How will you become a professional violinist? Or any type of professional musician?
Answering, “I’ll pass out flyers and take any gig I can get” is a quick route to failure. More important, it’s a cop out.
It keeps you from choosing a clear path, as one compromise after another will block your musical and professional success.
As a pro, it’s your job to develop extreme, even epic level skills in a single area. You are not a jack of all trades. You’ll need to fight back against average every time you pick up your instrument.
Do you want to be a symphony player? Then find out what orchestra audition committees are seeking.
A studio musician? How do recording contractors find players they can trust?
A solo or backup performer? Who will pay you to play? And how will that person find you?
You must push your work out to the edges, and learn to embrace the extreme. Average won’t go far toward finding your audience or paying the bills.
