Hi everyone and welcome to this week’s edition of Musician’s Maintenance. As we all continue physical distancing and weathering the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s my job to shine a light on the areas of hope and opportunity that may be hiding in all of this.
To do this I sent out a question to a bunch of interesting people that I’ve come across in the music space and asked for their thoughts. Here’s what I asked…
“Like everyone I’m trying to figure out what to make of our global pandemic. Musicians and the music industry have been hit hard, but I also believe that there is opportunity hiding within every crisis.
So I’m reaching out to a bunch of people asking for their thoughts on where those opportunities are for musicians. These silver linings could either be on an individual level or within your corner of the music industry.”
I got back a fair amount of responses and the answers fell into 3 broad categories. 1) Step back, pause, reconnect to health 2) Reconnect to goals 3) Entrepreneurship.
Before I get started, I wanted to give a special thanks to everyone who replied. For this piece I’ve taken bits and pieces of what they said, but if you want to see their whole reply, I’ve got them all compiled here.
Let’s dive in and see what everyone had to say.
1) Step back, Pause, Reconnect to health
Step back
Perhaps my favorite response came from Drew Alexander Forde, better known as That Viola Kid.
“I don’t think the landscape really changes in the long run…This industry has endured pandemics before, and it recovered. It even survived the Great Depression, WWII, Vietnam, etc”
To take it one step further, Ryan Davis of The Upnote emphasized the light that this pandemic is shining on society’s need for art.
“…it seems like many people are starting to realize just how much they depend on the arts and creatives…streaming sites are blowing up, podcasts are still being made, and livestream performances seem to be popping up wherever I look! I am hopeful that those who enjoy the hard work of creative people during this pandemic will consider supporting the artists they value, even beyond all of this isolation. This could be a turning point for recognizing the perhaps esoteric value of the arts in a society that always wants hard data?!”
So while the music industry may change because of all of this, it’s not likely to evaporate completely. The world needs music now more than ever.
Pause
Let’s face it, life as a musician can be hectic with an unpredictable schedule and not a lot of time to slow down. A theme that emerged is to take this forced break and just pause and appreciate it (yes I understand that is hard for the working musician’s brain that has been conditioned for business!).
Francesca Leo from Playing Without Pain put it this way.
“…with all things cancelled I don’t have any performance I’m currently preparing for which takes a lot of pressure off. The last five years or so I’ve been basically going nonstop without taking any breaks, even through the summers. This is an opportunity for me to rest and work at my own pace through a lot of things I’m doing for my own enjoyment.”
Megan Taylor, a PhD candidate in musicians health had this to say.
“Now more than ever, I think this is an excellent time for musicians to take a step back to rest and reconnect with themselves. It might be difficult to see this time as a gift, but it really is. I hope that musicians take time to reflect on their goals, establish wellness habits, and take advantage of this moment to rest.”
For Naia Kete of SayReal the forced break has created “…the space to create from quiet, from stillness and solitude…give ourselves moments to play just to PLAY.”
Reconnect to health
With gigs cancelled for the foreseeable future, many have found more time on their hands. A big question is what to do with it.
Being a musician can leave very little time to take care of yourself. Many responded that perhaps now is the time to get your health on track.
Kendall Deflin Corso, the founder of BackLine put it this way…
“…the time and space for routine and structure could arm this community with the tools they need to thrive when they eventually reintegrate back into work life. It takes 3 weeks to create a habit. Now is the time to learn the skills you need to level up in your career, and, even more, it is the time to learn meditation, breath work, yoga, and other life-changing practices that have long-lasting benefits. The music industry has been identified as an at-risk community, and we believe there’s a chance to change that by prioritizing mental health and wellness”
Wellness opportunities are springing up all over the place.
Just to name a few,
Backline is offering virtual mental health and wellness support for musicians.
Violist and Movement for Musicians teacher, Kimberly Hankins is offering free livestream yoga classes for musicians.
Angela McCuiston, a personal trainer for musicians has discounted her online training program by 50%.
Rachel Galvin White is offering a light version of her Perform Without Pain course at a pay what you can rate until April 15th (after that the price goes up to $1,000 so this is a HUGE discount. DM her on social for details).
Naia Kete is putting together a 30 Day Rest program to support musicians with structure, staying healthy and making money during quarantine (DM her on social for details).
I’m busily working on a follow along version of the Injury Prevention Program for Musicians and should have it ready to go for you next week.
Those are a few ideas to get you started. Basically every other exercise, yoga, Pilates, mindfulness and other similar groups are streaming their work at free or steeply discounted rates. So time and access are no longer excuses for not taking care of your body!
2) Reconnect to Goals
Another theme that emerged is the opportunity to think more deeply about what your goals are and how to go about meeting them. Again, the business of life as a musician can have you just moving from one task or rehearsal to the next with little time to stop and really think about why.
Karen Hall of Musician Health Resource (who, by the way has some of the best financial resources for musicians. See: COVID-19 relief resources, financial wellness and musicians qualifying for unemployment)
“This time of quiet in the music industry is giving me permission to focus on my goals. Not on the actions I need to be taking to be ‘noticed’ like going to that late show or playing a gig I don’t enjoy or making an extra commute because a student needs a make-up lesson. I’m talking time to focus on my goals. As in define them. Measure out the steps I’ll take to get them. Know undeniably what I would want six months from now that would make me both happy and fulfill my financial needs.”
“Right now you have permission to be intentional in every decision you make because there is no #giglife to answer to. No production teams or call times or hustle. It’s quiet time for everyone. I would encourage you to use this time to dream your biggest dreams, set your biggest goals and map out your path to your brightest future.”
This sentiment was also echoed by Meghan Taylor.
“I’ve been trying to be more intentional about goal setting and writing down something that I want to achieve each day that pushes me towards my personal and career goals. This little action has been helping me to stay grounded and keep my goals perspective through all of the uncertainty going on around me.”
3) Entrepreneurship
By far the biggest theme was that this crisis highlights the fact that even talented classical musicians need to view their career through an entrepreneurial lens.
Again from Kimberly Hankins
“I think the big thing is that musicians now have to become visible online in order to survive. I think music entrepreneurship classically was something that the ‘less talented’ musicians needed, because the great ones became soloists or orchestral musicians or professors. Now all of these jobs are in danger, and musicians are scrambling to learn as much as they can about online platforms, marketing, and graphic design. Things that are suddenly now very necessary.”
Drew Alexander Forde (That Viola Kid) put it this way.
“What’s most salient is musicians are now realizing the value of branding, entrepreneurship, and direct-to-consumer marketing.
My advice would be to read marketing books, figure out how you want to tell your story, and start telling it today.”
And David Cartolano from The Conditioned Musician broke down the elements of entrepreneurship quite well.
“Every musician on Instagram has a phone and access to Internet. If you can use those two things to help other people solve a problem, both parties can benefit. The bigger the problem, the bigger the payoff. Figure out what your audience wants, and give it to them. It’s that simple.”
Probably the biggest theme that came out of the question was the opportunity to build an online presence and business.
Taylor Rossi is a flutist, web designer, photographer and social media ninja. Here’s her answer:
“I would say that it’s giving musicians a chance to build up their online platforms and businesses! For so many who didn’t have time before to do so, this is giving them that time to make it happen! As we know, it’s essential to use these resources in today’s world and musicians can often be stuck in the past so I think it’s helping us move into a more profitable place
Francesca Leo saw similar opportunity:
“And I think it’s a great time especially for online/virtual development for musicians (and everybody) as well. It gives us time to figure out how to transfer our work to the internet and try and make some new connections online during this time.”
One more from Kimberly Hankins:
“Having all my jobs cancelled was a big deal for me that I’m still processing, but how amazing would it be if after everything returns to the way it was – I could have an online business as a steady source of income! There are definitely opportunities to be made here and now.”
Most of the online business opportunities either had to do with wellness (probably due to sampling bias of the people I follow!) or teaching lessons online. But there are endless opportunities and audiences musicians could serve.
Coach Rusty Osborn had the most creative online business idea I heard (and he’s not even pursuing it, so give it a go!).
“Lots of people starting online businesses right now that need music for their content though, I think that’s gonna be a major thing for musicians to capitalize on.”
The Bottom Line
There’s no two ways about it. The economic impact of this pandemic sucks and has been especially hard on musicians. There are a great many musicians out there who may not recover from it.
But for those who are willing to take a closer look and lean into discomfort, there are opportunities to be had. There’s the distinct possibility that this crisis is the catalyst that moves you into the career of your dreams.
So take the advice of your peers.
Step back, pause, reconnect to your health.
Reconnect to your goals.
Start viewing your career as an entrepreneurial endeavor. Create your online presence. Figure out who you can serve and start looking for the creative opportunities to serve them in ways that only you can.