The Reality of the Music Business

When we listen to music, we are providing our mind and soul some sort of relief and pleasure. That is why we do it! We simply enjoy to listen our favorite artists and it feel so good to sing along or even hum an instrumental piece. As musicians, we enjoy music the same way non-musicians do- we have more knowledge regarding the structure of the music but in the end it’s the same pleasure. We do music because we like to perform it as well- it feel so good to participate in a concert and play with your colleagues, and even more if we play a solo or as a soloist.

As a young musician I was told by a composition teacher that I will find success only if I look for it, only if I keep doing something to make it happen- ALWAYS. Since then, that advice have been in my head and will continue to be there for the rest of my life. It has make a difference in my approach to the business.

Being in the music business is not easy stuff, we all know it’s hard to make it in to a symphony orchestra- the competition is huge. Make it as a teacher would require a certain amount of degrees and certifications. And all the other branches in music are really hard to achieve due to the competition and the fact that we probably have to work in multiples places on different tasks. Teaching, performing, composing and gigging have been my duties for the last few years- and I am still working on my masters! 

I always say to younger students that want to major in music- “ Think twice! or maybe more than that! But, if, after you think about it for a while, the only thing you see yourself doing in the future is MUSIC and you will be unhappy doing anything else-Oh yeah! GO FOR IT! Know all the sacrifices that you are about to do- all the energy that you will need to practice hard- the stamina you will need to produce quality content, if you are a composer. If you analyze the possibilities, they are endless. If you are into music and work hard in any branch, I am 100% sure you will have a job! there is no reason to be afraid of failure. There is a lot of things you can do as a musician, so, no worries it will happen.

Think about it!… and if you think this is for you- why not give it a try? After all, it is what you really want to do!

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Next Posts:

Career Choices for Classical Musicians

101 Rules to Find Success as a Performer and Classical Musician

An Amazing Journey With an Amazing Orchestra

We have been touring with the Orchestra of the Americas for a month and a half now. It has been really fun but I believe a lot of the musicians are getting really tired of traveling- including myself. We learned the different cultures, how to play their music , some of us learned how to dance, and some just watched- all this thanks to classical music. We are on this tour to play classical music mainly, but in our free time anything could’ve happen. We all went sightseeing. The tour visited 4 countries; Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. In this countries we shared unforgettable moments with our colleagues, coaches and specially guest artists. We were lucky enough to meet Joshua Bell and party with him- also with Ilya Gringolts (Russian violinist) who played with us a few concerts in Brazil and, composer in residence Philip Glass for whom we had the honor to record his cello concerto. I think those memories will be in our minds for a long time if not forever. As classical musicians, when we get to be with the big guys and work closely with them- you feel like all these years worth of practice are finally paying off. It is the end of the tour but not the end of our careers. We will look forward to the next time we get to do this again and play with people like them-it is a great learning process for all of us. We can watch and listen closely so that one day we can be like them.

Many bad things happened but I believe good things dominate the tour. The worse thing was when the staff of the orchestra sent home one of the cellist due to his behavior but the best thing was how we interact as musicians from 20 different countries and learn a little bit from each other. Our different ways of music interpretation became one to form a unique sound, the orchestra of the america’s sound. We all have new friends for the rest of our lives that share the same passion, the same love. It is such a small world that when you meet a fellow musician you are 95% sure that he will know someone you also know. You might find out that you have lots of mutual friends on Facebook, it’s crazy! And it is because it is a small world that we have to maintain it unified ! We own the classical music world and we have to protect it and promote it so that people can learn art- and enjoy art.

It was a great tour I can’t wait for next year!

An Evening with a Great Musician

My last post was over a week ago. This is because I’ve been playing a lot in Brazil. Different concerts for different cities and also different soloists. I had the great opportunity to meet world renown violinist Ilya Gringolts. Over the past few concerts, the orchestra I’m touring with is accompanying Gringolts with the Beethoven Violin Concerto, we are still doing it for a few more concerts here in Brazil. The first time I heard about him was when I was 16. Me and a very good friend that by the time we were studying at the conservatory’s extension program got the Tchaik concerto by him. We loved him and listened to the cd every day almost, but then we forgot about him, and after 7 years I’m in Brazil playing with him. Cool stuff!!

I was lucky enough to meet him the other day. He was very kind and I asked so many questions about everything- not only about music- even though I really wanted but, I have to keep the social thing going :). He played all over the world as a soloist with many orchestras. I asked him; so.. Which one is your favorite orchestra? He answered; ah man! That’s a really tough question- Orchestras are like women they are all different!

While I’m not sure if I should’ve tell that on this post, I definitely know he is a great person as well as a musician. We ate at a Churrascaria (Meat place) and it was a fun evening.

 

More to come:

Orchestra of the Americas Experiences

101 Ways to Reach Your Music Goals

What to do… If You Don’t Like Contemporary Music

For some people contemporary music is just a joke. The music itself doesn’t make any sense for them. I was included in this group of people until recently. I believe it is a matter of understanding what makes enjoyable a piece of art- of any kind. If you visit a museum and stare at some crazy piece of art for 5 minutes you might realize that your little sister can draw something even prettier.  If that sounds familiar- you are not the first person to think that. The Rite of Spring was a complete failure when it was a first performed, but now it is well accepted in the symphonic repertoire and one of the most performed piece by symphony orchestras. It is a matter of time and knowledge. Knowledge because when you know the story behind it- your vision of the piece changes and it becomes automatically more enjoyable.

Yesterday, I had one of those days you will never forget for the rest of your life. I went to a seminar/talk with composer Philip Glass. He is a contemporary minimalist composer who found success at an old age. He said at the seminar “ I couldn’t make a living by writing music until I was 41” he also said “ In my first 20 years of writing nobody cared about my music”. That being said- we can see how hard he worked and how hard was for the people to accept his music. In my opinion he is an amazing composer. We recorded his cello concerto yesterday and that was something else. What a great experience- his music has a stamp that says: I was written by Philip Glass and I sound unique and awesome. Philip was one of the composers I studied to get a little more in to contemporary music. Since then he has been an inspiration for me and a trigger to learn more about the 20th century’s music. Once you get in to the language it will be easier to assimilate the music and you will be one of the very few people who understand the genre and maybe like it.

Click Here to find some of Philip’s Music

If you don’t like contemporary classical music you should:

  1. Learn the story behind it to understand the art and enjoy it a little more
  2. Read and get well informed about the composer, his life and the purpose of the music
  3. Listen to a contemporary piece a few times. This works for me- I start to like it after listen to it a lot
  4. Listen to romantic composers and work your way up until you reach the extremely chaotic contemporary music and then decide what you like and what you don’t like
  5. Study Wagner and Mahler and compare their music to contemporary music. Composers often include some Wagnerisms and Mahlerisms in their pieces. You can relate to that and accept it as good music.
  6. If you like film music (I love film music), you can find lots of dissonant music that it’s being used to create effects. You can start your way up in to contemporary music by listening to soundtracks. Here is my list
  7. Take a 20th century music class. By the time I took it I was not very open to the language… so I wasted my time more or less. I always learned something.

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    As a composer, I try to understand every kind of music. Even if I don’t like it much. It will give me some general understanding about the genre and it will help me unconsciously with my compositional ideas. I still don’t understand or like some of the 20th century composers. Like John Cage for example. But I will keep trying, and maybe some day I might feel something- or maybe more than something. Who knows! The important thing is that everything is music and music is art. I’d say every opinion counts..like it or not is up to you but at least give it a shot.

    How to Find New Things in Those Pieces You Play Very Often

    I am writing this post because is happening to me right now. I am getting really tired of playing the same pieces over and over. We are on tour in South America playing the same pieces concert after concert and by concert number 15 you feel like it is not as fun anymore. We play for different audiences and different cities but its feels like we do it for the same people and the same city because it is the same program.

    Music is about transmitting emotions, and I think our point of view should be one that affects people in a positive way- people pay to watch a great concert and we should give them one by playing like it is the first time and by giving 100% as performers. And even if they don’t pay to watch you perform we should give them a great show because if they like it they will promote it and that means future audience for a paid concert and/or future gigs.

    I like to think of new ideas to start fresh every time I have to play a piece very often. If you feel that you are losing interest in a piece of music try this:

    1. Think of what you are doing. It’s music, common!!!! You are not working from 8-5 in a tedious job
    2. If it is an orchestral piece you will probably know some parts from memory, in those parts listen to the harmony or melody. Find something in the music you haven’t heard yet.
    3. If it is solo music, take time in some passages. Try to do it different. TRY TO ENJOY IT IN ANY WAY.
    4. If it is a string quartet, and you are a violinist switch and play the other part. For violas and cellos, listen to the violinists and comment on who did what better than the other so that they can improve as a group. Do it nicely pleaseeeee.
    5. You can find new things also by subscribing to classical music articles by Email or RSS 🙂

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