If you have ever asked a professional musician about their career, you will come to realize that their job is actually more demanding than what you might have thought.
We have all been fed the illusion that being a musician is all about having fun on stage and being loved by everyone – but that dream ends once you enter the music industry. If anything, it becomes quite clear to everyone just how serious you need to be about taking music professionally as a career because there will be many challenges that only those with nerves of steel can make it through.
Fortunately, a few musicians can help you get a better understanding of the music world and what you need to be a part of it. Consider the career of Phillip Sanders, a revered American country music artist, and songwriter in the music industry.
After being raised in an environment of music in his childhood, Sanders professionally began his career as a musician in 2016. He wrote the song “Never Thought I Could Change” featuring Curt Ryle and, in 2018, released “Her I’am” which hit #10 on Joyce Ramgatie’s top 40’s single chart. The following year, he released “I Don’t Think I Will,” which hit Joyce Ramgatie’s European Country Music Top 40’s Single Chart twice – and that’s not all. The song has also been on the Top 200 European Country Music Charts twice during 2019.
His popularity eventually led him to release the song to the SoundClick Country Music Charts, and it hit #3 on Traditional Country and #21 on all sub-genres. Sanders has been featured in The Country Network, CBS, NBC, Hot Country TV, and many more places.
Despite knowing how difficult it is to make it big in the music industry, Sanders is living proof that if you have the determination to reach your goals, there will be nothing stopping you from achieving the impossible. So how do you know that you can make a name for yourself just like Sanders has? Here are a few things that can help you figure it out.
Excellent Work Ethic
Being a musician means you need to have the commitment to be able to efficiently work your way up to the job and build up your skills the right way.
Like anyone, you will need to learn the instrument of your choice and audition to get a position. If you have joined an orchestra or any other ensemble, you will come to realize that rehearsing and performing can help you in improving your music skills and your professional working ethics. You will be surrounded by professionals in the field, serving as an excellent opportunity for you to improve your skillset before you enter your career as a solo artist.
Coping With Pressure And Failure
There is no way to sugarcoat this but to say that no matter what, mistakes and failure will always be lurking in your career.
If you are one of the rare lucky few, you might even succeed at your first audition. But there are high chances that you will meet a lot of rejection and failures when you are starting out. And as a performer, you will constantly be dealing with pressure to be your best, which can be quite daunting to many people.
But, you need to learn how to calm yourself and trust that with time, all of this will lead to something big if you focus on learning from your mistakes and remember that, even if everything goes wrong, you have another day to make things right.
