Guess post by Bradley Sowash- composer, jazz pianist, educator, and author
I tell all my students that there are two ways to do music full time:
1. Specialist – Be among the best in the world at some aspect of music. This is the rarest professional path.
2. Generalist – Have a wide range of skills. Good readers should know how to improvise, performers need to also understand teaching, composers be able to create arrangements, soloists learn to play in ensembles, and everyone needs to bust out of their stylistic niche which means learning about unfamiliar genres (rock, Broadway, classical, jazz…) in addition to further developing your preferred style.
I’ve been a full time, freelance musician since 1983 and though it hasn’t been without its struggles, I still enjoy and look forward to most work days. When I tell people who ask what I do for a living, they often raise their eyebrows and restate the question: “So… what do you really do?”
Some are looking for confirmation to the myth that musicians sit around all day while they have to work. (I tried that after college and ran out of food in about a week.) Others are wondering why I don’t resemble the media’s image of an arts professional (wear black and sit around coffee houses all day discussing deep issues). Still others are checking to see if I have a “real” job. (It’s true that I don’t work in a corporate cubicle but music is certainly “real” work.) So, whatever your motivation, if you find yourself seeking insight into the daily life of the full time, freelance music professional, I offer this list as one example.
Things I Do and What I Wear When I’m Doing Them:
1. At the Composer’s Desk wearing old ski T-shirts and sweatpants:
Writing and editing new sheet music books
Writing commissioned works
2. At the Piano in a tuxedo, suit, jeans, pajamas depending on the setting:
Performing sacred jazz concerts
Performing public (secular) concerts
Playing worship services
Accompanying dance classes
Conducting and band leading duties
Practicing
3. In the Educational Realm with an upright bass hiding most of me or with a djembe around my neck:
Directing a weekly Jazz Workshop for high school students
Coaching student classical chamber musicians
Teaching 24 private students
Leading music education seminars for teachers
4. Da Business with a fedora on my noggin except on dress-down
Fridays when I wear my cowboy hat:
Running a business – website updates, phone calls, scheduling….
Attending music conferences
Marketing all of the above
It’s a life. I can’t imagine trading it for a “real” job!
Bradley Sowash http://bradleysowash.com
Bradley is the author of the That’s Jazz Piano Method
