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This is a guest post: by John Shannon. Modern guitarist, vocalist and song crafter John Shannon believes in the power of music to enlighten the mind. Having already toured the globe with some of the brightest rising stars of indie rock, folk and jazz including Sonya Kitchell, Haale and Hiromi, Shannon's solo work has taken him on a journey into his soul and beyond. More about him @ www.johnshannonmusic.com

Flexibility and Minimalism

There are two things that come to mind as far as the lifestyle requirements of a freelance guitarist in New York City: Flexibility and Minimalism. Lets take a look at what it means to be a flexible musician. First off, what it means to be musically flexible. This is not meant to feed the age old idea that you have to master all styles to be a great player, which is pretty much an unattainable ideal anyway. This is to suggest that you can jump into any musical style and bring something appropriate to the table as a guitarist. Most times I find people are hiring me not to blow them off the stage, but to play a part in the alchemy of their music. Iʼd like to note here that the highest goal as a sideman should always be to make everyone around you sound great, always be a servant to the music and the musicians around you. To be flexible means to be able to play a few jazz standards, to pull out a Beatles song or two off the top of your head, to fake Jimmy Pageʼs solo on “Stairway to Heaven”, to know all current bands in case someone sais “can you make it sound more like Kings of Leon”, to play quiet, to play loud, to have a range of guitar effects that cover most scenarios, to know when to lay out and stop playing, to have a few classical pieces under your belt, to be able to conjure a decent intro to any given tune, and most of all to listen. You have to become a great listener. Not only constantly listening to new and old music, but to know that when someone sais they want something musically, to know what they really mean though they donʼt know how to express it in guitar terms. Such as “can you play it more like thereʼs a tumbleweed rolling by…” To which you either walk out the door (just kidding) or switch to your bridge pickup, put on a little tremolo and twang out a straight open D minor chord.
The other flexibility Iʼm talking about is with your schedule. You have to make things work as much as possible for the people who are hiring you so that itʼs easy for them and so theyʼll want to have you back on their gig. You have to be up for a rehearsal or two with or without pay to begin a new music relation. You have to be up for a hang at all times to keep meeting new people to play music with. Saying all this may make it all seem like a big old hustle, but if youʼre playing music because you love music then itʼs a joy to constantly meet new people who also love to play music. This is also not to say that you shouldnʼt turn gigs down. For the most part as a freelancer you should take all gigs that come your way, but if you really donʼt like a project, do yourself and the artist a favor and donʼt take it. If weʼre gonna play music for a living we should enjoy it. With that being said, part of flexibility is knowing how to enjoy all music. Get to know your limits on all fronts so that you donʼt burn out because free lancing anything in New York City is a very active lifestyle.
Next, a key factor, I think, in being a free lance guitarist in New York City is adopting the minimalist mindset. Hereʼs why: If you play guitar with the minimalistʼs mindset combined with aware listening, you will never get in the way on someoneʼs gig. That is the first unspoken rule for any artist when they are considering whether or not to continue working with you. It is much better for someone to ask you to turn up then to turn down. Be aware of the space you occupy in any given situation, and start small. Minimalism in music relates to appropriateness in music. Also in naming minimalism as a key factor in NYC freelancing, I mean that your lifestyle may require it. I donʼt really need to say this, but if your motivation for playing music as a guitarist is to get rich, you are better off practicing Guitar Hero until they enter it into the Olympics. Iʼm not saying it wonʼt or canʼt happen, Iʼm just saying it takes alot of standard $50 gigs to buy a penthouse apartment. For that matter the same goes for anyone who is in music to make money before making music: better to become a doctor instead and help people while earning alot of money because creating intentionless music governed by the latest music fad to dominate the radio, internet, and tv waves only serves to make society less intelligent as a whole. Stepping off my soap box now, you also need to figure out how to achieve a great sound with a minimal amount of gear. New York has an extensive subway system and you donʼt want to have to worry about finding a parking spot right before the gig. For me a small light solid state amp on a cart (bumpy sidewalks can ruin small tube amps), a small shoulder strap pedal board and a gig bag guitar case work just fine. You also want to spend time learning the range of your effects so you can make the most of just a few pedals.
You have to be willing to live minimally and enjoy it. Learn how to make the money you earn spread. Minimalism will take care of that. Itʼs important for me to say that you donʼt have to be a “starving artist”. With this mindset you can be a “surviving minimalist”, doing what you love.
In conclusion, the main thing is to learn how to let the music guide your life. If you love to play guitar, then make it your spiritual path and learn how to listen to it for guidance. Donʼt respond to vibrations of urgency or negativity from anyone. Stay in the zone and believe in your own guitar playing. The rest will take care of itself.

-js

http://www.johnshannonmusic.com

http://www.myspace.com/johnshannonmusic

This is a guest post: by Mike Relf. Freelance guitarist, guitar teacher and more Mike is a regular deputy for many bands. He is well known as a sideman to many and enjoys a reputation as a versatile & musical freelance guitar player along with that of an experienced and inspiring teacher.  More about him @ www.MikeRelf.com

It’s been a while since I was at college but I still remember taking a range of different classes including subjects like composition, production, music business and sound engineering. These were lessons that left my guitar still in its case despite me trying to become a better player. I mean, that’s why I was there right?

Of course I have learnt a lot since those days and my main maxim nowadays is to spread myself amongst a few different activities to best ensure my long term success at this career. Let’s set one thing straight first of all though… It’s not going to happen for you. There are positive steps that you can take (we’ll get onto those later) but the main thing is to look at what you have versus what you want and then look at what you will need to do in order to match those two things together. I have seen so many times (especially for some reason with musicians!) that the ideas are there but there seems little energy or drive to get on the case and put some energy in. Let’s get started.

What do you have to offer? Personally, I try to cover as much ground as possible. I can play a number of instruments, sing, lead a band, play session, offer deputy cover, engineer a mix, produce a record, teach most of these things and more. Even if your skills aren’t that broad, you can look at a few areas to get you going and ensure that when one thing quietens down, there is still plenty left to do. They say that the key to good business is to be an effective middleman. For me, it’s purely about getting organised. Some time ago, I split my own potential into a few areas and was surprised that only about 50% related to actually playing the guitar. Try it. Make a pie chart and prioritise your skills as a percentage. Include everything that you can think of. Now look at your diary. Does it fit? Right now I probably have more than 50% of my income coming from playing gigs. That means that there’s a deficit in another area. If the gigging suddenly stopped (I could break my wrist), I’d be a little exposed and my ‘business’ could fail.

Get organised and have a plan! – I know that from May to August is perfect wedding season so I try to run a function band of my own as well as offering background stuff for mealtimes and keeping on the deps (stand ins) list for other bands that might need me at this time. There’s good money in this so learn a repertoire of pop songs even if you‘re not too into it. You can make at least 2 or 3 times the pay of a pub gig which will free up more time for the things that you do want to do. During the same summer period, teaching can be on a decline as peoples priorities change so build up your numbers over the winter months by getting onto an online registry or two (you’ll find me on a few). Put some thought into your lessons and your students will soon mount up. If you have some qualifications or decent experience, spend a little time on the phone to schools and register your interest by sending a CV. Peripatetic teaching is hard to come by (dead mans shoes!) but it is out there and can offer even more consistency when the gigs are less around January/Feb. You’ll want some more consistency as well and, whilst not huge payers, local bars and restaurants will offer something in the way of good regular work if you are persistent enough and can show them a good product. Duo’s are good money and this is also a good way to pick up potential party and function customers. There’s always the opportunity for some session work too so keep your ears open even if it’s just playing on another bands demo, you could make a few bucks. I also engineer for a band or two on occasion so think about this if you can work a pa. Of course there are other alternatives much as production or song writing and these can earn you good money if you find yourself in the right place. Even on a small scale, if you have some recording gear you could charge for cutting a band demo or two. Can you set a guitar up? Shops charge a mint for this service so make sure your students know that you can do it too. These are a few thoughts about how to get it together. How’s your pie chart looking?

Ok so here it is… you’re not alone. For all kinds of reasons, there are millions of people the world over that want a piece of what we’re doing. You may struggle if you don’t want to play covers music (even on the side?!) so if you feel that you ‘have’ to play function stuff, make sure that you are also working on creative projects such as your own album of music. You are an artist first so remember that. Try and remember why you started playing in the first place. Just don’t sit around waiting for the phone to ring. You’ll have to make some sacrifices (at first at least) in order to make it work and it will take just that… work.

As an advocate of balance I also need to say that all artists should be equipped with adequate business skills. If you get a booking, send a contract. Don’t undervalue your services so check out how much the other acts might be getting. Set up contracts for your students to help protect yourself from cancellations. Be professional and prompt to gigs and don’t be scared to ask for numbers or hand out cards. You alone are responsible for your publicity so do a good job of it!! Reputations are fickle things and the local circuit is smaller than you think. To be honest, the international circuit is probably smaller than you might think! You won’t want to think of yourself as a brand but it can help when you’re designing a website or sending out an invoice.

So it’s turbulent and a bit scary but making a living from your chosen instrument is both exciting and fulfilling. Remember that there are specific organisations out there to help make it easier for you and building your own support system of local musicians is crucial too. After all, most of the time you can’t gig it alone. Having a trade to offer is a very old institution and goes right back to the days of carpentry and street entertainers. Often when I’m loading up the car after a crap gig and wondering why I bothered turning up, I remember the stories of the old kung fu masters who would practice their craft on the street (busking) to earn money by showing off tricks like balancing on a spear or breaking boards (very little to do with the art itself) just in order to continue to be able to practice more of the art they were devoted to. Makes you think…

Some positive steps.

Get a website. If you have a product, are a teacher or have anything to promote, get it done! Mine is a resource for a few things such as promoting demos for duo acts or simply having a place for people to find me. It also helps me visualise how my ‘brand’ is looking.

Network – Jams nights are a good way to play with new guys and also an excuse to get out of the area and into some new venues so see what’s happening in your area. See your friends play to get some perspective on your own projects and you can use things like Facebook to stay in touch. Generally, we all work on the same nights so it’s hard to get out to see people sometimes. Make the effort!

Increase your skills – Get a teacher (no matter what standard you feel you are), keep a diary of practice if you can and put the work in. You will have a better career if you are a better player. 

Join Relevant Membership affiliations – Such as the Musicians Union. It’s a good route for insurances too. If you’re teaching, you should also get a CRB check done. Protect your own interests where you can.

Accounting – Keep the best possible records of mileage info, gigs, expenses etc. Also it’s handy to keep a folder on your pc with stuff like invoice templates. Having a printed invoice to give to a venue looks 100 times better than hand writing one on the night. Be as professional as you can be. Also on this note, keep your equipment in good working order. There’s enough to worry about without having to repair stuff on the gig!

Save money – You don’t always need a pension plan (especially in today’s shaky climate) but it is an up and down industry. Make sure you have provisions for the quieter months and don’t overspend during the peaks! A sudden car repair bill can be quite a shock if you’re not ready.

Be positive – You’re doing this because you chose to. No good complaining at the gig even if it’s not your bag. Keep things moving forward and changing and you won’t be left stagnant doing the things that you don’t want to do. 

This is a guest post: by Guy Gardner. Gifted jazz pianist and author, Guy's début recording as a leader is 'Emma's Dream' with Bassist Jeff Clyne and Drummer Trevor Tomkins, featuring original material. ‘New Directions’ will be available later on this year. You can find more about him @ www.GuyGardner.co.uk 

It’s a cold November morning, and we’ve been driving since 6 am.  We get to the studio which is called Red Gables, and located in south east London. Richard the bass player isn’t there yet and so we bang on the door which is answered by Dick Hamett, the engineer and owner of Red Gables. 

We start shifting the drum kit in whilst Dick puts the kettle on. I see this particular studio for the first time in seven years, since I did my last trio album. The piano (a beautiful Steinway loved my many pianists both classical and jazz) crouches sulkily behind a partition covered in blankets looking like a large unmade bed.

 I feel doubt set in. It seems like an impossible task at times; in a few moments I’m going to be sitting at that piano with a pair of cans on and I am going to try to play like myself and get something down which will, after all, be around for a very, very long time. 

 I was incredibly nervous on the first album recorded there Emma’s Dream (available from Cd baby). But I used that I suppose the way an actor might, and made the album about the presentation of the compositions which were all mine apart from two standards. I knew it wouldn’t be a roof raiser in that sense, so I concentrated on creating a world of sound, light and shade. 

 Listening to it now I think it worked well, but that kind of thing is a one trick pony, you need to be able to do more than that the second time around or what was interesting becomes merely tedious.

 In the intervening years between then and now I worked in a lot of different situations which I think is what built my playing up. I did everything from concerts with musicians who far surpassed me in musical intellect and ability to really play, to pop gigs and anything and everything else. 

 When you play enough you begin to get comfortable in your own musical skin. You learn the standards, and you begin to get an overview of how and more important when to play. I found that just learning to play with, and listen to other people to an enormous amount of practice. 

 ‘Time,  said pianist John Horler, my teacher throughout the time I studied music at Dartington College of Arts,  is everyone’s biggest problem.’ I think it is the single most true statement I’ve heard. So I worked on my time, not just the metronome beat but the pulse which runs through all good music.

 So, aspiring musicians you get all this stuff together. What next? You are ready to take on the world, but actually the world isn’t much interested. 

 That’s the truth; there are many people who can play beautifully, and they all deserve their place in the sun. I didn’t know this really when I recorded the first album, if I had I might have approached it differently, so perhaps then it was a good thing. Ignorance is bliss they say.

 I spent a lot of time promoting the first album and I got a good review from the late Ian Carr and about 11 really nice gigs…eventually. It was very hard, I mean really hard. You have to get on that phone and pester people who don’t know who you are and have a lot of other stuff to do. To them you are a massive pain in the backside, but if you pester them enough they might relent or they might not.

 But you have to go on. Try everything. That’s my advice. Get a recording together, which is the highest quality you can make it, with the best musicians you can. Put your heart in it and believe it is a true statement of your artistic soul. 

 Done that? Good. Now view it as a product. That’s what you are selling after all. Your brand, your unique selling point.

 Look at the images of Miles Davis. He was a product and he knew it and used it as a vehicle to speak the truth through his music.

 As a musician especially a jazz musician. You have to expect disappointment. The musical market isn’t geared for us and it hardly makes any money. If you get a record deal you are doing extremely well, and if you earn enough money to buy a sofa from it you are in the elite few.

 You can’t blame the record companies. They are in the business of selling products and jazz is a bit like some amazing brand of crisps that a few people love, but well, they’re not Walker’s crisps are they? 

 So why then bother trying it at all? I went into the studio knowing all this, feeling about 50 years older in musical experience, knowing our next cd will be a hard slog (a trio album is even harder to sell by the way). I know there will be a lot of difficulty and we will find it hard to make our money back and get gigs.

 As Richard calmly puts rosin on his bow and Simon experimentally plays a few licks on the snare (one of 5 he brought to the session). I know the reason and it’s simple. 

We all belong here. We make music and that’s the truth of it. 

‘New Directions’ will be available  in the new year.