What are the key skills and mindsets that classical music artists need to cultivate in order to excel in their artistic careers beyond the actual mastery of their artistic discipline?
Let’s look at the solid foundation in musical skills simply as a base: Effective self-management skills are essential for classical musicians to succeed in their careers. Pursuing a portfolio career as a classical musician requires a strategic approach. Key aspects can include establishing a strong social media presence in today's digital landscape, clever branding, solid networking skills, building a community, an understanding of the classical music market, finding a unique selling proposition and sometimes identifying a niche, innovating new things, re-thinking the concert, self-organization and time management, and the capability of not only identifying but also seizing opportunities. Proactivity in any case is one of the ways to success.
Moreover, self-management involves stress management and self-care which might be a difficult task with the given workload a classical musician faces. This includes prioritizing tasks in order to avoid being overwhelmed and it also includes knowing when it is the right time to say no. Defining the personal meaning of the word career is of the utmost importance in order to keep the personal professional path both sustainable and fulfilling.
