What does it take to be a successful musician?

[Brown Mule]

Some good classes in theory, one on one lessons with a "successful" musician in your instrument, and most of all "hard work for the rest of your life under the heading of practice , practice, practice ,and practice. And more practice. Yes, I did vote.

[The Bone Ranger]

In Johnny's chosen genre, yes. Not so sure about other forms.

Andrew (a Johnny Cash fan)

[iiipopes]

I answered none of the above. Depends on what you mean as "successful." For example, if you want to be "successful" at the shows in the Branson area near where I live, the primary talent a person has to have is hustle, hustle, hustle.

[averagejoe]

I voted all of the above. I believe that true success in music is making great music. As all of the options are facets of making music, and successful implementation of those things allow us to express more musical ideas.

[kontrabass]

"Soul" is required to be a GREAT musician. Not necessarily to be a successful musician.

There are successful musicians who don't have soul - what they have is a skillset that works for a specific corner of the business, and they've hustled and persevered.

Depends on how you define "successful" of course. In this case I'm defining it as, able to make a living.

[Dylan King]

Good character always helps.

[Brown Mule]

Hank Williams did pretty good achieving those first 5 attributes but he made the mistake of going to sleep in the back seat of that 1953 Cadilac.

[windshieldbug]

Work.

[tbn.al]

A top notch promoter who sees something in you that he thinks will translate to popularity and $$$$$$. The rest of that stuff can be fixed in the studio.

[tubajazzo]

the answer is either "all of the above" if the emphasis is on "musician", or "none of the above", which I voted, if the emphasis is on "succesful", meaning economical succes.

Gerd

[tubaman1019]

I think being successful could be taken in two ways, successful as in getting into a prestigious orchestra and become an internationally well know soloist or it could just mean that you are happy doing what you love. Of course you could be both. Thats just my opinion

[Homerun]

Too broad a question - each person answering is also being asked to define the question, therefore every response will not only be an answer, but a question also. For example, me answering "good technique" doesn't tell you anything, because you don't know how I define "successful musician".

[bort]

Luck.

You need all of those things (including Soul) to be a great musician. But plenty of great musicians are not "successful" (if that is meant to mean make a good amount of money and/or are famous).

[k001k47]

Effectively communicating a muse.

[Alex C]

...the primary talent a person has to have is hustle, hustle, hustle.

Ditto.

With the bleak future of orchestras, this skill becomes more and more necessary. What course teaches this in college?

[Richard Murrow]

I heard a quote once from the great George Roberts who was asked: "Mr. Roberts, what does it take to be a successful musician in a large city?" His response was:

"A. Be the very best player YOU can be.

B. Be the nicest person YOU can be.

If on some days you can't make it on A you can always make it on B."

I might also add, "If you can pay the bills every month, take care of your family, not knowingly screw anyone over, and feel good about yourself at the end of the day you are probably successful."

Richard Murrow

[hbcrandy]

How do one cast a vote in these Tubenet polls?

[jamsav]

depending on how success is defined , If I had all of the above I would consider myself incredibly suucessful but alas, while you can have all of the above and not be successful , or none of the above and be very successful , there clearly must be other variables...

[Chriss2760]

In my experience, this one comes the closest to the truth:

B. Be the nicest person YOU can be.

The tuba players that can play the parts are many; the ones that can do so graciously and with appreciation and respect for all the other people involved in the production are few.
Be one of the few and you will be successful.

[k001k47]

seventeen thousand + posts on tubienet?

This times infinity