Thread by @John_Hong

Just had a fun opportunity to video chat with students at Vanderbilt’s @blairschool. @DougShadle has a tremendous class centered around how music schools should best educate performers.

It got me thinking about a mentality that’s helped me succeed post graduating. [Buckle in..]

I have spent the past several years speaking with a number of folks with very interesting careers. Generally speaking, the people I’ve spoken to who have gone on from music school to experience the most fulfillment in life have two “success traits.”

First, they were relentlessly curious.

How can I start a blog? How can I get better at recording? How do I open a business? How do & why would I open a 501c3?

They sought people, books, websites, or videos who had answers to those questions.

But the second “success trait” might be the kicker.

Fulfilled former music students were /unashamed/ of pursuing their curiosities. They did not have a voice telling them that their other interests were bad.

Here are a few examples I shared with the class.

🎶 @isabelhagen_ both does stand-up comedy and cool viola gigs. She credits being encouraged by a teacher to keep going to open mics, and not to worry about what other people thought.

Isabel opened for Amy Schumer at the Comedy Cellar not long ago.

🎶 Weixiong Wang started a freelance recording business at school, secretly using classrooms late nights to record audition tapes for his peers.

He now owns a recording business called Skillman Music. He has contracts with CAG, YCA, and has been paid to record Lang Lang.

@kkubota8 had a class music technology video project. He turned that curiosity about video into #JHMJams, a phenomenal instagram and YT channel. He has used the concept to get invited to perform at Google HQ & WQXR.

Here he is with YouTube stars @KurtHSchneider and @SamuelTsui

@ThatViolaKid, curious about social media, used Instagram to gain a mammoth following and leverage it to tour in Singapore, meet his personal hero and entrepreneur legend @garyvee, and his bazillion Instagram sponsorships.

I mean come on folks, @TwoSetViolin literally memed their way to their international career!!!

They grew a following and kickstarted that following into performing around the world. And now they’re raking in that sweet, sweet YouTube $$$, just for making people laugh

Bottom line: Folks like this held a non-traditional music interest, pursued it, and combined it with their music expertise to create a career that gave them personal happiness, fulfillment, and sustenance.

My problem with music school is that it inserts shame into this equation.

More specifically, music schools, the applied faculty that run them, and/or their internal culture SHAME students when they pursue their curiosities if those curiosities are not within a standard curriculum.

“Shouldn’t you be practicing?”
“Why don’t you take auditions?”

I remember feeling from certain teachers and even fellow students that learning skills outside of traditional performance was /beneath/ them.

My theory is that they think great art is only possible by ignoring any other skill.

Just foolish, shortsighted thinking.

Look- the core takeaway I want to infuse in as many folks as possible:

The knowledge base that a music degree can give you has the potential to serve you in so many more ways than just a solo/orchestral/teaching career. Hell, you can even switch careers!!

To be clear: there is NOTHING WRONG with those who want to focus on traditional careers!! We need great orchestral players. But those careers are not:

1) The pinnacle of the career
2) The only “legitimate” option

This is so important I repeated it like 5x in my talk.

Some humble examples in my life:

*I liked writing & classical music. I started a blog, and went viral once, and parlayed that into a job doing PR and copywriting @NationalSawdust, and eventually co-launching @thelogjournal newsletter, which I still co-write today.

*I liked real estate. I partnered with a @Halstead broker, videographers, and @kkubota8 to create original marketing videos with classical musicians. I helped sell over $4,000,000 of real estate from direct referrals of those videos.

*I still liked writing. I used my knowledge from my work at National Sawdust to start a ghostwriting business. It has made me enough money to use as my primary income, and I’m continuing to grow it over time.

And I still play my instrument! I am playing principal clarinet in a performance of Brahms 4th this weekend, for money!

It does not have to be one or the other.

It is not either a “full-time performance career” or “failure.”

Please internalize this.

The number one thing you can do for yourself as an artist, whether you are in school, recently graduated, or at a standstill doing things you don’t really enjoy, is to throw up your hands, say “fuck the haters”, and pursue any and all of your interests.

I am giving you permission to turn down that “big audition.”

It’s OK if you don’t practice that extra hour for your lesson if you’d rather be learning about editing YouTube videos.

It’s OK if you want to spend your summer as an intern instead of at a festival.

It’s okay.

Because of privilege, making these choices are much easier for some people than others! I 100% acknowledge that.

But too many people have access to these opportunities and choose not to pursue them because of some idea of “artistic purity”.

It is those folks I’m talking to.

Want to write reviews or thinkpieces? Write.
Want to make funny videos? Hit record.
Want to play music by female composers with dancers improvising in the audience? Make it happen.

And yes, you can still audition for orchestras.

It’s all valid.

If you’ve enjoyed this thread and are an artist, consider hiring me to upgrade your personal bio.

I deliver more and charge less than any manager.

Email me at johnhongbusiness[at]gmail[dot]com with subject line BIO ASSISTANCE and let me know you’re from Twitter.

I’ve got you.