TEM Coaching Tip: The One Trait You Will Eventually Need

The one trait you will need at some point in your journey as a musical entrepreneur is perseverance. I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t needed it. Some need it right out of the gate. Others have a lot of initial support and gain momentum early in their careers. Regardless, you will need perseverance at some point.

One story from early in my career immediately comes to mind. When I was an undergrad at Northwestern I had the opportunity to sub for a week with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. It was a new music concert in Orchestra Hall and the tuba parts were complicated and exposed. It was a wonderful experience.

When I showed up for the dress rehearsal, the bass trombonist told me that the conductor had been looking for me. There was still time before the downbeat so I went and introduced myself (our first conversation) and asked what he needed. What transpired was one of the proudest moments of my career.

He told me he had been recording every rehearsal and that my “playing and due diligence” stuck out to him and he wanted my name and number to be able to call me for studio work. I was elated! I thanked him profusely and gave him my number.

My excitement only grew when I told my professor at Northwestern, Rex Martin, about this encounter. When I told him that the conductor was Cliff Colnot he lit up. My professor was not prone to hyperbole and told me that Cliff Colnot had the best ears in all of Chicago. He also said that he controlled a huge portion of the radio and television jingle scene in town. Back in the 90’s there was a lot of studio work in Chicago so this was a really big deal. He couldn’t have been more proud.

And then my phone never rang. Not a single time.

This was my senior year of college and I had played a total of two paying gigs in over three years. This was my big break. And this wasn’t just someone who would pass my name along. This was from the person who literally had the power to make it happen. Then nothing.

I was demoralized.

At that point in my life I had person after person complimenting my playing but no one was paying me to do it. And you can’t pay your rent with compliments!

Luckily I kept my head down, kept working hard and eventually I had my breakthrough. But in the interim it was brutal.

Every person who has succeeded in the music business has experienced some variation of this story. If you are at the very start of your journey, know something like this is coming. And if you are well into your career like I am, know that it will probably happen again at some point.

The key is to expect it. You will be better equipped to persevere through the inevitable adversity if you know it’s coming.