TEM87: Peter Meechan on controlling your own career, unintentional networking and finding your niche in the music business

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Here are the show notes for Episode 87 of The Entrepreneurial Musician Podcast featuring Peter Meechan.

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Peter Meechan is a professional composer from England who now resides in Canada. He has had compositions performed by the "President's Own" Marine Band, Edmonton Symphony, Black Dyke Brass Band and many other world class ensembles.

Topics Covered:

  • 5:32 - Pete's indirect journey through music and how he came to become a professional composer

  • 10:42 - How a bar at his university led to some incredibly effective (and unintentional) networking that still pays off for him

  • 18:30 - The great story of how saying yes led to him cold-calling one of the most famous trumpet players in the world, Rex Richardson, which in turn led to a commission

  • 26:43 - How he has come to find his niche as a composer of brass music (in spite of not being a brass player himself) and why it's important to intentionally pursue things within the business that people are actually paying for

  • 37:52 - How many artists have a hangup about marketing their art and why they shouldn't (at least you shouldn't if you're genuine)

  • 45:15 - How we all know colleagues who suck at social media and it can be a turnoff about it in general (but that it shouldn't be) and how the world is still very young in the entire social media experience and how we're still figuring it all out

  • 54:48 - Why he chose to self-publish his music rather than go the traditional publisher route (Spoiler: the old business model made absolutely no sense for him as a composer) and about a traditional publisher he heard about recently that is offering much better terms for composers moving forward

  • 1:03:57 - The importance of controlling your own career and making your own destiny (and why that's a little daunting)

  • 1:09:50 - Why the resource he recommends to all aspiring entrepreneurial musicians he speaking to everyone who is doing what you're doing

Links:

Favorite Quotes:

  • "Humans, as a whole, we're very good at spotting someone who is full of it. The guy who's talking BS. We instinctively pick up on it...And equally we pick up on someone who is incredibly genuine and someone who is incredibly passionate. We don't sit there and think about it. It's just an instinct. And I think the whole making people believe in you and what you do has a whole lot to do with that as well."

Help me get to my $25 per episode goal on Patreon and get a mini-consultation with me!

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Thanks for all the help spreading and supporting TEM. It means the world to me.

Produced by Joey Santillo

We don't have a talent problem. We have a shipping problem.

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"We don't have a talent problem. We have a shipping problem."

—Seth Godin from "Linchpin"

First of all, if you are the skimming type, at the bottom of this post there is a link to a book that Seth Godin has been generous enough to let me offer to my audience for free. Follow the link to get your free copy.

First of all, if you have not read Seth Godin's book "Linchpin" you should immediately stop reading my little blog here and go purchase it immediately. No seriously. Go do it right now. (And for the record that is not an affiliate link. I would of course let you know if it was. You just need to read the book because there is some life changing stuff in it.)

I just finished reading (actually listening since I am an Audible junky) "Linchpin" it for the second time and there will be a third time through it very soon.

The title of this post is a quote from the book and it is a blatant call to action.

Have you been "in the process" of writing a book for the last 18 months? I dare you to look in the mirror and say out loud that the reason you haven't published it (whether that means self-published or with a publisher) is because you are waiting to become a better writer.

Even if you might quietly think to yourself that that is a factor, I bet that if you say it out loud your bs detector is going to go off. In fact I guarantee it will.

(And you can substitute performing a recital, composing a symphony, opening a teaching studio, booking a tour for your band or anything else for writing a book.)

Because what's the way to get better as a writer? IT'S TO PUBLISH MORE DAMN BOOKS.

It's not to think about becoming a better a writer. It's not to read blog posts like this. And at some point (which is a lot earlier than a lot of us like to admit) it is not to read books, listen to podcasts, or watch videos telling us how to be a better writer.

You can accumulate all the information and inspiration in the world and if you don't actually write (and ship!) anything then what the hell are you really doing? Not much is the answer.

The first iteration of my second book is a lot better than the first iteration of my first book (even though they are two volumes from the same series.)

The launch of my second podcast was a lot better than the launch of my first podcast.

That's because the only way to truly learn anything is by shipping.

I used the word "you" in this post over and over again. And obviously I have shipped albums, podcasts, books, websites (all plural) over the years. But I promise you I am writing this post as a reminder to myself.

What the hell am I waiting to acquire more "talent" (whatever the hell that even means) or more knowledge or more financial support before I ship? Avoidance and fear never lead to learning. But shipping does.

So go ship.

Through the incredible generosity of Seth Godin I can offer you a copy an ebook copy of "Seth Godin: Live at Carnegie Hall" for free. You can click on the cover or click here to get your free copy.

TEM42: Nate Zeisler of The Colburn School

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TEM42: Nate Zeisler of The Colburn School

Nate Zeisler is the Director of Community Engagement and Career Development at the Colburn School and one of the founders of Arts Enterprise. Over a decade ago he was at the forefront of the entrepreneurial movement within academia and is constantly working to educate students about the intersection of business and the arts.

Nate has had a fascinating career that has included being an elementary band director, a professional bassoon player, a creator of multiple organizations and a professor known for breaking down barriers within academia.

His positivity is contagious and his passion for his work is genuine and he was one of the people I instantly knew I needed to interview when I first dreamed up this podcast.

Topics Covered:

  • How he spent two years doing research before he founded his first chamber ensemble

  • The importance of knowing your risk tolerance when plotting your career

  • How he met his future cofounder of Arts Enterprise when he waited on her table as a doctoral student

  • Why the immediate success of arts enterprise at the university of Michigan made them aware that it would also work well at other schools

  • Why teaching an entrepreneurship class that combined music majors and business majors was so fascinating

  • Why being successful on a number of different fronts led him to reaching a breaking point

  • The importance of sustainability

  • What young musicians need to know about the intersection of business and the arts

  • The "Three Buckets" of project-based work

Links:

Resources Nate Recommends:

You can help offset the ongoing costs of producing the show by making a small donation at http://www.pedalnotemedia.com/support-the-entrepreneurial-musician. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Produced by Austin Boyer of FredBrass

TEM35: Are you with the 99%? (TEM Short)

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TEM35: Are you with the 99%? (TEM Short)

In Episode 34, Lance LaDuke talked about how 99% of the world goes in the same direction when marketing their product or event. Are you with the 99% or is your marketing remarkable?

Links:

You can help offset the ongoing costs of producing the show by making a small donation at http://www.pedalnotemedia.com/support-the-entrepreneurial-musician. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Produced by Austin Boyer of FredBrass