You might feel like you are left to your own devices; music school was a great way to learn new things on your instrument, but it is very likely that nobody explained to you how the music business work, what opportunities you should be seeking and how to keep developing yourself as a musician once you leave the building. It is a common situation for music grads and this is where the ones who were destined to be pianists or are ambitious enough to work for it will set themselves apart from the hobbyists.
The first thing you need to consider, upon graduation, is to create a list of contacts. Include all the teachers you’ve had good relations with and know you enough to be able to recommend you for a gig and all the fellow students you’ve played with or would like to eventually play with later down the line. This will help you keep track of everyone you know on the music scene and have their contact info readily available if you need to get in touch with them. Sending a quick note to your past teachers once in a while is also a great way to network and keep a certain relationship with the people who’ve fostered your learning for all these years.
Another tip for recent grads is to grab a teaching position somewhere. Whether you are qualified to teach in high school or simply want to spend a few hours weekly in an after school program, a teaching side-gig can be a great way to earn income while you work on getting more performing opportunities. Also, it will remind you that you didn’t spend thousands of dollars and years of your life studying something that you’ll leave behind – you’ll actually be working in your field, which will be a constant reminder to hustle new gigs and opportunities!
The bottom line is that once you leave music school, you’ll have to jump in the real world and this can be quite puzzling. Keep in touch with other musicians and make sure that your community knows about your skills and services. You’ll have to hustle and work hard if you are looking to be a performer, but the end result will be worth it. If you can’t find anyone to hire you, create your own opportunities. They might not generate an income right away (hence the teaching position recommended above), but you never know when your next personal project will get off the ground! Remember; you probably won’t have as much time to ‘practice’ once you get out of school, so you need to make sure that you set aside some time for yourself to work on music that you like.
