An open letter to music business students from a music business graduate (who actually found work in the industry).
Dear first-year Music Business students:
Let me begin by commending you for the decision to pursue a college degree. Music Business is not a common major to pursue. Before arriving at school, you likely faced questions and concerns about your future from everyone in your life. I believe they only want the best for you. They don’t know what the future holds, but they know music is a cutthroat industry. Their concern is an expression of their love. Remember that.
If anyone reading this still believes a college degree guarantees a career in your chosen field, know that is a lie. Just as countless musicians are aspiring to spend their lives performing and recording, there is an equal number of people vying for the low number of paid positions on the business side of the entertainment industry. The competition is fierce, and it is growing increasingly tough with each passing day. Your success in college will no doubt give you a leg up, but it is by no means a golden ticket. You will have to fight for every bit of success you find in music, and there is just no getting around that.
I’m writing to you today because there is one lesson no professor could teach me, and learning it has made all the difference in my career. Your time in college may determine the next decade or decades that follow, but the deciding factor will not be your performance in the classroom. What will define your career after college is how you utilize the free time you are afforded by pursuing a degree. There will never be another time in your adult life where you have the freedom you will experience during your college years. Some see this as a cause for celebration, and to some extent it is, but those taking their future seriously will recognize it as an opportunity to explore the business, find their passion, and begin developing a presence in the music business.
As you head into the fall semester, I want to encourage your curiosity about the entertainment business. ‘Don’t worry about landing your dream job just yet. Instead, worry about understanding how people do that job. Take into account what separates those who succeed in that skill set from those who do not. Reach out to those already doing the work you wish to do and ask for their story. Listen more than you speak. Learn to ask questions. Not general inquiries, but specific questions geared toward the day-to-day life of those doing the job you desire. Shadow them. If possible, become their intern. Make your name known to the people in the field you wish to enter and make sure to do so in a way that speaks to your professionalism.
There will never be a job opportunity in music where your GPA determines employment. In eight years of post-grad life, the subject has never once come up in an interview, nor has an employer asked for many details related to the classes I took. Employers ‘don’t care what you learned, but rather how you have applied the knowledge your degree claims you gained. It may sound corny to you now, but the ”show” in show business applies to aspiring professionals as much as it does musicians. People need to see proof of your talent before they will feel comfortable giving you money to live your dreams. That goes for entrepreneurs as much as people who wish to join already successful brands. No one is going to take a chance on you until you take chances yourself, and the time to do that is right now. Start a blog. Find a young artist or group you believe in and do everything you can to help them gain recognition. Hand out fliers for a venue. Book shows at a local coffee shop. Start small, but start nonetheless.
You also need to network. That can be difficult for people, especially those who believe themselves to be shy or otherwise introverted, but it is an essential component of success in the music business. Everyone who gets anywhere does so because of their ability to network. You may feel intimidated when contacting professionals, but remember that they were once just like you. Nobody enters the music business without first being a fan, and that shared fandom connects us all. Reach out to the people who are helping your favorite artists succeed and let them know you recognize the work they have done. I also urge you to connect with those in your class, as well as others just starting out. Together you could build the next company that revolutionizes the industry. At the very least, you’ll have someone to turn to when things get tough (and they will get tough). No one succeeds in this industry on their own. Find like-minded people and do what you can to uplift them. They, in turn, will do the same for you.
Lastly, pay attention to the industry at large. You may be passionate about a particular genre or scene, but understand you may one day find yourself working in a completely different area of the music business. This industry is continually evolving, and you will develop over time as well. The artists that inspired you to pursue this dream will retire or go on hiatus, ushering in new scenes and sounds that we cannot yet begin to imagine. When that happens, and it will happen, you will need to adapt if you hope to continue working in music.
Do not wait for this industry to come to you because it ‘won’t. If you genuinely want this, and your decision to take on student loan debt tells me you do, then you have to chase this dream with everything you have in you. I believe in you.
Keep an open mind, work hard, and you will go far.
I believe in you.
Sincerely,
