A Rich Music Career Is A Diverse Music Career
What is a niche anyway?
Today, I want to talk about actionably building a diversified music career.
I constantly find myself in this dichotomous dance between narrowing my focus and expanding my offerings. For example, I recently decided to increase the amount of teaching I do in an effort to remove video game sound design as one of my income streams. I have found that sound design doesn't nearly bring me as much joy as the other things I do: writing music for video games and teaching music. I desire above all else, wherever possible, to have joy in the work that I'm doing. In many ways this can be viewed as a good thing: I am "niching down" as folks like to say, narrowing my practice.
And, yet, I have recently discovered an immense love for digital instrument design. I am currently working on a collection of instrument racks for Ableton Live created from field recordings I've taken this summer. It has me in this deeply fascinating headspace. On one hand, I'm thinking about instruments as static sound sculptures of sorts waiting for activation; interactive compositions with set bounds and parameters for participation. On the other hand, I'm thinking about these instruments as a sort of personal documentarian practice. These instruments have become vessels for my memories that will, in some way, live on in new forms every time they are used.
Creating these instruments is, without a doubt, an act of sound design. The very thing that I swore off doing months ago because I found little joy in I am now totally captivated by in a different capacity. This has given me pause for thought. I've been challenging my own presumptions about what it means to "niche down" as a result. I'd like to share some of those thoughts with you. I hope that you'll find some value in them.
(Side note: in case you’re curious to see what I’m cooking, here’s a simple, little piece I wrote for an instrument I made from recordings of my in-laws lovingly out of tune baby grand.)
"_ as it relates to music"
One of the personal guiding principles behind my career is the phrase "___ as it relates to music." It is my sweet spot between the seemingly unending demand of topical stasis that comes with being present online (what are you content buckets?) and the unavoidable truth that as an artist my only path forward is to grow and evolve. Like the center of a Venn Diagram, it may have the smallest area for me to explore, but it would also be fair to say that it's the richest, too.
The magic of this framing is that anything can fill in the blank so long as the latter half of the statement remains true. I am open to exploring most anything professionally if it is related to music. The discussion above regarding my feelings towards sound design are an excellent example of this. Sound design for sound design's sake, while an incredible and amazing art form, does not get me out of bed in the morning. When I compare that with the fact that several times in the last few weeks, I've woken up with different instrument ideas in my head, the distinction becomes clear.
(Need something to listen to for the remainder of your read?)
Know your destination but be fluid in your path
Perhaps, this framing is born from another guiding principle I use to navigate my career, which is "know your destination but be fluid in your path." For a long time, my goal has been singular: make my living with music. It is the title of this newsletter for that very reason, I wish to keep living with music in this way. "___ as it relates to music" is the equation behind that statement so to speak. To keep earning my living through music, I must do professional activities that relate to music.
In the day to day, this philosophy of sorts is taking several shapes for me right now. I regularly teach a course in creative audio at Point Blank Music School. I develop curriculum for Point Blank as well. I teach private music production and composition lessons. I compose music for video games. I compose music for children's VR experiences. I am currently planning a range of additional offerings which include the previously mentioned instruments, sample packs, workshops, and classes.
In a way that perhaps breaks down the metaphor, I am walking many paths at once to reach my destination. In a way that definitely collapses the metaphor, walking all these paths at once is the destination. I do many, small professional musical activities so that the entirety of my career remains music.
The practicals of a diversified music career
The practicalities of this approach can be summed up in one word: sustainability. Well, let's say two words because I would add flexibility as well. But let's start first with sustainability.
Perhaps the only thing that all professional music makers have in common is a desire to continue practicing their profession. Much of the day to day work of being a professional is ensuring that you have the runway to carry on: checking in on previous clients, maintaining strong relationships with current clients, networking to try and connect with new clients, etc. But what happens when it all comes to a halt despite any runway you may have built?
We all saw this exact scenario play out for live musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gigs cancelled, tours cancelled, residencies cancelled, theatrical productions cancelled. Everything came to a grinding halt and, for musicians who made the entirety of their income from live music, their careers were suddenly thrusted into jeopardy. What can you do in that situation? Weather it out? Pivot? Diversify? Leave music?
On a much, much smaller scale, I saw this play out in my own career. At first I was laser focused exclusively on composition. I wanted to do nothing else at all and I put all my time and energy into it. While that effort wasn't meaningless, it didn't earn me income. Unless you get really lucky, it takes time to build up a composition portfolio and certainly a good deal of time before you can earn your entire living off of it.
Maintaining multiple professional activities gives me space to prioritize certain things when needed as well as the capacity to pursue new endeavors when the opportunity or interest arises.
I quickly realized that I needed to diversify my income streams so that I could actually maintain a living. All of the activities listed above contribute to my total income. Some months, composition contributes the most. Other months, I lean heavily on teaching. Last year, they all contributed equally to my total yearly income.
That perhaps is my biggest point as it relates to sustainability: by not relying on one thing alone, I don't have to over stress if a potential client backs out or enrollment is low in a class or a student stops taking lessons. I have other activities that can fill in those gaps.
Having multiple activities grants me flexibility. My weekly schedule is like a little Lego set: I have numerous small tasks to do and for the most part I can arrange them how I see fit. Maintaining multiple professional activities gives me space to prioritize certain things when needed as well as the capacity to pursue new endeavors when the opportunity or interest arises (like designing digital instruments). I wouldn't know how to grow my career otherwise.
Taking action
It is this sort of career path, one filled with multiple small income streams, that I often recommend to my students as a way "in." They desire to become professional musicians but the idea of suddenly transitioning all of their income from whatever work they do right now over to one singular musical activity is not only daunting, for the vast majority of them it just isn't actionable.
However, starting one small money making musical activity is actionable. Taking a few hours a week to produce sample packs to sell online is actionable. Taking on a few students in your instrument of choice each week is actionable. Offering recording services to other music makers in your area is actionable.
The idea behind this is that you can begin to create stability for yourself so that when you do go full time, it becomes less of a leap of faith and more of a planned descent. Of course this isn't guaranteed. This path likely isn't any easier, harder, faster, or slower than going all in on one thing, it's just more actionable. And, at least for me, it's all about taking action.
Until next time.
Quick Hits
Fever Dreams at Ruger Place is out now. Stream or purchase it here.
Do you need help with your music production or composition skills? I offer private one on one lessons over Zoom. You can sign up for lessons here.
Are you attending PAX West? Come say hi! My friends and I are running a crazy where we have an hour to rescore famous video game cutscenes called Composer Sports.