Entrepreneurs in Music — and Don’t Forget about Mozart!

After reading the panelists informative and well written replies, I realized that I also have a lot in common with other entrepreneurs. I have a positive attitude, am hard working, and love to get into the details. I do not take “no” for an answer and make my own decisions about whether something or someone will work, in all areas of my life by the way. And I have made some really bad mistakes and errors in judgment (I insisted on hiring a drummer who ended up slashing all my tires when I fired him for being drunk on the job). But I agree – mistakes can be the best teaching aids. I learned from study of improvisation that there are almost no “wrong notes,” only different tastes in colors.

Other musicians said I could not play the dance club scene during the disco craze and that I had to have a keyboard player in the band. I ignored them and worked 4-6 nights/week as a disco violinist (doubling on rhythm guitar) in a 4 piece band with no keyboard.

I did not go to music school. I have never felt that I blew it for the part of the music business in which I was most interested. When asked where I studied, I sometimes reply, “The street.” I have known many musicians who have explored opportunities to learn skills as an outpatient at colleges, workshops. I do feel I have to prepare extra thoroughly for orchestra gigs, knowing I have not played the standard rep. music school grads have. As an adult, I have been lucky to have found great private teachers for classical violin, jazz, improvisation, and vocal technique, and I have considered getting some arranging and orchestrating lessons; maybe that’s next! Playing with musicians up on another level can be the best free lesson.

My advice to current students: once you are out of school, don’t be surprised to find a large world of the music business out there that you don’t know about yet, that can lead to happiness and artistic fulfillment.