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Violinist seeks fastlane

Violinna

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Hello, Fastlane Community!

My name is Anna, I am 27 from Brazil and I am currently living in Sydney, Australia.

I grew up in a humble family in Brazil and I was always very ambitious and driven. When I was 13 I started playing the violin and when I turned 16 I decided I wanted to study abroad. My ambitious led me to move to Bulgaria at the age of 17, and as one could imagine, the path wasn't all flowers.
I finished my bachelor's in Sofia and then received an invitation to go to the Carnegie Mellon University in the US. I later moved to KY and I am now in the middle of my PhD in violin at the University of Sydney, Australia. I have had the opportunity to travel, learn different cultures, languages, play in different cities, and I am really grateful for all of that.

Why am I here?

I read the MFL and about a year or so ago I have realized that although I am now about to realize a dream of getting my PhD in violin, I am broke and I don't know what do to next. I also have realized that I have never focused on money in the past and being broke forever is just not an option for me. I have been teaching one-on-one to make ends meet and I know that's not what I wanna do for the rest of my life. Enough of trading time for money.
I am now torn between my passion and career, that requires a lot of time and it's not financially rewarding (at least I didn't find the fastlane here yet), and new entrepreneurship endeavours.

I am smart, witty, and ambitious but I don't know where to start just yet.

Thank you for the forum and comments are appreciated!

I look forward to learning with you all!
 
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Harbourmaster

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Hi Anna,

Welcome to the forum! From your bio, it sounds like you bring a wealth of experience with you so we are lucky to have you. If you bring the same sense of determination to business that you have to music, and the same sense of adventure and curiosity that you have to travel, you are well on your way.

Start with the Gold threads and don't be afraid to reach out. All the best!
 

Violinna

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Hi Anna,

Welcome to the forum! From your bio, it sounds like you bring a wealth of experience with you so we are lucky to have you. If you bring the same sense of determination to business that you have to music, and the same sense of adventure and curiosity that you have to travel, you are well on your way.

Start with the Gold threads and don't be afraid to reach out. All the best!

Thank you for your kind words and support @Harbourmaster! Checking Gold threads right now!
 

becks22

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Hi Anna,

Welcome to the forum. It sounds like you will fit right in here :) Your music skills will be a great way for you to hustle while you are pursing your fastlane ideas.
 
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Welcome Anna so nice to have you! Do you have any music tracks you can upload? I think we allow MP3 files. I'm sure I'm not alone when I think we'd love to hear your music.

Thank u for the introduction, glad TMF made an impact.
 

Violinna

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Welcome Anna so nice to have you! Do you have any music tracks you can upload? I think we allow MP3 files. I'm sure I'm not alone when I think we'd love to hear your music.

Thank u for the introduction, glad TMF made an impact.

What an honour to get a reply from you, MJ! Thank you so much!
I have uploaded a Mp3 of a small live concert where I played a Sonata for Violin and Piano by Schubert! The audio quality is not the best, but I really hope you and the community enjoy it!
 
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Violinna

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What an honour to get a reply from you, MJ! Thank you so much!
I have uploaded a Mp3 of a small live concert where I played a Sonata for Violin and Piano by Schubert! The audio quality is not the best, but I really hope you and the community enjoy it!

Not sure if the Mp3 file worked. File too big! In any case, here is also a small compilation of a few songs
 

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  • Anna Murakawa and Kristiana - Schubert .mp3
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Harbourmaster

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Very talented! Thank you for sharing.
 

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I saw a post by a guy on thinkific studio (online course platform) Facebook group that had some pretty good success with an online guitar video course accompanied by high ticket 1 on 1 online lessons. Sounds like you are an expert so maybe you can consider that an option.

Welcome to the forum :)
 
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Violinna

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I saw a post by a guy on thinkific studio (online course platform) Facebook group that had some pretty good success with an online guitar video course accompanied by high ticket 1 on 1 online lessons. Sounds like you are an expert so maybe you can consider that an option.

Welcome to the forum :)
Thank you @MattR82! I will check thinkfic right now =)
 

Gigi Rodgers

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Hello, Fastlane Community!

My name is Anna, I am 27 from Brazil and I am currently living in Sydney, Australia.

I grew up in a humble family in Brazil and I was always very ambitious and driven. When I was 13 I started playing the violin and when I turned 16 I decided I wanted to study abroad. My ambitious led me to move to Bulgaria at the age of 17, and as one could imagine, the path wasn't all flowers.
I finished my bachelor's in Sofia and then received an invitation to go to the Carnegie Mellon University in the US. I later moved to KY and I am now in the middle of my PhD in violin at the University of Sydney, Australia. I have had the opportunity to travel, learn different cultures, languages, play in different cities, and I am really grateful for all of that.

Why am I here?

I read the MFL and about a year or so ago I have realized that although I am now about to realize a dream of getting my PhD in violin, I am broke and I don't know what do to next. I also have realized that I have never focused on money in the past and being broke forever is just not an option for me. I have been teaching one-on-one to make ends meet and I know that's not what I wanna do for the rest of my life. Enough of trading time for money.
I am now torn between my passion and career, that requires a lot of time and it's not financially rewarding (at least I didn't find the fastlane here yet), and new entrepreneurship endeavours.

I am smart, witty, and ambitious but I don't know where to start just yet.

Thank you for the forum and comments are appreciated!

I look forward to learning with you all!

Hey there Anna!
I'm a creative entrepreneur - well sort of (lol!) - as well.
You came here for strategy so let me spitball a few ideas for you, as I'm trying to help a young singer with his brand currently and will be starting on my own as well.

  1. Get used to putting yourself out there. It's going to feel awkward AF in the beginning, but it's something you need to get used to. And don't listen to any dickfaces who tell you "you're selling out" or "your not being authentic". They're broke losers who will STAY broke because they are coming up with excuses like "I'm staying true to my craft" because they're afraid of doing the real work. And it's going to be WORK. Leave those losers behind and surround yourself with positive people who are trying to make things happen in any field. They'll get what you're doing and will back you.

  2. CONTENT. You need to make music every day (or at least 3x a week) and put it out into the world. Get some of the latest pop music out there today and make a violin version (or instrumental version). Record yourself playing via video and, of course, with audio. The video, you're going to post on your Facebook page, Instagram, and YouTube.
    Use Anchor.fm to record the audio for you to distribute on Instagram (another content asset), Twitter, Soundcloud, and Facebook (again, another content asset). You can create original music as well.
    Hell, if I were you - once or twice a week, I'd record improv original music for 2-hours straight and post it on Soundcloud at a random time like 12:37am and name it "The Lonely Hour Mixtape". EVERY. WEEK. Get people trained to be on your Soundcloud at 12:37am every night to catch your latest mix.

  3. DISTRIBUTION. Start reaching out to every vlogger that has over 7K followers, and even people on Twitch - it doesn't matter what space their in - and tell them they can use a set of music that you have on your Soundcloud for FREE, as long as they credit you IN the video and leave a link in the description. DM them via Instagram or Facebook, but go in for the ask. Why? They have access to a LARGE audience. You want access to that audience, so that they become your fans. Think of a vlogger as a radio station. And there are currently MILLIONS of radio stations with some true fans of what you do.
    The more exposure you have, the more brand deals that are possible. The more high paying jobs that will seek you out instead of vice versa. Get me?

  4. COLLABORATION. Collaborate with singers. And when I say singers, I mean R&B, soul, rappers, rockers, beatboxers, ska singers, funky jazz singers, etc.
    Jump into a homemade studio and record a cover as OFTEN as possible. See #2 because you are going to want to record the audio AND video. See #3 for distribution, but also reach out to some online publications that feature musicians and artists and tell them about your cover. Send them the link to the video. You never know, they might publish it on their end - ESPECIALLY if they can get the exclusive.

  5. LICENSING MUSIC. While you're working on the above, read this article about licensing music by Neville Medhora.

  6. DON'T GET FANCY. We're artists, we're perfectionists. A lot of times, we can get in our own way regarding releasing the art. Know this - the piece will never be perfect. We will ALWAYS want to tweak it. People will hear the genius, you'll notice the flaws. LET. IT. GO. It's better to have a project out that's 90% perfected than a piece that is heard by 0 people.
    And no, you don't need a fancy camera to record. Use your phone if you have to.
    You don't need the latest microphone. Find one within your budget that will do for now that has good quality. Or use the school's for FREE whenever possible.
    You don't necessarily need a website - though I would encourage you to collect email addresses via a landing page. You can easily make one using Strikingly.
And that's all I'll give you. It's a lot already, I know.
There's more, but I don't want to completely overwhelm you. Hahaha!
But if you're REALLY serious about being a non-broke Musical Entrepreneur, branding yourself, and making money on your gifts - this is a good plan of attack.

Hope that helped, my dear, and good luck! ;D
 

Violinna

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Hey there Anna!
I'm a creative entrepreneur - well sort of (lol!) - as well.
You came here for strategy so let me spitball a few ideas for you, as I'm trying to help a young singer with his brand currently and will be starting on my own as well.
Hope that helped, my dear, and good luck! ;D

Wow, @Gigi Rodgers! You just added a TON of value to my life!
You went straight to the point, especially regarding perfectionism and people saying "we are not staying true to the art." You just inspired me to try a new avenue and I am forever thankful! Going to practice right now!

wow! Thank you!
 
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rogue synthetic

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Welcome from a fellow academic.

The bad news is that advanced non-STEM graduate degrees aren't worth all that much on the job market. The good news is that they aren't worth much on the job market.

I'm finding that you learn a lot of skills that directly translate to entrepreneurship, so I expect you'll find it easier to move forward than it might seem (especially if your social circles are mostly other academics, who are largely allergic to talk of business)

Best of luck!
 

Gigi Rodgers

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Wow, @Gigi Rodgers! You just added a TON of value to my life!
You went straight to the point, especially regarding perfectionism and people saying "we are not staying true to the art." You just inspired me to try a new avenue and I am forever thankful! Going to practice right now!

wow! Thank you!

I'm so glad that this was helpful to you. Truly.
It seriously pisses me off that so many universities don't teach these practical lessons to their students, and also, that these strategies aren't talked about more openly online. I'll be sure to write about it and post it in some spaces that a lot of creative entrepreneurs will be able to see it, take it in, and do something with it.

And yeah, if anyone tries to talk you into "staying true to your art", nod your head replying, "Yeah...I get you...Okay...".
And as soon as they walk away, forget everything they said and keep on your motherfuckin' hustle.

Good luck my dear.
 

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"we are not staying true to the art." You just inspired me to try a new avenue and I am forever thankful! Going to practice right now!

Like @Gigi Rodgers said, end of the day having money is helpful. My guess is you didn't become a violinist to teach snobby kids how to play a violin. You became a violinist because you loved creating music.

Having money allows you to create freedom. Then with that freedom you can concentrate on creating music your way.

Money and your passion are not directly related. Freedom and passion are. And money and freedom is.

Doing something other than your passion to make money is not "selling out", it's simply a smart way of creating more time and freedom for pursuing your passion.

To summarize: you don't have to rely on your skills as a violinist to earn money. Money can be made in a multitude of ways. Instead, concentrate on what your end goal is, and choose what seems to be the most efficient path for getting there.
 
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G_Alexander

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I am broke and I don't know what do to next.

I am smart, witty, and ambitious but I don't know where to start just yet.

You made the right first move already: coming here.

Welcome to the forum! We are here to help, and I'm sure you can draw from the experiences you have had in life to this point to help others here as well. Awesome to hear your performances; I have an appreciation for classical music and classical composing.

Cheers!
 

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To summarize: you don't have to rely on your skills as a violinist to earn money. Money can be made in a multitude of ways. Instead, concentrate on what your end goal is, and choose what seems to be the most efficient path for getting there.[/USER]

I'm gonna piggy back off this comment.

I was a music major in college. I ended up going ed, and teaching public school, but for a couple of years I thought about going the orchestral bass performance route. Then I got real with myself and acknowledged that I wasn't the 0.01% and that I never would be.

Making music can be fastlane, but very few make it to that point, especially when going the "traditional route".

I've paid to see Joshua Bell, and he played to a packed symphony center, just him and an accompanist. Joshua Bell is a fastlane violinist.

He, and others like him, are good enough to demand those venues. You are not.

So, if you're hard set on making your money playing violin, look into some of what @Gigi Rodgers suggested. There is opportunity there.


I would also urge you to consider @AgainstAllOdds advice as well.

Make your money elsewhere, so you then have all the time in the world to play your heart out, when and how you want to.
 
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My nephew went to the Eastman School of Music for the clarinet and then graduated here in Texas. His wife went to school to learn the viola. They travel the country and play in orchestras but I always had higher hopes for them. I think if you have a music background you can do some fun things and earn a lot of money. I tried talking to them about starting their own online school and they did but they want to take it really slow and easy. I don't try and push anything on them so they will continue to grow 1 student a year. Right now they both teach. She teaches at home and he teaches through a local high school. I will never push anything on them but they know they can do so much more than what they are doing. They are working their asses off now for no reason. I hope you don't do that. Find a way for it to work for you. Try a few different things, see what makes you happy AND makes money at the same time. How about an online school with teachers in different locations and they all come together to teach?

I have a friend who is in New York this weekend because his daughter is playing cello at Carnegie Hall. I am going to talk with him next weekend just to put some ideas in his head. I didn't know she was that good until earlier today.
 
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Violinna

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Like @Gigi Rodgers said, end of the day having money is helpful. My guess is you didn't become a violinist to teach snobby kids how to play a violin. You became a violinist because you loved creating music.

Having money allows you to create freedom. Then with that freedom you can concentrate on creating music your way.

Money and your passion are not directly related. Freedom and passion are. And money and freedom is.

Doing something other than your passion to make money is not "selling out", it's simply a smart way of creating more time and freedom for pursuing your passion.

To summarize: you don't have to rely on your skills as a violinist to earn money. Money can be made in a multitude of ways. Instead, concentrate on what your end goal is, and choose what seems to be the most efficient path for getting there.

Thank you for your reply @AgainstAllOdds. I agree with you, money and passion don't have to be directly related. I have been looking into other avenues as well and have been considering starting my own dropshipping business here in Australia. l have just started reading Unscripted , so I will finish the book in the next 3 days and start Acting!
 

Violinna

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I'm gonna piggy back off this comment.

I was a music major in college. I ended up going ed, and teaching public school, but for a couple of years I thought about going the orchestral bass performance route. Then I got real with myself and acknowledged that I wasn't the 0.01% and that I never would be.

Making music can be fastlane, but very few make it to that point, especially when going the "traditional route".

I've paid to see Joshua Bell, and he played to a packed symphony center, just him and an accompanist. Joshua Bell is a fastlane violinist.

He, and others like him, are good enough to demand those venues. You are not.

So, if you're hard set on making your money playing violin, look into some of what @Gigi Rodgers suggested. There is opportunity there.


I would also urge you to consider @AgainstAllOdds advice as well.

Make your money elsewhere, so you then have all the time in the world to play your heart out, when and how you want to.[/user]

Thank you for your honesty @amp0193 . It took me a while to realize that I probably will never have the career Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn and other popular classical musicians have. Like it or not, I started fairly late in the game, and only started taking private lessons when I was 16? Excuses? No! However, by the time I was learning how to play scales, these people were already playing in big concert halls as soloists. That never stopped me for practising even harder, as I always felt I had to catch up.
What changed is that recently I also realized that I am working really hard and time is against me. It's virtually impossible for me to make it now through the traditional route. I have played in many orchestras in the past and some chamber music as well. Although I love playing orchestral music, I enjoy playing solo more, and chamber music also doesn't pay.
In the end of the day, I believe @Gigi Rodgers and @AgainstAllOdds are right. I do love violin and I am passionate about the craft, but the path I am in right now is not Fastlane at all.

Thank you for the wake up call!
 

Violinna

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My nephew went to the Eastman School of Music for the clarinet and then graduated here in Texas. His wife went to school to learn the viola. They travel the country and play in orchestras but I always had higher hopes for them. I think if you have a music background you can do some fun things and earn a lot of money. I tried talking to them about starting their own online school and they did but they want to take it really slow and easy. I don't try and push anything on them so they will continue to grow 1 student a year. Right now they both teach. She teaches at home and he teaches through a local high school. I will never push anything on them but they know they can do so much more than what they are doing. They are working their asses off now for no reason. I hope you don't do that. Find a way for it to work for you. Try a few different things, see what makes you happy AND makes money at the same time. How about an online school with teachers in different locations and they all come together to teach?

I have a friend who is in New York this weekend because his daughter is playing cello at Carnegie Hall. I am going to talk with him next weekend just to put some ideas in his head. I didn't know she was that good until earlier today.

Hi, @minivanman! Thank you for the message!

Unfortunately, I am current on the exact same path as your nephew and his wife. I have been working hard and teaching more than I should and the end goal is not really clear. (for the first time in my life!)
I have thought about your idea of an online music school and I currently teach at a platform called PlaywithAPro, however teaching and owning the platform are different things, and I found myself again trading time for money. I also have been considering translating my research into Youtube videos and making that accessible to anyone. My research focuses on how we can learn violin (or basically anything) in the most efficient and effective manners according to neurology, psychology, and pedagogy. I believe that would add value to people's lives, but I don't see a big monetary reward here.

I have woken up and I will start acting! The ideas alone won't take me anywhere.

Thank you again!
 
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Thank you for your honesty @amp0193 Like it or not, I started fairly late in the game, and only started taking private lessons when I was 16? Excuses? No!
It's not about excuses, it's about being realistic.

You and I started at 16. Others started at 4.

For every 3 hours of work I put in, they could put in 30min and get the same results.

In a field that is so saturated (classical music), hard work is not enough. You must be truly gifted AND work incredibly hard, and have a pedigree (incredible teachers/coaching from a very young age).

The realization that shocked me into reality was that if I wanted to get a 6-figure orchestra job, I'd be competing against my professor. 40-50 year old dudes, who knew the entire excerpt repertoire from memory, and could play them flawlessly, and had been doing so for 20 years, were competing for the same jobs as 21-year-old me who was just learning the ropes.

I was more interested in solo performance anyways, and as a bassist... that goal was just laughable. There are like less than 10 solo bassists ever in history to have had any real success.
 

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here is also a small compilation of a few songs

Thank you, beautiful!

Then with that freedom you can concentrate on creating music your way.

To add to this, you've read and enjoyed my books. I wrote them my way. Had I been subject to a publisher, they would read much differently, perhaps so different that you wouldn't have enjoyed them. My point is, in order to stay true to your heart, sometimes you have to divest yourself from your art and money. This is why I'm not a fan of "following your passion", but rather, create value massively first, then follow your passion without the crucible of money attached.
 

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Thank you for your honesty @amp0193 . It took me a while to realize that I probably will never have the career Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn and other popular classical musicians have. Like it or not, I started fairly late in the game, and only started taking private lessons when I was 16? Excuses? No! However, by the time I was learning how to play scales, these people were already playing in big concert halls as soloists. That never stopped me for practising even harder, as I always felt I had to catch up.
What changed is that recently I also realized that I am working really hard and time is against me. It's virtually impossible for me to make it now through the traditional route. I have played in many orchestras in the past and some chamber music as well. Although I love playing orchestral music, I enjoy playing solo more, and chamber music also doesn't pay.
In the end of the day, I believe @Gigi Rodgers and @AgainstAllOdds are right. I do love violin and I am passionate about the craft, but the path I am in right now is not Fastlane at all.

Thank you for the wake up call!

The nice thing about the internet is that it's democratized (Mj talks about this in Unscripted I believe). I'm not saying you should pursue violin as your fastlane, but I'm not saying you shouldn't.

Will you be like Josh Bell, Hilary Hahn, Perlman, Hefeitz? Probably not.

However, look at the career path of someone like Lindsey Sterling. The democratization of the internet allowed her to bring her unique presentation of violin to the masses via Youtube without a filter like a concert hall. Now she plays in concert halls.

I've never found her to be particularly "great" in comparison to the Perlmans of the world, but that doesn't matter. The masses love her. And she's good enough to play at a level that people enjoy her stuff.

Food for thought.
 
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've never found her to be particularly "great" in comparison to the Perlmans of the world, but that doesn't matter. The masses love her.

Excellent take. One opinion does not make a market. Push your work out into the market and let them tell you what they think.
 

Delmania

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I've always found real world examples a useful to understand core concepts. In this case, when I read you were a violinist looking to become an entrepreneur, I was reminded of a young woman I listen to on Spotify who, like you, is a violinist. How I head about her music was because Spotify recommended and album of hers in which she plays music from the video games series The Legend Of Zelda. Her name is Taylor Davis, and some of her her work can be found on Spotify. What makes this interesting is that beyond the fact that LotZ has some beautiful music, she is capable of using a string instrument to create breathtaking versions of a music written for a wind instrument (ocarina, in this case).

As a musician, you have arguably some of the most potent skills around here. Looking at it from the lens of Unscripted , an album is a legacy value system, and you have a plethora of channels. You also have an incredible advantage because music is such a powerful tool for helping people feel happy. (I've read we have a whole section of our brain dedicated solely to the processing of music).

I would personally take a cue from someone like Davis, and find a unique niche. She focuses on music from video games (which can also be equally as powerful as music) and fantasy. Her "twist" of course, is that she is playing music with a violin.
 

amp0193

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I would personally take a cue from someone like Davis, and find a unique niche. She focuses on music from video games (which can also be equally as powerful as music) and fantasy. Her "twist" of course, is that she is playing music with a violin.

If you're going to try and make it playing, this is the way to go. You need a niche, preferably one with a ready audience.

Like these guys, who came out with a stage-comedy act:



Any established repertoire is pretty much off-limits except for the extreme virtuosos. If you make an album playing standard concerto repertoire, why would I listen to yours, when I could listen to Perlman's?

As time goes on, more and more recordings of the same classical music will be available, and every one that gets made dilutes the values of the others.
 
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Violinna

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The nice thing about the internet is that it's democratized (Mj talks about this in Unscripted I believe). I'm not saying you should pursue violin as your fastlane, but I'm not saying you shouldn't.

Will you be like Josh Bell, Hilary Hahn, Perlman, Hefeitz? Probably not.

However, look at the career path of someone like Lindsey Sterling. The democratization of the internet allowed her to bring her unique presentation of violin to the masses via Youtube without a filter like a concert hall. Now she plays in concert halls.

I've never found her to be particularly "great" in comparison to the Perlmans of the world, but that doesn't matter. The masses love her. And she's good enough to play at a level that people enjoy her stuff.

Food for thought.

I completely agree, @funkj25

Lindsey Sterling is not particularly good at violin, but she was definitely smart with her marketing and presentation. People don't know and don't even care about her violin skills, they care about the outcome as a whole.

It did get me thinking! Thanks for that! :)
 

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