I wear a few different hats in my professional life, and that balance has been changing of late. While I have long thought of myself first and foremost as a freelance musician, this past year I've seen an increase in duties (and stability) in my position at University of Wyoming, which has kept me more occupied--and less available to gig. I love to travel for performances and master classes and look forward to continuing to squeeze that in when I can, but it has also been very satisfying to begin developing UW's very first music entrepreneurship program. I had already been offering some career coaching services on the side and making guest appearances on other coaching sites, and this certificate program I am developing has been a nice way to conceptualize a more wholistic approach to training the entrepreneurial side of ourselves as musicians from the ground up.
I'm in the process of accumulating and combining resources I have created in recent years for various purposes, from coaching individual musicians to developing homework assignments for my Careers in Music class. As I sort through all the artifacts of this past school year, I think I've found some general resources which could be helpful to anyone about to graduate who's asking of themselves: "what next"? Whether you're moving to a new town to establish yourself or simply re-establishing yourself as a graduated, grown-up musician in the town where you already live, there are some steps to be taken, and thought processes to follow, which can give you a much greater sense of agency over your future. There is a lot that's too individualistic to encapsulate in a questionnaire or directory, and that's where personal advice from a trusted mentor or coach comes in. But if you're looking for some initial, basic steps to take once you're past your graduation ceremony, I hope this Grad Guide may help. Inside you'll find
- A questionnaire to help you get to know yourself and direct your next moves
- A directory of financial resources as those loan payments start coming due
- Checklists to help you develop unique, cogent branding materials for your online presence
I call this a "grad guide", but I think it's pretty applicable to anyone starting over in a new place or in a new way, as well as those looking to up their game and improve upon what they're already doing. Please share freely, and be in touch if you have questions or ideas for additional materials you think would be helpful in this resource.
Congratulations, graduates of 2019, and let the fun begin!
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