Diversify and Conquer Part III
On Line Teaching
This whole concept seems to have gone
viral, with new 'online studios' cropping up almost daily. The competition is
pretty severe right now, but for the person with the right combination of
material, presentation and personality, it can be a good move.
Studio Tracking
This music model has been around for some
time, but many drummers are now making a specialty of it. The idea is someone
sends tracks to your studio. You then create drum parts for the music and lay
down final tracks. No more dragging your drums into the studio and waiting for
the rest of the gang to get their act together.
Blogging/Guest Blogging
If you have a penchant for
writing, you can create your own blog in about 15 minutes. And your blog can be
'monetized' -- that is, you can make money at it! But for a blog to have any
chance of financial return, you need to reach a wide audience and visitors who
decide to click. And to attract advertisers, your subscription list has to be
well into 5 figures. Guest blogging may pay a stipend, but more often it is a
marketing option that will further enhance your audience and your
credibility.
YouTube Star
Ah yes, the ship that launched Justin Bieber
and a host of others. By now you may even suspect that a YouTube video is more
important than having a business card. Videos are great marketing tools that can
also be monetized, and a run-away video can bring you all sorts of rewards.
Clinician
Not long ago, a career as a clinician was
nearly unheard of. These days, it's become a bit of a spectator sport with big
budgets, large audiences, and stars galore. Most are sponsored by the bigger
companies, but even small music stores run successful clinics these days.
Wrap-up
Most drummers who make a go of it have a number
of interests and have a great time wearing different hats. If playing full time
is not on offer, or just doesn't appeal to you, there are lots of ways to keep
your hand in. Because of my health, I rarely gig. So I write a blog, I network
with musicians, I buy and sell drums & stuff, I teach, and I play a bit with
a small jazz band. Even when I was playing full-time, I maintained a teaching
studio and worked part time in retail helping drummers (and others) with their
hardware needs. It was fun, rewarding, and adequately lucrative.
Bonus Idea
A lot of drummers are joining the
'maker culture', and boutique drums, cymbals and accessories are showing up all over the world. If you've been toying with the idea of building drums or inventing
drummer solutions, you may have a future as a manufacturer.
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