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How do others in the musical performance industry get started on a career in their field ( #Spring25 ) ?
I'm pursuing a BM in Musical Performance at TCU as a freshman, specializing in the clarinet.
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4 answers
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Ariel Andino’s Answer
Play anywhere, study and training hours.
Updated
Craig’s Answer
In the beginning I only auditioned once and landed my first professional gig and been a full time professional musician ever since. The reason is I had been studying and preparing for years and had done hundreds of gigs solo or with a band along with becoming a music major in college. I started playing gigs at age 11 and landed my 1st full time music gig at 22. During those early years I visualized, rehearsed and performed everywhere I could to emulate what I ultimately was trying to achieve. The end result - when the right opportunity arose I was ready. There are no short cuts. You have to work hard and be able to deliver on call so to speak. Since that time I have done over 12,000 gigs, 35,000 hours on stage and never missed the performance. Staying healthy is another big part of it.
Craig, thank you so much for your thorough and thoughtful response. I really appreciate hearing what others have done, as it either gives me ideas I hadn't considered, or solidifies the thoughts I have. Best of luck to you sir !
Aiden
Updated
Kavitha’s Answer
Hello Aiden! Congratulations on taking the first step in pursuing your musical career - a degree in music! The clarinet is a versatile instrument and you can definitely have a wonderful career in performance if you choose the right stages and keep working on your music consistently. Remember, consistency is the biggest factor. Especially as you age, you will have more distractions.
As you are still a student, focus on learning the fundamentals well and spend a lot of time practicing and perfecting your music. Trust me, this will come in extremely handy in the future when you will have less time to practice on a regular basis. As a student, one of the best places to start presenting your music is by building your presence online. Instagram and TikTok are great places to start posting your music regularly. Include either covers or snippets from what you are currently learning or anything that you think can fit the format to start with. Post consistently (atleast once or twice a week) to help build traction. Try to stay on top of trends and play some songs on clarinet (btw it's still a very rare instrument, and you can get good traction if you cover some popular songs).
Try to play at local events in your community. I see that you live in Dallas, so you can reach out to your local county art council and check if they can give you performing slots for the events that they are hosting. Most counties in the US have a decent art budget and keep hosting many local events where they support local talent. Getting a lot of stage exposure is one of the best ways to build confidence and also an opportunity to experiment any new music you have learnt/composed.
Also make sure to have a healthy eating and sleeping schedule., Music is an art that requires your mind and body to be in top form always! I have been a musician since age 4, and almost 4 decades of playing and singing nonstop has only been possible due to strong commitment and having a clear mind and fit body.
I wish you the best in this!
As you are still a student, focus on learning the fundamentals well and spend a lot of time practicing and perfecting your music. Trust me, this will come in extremely handy in the future when you will have less time to practice on a regular basis. As a student, one of the best places to start presenting your music is by building your presence online. Instagram and TikTok are great places to start posting your music regularly. Include either covers or snippets from what you are currently learning or anything that you think can fit the format to start with. Post consistently (atleast once or twice a week) to help build traction. Try to stay on top of trends and play some songs on clarinet (btw it's still a very rare instrument, and you can get good traction if you cover some popular songs).
Try to play at local events in your community. I see that you live in Dallas, so you can reach out to your local county art council and check if they can give you performing slots for the events that they are hosting. Most counties in the US have a decent art budget and keep hosting many local events where they support local talent. Getting a lot of stage exposure is one of the best ways to build confidence and also an opportunity to experiment any new music you have learnt/composed.
Also make sure to have a healthy eating and sleeping schedule., Music is an art that requires your mind and body to be in top form always! I have been a musician since age 4, and almost 4 decades of playing and singing nonstop has only been possible due to strong commitment and having a clear mind and fit body.
I wish you the best in this!
Updated
Amira’s Answer
Hello Aiden,
Congratulations on pursuing a BM in Musical Performance degree! It is really cool to see that you are specializing in the clarinet. To answer your question, others in the musical performance industry always start somewhere, for example:
1- School performances.
2- Community based events like a marathon or a walk for cancer or indie music festivals.
3- Commuity based volunteering, such as performing to your local seniors on Valentine's Day for a special dinner with a romantic Clarinet flare covering popular songs.
4- Online creative videos, such as Tik Tok, You Tube and Instagram. Choose something that you love and passionate about. An example would be funny videos of pets with a funny soundtrack of your clarinet.
5- Show up at various music events in the industry and network. try to collaborate with fellow students on their songs where using a clarinet is cool.
6- Search online about latest clarinet performance success.
Regarding #6, look up instrument performers such as Ibrahim Maalouf (Trumpet) and Lindsey Stirling (E-Viola). Check out Lindsey's back story and how she was able to tour around the world as an electric Violin performer when no one believed that she could, Very inspiring.
Good Luck!
Congratulations on pursuing a BM in Musical Performance degree! It is really cool to see that you are specializing in the clarinet. To answer your question, others in the musical performance industry always start somewhere, for example:
1- School performances.
2- Community based events like a marathon or a walk for cancer or indie music festivals.
3- Commuity based volunteering, such as performing to your local seniors on Valentine's Day for a special dinner with a romantic Clarinet flare covering popular songs.
4- Online creative videos, such as Tik Tok, You Tube and Instagram. Choose something that you love and passionate about. An example would be funny videos of pets with a funny soundtrack of your clarinet.
5- Show up at various music events in the industry and network. try to collaborate with fellow students on their songs where using a clarinet is cool.
6- Search online about latest clarinet performance success.
Regarding #6, look up instrument performers such as Ibrahim Maalouf (Trumpet) and Lindsey Stirling (E-Viola). Check out Lindsey's back story and how she was able to tour around the world as an electric Violin performer when no one believed that she could, Very inspiring.
Good Luck!
Thank you Amira...those are some ideas I hadn't considered. Really appreciate your feedback, and I hope things are going well for you !
Aiden