TOOLBOX Theory / Teaching Notes

Non-Music Skills
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In addition to music skills, there is a whole range of non-music skills that you may need to acquire These may include some or all of the skills listed below

 1. Managing your Career

Career Management is about knowing what you want to do and how you are going to get there
if you have a sense of direction, you're more likely to your destination.  If you want to go to a specific city, you do not hop on any bus that happens to be passenger door.  You seek out the specific bus that is going to that city.
Career management is about clarifying where we want go in our lives, and then taking the specific steps to get there.

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2. Managing your Education

Whether you are involved in a formal or an informal educational course, you need to keep up with what is going on to achieve the best possible result
The following are important:-
  • You are pursuing the course/class that is right for you
  • You are keeping up-to-date with your educational activities
  • You are a good attender at classes etc.
  • You apply yourself diligently to your studies
  • You attend to any particular subjects with which you are having difficulties
  • You anticipate any difficulties that you may have at your exams
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3. Managing Technology

You are going to need some or all of the following skills:-
  • Basic computer skills which involve a knowledge of Word, Excel, et cetera
  • Basic or advanced recording skills, both video and audio, depending upon the extent to which you can get professional support
  • A working knowledge of social media platforms for the purpose of promoting yourself
  • A working knowledge of PA systems, including mixing desks, etc.
  • Website design, again for promoting yourself
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4. Promoting Yourself

You are going to need some or all of the following skills in the absence of professional support:-
  • A  basic knowledge of marketing techniques
  • A capacity to book gigs
  • A capacity to promote yourself in person
  • A capacity to promote yourself online
  • A capacity to be an effective communicator
  • A knowledge of the publishing industry
  • A capacity to promote and sell your CDs
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5. Skills FOR the Road

Skills for the Road will include the following:-
  • Looking after your health
  • Eating well
  • Keeping Fit
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Avoiding excessive drinking and drugs

  • Being a good team player
  • Event Management
  • Choosing the right gigs for your band
  • Technical Expertise
  • Negotiation skills
  • Foreign languages
  • Money management
  • Patience
Many musicians spend a lot of time on the road, particularly if they are involved in tours.  The road can be a very exhilarating place, but it can also be a difficult place for musicians and they need to develop resilience in order to deal with the challenges that they will meet.  There can be a lot of travelling time, but also a lot of downtime, once you arrive at your destination.  The amount of time physically playing music is very small compared with total time involved.
It is important that they look after their health and this can mean keeping fit, eating well, getting sufficient sleep and avoiding excessive drinking and drug taking.
When you are on the road, you are  part of a team and is important that you have leadership skills, If you are in charge and that you are a team player, if you are not.  Other skills that are important might include event management and foreign languages.

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6. Money Skills

Money management skills are important in any profession, and they are equally important in music, particularly if you're self-employed.  Ideally, you should have the capacity to prepare a simple Receipts and Payments Account your money coming in and money going out in order that you can see if you have the capacity to make sustainable living in the music business.  You should also be able to forecast your receipts and payments for the next six, 12 or 24 months ahead to give you perspective in money terms where your music business is going.
You  need to be a good negotiator so that you can charge appropriate rates for your services.
In the absence of you, yourself having the skills you should get in touch with a financial adviser who can help you or take a short course on how to manage your finances
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7. Continuing PROFESSIONAL Development

New information and new techniques are coming to us on a continuing basis and in order to keep up-to-date with our chosen career. It is necessary to continually develop ourselves.
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8.  Managing your Life

Life management is about having firm foundations upon which to build your life/ career
One of the key non-music skills is to have the capacity to look after yourself as you go about developing your career.  We call this life management.  You need a firm platform on which to build your life and you also need to make sure that you are addressing all the areas of your life that need attention.
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TOOLBOX LINK

The Toolbox Engine contains a self-assessment questionnaire which will enable you to identify the non-music skills which may need attention.  Link

Next

Explore the importance of building a personal support structure. Link