Musician - As a career option

“We can be heroes, just for one day.” - David Bowie

Introduction

Across nations and boundaries of all kinds, music is the one language that binds people from all walks of life. It’s a language that each one of us understands and appreciates. For some, however, it’s more than just an expression.

Music is a way of life. Living in the world of chords, tempos and melodies, musicians all over the world are creating and striving to make the world a better place. How? you may ask. By connecting lives and experiences in the most soulful manner possible.

Churning out sounds from the noise and bringing about a most pleasant confrontation with our innermost feelings, musicians are constantly at work to please and soothe the spirit of humanity.

Through continuous practice and dedication, musicians all over the world are looking to reach out the masses and give to them something that they could remember in the course of this life. Whether it be nursery rhymes or T.V. commercials or background scores for movies and videos, it’s most easy to connect with a familiar tune.

Every tune that you’ve ever heard was a concept that some musician came up with, and with every tune that you remember you are immortalizing a Musician.

Career Prospects of a Musician 

Well, everyone cannot be an A. R. Rehman or John Mayer, but yes there is a full-fledged career in music. Like every other profession in the world, there are several sectors and branches of music.

So in a way, not every musician is looking to be pop-culture. It depends largely upon the preference of a musician in choosing the genre of music that he wants to make. The key ambition of course is to be acknowledged by the maximum number of people, but some musicians use their abilities to make a living until they reach a point when they are more financially secure.

Because music is such a varied stream, it is difficult to typecast its genres. Most musicians specialize in one or more instrumental disciplines and with that as their base, they make the music that gets them the acclaim which they are looking for.

Some common examples in the Indian Film industry are A. R. Rehman, who excels in the use of piano and synthesiser. Similarly, Ehsan Noorani from the famous trio of “Shankar, Ehsan, Loy” is an excellent guitarist. Another example is Vishal Dadlani started out as a vocalist and lyricist for a band called Pentagram before he started making music for Bollywood as the duet of “Vishal Shekhar”. Globally, artists like John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Enrique Iglesias are examples of musicians who made it big on an international level.

Music is divided across some generic genres such a classical, hip-hop, rock, blues, jazz, metal, etc. All of these genres include several artisans who build up the complete sound that is derived from the respective genre.

For example, an Indian classical piece of music will include Indian classical vocals, tabla, flute, sarangi, harmoniums, etc and the amalgamation of these will produce the sound we know so well. So it doesn’t matter whether you play the drums, the flute, the violin or if you are vocalist, as long as you dedicatedly believe in the power of your musical strength.

A lot of musicians also become music instructors and teachers based on their expertise and command which also becomes a way of income. Additionally, session musicians are hired by bands and music directors for recordings on projects. Like the musicians in a Coke Studio video are mostly session musicians who are contributing to the project for financial or as experiential gains.

Eligibility criteria to become a Musician

A good musician, first and foremost, is a great listener and needs to get himself well-versed with any and every sort of music. It’s not necessary for a musician to be able to play every genre of music but as an art based subject, music is largely influential and one never knows what references could make up for what.

There is a trending pattern among modern musicians in being genre-centric, i.e. being uptight with their type of music. This is an incorrect and unhealthy practice because like the 26 alphabets in English, every music genre signifies something different. Can you imagine speaking is English and not using a certain set of alphabets because you don’t like their shape?

Academically, India is the shrine of a highly-regarded sect of music. Music schools in India specialize in Indian classical and students from all over the world flock here to empower themselves with the knowledge that it has to offer.

Famous Music schools in India

• Bhatkhande Music Institute (BMI), New Delhi
• Indira Kala Sangeet University (IKSU), Chattisgarh
• Rabindra Bharti University (RBU), Kolkata
• Prayag Sangeet Samiti (PSS), Allahabad
• Raja Mansingh Tomar Music & Arts University (RMTMAU), Gwalior
• Visva-Bharati University (VBU), West Bengal

As mellifluous as it may be, there is a world outside the Indian classical music too. There are options for those who seek knowledge in the more western styles of musical training, in India as well as outside.

Below is a list of some music schools that especially offer courses in Western Music

• Trinity College of Music (TCM), London
• Royal College of Music (RCM), London
• Yale School of Music (YSM), USA
• Berklee College of Music (BCM), Boston

A day in the life of a Musician

Hi, I’m a musician and I play the drums. I’ve been playing since the age of 12. I’ve completed my Grade VII in drums from the Trinity School of Music’s distance education course. I work as a session drummer for two studios and I also have a band that makes alternative rock.

My dream as a musician is to share the stage with my idol Mikael Akerfeldt someday. In my formative years, there was a certain restraint from my family’s end in terms of support for what I wanted to pursue. But like they say, where there’s a will there’s a way.

Here’s how a typical day in the life of Musician goes by:

9:30 AM: I just arrived at the studio for an early recording. We are recording a song by a blues indie artist and a friend who's coming up with his second EP. Let’s get started.

10:30 AM: The first 30-40 minutes is spent in sound checks and getting the perfect sound. The quality of the studio and recording equipment also matter quite as much. We’re set up without instruments and shall start recording now.

11:15 AM: One of the cymbals and the floor tom that I’m using doesn’t really sound like we want it to. Need to tune these down a little.

12:30 PM: We recorded some conclusive stuff. Stopping for a half an hour break now.

1:00 PM: The session resumes for another recording. I’m using a jazz drum-kit for this one.

2:00 PM: This was easier than the last one for two reasons because of a) by now we’re used to each other’s techniques, and b) slow jazz drum is mostly about consistency and keeping the tempo coming. Just one more take to go.

2:35 PM: I’m going home for some lunch now.

4:00 PM: This is the time-slot of my personal practice in my mini studio at home, as long as I’m not recording. I came across this amazing song by Alter Bridge that’s become an obsession. Working on that now.

5:15 PM: Getting to make the sound that you can hear in your head is such a pleasure. It’s like a drive that keeps you going. Also, influence from artists educates you in making more music.

I’m probably going to use some of the techniques of this song on some material for my band’s original compositions. Now listening to some more music. Just listening!

6:30 PM: I just got a call from the second studio that I work for. They need some drum fills for a background score by a new music composer. I’m on my way there now.

7:00 PM: After a briefing about the piece over a session on tea and cigarettes, we’re settling to make this work. Should take about an hour’s time.

7:30 PM: This piece has a lot of play with time signatures; something which I really love. Halfway through.

8:15 PM: Just got done with this. Now heading home to pack my kit and assemble at my band guitarists home.

9:30 PM: The setup is complete and the jam-pad is ready to rumble. I’m probably crashing here for the night as it’s a weekend tomorrow.

Do you want to become like me? We hope this article has answered all your queries related to this profession. Have your say in a comment box below. Enjoy Reading!