Playing Is Important, Personality Is More Important!

Are you a professional musician? Do you want to be a professional musician? If the answer is yes then you need to accept one cold, hard fact. You are a business owner and the product you are selling is yourself. I know, music is art and combined with the average persons shyness about self promotion most musicians fail as business people, not as musicians. Ever notice how the most successful musicians in your local music scene is rarely the best players. It is because they are able to communicate with fellow employees, band members. And make employers, bar & venue owners, comfortable buying their product, their music. The people you do business with don't care if you can play the hottest Victor Wooten lick. They only care that you are on time, easy to do business with, their customers have a good time when you are playing, and yes that you can play. As with any business personality is everything. Every time you come into contact with anyone associated with "your business" and "your product" you have to be positive and make everyone feel comfortable with you and your product. You would just take for granted that you would have to do that if you were working behind the counter at Radio Shack. Why wouldn't you take that for granted with your own business.

So if you feel like you are guilty of not treating your career like a real business take the first step in self promotion. In this day and age there is no excuse. Here is an exercise I have for you that won't cost a penny. Go to Google and start a website, it's free. In this site list and describe everything about your product, you! Describe the type of music you are interested in playing, your age, include a picture, and be honest about your skill level. You might be surprised that describing yourself as the greatest bass player might cost you work. Now go to your local Craigslist and post an ad for your product, you! In the ad post a link to your new website. Weather you get a new gig from the ad or not you will now be seeing your product like all of your customers will and you make edits in your website and your product, YOU!

As bass players we are in a unique position that we are in huge demand. In most markets you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a great guitar player.But good, just good bass players are hard to come by. Make sure you are a good bass player then make sure you are a great business man!