by Gina Molinari
“I don’t even like music that much. I realized one day that I was really good at singing and just decided to see how far I could go. Now I’m touring the world and it’s such easy money!”
~ Said No Musician Ever
Thousands of years before there were businesses or hobbies, man’s primary desire was to survive. Danger and threats lurked around every corner for the “caveman” society leaving little room to explore passions as we do so freely today. Yet knowing they lived with a lack of modern amenities or formal language, we are still certain that cavemen loved to sing and make music. Scientists have found ancient flutes made from mammoth ivory and bird bones that were created solely to produce music*. These flutes are evidence that music was the first passionate activity in which man has ever participated.
Today, our current generation is one with an entrepreneurial spirit. The U.S. Small Business Association is documenting exponential growth of small businesses in the past 30 years. Entrepreneurs have managed to tip the scales of the economy by providing 55% of jobs in the current market. And this doesn’t include those other small businesses that are run by an individual but never formally registered with the government: businesses like performing careers.
Musicians are of the same cloth as the 21st century entrepreneur. Though we may enlist the help of a manager or promoter to find us work, we embody the same entrepreneurial spirit to create our own successful circumstances. There are minimal differences between the current entrepreneurial movement and the industry of aspiring performers – except we musicians came first. We are the old-school dream-pursuing entrepreneurs that should be schooling the world on how it’s done because we’ve been doing this since the days of Cro-Magnon Man.
Successful business entrepreneurs all maintain a particular set of traits and skills. They embody a passion for life. They know exactly what they want. They pursue their goals fervently despite haters, doubters, and negative Nancies. They believe in their purpose and pursue it at all costs. They don’t take “no” for an answer. They’re resourceful with a lack of money, knowledge, or help. Yet they will do anything in their power to find a way to make it happen.
As a result, entrepreneurs move mountains. They climb Mt. Everest with no arms or legs (see Kyle Maynard). They come back from career-ending injuries to build an empire (see Lewis Howes). They overcome multiple bankruptcies (James Altucher), major personal losses (Oprah), and countless other obstacles in order to pursue a life that seemed out of reach. But despite how difficult that end-goal seemed, they knew it was possible… it just took a lot of work and courage to finally hold it in their hands and call it their own.
Musicians pursue similar lofty goals in the face of adversity. They are passionate about their instrument and music. They continue to master their craft in the face of constant rejection. They dedicate endless hours to perfecting their talents because they know what they have to offer. Aspiring performers stop at nothing to gain the necessary experience and exposure that will lead them to a full-time career doing what they love.
Sound familiar?
Successful full-time musicians are capable of making a sustainable living emotionally resonating with the masses. They break cultural barriers (see Michael Jackson). They influence societal evolution (see Aretha Franklin). You better believe they do all this while overcoming their own shortcomings and personal struggles (see Christian Howes). After countless gigs with little to no pay, repeated rejection, and dismissal of their dreams, performers are able to make huge strides not only in pursuing the life they always wanted to, but to change the world as we know it.
The similarities are uncanny.
That’s because musicians are entrepreneurs. Perhaps they don’t pursue their goals with the same business or sales mindset but the framework is still there. Neither group may have the training to know where to begin, but they push forward with trial and error for the sake of their dreams.
Our own President Obama calls entrepreneurialism, “the most powerful force the world has ever known for creating opportunity and lifting people out of poverty.” To merge that power with the impact that music holds on human culture is an unstoppable combination. That’s why musicians are not only the original entrepreneurs, they’re the best ones.
Molinari Consulting is a private firm that coaches aspiring musicians to run their careers as entrepreneurial microbusinesses. The company is founded by Gina Molinari (graduate of Westminster Choir College and NYU) and based out of NYC.
* Waugh, Rob. “Mammoth-bone flute proves that German cavemen played music in 40,000 BC.” DailyMail.com, 24 May 2012.
