How would you have answered this question?

[thebluesbear( al)]

Hi

I do loads of guitar teaching , i have this really promising pupil

The other night after the lesson finished he asked me

What skills would i need in order to be a pro musician one day ?

I know how i answered i thought this might make a interesting thread

So how would you have answered? by what skills my student meant in addition to being a good musician

al

[blueshome]

Be able to do 4-6 hours meaningful practice a day and then a lot of luck.

[melp]

Hmmm!

I am not a professional musician so I don't know. But, not knowing is no excuse. I would say that you need two things. Absolute desire, surely one of, if not the, most powerful human motivation. The second, luck. But as Gary Player, the golfer, used to say "the more I practice the luckier I get".

Mel

[thebluesbear( al)]

Ok cool

but what i mean is this what addition skills such as , knowing how to handle money luck isnt a skill

here is one example of a skill , i had to go any learn motor mechanics why the gig van was a shambles i studied motor mechanics for a year to keep the variuos old vans going

the costs of garages etc were killing me , i have 2 kids a family every bit helps

for 12 years i have kept the van going .....

so what im suggesting are skills in addition to musical ones

so ill rephrase the question

what skills in addition to musical ones would help

best i can do

[Deleted]

Feb 28, 2009 17:43:48 GMT thebluesbear( al) said:

What skills would i need in order to be a pro musician one day ?

You need really thick skin, bullheaded determination, and an utter lack of materialism.

[lewiscohen]

Over and above musicianship? I'd say networking. What you know will only get you so far. After that, it's a matter of who thinks of you before anyone else when a job needs doing, and whilst it would be nice to think that that was an entirely meritocratic thing, it's just as likely to be influenced by who you met at so and so's party/gig/whatever and whether or not they went away remembering who you are.

[Gerry C]

Time for one of my favourite quotations:

"The music business is a shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where pimps and thieves run free and good men die like dogs. It also has a negative side..."

- Hunter S. Thompson (allegedly)

Cheerily,

Gerry C