The Essential Pieces You Need in Place to Build the Business Side of Your Music Career

This is Part One (Introduction) in a seven-part series that addresses the essential pieces an emerging classical guitarist needs in place in order to build the business side of a music career.

Regardless of where you are at in your music career, reaching that next step requires two critical steps.

1. Make an unflinchingly honest assessment of your current reality—where are you now?
2. Create a plan that will address your needs and, most importantly, execute it.

Over the next six weeks, I am going to share my list of essential tasks that EVERY classical guitarist should address IF they are serious about creating a purposeful and rewarding career. Although this list is geared towards up-and-coming musicians, I am often not surprised at how many established guitarists are missing critical elements regarding the business side of their career. 

I have divided the business side of a music career into six areas:

• Career Plans & Strategies
• Performance & Recording
• Branding & Marketing
• Community Building
• Money Matters
• Mental Health

If I may suggest, each week, check the list and see which items you are missing from that area and set yourself a goal of addressing the issue that very week. If you are missing more than one piece, pick one and take care of it.