Playing For Life
(18 Feb 04)
Education
Get an education - Just like any other kind of job, education is important. Lessons are great but if you have the time and money, enroll yourself in a good music school.
I spent a year at Musician's Institute in Los Angeles where I ended up also being a teacher for six years. The great thing about studying at a big music school is all the students that you also get a chance to learn from. The thing that is great about MI or LAMA in LA or The Collective in NY or the schools that I run in Japan is that they are not art schools as much as they are trade schools.
They strive to teach you how to make a living at being a guitarist while also giving you plenty of creative support. They don't cater to any one particular style of music as an "art" school does. The trade school teaches you a trade rather than an art.
Get in education - A well rounded musical education will also prepare you for education. One of the most rewarding things I have ever done is to get into music education.
After I left MI in 1992, I found myself in Japan as the Director of Education at Tokyo School of Music. Teaching will teach you more about music than studying will. When I was teaching at MI, I found myself teaching in the classroom next to Scott Henderson on one side and Paul Gilbert on the other. I would eat lunch with jazz legend Joe Diorio. Just being in the same building as players like these and absorbing what was going on around me was an invaluable experience.
Teaching also forced me to organize musical concepts which in turn helped me become a better player. If you are fortunate to get work at a school that also has courses in recording, you may be able to sneak in there and learn a little about the newest technology. One of the biggest advantages of working at a music school is the fact that you can network. I'm always surprised to see how much the teachers at my school end up working together. They refer each other to gigs as subs and even get them on their own gigs. The great thing about teaching is that it is usually a day gig which doesn't interfere with your night gig; playing. Its extra cash and it's steady.
Some advice on getting a teaching job
Your Manner - A lot of guys ruin the whole thing here. Here is how it usually goes; I get a call from a guy looking for a teaching position. I ask him to come down and he does. I talk to him a while and decide he seems like a decent cat. His eyes aren't red and he can carry a concise conversation. You may think I'm joking. You would actually be surprised how many guys come to an interview high on something. This is a sure way to not get the job. I don't care what anybody does in their free time but, anyone who comes to an interview at a school for a teaching job stoned is probably going to come to teach his classes stoned too. Also, like I said before, never, ever show up late for your interview. One of the most important things for a teacher to be is on time.
Passion - I also want a guy who is passionate about teaching. Remember, a school is a business so I want a teacher who is going to teach all the students, not just the gifted ones. Most kids quit school because of discrimination. Not racial, religious or sexual, but talent discrimination. Anyone can teach someone with a ton of talent to be a great player. I'm looking for someone to teach the kids who struggle with the guitar, they are the ones who will thank you at graduation. If you feel that filtering out the students that are not "musically gifted" is a teacher's job, you won't be working for me. I want every student who enrolls in my school to graduate. Remember that during your interview too.
Your Profile - Don't disclose the unnecessary. You will need to give the school your profile. Leave out anything that you may be doing that doesn't involve music. When I look over a profile of someone looking for a teaching position at my school, I'm looking for someone who is a working player. Anyone who is gigging plus, let's say, works at the local Kmart is out. I'm looking for guys who are going to teach the students how to work full time as a guitarist so they better be doing so themselves. Don't lie, but don't disclose the unnecessary details. The way the profile is put together is also important. It is a reflection on how organized you are. Avoid writing your profile by hand and include a promo shot. Don't rave about yourself too much either. Speak softly and carry a big stick. The "stick" is your demo.
Your Demo - Let's say the interview and the profile go over. Here is the next thing that a lot of guys screw up. They don't have anything recorded. I want to hear them play. You'd be surprised how many guys don't have a decent demo. I generally don't like cassette tapes. I'm looking for a decently recorded cd. It can be burned at home or at a studio but it needs to showcase what you are good at. This is also true for auditions. A lot of times, before you even get to audition, you first have to send your bio and demo. Be careful not to send a demo of you playing Bebop to a producer looking for a rock guitarist.
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