How to Succeed in Music By Working Less

Why Do You Play?

I was teaching a seminar a few weeks ago and had the following conversation with a local singer/songwriter.

Me: “Why do you play Songwriter Shows in Nashville?”

Songwriter: “To get heard by producers and label people.”

Me: “Who’s in the audience at these shows?”

Songwriter: “Mostly other songwriters.”

Me: “Are there some that have producers and label people in the audience?”

Songwriter: “Only a few.”

Me: “What if you stopped playing all the other Songwriter Shows and spent that time doing something else for your career?”

Working Musicians

Most musicians say yes to every gig that comes they’re way in the hopes that chance and luck and destiny will come together and they’ll be “discovered” and become an overnight success. Can it happen? Sure. Has it? Maybe.

More often than not, however, the only thing that happens is that these musicians work all the time without ever getting closer to their career goals. Their belief that success “might” happen at any gig prevents them from considering that success will probably happen at the right gig.

Working Smart

As the songwriter and I talked more, we discovered three reasons for her to perform these hows:

1. Getting her heard by producers and label people.
2. Building a fan base.
3. Getting opportunities to co-write with other songwriters.

Then we talked about the various kinds of Songwriter Shows in Nashville in broad terms:

• Shows with songwriters and locals (usually friends and family of all the songwriters) – the majority of the shows.
• Shows with songwriters and tourists – a few.
• Shows with songwriters, producers and label people – a few.
• Shows with songwriters, tourists, producers and label people – a few.

This led to the obvious realization that she could stop playing most of these shows and concentrate on the few in the last two categories. This would allow her to work less while accomplishing all her goals. She’d meet other songwriters, meet potential folks from out of town that could be converted to long-term fans, AND she’d play in front of the right industry people. She’s move closer and closer to her career goals by actually working less.

What are the gigs or activities you’re doing that you could eliminate completely? What are your gigs or activities that you could focus better?