The Modern Musician

Ahoy!

Last week we briefly discussed two types of modern musicians: mega stars, and their supporting cast of full time studio and touring musicians. These are not the only ways to make a living as a musician nor do you have to make a living in the music industry to partake in it.

Part Time Musicians

These musicians are often called “weekend warriors” because they work day jobs Monday-Friday and then play gigs every Friday and Saturday night. They are also usually looked down on by full time artists but this is extremely unfair. Being a part time musician is actually quite liberating. When you’re not worried about where you’re paycheck is coming from you can pick the music you want to play, and decide when and where you want to play. You’re more likely to take a free gig because you love the music and just want the opportunity to play in public. It’s not about the money for these people. Obviously yes, music is a craft and I do think you should be paid every time you play, however, sometimes a fun gig will come along that doesn’t pay. There are musicians who will take it. The flip side to this is when club owners refuse to pay anyone and demand artists play for free. As a part time musician you get to make the choice, though. If you think it’s worth not making any money, then take the gig. I’ve played with some very passionate and talented musicians who fit into this category.

Aside from the monetary aspect, another reason these musicians are looked down on by full time professional players is that part-time musicians often know very little about music despite the fact that they perform on a regular basis. This is a tricky issue. If you’re a part-time musician there’s very little applicability to having a thorough knowledge of music theory. However, while it may not have an impact on the performance itself, it will certainly have an impact on communicating ideas with other musicians. I’m not suggesting that every singer-songwriter have an in-depth knowledge of jazz theory but I think you should respect the craft enough to learn things like key signatures, how progressions transpose and at the very least learn the chords you’re playing. Nothing is more frustrating than working with someone who has no idea what they’re playing. Yes, I have a good ear and will be able to figure out what you’re playing, but the process will go much smoother if you can effectively communicate ideas with words.

Full Time Freelance musicians

This last category is where most musicians will find themselves, including myself. In some sense all musicians are full time freelancers. The distinction I make is that these musicians don’t have just one or two big projects. These musicians are full time in that 100% of their time and income is based on musical endeavors but it’s not touring with one band or recording for one studio. It’s a culmination of several small projects. To illustrate I’ll detail some of what my life as a musician looks like.

In the past year I’ve played at least one gig with 23 different projects. Some of them have been ensembles I’m a part of while attending graduate school, some have been one off gigs where I’m just subbing in for a bassist who couldn’t do a particular gig and others have been more regular projects. At any rate, they all add up. The majority of projects have been jazz related and as there is heavy crossover of material, I haven’t had to learn 23 different sets of music. However, I have become proficient at learning music quickly which is one of the reasons I work with so many projects; they know when they hire me I’ll be able to play the parts and I won’t be a weak link in the chain. In addition to playing so many gigs, I’ve done several recording projects. Lastly, in addition to playing and recording music, as a freelance musician I’ve had to learn how to promote shows and I have spent many hours reading about business practices and networking. Just because you’re a good musician and you made a Facebook event about an upcoming show does not mean people will be there or care about it. Learning how to put people in seats has been an ever growing task. I’m not sure I realized how much time NOT on my instrument I would spend as a musician. More on this in future blogs though.

With this very brief overview of my musical life (which didn't include any of the teaching I do) I hope you get some sense of how much work it really is. This is the general trend for freelance artists and it’s not meant to be a complaint. I would rather be spending my time writing emails and making calls to get gigs than behind a saw in factor (which I did for a year). I thoroughly enjoy the chance to play with so many different amazing musicians who are all striving for the same thing I am; to have their voice heard. We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t think we had something to offer.

Until next time,

Heard

HAVE YOU HEARD?
Brian Blade Fellowship- Perceptual

The Brian Blade Fellowship is one of the staple bands in my record collection. I have devoured all of their albums and had an amazing opportunity to see them in 2011 at the Village Vanguard in NYC. After that particular performance I had the fortune of meeting and hanging with the entire band for a few hours after the show. It was one of the seminal moments in my career. Personal and emotional attachments aside, the music is amazing. They are strongly in the category of jazz but they produce a sound unlike any other. The main writers for the group, drummer Brian Blade, and pianist Jon Cowherd, draw heavily from their southern roots and use many folk and gospel melodies in their writing. Perceptual is one of their most well known albums and truly showcases the talent in the group. Other albums include Seasons of Change, Landmarks, and last week on November 10, they released their latest album Body and Shadow. You'll want to add all of these to your collection.