Leverage what you’re good at to make a living from it

You should never abandon your personal projects, but there comes a point in life when you have to make smart moves and leverage what you are good at in order to earn a living. While the current situation prevents us from doing everything we used to do as normal, we will have to find new ways to keep moving forward. Limits have been imposed on us, but that does not mean we should stop searching for new horizons.

I would like to begin by thanking the entire ISP Music team for giving me the opportunity and space to share my personal experience of the situation we are currently living through. I would also like to thank you for reading this far. I am sure that music plays an important role in your life, whether you are a professional or an enthusiast.

I remember it as if it were yesterday when I decided to make music my profession. I used to hear things like: “you’ll never make a living from music”, “only a handful of people can make a living from that”, and so on. I have been hearing those and other similar remarks for more than twenty years, and I feel fortunate to say that throughout all this time, nobody has managed to divert me from what was, and still is, my passion: music. Since then, my goal has been to improve every day, both personally and professionally, so that I can offer my very best to everyone who places their trust in my work.

Success

Let us begin by looking at the definition of the word success (from the Latin exĭtus, meaning “outcome”):

1.  The favourable outcome of a business venture, performance, etc.
2.  The favourable reception of someone or something.
3.  The conclusion or completion of a business venture or matter.

Now I would like you to ask yourself: what does success mean to you? Words such as health, love, money and recognition will probably come to mind—and perhaps not in that order. Whatever your answer may be, I would ask you to think about the things you have achieved, as well as those you still long for, and what you have done to accomplish them.

Many people in the industry talk about how badly the music business is doing and how things were always better in the past. There is no doubt that these are perfectly reasonable observations when we analyse the situation, bearing in mind the business model that prevailed in the music industry in the past. Many people expect offers to fall from the sky, but we are living at a time when, more than ever, opportunities have to be created. On the other hand, we are also experiencing one of the highest levels of audiovisual content consumption ever, thanks to people being able to access a wealth of free content from their mobile devices through YouTube, Spotify subscriptions and other platforms. Perhaps the main problem is that all of this has arrived very suddenly over the past few years, while technology has continued to advance faster than the changes taking place within the industry. Another subject for debate would be how the revenue generated by the consumption of this musical content is distributed. According to IFPI data for 2018 and 2019, there was an increase in recorded music consumption. Therefore, one of the problems clearly lies in how content creators are protected and remunerated.

If we think about the ways in which musicians and artists used to support themselves and earn money, record sales, concerts, merchandising and advertising campaigns all come to mind. The scale of all this changed with the arrival of the internet, along with the way we present ourselves to others and to potential clients who may be interested in our brand, products or services. For this reason, it is important to keep an open mind, remain constantly alert to future changes and adapt quickly. It is essential to cover several professional areas within our industry, as this will multiply our employment opportunities. And, of course, people need to know who you are; otherwise, it is very difficult for them to contact you.

Self-management

Over the years, my goal has been to make my workload increasingly less dependent on third parties and to be able to manage everything myself: from negotiating a budget to creating an online platform that allows me to generate passive income. Thanks to this, I currently have the opportunity to work in music online without my business being affected by the safety measures imposed by governments due to COVID-19, such as the cancellation of concerts and private events and the closure of music schools and recording studios.

For personal and professional reasons, I decided to move to the United Kingdom with my wife three years ago. This provided the impetus for us to take the leap and create two companies: Masguitarra and Trey Music Studios, both with offices in London and Madrid and offering our services internationally.

After more than twenty years of experience in the music and image industries, my wife and I decided to create Masguitarra. It arose from the passion we feel for our professions and our desire to help guitar lovers master this wonderful instrument. Our aim is to offer an effective learning system for every level, both for those who see the guitar as a hobby and for those who want to pursue a professional career in music.

We decided to create our platform for the global Spanish-speaking community in order to offer a high-quality educational option that is accessible to everyone. It is available 24 hours a day so that subscribers can enjoy its content conveniently from anywhere.

At Trey Music Studios, we have focused on offering remote recording sessions with the highest standards in terms of both process and results. We specialise in online productions and recordings of drums, bass, guitar and other instruments. We work with a team of highly experienced professional musicians who have collaborated with some of the best-known artists in the world. I also have the pleasure of working with two of my brothers, who are musicians as well. This gives our recordings a special kind of magic, as we have worked together extensively and share a very cohesive musical vision. We also provide image consultancy to define a completely personalised visual identity for each artist, helping to ensure their effective positioning within the music industry.

None of this would have been possible if, from the outset, we had not asked ourselves how to connect with our audience, what the best thing we could offer as professionals was, and how we could ensure that our clients were happy with the results. Once we had developed all these points, it became clear that we should continue along that path, since both business models were perfectly suited to operating under the circumstances of the present and the future.

The client

Our clients’ opinions are what matter most, which is why we always love it when they share their experiences with us.

Time is probably the most valuable thing we have in our lives, and when someone chooses to work with you and places their trust in you as a professional, they deserve your full attention so that your business model can continue to grow. There is no better recommendation than word of mouth. Even today, with so much digital information available, we still place more trust in a good personal experience than in the most expensive marketing campaign of the season. It is essential to create ambassadors who will help promote your business or services. An online presence is crucial for helping new clients discover and contact you, but from that point onwards, I believe in the quality of the results you can offer others through your work—whether you are an artist, musician, arranger, producer, composer, instrument teacher, sound engineer or anything else. There is no greater satisfaction than doing a good job and having others appreciate it, but to achieve that, we must begin by valuing ourselves. We need to place a realistic price on our work: one that makes us feel comfortable and prevents the frustration of working for less than we consider fair. There will always be people who value quality and are willing to pay for work well done, just as there will be others who expect to receive it for free. But the more you value yourself, the further you will distance those people from your business. We must be in tune with what we want, because only then will we be capable of attracting it.

I have always been curious to learn from business models that remain successful over time. Although they often involve major investments, there are ultimately no tricks or shortcuts to achieving long-term success. Only hard work, perseverance and the ability to make good decisions can provide the best driving force for achieving strong results.

The mistake in any business arises when we think of ourselves as the central element in the equation. When your business depends on people buying your products or services, the clients are the true protagonists, and you must make it clear what they will gain from your experience. You need to show how you can improve their lives through what they will receive from you, and do so with honesty and professionalism. That is what has brought me the greatest rewards throughout all these years and motivates me to continue doing what I do. We are only passing through this world, and ultimately, we all arrive and eventually leave. What matters is thinking about the mark we want to leave behind and which experiences will be remembered.

Of course, you should never abandon your personal projects, but there comes a point in life when you have to make smart moves and leverage what you are good at in order to earn a living. While the current situation prevents us from doing everything we used to do as normal, we will have to find new ways to keep moving forward. Limits have been imposed on us, but that does not mean we should stop searching for new horizons.

Sending you my very best wishes from England, and never let anyone or anything divert you from your dreams.

* Photos: Lorena Sturlese

Wishing you all good health.