What happens next?

            Every year, thousands of young optimistic minds enter college (school) with hopes of becoming a great musician, famous artist or dancer or enter in any other area of the Fine Arts. They attend the best schools, seek the best teachers, learn the best techniques and on many cases travel to foreign countries to expand their skills further. Galas, recitals, concerts, various programs and parties are planned and performed throughout their time enrolled in their program of choice. What happens next though?

What happens after the certificate or diploma is earned? When you are faced with trying to put your degree to work what happens? What problems do you face? Are you well on your way to ‘making it’ in the world of art? Have you landed that first job yet? Do you even have a job?

A lot of questions such as the ones I’ve mentioned and countless others have been asked and still are asked by or to anyone who has or has pursued a Fine Arts Degree. What I have found and noticed is that many schools prepare the students well when it comes to technique, stage presence, characterization, interpretation etc but what about the business side of things? Do these virtuosos know how to balance their checkbook and prepare their taxes? They should and if thy do not know shame on the schools who do not prepare them properly.

Are these students, musicians, these artists actually told during their choice program (not just once or twice but constantly) that they are the business that has to be marketed? Are they taught how to market themselves and to network? In most cases, I’m sad to say, they are not.

Concerning networking, I am not referring to just gathering as many emails, numbers and names as possible. I’m referring to actually using that information and making a connection. When you meet someone, there should be such a zeal to expand yourself that you immediately try to find out more about the person. One, because you truly are interested in what this person is about, who they are and the fact that you just made a new contact. But two, because you want to find out how they help you and you help them. It may not occur immediately but you have to have an outlook and vision that it can and will happen. If they have the same type mentality that’s a plus. Go for it!

Clemson University is one school, which is starting to do just that. You can check out there program here. There are other schools I’m certain that have programs such as this in place. However, there are more that do not which is why there is an issue here. There will certainly be more on this in a more structured format later on.

Thanks for reading,

Bryant Belin