Music school simply cannot prepare you for all the things you need to know once you graduate. So we rounded up 25 things we all learned the hard way…from making these mistakes, or watching those around us make them.

Listen to the Podcast Below:

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  1. How to make decisions for yourself. School often does this work for you, because it is a system and you are just a widget to them. But one size doesn’t fit all.
  2.  It doesn’t matter that much if you went to a University or a Conservatory, what you do there matters.
  3. “You’ll be fine” is not real advice. Seeking validation from your teacher can be a blessing and a curse.
  4. Unless you’re ridiculously, exceptionally talented, you’ll spend quite a number of years freelancing. Many people choose to freelance forever.
  5. Being the little fish in a big pond is good sometimes, being the Big fish in a small pond is good other times. Know what you’re getting yourself into.
  6. Your teacher might not be the best source for current advice about gigging, or auditions. Because times have changed.
  7. Your University teacher probably won’t tell you, “you don’t have what it takes” because it’s not good for them to lose students.
  8. Having parents that understand more of the moving parts of being a musician, would have been beneficial.
  9. It’s important to listen to your teacher’s advice, but he/she is not the only authority. Think and make decisions for what really works best for you.
  10. You can decide what success is for you, not what your teacher thinks it is.
  11. Work and gigs don’t come just from Personnel managers, or conductors, they come from your peers and those around you.
  12. Your audition is not always just the “audition” to get the first gig, it’s also the first gig to see if they should call you back for a second time.
  13. Etiquette is everything. Even in the parking lot
  14. You can practice something useful even when you’re bored out of your mind at a gig. (Not your concerto though)
  15. Venting about terrible gigs is a favored pastime of musicians, but beware of gossiping, and know your audience, calling them on the phone later is probably better than doing it at the gig.
  16. Consider dating Non-Musicians….if it goes south, the music world is pretty small, and you’ll probably run into them from time to time, and everyone will know about it.
  17. Don’t buy white socks. Wearing “All Black” or “Concert black” with white socks is one of the dumbest looking things.
  18. Double check that you packed you pants
  19. Bring a second dress if you are a solo performer (this may seem like being over -prepared, but what would you do if it got damaged or lost right before the show?
  20. Reply to emails/phone calls/texts/FB messages for work As Soon As Possible, even if you can’t do it.
  21. Google image search what the conductor looks like before the gig, so you don’t say something dumb about them/to them.
  22. Always have an eraser. Having a pencil should go without saying, but sometimes erasers are just as important
  23. Don’t be late. Of course not for the down beat, but even if the gig has a “call time,” be there. It’s more a sign of respect to the contractor than about how much time you need.
  24. Are getting straight-A’s really that important? I would have been much happier with a 3.0, and a few less all-nighters. As a performer, nobody has ever asked me what my GPA was.
  25. Relationships are important- it’s one of the first things we all ask about when we meet new people. So, I wish I would have tried a little more to meet people when I was in school.

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What’s something you didn’t learn in school? Do you have a funny story you could share of something you learned the hard way?

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