10 Real-World Lessons Every Working Musician Should Know

These are the skills, habits, and mindsets that turn gigs into careers.

Here's a little thing that many people may not know about me: I didn't go to music school. I studied business at Howard University and received my education through a combination of hands-on experience, listening, and living. I didn't sit through theory classes or recitals. I was in my parents' basement with records, in rehearsal rooms with bands, and on stages in front of crowds, learning in real time.

That said, after years of talking to musicians who’ve come out of conservatories and top-tier music schools, I’ve gotten a clear picture of how most programs are structured. You dive deep into theory, technique, and history. You play in ensembles, maybe do a senior recital, and walk away with a solid foundation. A music degree, or even two, can absolutely open doors. But for all the value those programs offer, they often miss the mark on the one thing that actually keeps you working: knowing how to survive in the real world.

Music schools teach you how to play. The real world teaches you how to stay.

Over the past 25 years, I've built a career on Broadway without a formal music degree. That experience is exactly why I wrote Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career. I wrote it to pass on the kind of knowledge that rarely makes it into a syllabus. My goal is to provide practical, hands-on advice and professional insight that will bridge the gap between music school education and real-world experience.

That real-world education shaped everything I believe about what it actually takes to make a living in the music industry. And it's exactly why I wrote this book. I want to give musicians a practical, unfiltered look at how to build a long-term, sustainable career, especially in the world of musical theater. Because let's be honest: playing well is just one part of the equation. There's a whole other side that no one talks about in school, the things that are learned in the school of hard knocks. The following ten lessons are based on my personal experience, and they're covered in more depth in the book. If you're serious about doing this for the long haul, keep reading.

10 things that I wish I had known: