Trying to get a job with music?

Question

Ok, I am 17. I have a high school diploma. And like everyone else my dream is to become famous or do anything with music. Music is my life. My question is would anyone even hire someone who is 17? Do they require college?

If it matters I play guitar and drums and some piano

Also I know like others I want to be famous but i don't have a band and i can't really right songs. Would a company even consider me?

Answer 1

If your sole desire is to be famous, then you will FAIL MISERABLY.  It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and a tremendous amount of PERSONAL DISCIPLINE to build a name and even more to become famous.

You say you are 17 and play the guitar, drums and piano.  Well, I went to Europe for the first time when I was 17.. I had my Guitar, a one month Youthrail pass and $1000 from my parents as a graduation present from High School.  The original plan was for me to be gone a month... but I soon realized I could make good money busking on the streets and in the subway and train stations in Europe with the Guitar during the day and played piano in bars for the tips at night.

Eventually I heard about a ballet company that was forming and they were looking for another piano player who could do play accompanyment for the practice sessions and double over in the orchestra for performances... the fact that I also play Guitar was a plus.  I stayed with that Ballet company for the tour and it took me all over both EASTERN and Western Europe.. and this was during the Cold War... but somehow they got me through, even with the AmeriKan passport.

Eventually, I returned to the U.S. after 3 years of busking the streets and touring Europe and went to college, but I continued playing and have now been a professional musician for over 50 years.

I have never become 'famous' but I do have a good name in the industry and have managed to make a very good living with my talents...

AND YOU CAN DO THE SAME... it just takes drive, determination and discipline... and FORGET about becoming famous... you will know a LOT of famous people and even play along side them.. and that should be satisfaction enough.

Answer 2

Companies don't hire musicians, at least not the way you seem to think they do.

Record companies offer recording deals to bands or solo musicians who have a proven following and who they think will be able to sell enough records to make it worthwhile to record them.  Becoming a recording artist generally means writing your own songs and demonstrating that you are a talented performer who can attract a fan base.  Since you don't say anything about being a singer, your best bet would be to form or join a band with a talented lead singer  /songwriter. Start working on writing and arranging original material, playing out whenever and wherever you can to get experience (aka "paying your dues") and see where you can take it from there.

Another alternative would be to become a studio musician who plays on other peoples' records.  For that you need to be truly an expert at your instrument, because you never know what kind of music you're going to be expected to play -- heavy metal one day, country at the next job, blues, folk, pop -- you have to be thoroughly fluent in all of them if you want to stay busy enough to make a full-time living at it.  You've also got to be an expert sight-reader of standard music notation since some record producers will give you a part written out and expect you to play it off at sight with little or no rehearsal.  And you also need to have a great ear for learning songs and coming up with instrumental parts by ear, since some other producers will just play the song for you once, expect you to learn it immediately and come up with a perfect guitar part right on the spot, by ear. If you can play up to the required level of expertise, they probably won't care if you have a college degree or not.  Being a studio musician is free-lance work, meaning you don't usually work for one company for a regular paycheck.  Instead its up to you to market yourself to prospective record labels and producers as someone they should call next time they need a really good guitarist/ drummer / piano player -- they hire you for one job, pay you by the hour -- if they like you they may call you back for more work.  But its entirely up to you to get studio gigs and line up work for yourself, one job at a time.  So be prepared to spend a lot of time on the phone finding gigs, until you get really well known in the recording industry where people are calling you.

As for the performers on Disney Channel -- seems to me they're primarily actors who sing and dance, not instrumental musicians.  You make no mention of being an actor, a singer, or a musician, so I don't think you'd get very far with Disney.

And yes, I suppose a lot of what they do on TV is lip-sync'ed but the voice they're lip-syncing to is their own.  Its just easier for the TV producers to do it that way rather than have the performer sing live on the show. Doesn't mean they can't sing.  Although it seems for Disney the main criteria for stardom are looks and on-camera charisma, not raw genius

Answer 3

darling you have no experience and no training = NO FAME