Musical Performers

On the following page you will see an abbreviated list of outstanding performers from the classical, jazz, rock, and folk traditions. Each of these people has a fascinating story associated with their rise to fame. Undoubtedly, they were all very talented at birth and somewhere in their youth someone recognized their potential and helped to foster their talent. Talent is the ability to learn something quickly and easily. To understand talent all you have to do is go to YouTube and enter “talented five year-old pianist” and you will see what I mean. It is amazing to see little kids whose feet do not reach the pedals performing Bach and Mozart with gay abandon and apparent ease. Only a few of these little geniuses will have significant lifetime careers.

Talent is not enough to make a career in the difficult world of music because there are so many talented little kids just like you who also want to be rich and famous and play at Carnegie Hall. What is required is ten years of weekly lessons from a knowledgeable and caring mentor. Along with all those trips to your teacher’s studio are the thousands of hours of practice that are necessary to become an accomplished professional.

Because music is a business you will also need a manager who knows how to properly introduce you to the competitive world of musical performance. They have the contacts and connections to make things happen for you. It takes a lot of planning and preparation to get you into the upper echelons of the business. Without the help of powerful people you can often spend years unrecognized and unsuccessful. So many times we see someone burst upon the music scene as an overnight sensation without realizing how many years they struggled in the shadows waiting for their moment in the spotlight.

The music business is very competitive and, in fact, there are numerous competitions around the world for pianists, violinists, conductors, and the like. Because there are only so many stages and so many nights in the year, the world does not need all of the performers that the world’s conservatories are turning out each year. Even if you win a major competition you still have a long way to go to establish a permanent career. Performing at the highest levels can often be very stressful and many very talented people fall by the wayside. Many performers turn to drugs to help them with issues of nervousness. Most performers could use the help of a good psychotherapist from time to time. Many dream of a world-famous solo career but settle for orchestra work or teaching because there is very little room at the top.

To discover for your self what is involved in creating and maintaining a musical career I highly recommend you reach for your Internet connector and check out some or all of the people on the next page. What you will encounter are tales of triumph and tragedy, each one more fascinating than the next. Call me when you finish and we’ll talk.