Only 50% of music students work in the field of music after leaving college! This was discovered by Peter Miksza, a professor at Indiana University, who did a study of 1500 music graduates of over 150 universities. The University of Nottingham reports that 100% of their graduates were in either employment or postgraduate education six months after graduation. Interestingly enough, over 50% of these graduates were in other business or professional sectors. That's why we put together the MusicMakers Manifesto.
In 2011, the Confederate of British Industry outlined the seven skills that define employability: self-management, teamwork, business and customer awareness, problem-solving, communication, numeracy, and IT skills. Adlington says that music students develop all seven of these employable skills. By this measure, music graduates are among the most employable of all.
While 50% is actually a good percentage of musicians in a music career, we want to create more ‘MusicMakers’ who will be out in the world creating art and living their dream. If you are struggling to make a living from music, if you’re at a crossroads in this business, consider MusicMakers Workshop your map to success.
The Present:
You wake up in the morning, hit the alarm and go to work. Work is good - you’re great at it and it lets you pay your bills and pay down that student debt. It lets you gig on the weekends without worrying about eating, but even so, you know you want more. Your Musical Muse is waiting to speak - patiently waiting for you to make time to play. She interrupts you in the middle of the workday; sometimes in the middle of the night! She’s still there, ready to go.
Some of your friends are touring and some have moved to bigger markets making it happen. You know in your heart you could be doing this too.
Your muse is ready to thrive but the question remains: How?
You still want to do the things that light you up. If only there was someone or something to guide you to realize your inspiration.
The Challenge
The more time you spend away from music, the quieter your Muse gets. You know how to play, you know what to play, but to make a living at it is a whole other ball game. It takes time to build a career in music and you know it’s more than worth it, but you just gotta learn how to do it.
The Possibility
When you know the rules of the music game, you will:
- Build financial freedom through music.
- Surround yourself with successful musicians, great mentors, and a support team.
- Steadily move forward towards a full-time artistic life.
The Path
It’s easy to get frustrated trying to make a real living from music. It can be heartbreaking, spending your days working on somebody else’s dream instead of doing the things that light you up.
However, you’ve seen enough to know that there are people making it happen - that in fact, there is a whole community of people who are doing this.
YOU can be a part of it!
Just as collaboration in music pushes us to new heights, collaboration in business will do the same. For many musicians, mentorships and community is the key to their business success.
Don’t settle for a life that doesn’t light the fire inside you!
The Pledge
Do you believe this is possible? If so, let’s do it together. Let’s get to work. Let’s invest in ourselves and in each other. Let’s make YOUR ART your best option for making a living!
The Answer: Work in the Field of Music
Here’s what we’ve got: a 2-day intensive workshop and online platform where you can meet and learn from people who are doing what you want to do: Musicians who are actually making a living; Mentors who will guide you through this journey; Music Industry professionals & Subject Matter Experts who will outline the steps you need to take on subjects ranging from Branding to Monetization to Team Building to Health.
I’ve just shared a quick overview with you, but I’d love to show you how even the smallest piece of our solution can make a very real difference.
For example, you know that you need to talk to venue owners for local gigs, but did you know there is a whole world of day gigs in the K-12 schools? The booking agency Young Audiences has a network of over 9,000 schools that they serve throughout the country. That’s only one of the agencies that books for K-12! There are booking agents actively looking for musicians like you, but you have to know how to talk to them. That starts by creating a professional Electronic Press Kit (EPK), a video, and outlining an educational offering. By doing this, you could easily expand your booking strategy beyond clubs, to include K-12 schools, colleges and music educator training and workshops.
Now you’re on your way to making a living from your art!
The MusicMakers Workshop
In 2017, MusicMakers began as a three-day intensive featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, and hands-on breakout sessions. It’s a high-touch, high-impact, locally-focused career development conference that’s designed specifically to help musicians make a living in the real world.
Most importantly, it’s designed for you.
It’s designed to give you a place to ask the “dumb” questions. To meet people who are making this business work and to hear them say “You can do this, too.” It’s designed to be a safe haven where musicians gather, not to compete, but to support; not to hustle, but to rest and regroup; a place where they can come together and come away with a better vision; a solid plan.
If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels if you feel like you’ve got so much more you could be doing with your music, make an investment in what you want your future to be. Sign up now for MusicMakers Workshop.
