When you set foot in the school you went to or are attending now, did you wonder about how /when to start your career?
To be blunt as Kojak bang bang, "you already did, baby. You already did. Yesterday behind the drug store."
You see, you career started when you made that decision to study for a professional life in music. And no matter how your advisors advised you on how to do this and how to do that SO THAT you COULD have a career they forgot to mention that those same advisors are consultants. Consultations about classes and how to take them, consultations on how to graduate are no more or less important than consultations on which PR firm you need to go with, how to set up your business... how to shine your guitar for optimal brilliance on stage... It's a professional thing, its lessons, tales of on the road, it's eating, it's being responsible to other people to come up with a way to succeed in your carreer, which has already begun.
I turned twenty-one at what is now known as Opera in the Ozarks, or Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony... or bootcamp for opera.
This breeding ground for the young singer and pit member and future conductor, stage hand, designer and director was a microcosm of life; life surrounded by opera. You ate slept, drank, opera. In its purest form opera is a beautiful thing. Even on the hottest of days you were there to breathe the rich texture of the art form that uses all other art forms in collaboration to produce something far bigger than what one person can do alone...at least in far less time.
Among all of the tidbits of information I remember from those days.... the practical session on the career...
When all is said and done in that maybe two hour session, you leave feeling either demoralized or defiant. The basis of that eye awakening is a quote from the director.
"Look to the person on your left and look to the person on your right. Of the three of you, one will have a career in opera."Opera, classical music, artist, baker, restaurateur, doctor, author ... it is the same old story. One of you is a muhhderrrahhh!!
Well, I say depending on what you want, I think that's BS.
My career has been through the ringer. From the vaunted highs of being a prodigy singer to becoming one of the hottest tenors in the young artist circuit to major label record deal to touring the nation, there have been a LOT of downturns. Many disappointments, disasters, fear, fights, tears, bitch-ass broke-ness and all sorts of stuff that one could just use as an excuse to quit.
Your career has begun already; Let's figure out what to do with it.
On this blog, you have back story (you can also wisit my website www.nathangranner.com). You can read about how I've dealt with some of the situations in my career. I'll keep writing tidbits about that, but I will be taking questions and working on broader topics from here on in, thanks to a friend's advice.
I absolutely do NOT claim to have all the answers, but I do have some and if I don't I can give you my honest un-unbiased opinion, which will be hopefully taken in the best way. I'm never going to say give up. Some things will be really, really difficult to take, but there is always a way, depending upon what you are prepared to do.
Along with the advice, I am going to ask you to buy stuff. This is keeping the lights on. Sometimes It'll be my music, sometimes someone else's, sometimes it'll be a one of a kind thing, a work of art... and sometimes it'll be good!! Thanks for your understanding and your support.
Nathan
buy my music at
www.nathangranner.bandcamp.com
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