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Re: advice for letting go of professional dreams

Author: Ryan25
Date: 2008-11-06 18:36

I would just like to add two simple rules to live by if one chooses to try and be a professional. These are not rules meant to attack anyone or imply anything.

1. The most important aspect to becoming a professional is your work ethic. You have to work harder than you think is possible. No matter how good any of us think we are, we will never be good "enough". Talent is abundant in many people and is manifested in each of us in different ways. Talent and love is just not enough. You have to out work everyone you know and don't know and you have to even out work your own ideas. I have never met a great player that did not bust their butt. People I know that have won auditions lately practice more than you can possibly imagine.

2. No matter how good we get or how good we "think" we are, this does not entitle any of us to anything. The world is not against you and auditions or limited jobs is not something you should take personally. Great players are all over the place that could hold a variety of positions in big groups. Just because we work really hard, have the passion and desire, does not mean there is a job for us. That's not the way it works. Too many musicians I know that are tremendous players get burnt out because they assume their skill and desire entities them to opportunity. In a perfect world it should but it just does not work like that.

I say if you can accept things you can not control and work as hard as you can despite not having a good performing situation, then go for it and don't look back. The only thing any of us can control is working as hard as we can to be prepared for opportunities that come our way.

Good luck and be free in your journey. Don't play and improve to make money or get a job. Try and always aim for a higher ideal than that. Otherwise, it's a recipe for disappointment. Just work as hard as you can. Fight to improve everyday and most importantly, listen to music and other musicians as much as possible.

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