I answered this guy’s question on a forum a few days ago. I liked what I gave him, and then thought maybe it belonged here as well, for everyone else to see. Mostly because I really believe what I told him.

Can you really do what you love and make serious money doing it? I’ve been playing the saxophone for 14 years and I love it. I love playing music even though I don’t play like Cannonball Adderley or Charlie Parker but I love it. I can sit and just play for hours!! I wouldn’t mind doing that and making 200 grand a year, that would be GREAT. But I couldn’t stop working to do just that.

Study the life of Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker, Boots Randolph… and know that if they could have done what I’m telling you to do to make money, THEY WOULD HAVE.

Get yourself 10 cool Youtube videos of those guys… then project those video on a big backdrop, while you stand in front of them, trading licks with either them or their featured soloists. Record all those, start a Youtube channel and upload them there.

Then, create yourself a Paypal account. Give yourself a a great memorable NAME, like SaxVader. Wearing freaky cool clothing like this pic, will really help. This is what I’m talking about.

or this guy… yeah baby! Get a neon light or light sabre attached to your horn…

Make a cool looking sign, and put your Paypal accnt number on it. Place that prominently in the video you are about to make. You could even attach the sign to the bell of your sax, so people see it moving around and can’t avoid seeing it.

Place that CLICKABLE pay pal number prominently in the description of your Youtube videos.

Start posting your videos everywhere you can think of, as responses to every discussion about jazz greats you can find on-line.

If you do this, be prepared for a lot of people to hate you, because they’ll think your defecating on the greats. But those greats… they got great by learning how to play from the greats that came before them, either on recordings or live.

The best way for you to get musicians to support you… is to be so FRIKKIN AWESOME your talent is undeniable. But having them HATE what you are doing, could be just as effective.

I have been a pro piano player for almost 40 years. If you want to be a great musician, study the jazz greats. If you want to make money with music, study Gene Simmons.

Steve