By: Jeffrey Biegel

Jeffrey Biegel — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:04:39 +0000

Dear K.P.,
You pose a question to someone who has a lifetime of experience guiding young newcomers to the music business. Ms. Landau’s advice is very truthful and helpful. As an artist myself, I have some thoughts for you since I have lived through the stepping stones of a career–and I have to say, no two careers are alike (as no two pianos are alike!) During my student days at Juilliard, I was fortunate to have studied with Adele Marcus. In addition to the standard literature, she opened our eyes to new repertoire. We had to learn obligatory works for competitions, etc. The career ‘yellow brick road’ can take you in myriad directions. Like ‘The Wizard of Oz’, you probably don’t have to look further than your own heart and soul. First and foremost, although the advice to cultivate repertoire close to your ancestry, or other ideas, is good advice, as a musician, you MUST cultivate music which means something to you–music which you want to learn, perform and record as a legacy. One thing I would suggest above everything else, is cultivate friendships with your composer colleagues. Composers need friends to perform their music, and, as both of your careers develop, the two may go hand in hand. If a composer colleague has music you can relate to, and you become close in friendship with the composer(s), over time, you may be in a position to have a new concerto, or chamber work, or solo work commissioned for you. That means finding the orchestras that the composer’s music has been performed, or where there has been interest to perform. You must then be a manager–true, managers are very helpful in setting fees and going after people who you know, to keep you out of the business side–but, as Lee Lamont (former President of ICM Artists–now Opus 3) said to me the first time when met, “Make friends in the music world and play everywhere you possibly can”. I say this to you as well. You might consider a 20 minute concerto based on something important to the composer, or to you, and pair it with something more familiar of similar duration. Remember–conductors need repertoire to program that attracts audiences–and new audiences importantly. There are works by composers that are indeed wonderful–and have not been programmed as they should. Again, the music must speak to you, and you must consider if you bring something important to the music to share with audiences–and perhaps record for posterity. This advice I share can take anywhere from two or three years to two decades–it is a lifetime pursuit–a way of life. Otherwise, just having a management with your name on their list waiting for them to get work for you is difficult at best. I have learned to have the traditional repertoire, but also many works which makes me a marketable commodity–after all, it is a business. You must create projects of value for yourself, but projects which might garner repeat performances, and re-engagements for yourself. There is no Cinderella story for a career. You might enjoy the journey–the ‘yellow brick road’, rather than hoping for things to happen. Make them happen with your own individual artistry and musical goals. Today, the road is more an open road–people make opportunities, recordings don’t have to be on a major label, you can start a festival, you can be the advocate for a composer or two and work with them hand-in-hand for both of your careers.
Please keep us posted–and enjoy the road ahead. You just might create a wonderful legacy of your own and for the future of music in the 21st century!
Best wishes to you,
Jeffrey Biegel
http://www.jeffreybiegel.com

Comments on: To Thine Own Self Be True

By: Jeffrey Biegel