Advice for my son (guitarist) to work towards professional musician

None ^ | Mar 13, 2016 | Self

[taxcontrol]

My son is 16 and is a fairly good musician. He started with clarinet, then moved to Sax and is really good at sax. From that experience, he is very good at reading music and music theory. For the past couple of years he has also been investing in the guitar and is now at the point that he is not benefiting from his high school program.

We have been sending him to private tutors and he is now studying Satriani, Yes, Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen's arpeggios from hell, and to my untrained ear doing very well. The boy gets his talent from his mom's side 'cause I have zero music tallent. He is doing well enough that we have changed his after school program and now he is starting with an after school program that will get him to concert venues.

The problem that I am experiencing is that I do not know the music profession and do not know 1) how good he is, 2) what his next move / education should be.

Do we try to get him to a music college after he finishes HighSchool? Do we try to get into a cover band? He is writing and composing his own songs so ... do we try to get his work out there?

Any Freeper musicians that are professionals that can give some good advice?

[paythefiddler]

go to a State college, and get that piece of paper
you can fall back on that

lot’s of competition on guitar... supply and demand
my best money makers are fiddle,banjo,and pedal steel
keep your fingers spread.Songwriters are the real money makers.

I’ve been doing nothing else for over 25 years, and love it.

Good luck!!!

[SunkenCiv]

A few weeks back, someone was posting probably daily links to vids from Tommy Emmanuel, he’s a blast to experience live, the audience enthusiasm is great, but he seems to be having even more fun. He’s not exactly in any one genre, other than Fingerstyle Guitar.

[GOP Poet]

More advice. I have no idea what level talent is in the area where you and your son live. But here on the west coast and likely Nashville where there are some very serious talent volunteering their time for non profit work or for causes Reaching out and offering to be available in some capacity for these events (preferably on stage or helping out) could give him some nice connections and an opportunity to play with talent that he might otherwise not have the opportunity.

They may also make some recommendations to him venues, bands, etc networking wise. Also if he reads music and can play off lead sheets and it truly good, have him stop in at the local recording studios and let them know he's available. They'll have other players for sure but it never hurts to start talking to the locals making music in the studio. Maybe he can even do some interning hours. Good place to also learn and network. As mentioned most musicians put it together doing a variety of work and in a variety of venues.

Definitely learning singing and about harmonizing would be fantastic. Singing and harmonizing will serve him well in the long run in a variety of ways.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;q=quick;s=Emmanuel

[Hawthorn]

>> YouTube vids of basically unknown guitarists <<

It’s a very interesting chord she’s fingering there!

[dasboot]

Tommy Emmanuel can play any style. And he’s a savant. Specially gifted!

[SunkenCiv]

Her name is Jess something, and as you may have noticed, she’s, uh, gifted. Same basic outfit for each of her videos (this one is a copy of one she put up).

[SunkenCiv]

And he’s a really nice guy, too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46AecWmXgBI

[RFEngineer]

Have him take up professional basketball on the side. I hear they make a lot of money. That or welding, or maybe an electrician.

[Falconspeed]

Very good topic. Very good comments worth following.

I agree with GOP Poet. “His passion level should be very, very high.”

Here in Los Angeles a person “can make it” (ooh, ahh) with passion and sticking to practice. A “studio musician” is always needed around here for concerts, movie scores and recordings. The work is plentiful, the practice must be daily and the workers are usually cheerful.
Going to an expensive music school is suspicious.
Joining a local orchestra or jazz band is healthy.
And traveling with a rock group is stressful.

Taxcontrol, if he has your support, then your son can make it.

[luckystarmom]

What high school? The high light of high school was performing at the Clinic in Chicago. My school went several times.

That’s one way to get scholarships Julliard offered our euphonium player a scholarship while we were there. He turned it down, and went to Texas A&M.

[right way right]

The best thing you can do is buy him top of the line equipment and encourage him to create his own style.
If it appeals , it appeals and he makes money.

[luckystarmom]

North Texas is much cheaper. He could always work in Texas for a year after high school and get in state tuition. I think in state with room and board is under 20k.

If he’s good, he’ll get a scholarship and you only need a $1000 scholarship to get in state tuition.

North Texas has the best jazz program in the country.

[dasboot]

Yeah! Had the pleasure of meeting him...he invited me backstage after a gig to let me try his guitar..very rere here at the time...then showed me the *right* way to play a couple of his tunes. :^)

He is my sensei. No kidding. Learning his stuff was the most beneficial course of study I ever made. Yeah. I’m a fan!

I almost crashed my car the first time I heard him on the radio. “WHO THE HELL IS THIS GUY!!!!!”

[berdie]

Absolutely. Stevie Ray was a great guitarist that had a very distinctive voice. It made him stand out and has been emulated since then.

As far as harmony goes...Timothy B immediately come to mind. And a great bass player to boot.

[Hawthorn]

>> Have him take up professional basketball on the side. I hear they make a lot of money. That or welding, or maybe an electrician <<

Three departed souls appeared before St. Peter at the pearly gates.

St. Peter asked the first one, “What was your last job and annual salary?”

The first soul replied, “$200,000; I was a trial lawyer.”

St. Peter asked the second one the same question. The soul answered, “$95,000; I was a realtor.”

St. Peter then asked the third soul the same question. The answer was, “$10,000.”

Before this guy could go on, St. Peter immediately said, “Cool! What instrument did you play?”

[The_Media_never_lie]

I hope he is gifted in other areas, too. My suggestion is for him to find a way to make money in order to support his music endeavors.

Let him see some musicians and how hard they struggle to pay make ends meet. Even the really, really good struggle.

[berdie]

LOL funny and true!

[jaydee770]

Perhaps keep an ear peeled for a church youth-group with a worship band. Contemporary Christian music spans the gamut from hard-rock to pop to country-ish. If he’s looking to be a professional musician, that opportunity will teach him a broad range. It’s generally unpaid, but the experience he gains playing “live” in a worship band (once per week, if not more) is a valuable education in more ways than one.

[WVKayaker]

My second son picked up his older brother's trumpet in 10th grade to meet the elective requirement. Older son played for two years and put the Bach Stradivarius sterling silver trumpet on the shelf. I bought it at a pawn shop for $500 in the mid-80's. Older son is now a Police Lt in OK.

Aaron was/is a natural and by his senior year, had a band teacher set him up for an audition at Greensboro (NC) College. Five years after high school graduation, he completed his full-tuition scholarship and got his teaching degree in music.

During the summers, he traveled with an older group, the O'Kaysons (famous for "I'm a girl watcher"). After the, he was an assistant professor for a while starting on his Master's degree. Then, he began teaching, and also performing.

He just recently announced that he is in his last year teaching high school band. He and his new bride are starting a company to provide talent. He has lots of contacts in and out of music.

Encourage him to follow his heart. But, put education at the top of the list of requirements. A proper foundation is necessary for any success. Aaron has not only played his trumpet and all other types of musical instruments, but he has been a conductor and composer.

Needless to say, I am a proud Papa!

Click the pic to see his website and bio-