How Long Does a Music Career Last? Exploring the Lifespan of Musicians

Most of us may detest this, but the fact remains that a musician’s career has a life span, and it is short. At some point, people will not be so excited to hear you and will be on the lookout for the next best thing. Your career, especially on the performance front, will dwindle.

Question: But there are musicians who have been performing for decades. Why should mine be any different?

For every musician who has been gigging for decades, there are thousands who enjoy a 5-year stint and go into oblivion. Planning for a 5- to 7-year stint will force you to be intentional about how you live, your expenses, building networks, and everything else. If your career extends beyond 5 years, then it’s a win-win for you.

I will digress at this point to mention that if all your friends are musicians, you’re doing something incredibly wrong. There is life outside of music, and it is important to explore other spheres of life. Your musical dexterity is capable of attracting people from different walks of life. Do not allow it to go to waste. Learn from them and ask questions. Gain a wholesome experience of life.

Performance and Relationship Currency

These currencies are important aspects a musician needs to consider to thrive. Performance currency, as the name implies, is your ability to deliver, i.e., play excellently and have a good attitude while at it.

Your ability to build relationships is another important element. Who do you know, and who are those who can vouch for you?

As important as it is to know how to play excellently, the relationships you nurture will prove to be more beneficial in the long run. Consistently build relationships with people who can sponsor your interests or link you to people in need of your services. Ultimately, be good to everyone, irrespective of their current position or level of influence. The world is in flux, and things change rapidly.

There is a friend of mine whom I would call Sean; I performed with him at the International Jazz Festival. After the event, he picked up a fight with the organizers about payment, even though they had communicated earlier that there was no payment fee for the gig. He got paid, but the organizer ensured that he didn’t get access to any top-notch gigs​​ again for a very long time.

Sean isn’t the only one who has experienced this. It happens every now and again.