A career in music can be very rewarding as you get to do something that you love every day. Like all industries, the music industry too has been positively impacted with the advancement of technology in recent years, particularly due to streaming platforms, and increasing reach of social media. Unlike earlier times, today the Indie musicians and other independent artists have various platforms where they can showcase their talent and engage with their audience.
If one wishes to pursue a career in music, there hasn’t been a better time to do so. Opportunities for musicians have been booming in the subcontinent, especially in metro cities. Apart from working as a musician, one could look at an umpteen number of career options, such as music director or composer, recording engineer, songwriter, music educator, live performer, music therapist amongst others.
- Understand exactly what you want to do: Perhaps you want to compose music. Or you want to become a full-time singer. Or maybe you want to kick-start your own music school. To get started on your journey, you must clearly state what you wish to pursue and why. Stating what you wish to do will give you a direction and spelling out your why will keep you motivated.
- Join a music school: Joining a professional music school course will help you enhance your music prowess while keeping you focused and disciplined. It will also help you connect with professionals who have already been working in the industry and give you an opportunity to learn from their experiences.There are numerous music schools in India, with world-class curriculums, for training in both western and Indian classical music. Many of these professional institutions offer customised learning packs for different age groups, starting from young children who wish to explore music for the first time to adults who are interested in attaining formal musical training. Moreover, even if you can’t join a full-time course, you could enroll in a program which offers the flexibility to take lessons over the weekends as well as the option of taking online sessions.
- Networking: Networking is important for building your career in any industry, and the same is true for the music industry. With networking, your goal should be to meet people who you could collaborate with in the future, get in touch with potential managers and promoters, event planners and others who are on a similar journey as you are.
- Leverage the Internet: Thanks to technology and Internet, you don’t need huge budgets to market yourself as an artist. You may just start with something as a YouTube channel to showcase your art and stay in touch with fans as well as get discovered by new audiences. Even without signing a major record label, musicians can earn a living from sharing their content online. And it goes without saying that popular artists on YouTube and other social media channels get noticed by the music industry.
- Evaluate your progress: It is important to take some time out regularly to chart your progress on the goals you initially set out for yourself. Map progresses against the goals you initially set up for yourself, get in touch with your mentors and course correct, if needed.
While building a career in music would require tremendous hard work and patience, it is fulfilling over the long term. With the right amount of consistency coupled with belief in your craft, you can build a very rewarding career for yourself in music.
