Since the age of twelve, I have been focusing on the viability of the music industry and wondering if one can really make a career out of this industry.
It seems the opportunities in this industry are limited. However, if one makes it real big as a musician or as a record producer, they will be laughing all the way to the bank.
In 2004, I was instrumental in bringing the degree in music programme at the Zimbabwe College of Music under the associateship of Africa University.
The thinking behind this was to find ways of structuring music, making it more acceptable and making it an academic discipline which would be acceptable world-wide.
The project was a success as we enrolled over 100-degree students in the first two years. These included prominent artistes such as Dumisani Ngulube, Clayton Ndlovu, Charles Charamba, Prudence Katomeni- Mbofana, Hope Masike, Filbert Marova, John Phiri, Florence Muteta, Theresa Gotora, Richard Matimba, Pheona Ngwarati, Godfrey Gatsi and Rachel Jera-Chigwanda (the current executive director of the college) plus many more.
Some of the above- mentioned people have taken music as their full-time career and are today making a living out of it. The question to ask though is: Can everyone make a career out of music in Zimbabwe? The answer is a difficult one.
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I remember in my speech to students at the Zimbabwe College of Music, I said something musicians have heard countless times: “If you can see yourself doing anything else, do that too.” I deliberately added this as part of my speech because I knew that society was (and still is) sceptical about careers in music. I don’t know why the government has not created such careers in this lucrative industry through financial support.
A successful career in music has always been a long game. There will always be more talented graduates than those required for teaching music, performing in bands or orchestras, recording producers, recording engineers, music arrangers, music publicists, music managers, session musicians, disc jockeys, or music composers.
This is also true in other performance and non-performance areas of music. So it’s vitally important to develop and hone the skills, strategies and mindset required for growing one’s career in music.
Worldwide, we’ve seen some incredibly talented musicians find creative ways of continuing to get music into the world and we’ve also seen others who have given up, especially around 2020 and 2022 when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak, just waiting for it all to blow over.
I would like to share with you the advice I got from my secondary school music teacher when I showed my interest in music for its sake and not as a career:
He said to me: “Follow your heart for a bit, and stop thinking about money. Let’s assume money was not an object, do you really want to persuade a career in music?
Think about it like that, If you really do what you like, you will always want to learn, you will always try to be good at it. You will never feel like you are having a job, instead, you will feel like you are having fun.
And here is the trick, if you do what you love, you will do it really good, indeed, better than most people. You will become master at it, and then money will come.
Instead of asking, is music a viable career, just ask yourself is music the career I want to have? And then, just go for it, and if you are really passionate about it, you are going to make it work. However, if you can do anything else, do that too.
Just remember, you will struggle at first, and then the struggle will turn into pleasure once you are doing what you love.”
I wrote those few notes down and up to now I still think that he gave me good advice.
A career as a musician is something many people dream of. However, the actual steps it takes to become a successful musician require dedication and a commitment to honing your skills and making connections in the industry.
Music has a very important role in human life because everyone likes to listen to music. The person who listens to music with pleasure in his life knows the importance of music in the real-life world. If a person is interested in music, then that person is always happy in his life, and remains stress-free in every problem. Listening to music gives peace and joy to the mind. Listening to music inspires a person to do something better in life.
Many problems of a person’s life are pacified by music because the mind and soul remain cheerful after listening to music.
Presently, music can be heard everywhere, like nowadays humans listen to music in the office, while walking alone or with a friend to relieve their stress, which makes their mind feel refreshed.
Listening to music gives us mental, peace, satisfaction and good health. Music increases our attention, and at the same time listening to music keeps positive thoughts in us. If you listen to music while you are in trouble, then it will help to calm your mind. Music often takes you out of many dilemmas and will lead you to success. Listening to music motivates you and encourages you to move forward.
Music touches our inner soul and helps in fighting our problems. Many people love to listen to music and they listen to music every day. Music is as essential as the food we eat. If that is the case, why are many musicians failing to capitalise on it?
The music industry is fluid. Ever-changing technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) drives many of the shifts in the way music is consumed. Therefore, any serious future in music requires staying current with all of it. Continuing education is a “must” in music.
Musicians may specialise in a particular type of musical style or they can play, sing or compose various styles based on culture and background. Additionally, musicians can work independently or be part of a major record label in which the label would oversee much of the creation process and style of music being produced.
Most musicians spend a significant amount of time practising and learning music in order to gain traction in the music industry. They may practise and perform live or record their music in a studio.
A lot of them work independently without the backing of a record company or established institutions. In other words, most musicians in Zimbabwe are self-employed.
.The work environment for musicians can vary greatly depending on their place of employment. Musicians may regularly travel to perform in various cities or towns, perform in front of live audiences or work in a studio.
They may also be part of a choir, orchestra or another musical group. The work hours for a musician often change on a regular basis, and most musicians work late into the night.
So if one decides on a career in music, he or she must be aware of the limitations in this industry. These include lack of access to funding and resources. There are very few organisations willing to sponsor musicians who want to advance in their chosen career.
In Zimbabwe there are no record companies to talk about after the demise of Gramma Records and Zimbabwe Music Corporation. Many prominent musicians now depend on the low revenue from streaming services, You Tube and other social media platforms. Not much revenue comes from these entities.
It is difficult to stand out in a crowded music market in order to attract the market unless one is a real outstanding musician. Examples of such musicians in Zimbabwe include Jah Prayzah, Winky D and Alick Macheso. Besides, there is a decline in CD sales and other physical music sales.
This article should give you advice on whether you decide on a career in music or not, especially in Zimbabwe.
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