Book Review – The Savvy Musician by Dr David Cutler

So you want to be a musician? and Are There Too Many Musicians? These are two questions asked in the introduction by Dr David Cutler author of the soon to be released book The Savvy Musician. With doom and gloom seemingly around every corner for the arts, this book is a like a GPS for musicians to find an alternative route, one that wont just bring a check whilst biding ones time waiting for a “regular job” to appear.  No, David goes so far as to suggest that alternatives can help the art form itself become relevant!   My neck is sore from all the nodding I was doing whilst reading this, and so I decided to write my first ever book review……..

Covering it all!More than a philosophical point of view, The Savvy Musician ($19.99 Helius Press, release date November 1 but available now through the web-site) is a practical guide for musicians who have the ability to engage an audience to learn how to get the audiences to engage them! More than a book it is also a web-site that has tremendous resources including articles, links and blogs that are continually updated (this blog is on there now!).  The book itself has over 165 real examples (with web addresses)  of how musicians are really making it in the world as vibrant relevant artists contributing to society and making a decent living at the same time.  The examples are in shaded boxes for easy reference and the full gamut of becoming an entrepreneur in the field is covered.

Not once did I get a sense that David was suggesting it’s easy, only that it’s possible.  Boxes of pros and cons are everywhere, and at over 350 pages there is much detail in everything from touring, finances, cultivating alliances, new venues, attracting donors, making recordings, composing, educational performance, teaching, web design, marketing and more.  It is superbly laid out and organized, with a very detailed index and very helpful appendixes and even one that’s an original song!  Some highlights:

pg 23 – While outstanding quality may be enough to make your work stand out, it often requires more, especially in situations where the employer deals with a large number of professionals in your area.  So how can you differentiate your services? Fulfill at least one special element above and beyond the job’s requirements.

Great advice, I will never forget when I formed a chamber orchestra whilst in college in London, we were at the beginnings of environmental awareness (this was 1989!).  We printed everything on recycled paper and picked up scrap paper at print shops for recycling to help pay for the groups expenses (the city of London paid for paper at the time!). When auditioning for a prestigious concert series at a London church, we presented a concert idea that would highlight the need to recycle and encourage those attending to bring paper they were going to throw out. We would perform the 4 seasons and also a world premiere called the Four Elements by four student composers.  There were many other groups who auditioned that were far more established than us, but we came with a marketing/environmental idea and an innovative program (no one else did, they just brought something to play) and we got the gig.  Long story short, the video of that concert got me my first professional audition,  I won that job and I have been a conductor ever since!

The book is very ambitious:

pg 25 – How to Change the World

To start with, take an interest.  Educate yourself about social, political, economic, educational, and cultural issues on both micro- and macrocosmic levels.  Get involved in your community.  Bring music to places where its impact isn’t normally felt and go beyond producing high quality events – make work relevant and meaningful.

David goes beyond how we as musicians can carve a niche.  All the way through the book is woven a philosophy that the more that people find new ways to communicate musically, the better we make our world.  That gives this book an excitement that makes you want to read even the chapters that contain advice and subjects that might be obvious to some. I didn’t want to ever miss how he applies this philosophy and that alone makes this book hard to put down.

He stresses rightly how we live in an age where poor presentation can mean the death of an application, proposal etc…

pg 38 – Many observers take little from a poorly delivered lecture, regardless of its profundity.  Grant committees dismiss poorly written applications from the most qualified of candidates.  World renowned conductors veto powerful compositions solely because of sloppy notation.  Though these examples may not be “fair” in a perfect world, they represent reality.

Further to this in chapter 4: Print Materials That Scream Success, he humorously tackles the dreaded “Bio” and has a very whimsical example of how to turn a bio into something that someone will want to read.  He follows this with something I found to be inciteful:

pg 79 – Far too many musicians bios look essentially identical – uninspired laundry lists of accomplishments.  There is absolutely no reason a bio must read like an obituary!  Why not create a statement that reflects the image you hope to project?  Bios may employ various literary styles: character pieces, comedic accounts, performer “trivia” lists, poems etc.

Some of the most engaging bios have been composed by relatively inexperienced performers with no option but to embrace a creative approach.

Another great passage at the end of chapter 7: Extraordinary People Skills, he deals with forming alliances:

pg 154 – Attend concerts of colleagues, not only for personal fulfillment and “research”, but also to encourage their efforts and support the local scene.  When someone else succeeds, view this as a triumph for all music, not a threat to your self worth and preservation.  Be good to those who have helped you, and seek ways to create alliances with artists.  As a result, everyone benefits: you, others involved and the community.

In chapter 9: Nice Work If You Can Get It part 1, David offers some “golden tips”, and here he is singing my tune.  He writes about the importance of creating personal relationships, getting to know those you are performing for and letting them get to know you, plus advice on continuing the relationships with references, greeting cards, gifts etc…overall the key is to as he puts it get out of the background. He says funerals would be an exception of course, but he is right on the money about a personal touch which can often generate more repeat business than great performances alone can.

One the best how to examples in this book deals with contracts and on page 194 is an actual sample contract and rider provided by the Burning River Brass

In chapter 11: Funding Your Dreams, he deals with fund raising, and the often daunting prospect of asking for money:

pg 245 – If you have never asked for a donation before, the prospect can be nerve racking.  Before making an actual pitch, you may want to practice with friends or mentors to organize your thoughts and get comfortable.  For the first actual request, start with someone you trust and know well.  This way, even if you have the heebie jeebies, she will certainly understand.  After a few attempts, fund raising may not feel as daunting a task as it once seemed.  In fact you may find it enjoyable to share your story with others.

Chapter 12: Outstanding Performance Plus…. goes into rich detail about engaging the audience.  Areas covered include presentation, stage presence, appearance, duration, interaction, social experience, use of the performance space and public speaking.  He is dealing with the real world audience and their expectations, dare I say it an Audience Connection.  Chapter 13: Artistry and Relevance, goes even further into this by imploring for the equal balance of artistry and relevance as a key to to fulfillment and sustainability.

His most ambitious chapter is Chapter 14: Leaving a Legacy which is the final chapter.  In it he writes about legacy i.e what we leave ahead for others from what we did whilst here.  It mostly asks questions and is not heavy handed but is both the perfect capstone and launching pad to inspire those who have talent and a dream to go after it to make a difference as well as a paycheck.

This is a must read book, especially for those uncertain if there is anything out there apart from the mainstream and traditional jobs that at the moment are so scarce.  It also serves as a great reminder as to why we do this and is a guide not just for personal success but also for developing our art form by making it relevant to the world and people around us.  Finally, it further bolsters my belief that music instruction at the college level has to revolutionize to incorporate the new economy, new media and the current world.

This is one Savvy book, Bravo!


By the way Inside the Arts blogger Jason Heath is one of the success stories mentioned in the book

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