I get a lot of emails from musicians who feel like they don't "fit in" and, because of that, have a sense of hopelessness when it comes to creating a successful career in the music business.
I'm a believer that the music business has enough room for everybody who really wants to be here. And if you don't "fit in," there is a great opportunity for you to do very well by taking advantage of the situation.
Here is how you do it...
Play your game.
If you don't like what happening at your table, change the table. Don't like the people hanging around you? Move.
You are in control.
Last night, I went to an album release show by Tom Brislin. Normally, these shows are at a club. For an independent artist, the cover is usually about $10 and it's not uncommon to get a CD (or download of the album) for that price.
None of these things happened last night.
Tom could play a club (or any standard music venue) and feel right at home. He's certainly done that in the past, as a touring musician for acts like Meat Loaf, Yes, and Debbie Harry.
This was for his album though. And as what I'd call a musicians' musician, he picked a different venue-- a Steinway Piano Gallery.
When I walked in, going past the sales floor to the concert area, the first piano I looked at was $108,000. Definitely not the standard piano, or the standard venue.
The price of the event reflected that. Tom was getting $25 for what most people only charge $10 for. He was doing the same work as he would in a club, bascially, but charging 150% more.
That is playing your game.
He performed on a Steinway D-274, the standard for concert grand pianos. It takes balls to sit down at a piano like that.
And the show was just him. He didn't wait for other musicians to see his vision and join him, he did it alone.
That is playing your game.
When you show up like this, the music business has no choice but to make room for you.