Reprinted from www.TheBuzzFactor.com

1. Who You Are vs. How You Make a Living

I received several great responses on the topic of part-time
vs. full-time music careers. One from Guy-Michael Grande
was so great, I'm running it here as a guest column of sorts.
Read his words. They may force you to think in new ways
about your own career.

Take it away, Guy-Michael:

As a so-called "part-time" musician, I prefer to avoid that
term altogether. When someone invariably asks, "What do you
do?" I always respond, "I'm a singer-songwriter." To which
they almost always reply, "You make a living doing that?"
And I say, "Not yet, but you asked what I DO, not how I make
my living." A fine distinction maybe, but it works for me.

To me, my day-job is the part-time part: I'm always an artist,
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That doesn't stop because
I currently earn my rent somewhere else. So I try to give as
much to my music as possible, which means getting at least
one thing done every day or night (contacts, rehearsals,
songwriting and/or revision, performances, you name it).

Most millionaires didn't become instant lottery winners,
and most successful artists didn't "luck out," either. Some
people might be amazed how much they could get done
during one lunch hour or evening if they'd only skip watching
TV!

I think it's also key to be aware of our definition(s) of
success, because there are so many little successes along
the way that we might otherwise miss or ignore if we're so
focused on those major goals (like becoming a household
name who sells millions of records on his/her own indie
label). Since every step can have its drawbacks and victories,
my approach is to try and appreciate the latter while taking
the former with a lot of humility and renewed determination.

We should always have goals -- dream them, define them,
write them down and pursue them -- and temper them within
the framework of our day jobs or "Clark Kent" existences
until we find ways to achieve that full-time status.

But it's like a producer once told me: Once the record is
done and about to be released, then the REAL work begins.
Especially for all of us indie artists with indie labels.
Making it to full-time status alone won't ensure success ...
it just means we'll have to keep pursuing our goals minus
the day-job drawbacks and distractions.

Then again, some of my best songs have been inspired by
people I've met on the job -- and I've grown a wonderful
audience thanks in part to men and women I work with every
day -- so as much as I can't wait to make music full-time,
I do appreciate my current circumstances for all that they
provide.

By Guy-Michael Grande, Route Five Records,
www.guy-michael.com

("Reprinted from Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor, featuring
free marketing and self-promotion ideas for songwriters,
musicians and bands on a budget. Visit
www.TheBuzzFactor.com for details.")