get bad press, there is something constructive that can be extricated; otherwise, they would not have bothered to write about you at all.
- Be nice to everyone, but remember that some people respect you more when you say "no."
- There is no such thing as a "practice" gig, and people forget that you become better with experience. Play in private until you can come out of the gate swinging so you don't get labeled a hack.
- Not paying your taxes on time is more costly than not paying your credit card bills on time. So find a good tax accountant and file on time!
- If you are a singer, you will be expected to look the part as well as sound the part.
- Play with as many great older players as you can when you are young, and pay close attention to what makes them so good... because one day you will be older and will have to play with younger musicians and show them what to do.
- No matter how good a player is, nothing compares to consistency and experience playing together as a unit, so always play with the same band. Don't hire a "better" band just because you got a higher-paying gig; use your regular cats because it is tight. They will be more loyal to you as a result.
- Don't let every instrument solo on every tune. One or two solos are enough, and sometimes one chorus is enough.
- Pay attention to set construction. The great performers know what tunes to call WHEN. Your set should have an arc.
- Unless you are a big band, stay away from charts as much as possible. Pick songs and arrangements the band knows and rehearse.
- Don't figure out which key you can sing a tune in; figure out which key you sound best on for each tune.
- Your job doesn't end after the set in finished. You have to sign autographs take photos and say "hi" to everyone.
- You are not just selling art, you are selling a social experience, and social networking in person is more effective than on the Internet.
- Get new photos taken every year.
- Use your comps for fans, not friends. The first person on your mailing list who is currently out of job or on SSI will appreciate it more.
- Being the bandleader or singer means being a entrepreneur/business owner with all the rigors and hassles that come with it, so if you don't like a lot of responsibilities, you might prefer becoming an unknown sideman.
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