Musicians are naturally charitable. In fact, they spread happiness just by picking up their instrument.
However, they don’t always get as much back as they put in.
Over the past two years, music has become more powerful than ever before. While the pandemic raged, passionate musicians brought light to some scary, dark times via Zoom, but most were unable to make much money from their performances.
The music industry has been one of the slowest to recover since the pandemic.
The musicians who gave the most during the pandemic and received the least in return have kept giving. Thus, they’ve reaped fewer benefits from the ongoing return to a post-pandemic “new normal.”
Musicians have been able to feed their souls with everything they’ve shared in recent years. Unfortunately, they may not have been able to provide for themselves or their loved ones despite—or perhaps because of—their generosity.
That’s why we polled our musician network to find out how musicians can continue to give while FINALLY receiving something in return.
Here’s what they had to say.
1. Increase community involvement.
You may already be involved with charities and community groups. However, are these groups capable of assisting you in finding and generating new business?
If you volunteer to play music at a senior center, you should keep doing so. It brings joy to some of society’s most vulnerable members. On the other hand, older people are unlikely to generate many new business leads for you. Consider volunteering at a school or community center where you might find people who are more interested in finding a music teacher or hiring a musician for an event.
If you aren’t sure where to look for volunteering opportunities, simply run a quick Google search for charitable organizations in your area. You’ll likely find quite a few possibilities.
2. Take part in community events and street fairs.
There is no better way to meet new people in your community than by volunteering to perform at community events. You’ll meet a diverse range of people who could benefit from your services, whether performing at local venues, weddings, social gatherings, or teaching music.
Keep an eye on community event calendars and reach out to groups organizing events to offer your services. Create innovative ways to participate other than singing or playing an instrument, such as leading sing-a-longs, assisting with a dance performance, or organizing an informal pick-up session. It will help you distinguish yourself from other musical volunteers.
While you’re at it, offer to do some social media cross-promotion. It will benefit the organization and event and introduce you to a whole new set of social media followers.
3. Share your musical expertise on a podcast, blog, or through social media.
Have you considered sharing your passion for music in ways other than performing or teaching it?
Why not start a blog or podcast about a specific aspect of music that you are passionate about or have unique expertise in—or one that covers your local music scene? It’s a great way to share your knowledge while reaching new audiences, promoting your performances and teaching services, and connecting people to music downloads. Use social media to promote your blog or podcast. You can reach people in your community and beyond with careful hashtagging and targeting. It could be an excellent way for you to give generously while generating a lot of business.
4. Become a leader.
Offer to lead a school marching band, orchestra, or another group. If your local school does not already have one, start one. It may not pay well or be a volunteer position, but it may generate a lot of teaching business for you. It will introduce you to children who are interested in music. Of course, as their band leader, you’ll be the first person they think of when it comes to improving their musical abilities or learning a new instrument. You’ll also have the opportunity to network with parents and promote your music teaching and other services.
5. Join forces.
You are not required to limit your volunteerism and charitable activities to solo endeavors. Working with a group of musicians and singers can be far more powerful. Each can help you organize activities and relieve some of your stress. It will increase your appeal to organizations because you will expose them to a larger fan and follower base. The advantage for you is that you will be exposed to your musical partners’ fans and social media followers.
It’s a win-win-win situation for everyone.