Dumb Luck?

I read this in a “how to make it in music” forum discussion:

“In the end it still comes down to dumb luck- having the right product in the right place at the right time with the right people there to hear and see it.”

That’s not dumb luck, it’s smart luck.

Smart Luck

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” – Indy 500 winner, Bobby Unser

Smart players, singers, songwriters and aspiring artists understand that they are in control of their preparation AND their opportunities.

Here’s how:

• Make sure you have the right product and yes, there are ways to tell if you do.
• Make sure you get your right product in front of the right people. Often. And btw, stop putting it in front of the wrong people expected to get lucky.
• Make sure you get your right product in front of the right people at the right time. (Hint: handing someone your card the instant they finish a show is the wrong time)
  

Success does not come from dumb luck.

Success always comes down to “having the right product in the right place at the right time with the right people there to hear and see it.”

Tell us your thoughts about getting “in the right place at the right time with the right people” in the comments.

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.

If there’s one sentence in my book that sums up my hope for you, it’s this one:

“It’s my hope that you’ll devote the time and effort needed to get great at the business side of your career too.”

Which is why I’m excited to announce 3 new online workshops created to get you “great at business.”

Based on Feedback from People Like You

Each of these workshops is based on feedback from players, singers, songwriters and aspiring artists just like you: passionate musicians wanting to build a life in music.

They’ve asked me to:

• Dive deeper into the most important topics I know – even if it means more workshops.
• Break the cost down into smaller chunks so more people can learn.
• Give more discussion time because it’s the most valuable part of the workshops (my questions are their favorite parts).

So Here’s the Deal

• I’ve broken up my big workshop into 3 new ones covering the topics of branding and marketing, managing a music career, and building a plan for your career.
• I’ve lowered the price from $99.00 to $50.00 for a two hour workshop.
• I’ve added even BETTER questions and more time to discuss them too (thanks for the suggestions!).

Now It’s Your Turn to Pick the One That’s Right for You

Branding and Marketing

• How to Get Noticed, Heard and Hired While Staying True to Who You Are and What You Want is the “live version” of my e-book of the same name (subscribe and get it free). It explains my 4 simple rules of marketing, and pushes you to uncover everything that makes you a stand-out in today’s music industry and how to use you to “sell yourself” in everything you do.

How to “Manage” a Career

• How to Run Your Music Career Like a Rock Star CEO and Why You Should shows you what a CEO does, why they get the big bucks, and why acting like one is the only way to have any hope of success in music. Yes, it’s that important.

How to Build and Use a Plan

• The 5 Parts of a Successful Music Career and How to Manage Them Well covers the most of the 3 workshops while still diving deep as requested. It covers the proper balance of talent, people, marketing, planning and, well, LIFE! And isn’t a life what you want most of all?

Need More Info?

Check out the Learn page for details and FAQs.

What other questions do you have about these live, online workshops? Ask me in the comments below.

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.

Amy Winehouse

On July 23rd, 2011, paramedics pronounced Amy Winehouse dead at the scene in a London Hotel.

She was 27.

The August 8, 2011 People magazine article covering her death finished with this paragraph:

“As much as her talent brought her fame and fortune, Winehouse had other aspirations; she often spoke longingly of being a mom. At her funeral July 26, Mitch (her dad) said, “Amy was very much looking forward to her future with Reg (her fiance).” But having a family of her own was something she’d sadly never attain. Says a pal: “She just wanted a normal life.”

Whitney Houston

On February 11th, 2012, paramedics pronounced Whitney Houston dead at the scene in a Los Angeles Hotel.

She was 48.

Jetro Da Silva, a former keyboard player for Whitney Houston, had the following things to say in an interview about her death.

“To me, she was not just a singer. I dare to say that she was a trumpet to the world. Her mission on this planet was bigger than just have a unique voice.”

“I remember a day off in Australia. We were all talking in the hotel lobby for hours; next thing we knew it was 2 a.m. Some had already left, but Whitney, a background vocalist, and two others were left. Suddenly Whitney said, “I want to be normal tonight. Let’s take a walk.” During the walk, we sang hymns and worshiped the Lord. When we returned to the hotel, she said, “Jetro, this is me. I love the Lord and love to worship Him. People don’t know me.””

The 4th of July

Today is a national holiday in the United States.

A day to celebrate independence.

A day to celebrate freedom.

Winehouse and Houston were both free to pursue their dreams of music superstardom and they did.

But somewhere along the line they lost focus and lost control.

They lost themselves and it cost them their lives.

You

My advice:

• First, know who you are as a person.
• Second, know what it is you truly want from life.
• Third, know what unique offering you bring to the world.

NEVER lose sight of those three as you build your career.

Build your music career as if your life depends on it. Because it does.

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.

Did you know saying yes to gigs could be killing your career?

It’s true.

Saying Yes to Gigs Killed My Career

Actually, saying yes to the wrong gigs killed my career.

I’ve since realized there is one, and ONLY one reason to say yes to a gig.

Before I tell you what it is, let me tell you why you’re saying yes to gigs today.

The Three Reasons Musicians Say Yes to Gigs

• Money (surprised?) – it’s okay to want to get paid to play, write or sing music. No, really.
• Experience – getting experience is a great reason to say yes as long the experience will take you closer to your career goals.
• Exposure – just like experience, exposure is also a great reason to say yes, as long as the exposure will take you closer to your career goals.

Two Important Points:

1. It’s highly unlikely you’ll be asked to play a gig that meets all three reasons and if you do, TAKE IT!
2. Likewise, if all the gig offers is money and you NEED the money, say yes.

Otherwise:

The one and only reason to say yes to a gig is if it will take you closer to your career goals.

If you’d like to learn more about building a long-term, successful music career, check out:

http://whyifailed.com/lessons

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.

When I Was a Professional Musician I Knew A Lot

• I knew I was good and that other musicians loved my groove and feel.
• I knew I was easy to work with and well liked.
• I knew that being good and well liked was what it took to make a living playing drums because well, I was making a living playing drums.

All I Didn’t Know

• I didn’t know it took more than playing great to be successful in music.
• I didn’t know the importance of clear goals. Not only did I need them for me, I needed them so I could tell people what I wanted to do.
• I didn’t know success was a “team sport” and that I needed a team of musicians AND non-musicians.
• I didn’t know how much I needed to know about business to succeed in music – even though I knew it was called the music business.
• I didn’t know the difference between doing a job well and building a solid, life-long career.

And I Didn’t Know I Didn’t Know

Not knowing these things was not the biggest problem I had.

The biggest problem was that I didn’t know I didn’t know.

• I didn’t know I didn’t know because none of my friends talked about them.
• I didn’t know I didn’t know because I was working as a musician. Which leads to:
• I didn’t know I didn’t know because the problems caused by not knowing these things don’t show up until it’s too late to fix them.

How ’bout you? Do you know what you don’t know? What are you doing to learn what you don’t know?

This could help: http://whyifailed.com/lessons

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.

Do I really mean working less?

Yes.

In fact, I believe working too much is one of the main reasons most musicians fail.

I’ll say that again:

Working too much is one of the main reasons most musicians fail.

Before I tell you why, let me give you a plan.

3 Steps to Make it in Music by Working Less:

1. Be you. The first step is to boldly and confidently be you. Of course this means you have to KNOW who you are.
2. Do what you love to do and do it well. Step two is to boldly and confidently do what you do in music so well that people stand up and take notice.
3. Step 3 is to never do anything that goes against numbers 1 and 2.

Step 3 is why I say that working too much is one of the main reasons most musicians fail.

It’s the main reason I failed.

I Said Yes to Every Gig I was Offered.

• Some of them were exactly what I wanted to play and what I played best.
• Many of them were not.
• Some of them were with people who could have helped grow my career.
• Many of them were not.

As you can see, some of the work moved my career forward.

I’d like to tell you that the the other work didn’t move my career forward, but that’s not true.

It actually moved my career backward.

So yes, I really mean work less to make it in music.

What work are going to start turning down?

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.

There’s a huge difference between the task based work of a job and the work of building a career.

Which of these two kinds of people are you?

People Who Do Tasks

• They show up on time.
• They sit in their cubicles and do what they’re told.
• They get paid, go home and expect to succeed.

People Who Build Careers

These people also:

• Spend time learning about themselves and how to work well with others.
• Bring “a little bit more” to help those around them succeed.
• Build relationships that lead to more and better opportunities and experiences.

These are people who have a plan for their life and know it’s their responsibility to make it happen.

Musicians and the Trap of Cubicles and Tasks

So what about you? Are you a musician who:

• Shows up on time.
• Sits behind your instruments and does what you’re told.
• Gets paid, goes home and expects to succeed?

Or are you also working on building a career?

If you’re working on your career, this could help:

http://whyifailed.com/lessons

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.

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Give them a gig.

It’s sad but true.

Most musicians I’ve met complain. A lot.

They complain about the venue. They complain about the songs. They complain about the other musicians, their gear, the engineer, the hours or the food (always the food).

They even complain about the audience.

Why?

Because they’ve sold out.

They’ve wrongly believed the only way to “make it in music” is to give up their musical loves, passions and dreams.

You don’t have to be like them and here’s how:

• First, make sure you know your musical loves, passions and dreams inside and out.
• Second, make sure you know your personal loves, passions and dreams inside and out. Do not skip this step.
• Three, spend every non-playing, writing or performing moment of work finding people in sync with your musical and personal loves, passions and dreams.

These are people who are genuinely interested in who you are and what you do and they will be thrilled when you show up in their lives.

The secret to making it in music is this: put who you are and what you do in front of people who already want or need what you do.

To learn more about how to do this well, check out my career lessons:

http://whyifailed.com/lessons

Once you find these people, what are some ways to put you you are and what you do in front of them? Tell us your ideas in the comments.

It’s a lie.

And I should know:

I Was a Sellout

• I said yes to all the gigs that came my way. I needed the money and thought playing was better than sitting home.
• I told people I, “was happy making a living playing music” because that’s what everyone said.
• I did whatever it took to keep the cycle of getting calls for gigs, being “happy” and make a living in music going as long as I could.

In the end this strategy was a failure because:

Selling Out Made Me Boring and Frustrated

Over time, I became:

• Just another Nashville drummer that could play any kind of music well.
• Just another drummer that said yes to any gig at any price.
• Mad about not being noticed as the exceptional rock and pop drummer I was.

I’ve since realized this cycle also frustrated people that needed an exceptional rock and pop drummer because they didn’t know about a drummer that was perfect for their needs: me.

The problem with selling out is it makes you someone you’re not so you can get the wrong work while missing out on the right work with people who need what you do best.

What a mess!

Don’t Sell Out, Sell To

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Know your value: what makes you and what you do unique and therefore valuable to people?
2. Know those people: who else values your value?

Of the two, #2 is the most important.

It is also the most overlooked by musicians.

How ’bout you, do you know who values your value? Tell us in the comments.

About Steve Grossman: Former ACM and Grammy Award winning drummer. Author, teacher, speaker and Dale Carnegie Facilitator. Music career coach and mentor. Website. Books. Lessons. Twitter.