Beyond the Practice Room: Building a Career
An 1842 cartoon by Theodor Hosemann showing 'Lisztomania', the hysteria of the audience when the virtuoso piano player and composer performed in public. He was popular not just as a musician, but also as a philanthropist, classical music trailblazer, and personality.
As classical musicians, we spend so much of our lives studying, practicing, and trying to become better artists. We spend hours at the piano learning notes, understanding the intentions of a composer, developing technique, and searching for the right sound and expression. All of this is essential, and nothing can replace the dedication required to become a fine musician.
However, being a musician today involves much more than what happens in the practice room. We must also learn how to build a career and make people aware of our work. We can practice for five or six hours a day, but if nobody knows who we are, what we are doing, or where we are performing, it becomes much more difficult to create opportunities. What has helped me a great deal is working both on my piano studies and my career at the same time. Developing artistic ability and professional presence should happen side by side. Just as you schedule your practice time, you should schedule time to work on the business and communication side of your career.
Marketing should not be thought of as something separate from being an artist, or as something less important than practicing. It is another skill that we must learn. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok can help us share our performances, rehearsals, musical ideas, and professional accomplishments with audiences around the world. Still, simply having an account is not enough; we must learn to use it thoughtfully and consistently. I started by creating a professional profile with a clear biography, good photographs, performance videos, and accurate contact information. I also share musical excerpts of my work, announce upcoming concerts, introduce the composers and works I perform, while giving people an idea of not just who I am as a musician, but also a person. Keeping my biography and résumé updated, while creating a website that brings your recordings, photographs, calendar, and contact information together in one place, is extremely important. You do not need an expensive production team to begin, however, a consistent online presence can go a long way. Set aside a little time each week for these activities, and remember that everything you share contributes to the impression people form of you as a professional musician.
