Musicians are often seen as people who are desperate for a job. We can all think of exception to the rule, of course, like the Elton John or Bruce Springsteen of our world, but in general, and especially if you’re at a lower level of pay and fame, the common agreement is that a musician suffers to make a dime.
It is a plague because even the wanna be pros share that mentality. They are quick to think of themselves as not worth it or valuable. Therefore, they are accepting gigs with no so desirable conditions like low wages or poor management.
When I was starting out, I was guilty of the same sin. I had been overfed by my friends and relatives (they all had good intentions, by the way) that I could never claim the right to a decent income, a decent working condition thus a decent life. So, as the days, weeks and months went by, I got trapped into a very difficult lifestyle. I had to play a ton of concerts to pay my bills, my car was going on three wheels, my apartment was a size of a shoebox and I was convince that it was the only way to be.
I am not sure what change my mentality. I do not remember the event that made me click. I just remember been absolutely fed up with the pain and frustrations of my condition. I had to think of other ways to live. I also remember drawing examples from people around me like that drum teacher who was doing very well in my small town or the band from that same town who was touring all over the place although they were not playing on the radio. They were comfortable in their lives, they had a functioning car, a partner that wasn’t crazy and a house they had bought. More than that, when you talked to them, they didn’t see the music business with a negative angle. They were actually quite upbeat about the whole thing and ready to refuse situations that were not in their favor (Something I thought I couldn’t afford to do).
What I’m describing is that I had been affected by the plague which states that musician is equal to no dignity.
I had to realize that I could command a better price for my services. After all, when I was in a band, I learnt the repertoire to a T, I came prepared, on time and with a smile on my face. Also, I knew exactly what I had to do, I didn’t drink, took drugs or derided the band members. My teaching benefitted from the same commitment and seriousness, the same attention to details. The hard part was to get the nerve to command the price I thought I was worth.
Here, you might think that I drew a number out of a hat for the price I would ask. Not so. As I was working on the scene, I knew precisely what were the prices different players were commanding. Same for teaching. Now, the tricky bit is always this: do I deserve the same as those formidable players, those teachers at the prestigious schools like Berklee College of Music or the Music Institute in Los Angeles? Or should I tame it down and be happy with a tenth of those amounts? That part is tricky because your ego gets in the way and wants to sway the amount too low or too high. You see, it is hard to place the value exactly right because you need to have some distance about your own services, your own value. Also, remember, your well-intentioned friends and family are not telling you to get a high price. So you head is swimming in an ocean of confusion.
The good news in all of that, is that if you overshoot your amount by a little bit, you might still get employed, but you’ll quickly realize that your standards need to be higher than what they are. Good! It’ll push you to be better which is not a bad thing at all. You might mess up a few gigs, miss a few opportunities, but, eventually, if you truly want to be a musician and make a living at it, you’ll get to the next level.
I’ll conclude by saying that, after thirty five years in this business, the life of a musician can be a sweet one. I earn my living in an honest way, I get paid for what I think I’m worth and I do not hold a grudge towards the profession.
