Career News

Getting Promoted in the Army Band

Source: MusicianWages.com
May 23, 2011

I held a variety of “regular" jobs before joining the Army Band. Everything from selling flowers on the corner to being the errand boy for an animation company. Some I liked (movie theater) some I didn't (food service). But they all had one thing in common: I never advanced. I spent an entire summer slaving away at Baskins-Robbins coated in ice cream and hot fudge on training wages—an evil tool used by some companies to keep them from paying minimum ...

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How Jonathan Coulton Made $500,000 Last Year as a D.I.Y. Musician

Source: HypeBot
May 17, 2011

Last year d.y.i. musician Jonathan Coulton grossed about $500,000 from his music career; and because he's a mostly solo artist with low overhead, he got to keep most of it. Coutlon never expected to make this kind of money as a musician. “This is absurd," he told Planet Money.  But is Jonathan Coulton's success a fluke or can other musicians replicate it? First Coulton cut out the middle man - no record label. The using the web, he went direct ...

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How to be a Studio Musician Without Leaving Home

Source: MusicianWages.com
May 4, 2011

Musicians are always looking for ways to supplement their income and find new performance opportunities. If you have always wanted (and more so if you already are) to be a session musician, but didn't have the right contacts or weren't located in an active scene, you might want to look into offering your services as a virtual session musician. A virtual session musician provides their interpretation and instrumental or vocal performance to anyone, anywhere in the world in need of ...

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The Ingredients in a Successful Press Release

Source: We All Make Music
April 20, 2011

In an age of direct to fan marketing, social networking and google searches, is the traditional press release relevant today?

In a word, yes. Even though the public relations industry has changed, the press release still plays an important role in the publicity process. However, the elements of a successful press release have definitely evolved. Here's an overview on how to maximize yours in our new media market.

Consider Your Key Words If you ...

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Part 4: Reputation Building

Source: MusicianWages.com
April 14, 2011

In November of 2008 I moved to New York City. I'd been working in local, regional theatre and tours for over ten years and I was determined to get a job playing keyboards on Broadway. This is part 4 of a 5-part series. For the full story, visit the series home page: How I Became a Broadway Musician It was 2009 and I had started to find some work in NYC. I was accompanying for private musical theatre classes, giving ...

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Part 1: Committing to the Goal

Source: MusicianWages.com
April 11, 2011

I wanted to play keyboards on Broadway, but I didn't know where to start. The first step I took was committing to the goal. This is part 1 of a 5 part series on becoming a Broadway musician. For the full story, visit the series:

How I Became a Broadway Musician

First off, I’ve always loved theatre. I remember the first Broadway show my parents took me to see as a kid. We sat in the front row of ...

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Introduction: How I Became a Broadway Musician

Source: MusicianWages.com
April 10, 2011

This is the introduction to a 5-part series on becoming a Broadway musician. For the full story, visit the series home page: How I Became a Broadway Musician I played keyboards on my first Broadway show a few weeks ago. For me, this is a milestone in my career and marks the achievement of a major life goal that I've been working toward for over 20 years. When I first decided I wanted to play keyboards on Broadway—and this will ...

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Unpaid Internships: Do They Make Sense Anymore?

Source: Digital Music News
April 5, 2011

You know the drill: fetch some coffee, answer the phones, kiss some butt, and hope it all goes somewhere. It's the unpaid internship, a well-worn rite of passage in the music industry. But does this make sense anymore, especially with so many established companies struggling and cutting back? And remember: there's less guarantee than ever that you'll get a gig, so can you afford that risk? That was a huge question over the weekend at a conference held by the ...

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