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Sub-Title How to make yourself a valuable asset in the music business.
If you have made the resolution to make music a chief part of your life, then you probably already have realized that this is not a one hit game. Not if you want to be your best while maybe even supplementing your income.
By supplementing your income I mean just that. If you're joining in a band to get rich, you're in it for all the wrong reasons. You'll have to have a job. The perfect gig for the aspiring musician is a stage hand or Roadie Position.

There you can learn much about equipment, life on the road and even
hand CD's out to the other traveling hands. They'll listen to it eventually!
Also, you'll learn precision, patience and the art of bust ass labor!
Another mistake that many young musicians make is getting in a band and limiting themselves to that groups material. It's very easy at 18 to think you are in the band of the future and if you work hard enough at it you'll never need anything else. If it were only that simple.
A young musician's best plan is not to limit himself at all. While loyalty is great and a must, the harsh reality is chances are you wont be playing with these guys 3 years from now. By not limit yourself I mean not to one band, one genre' or even one instrument.
Let's say you are a bassist, you've had lessons and you're playing in a Pop Punk band. Great choice. You practice that bass everyday and three times a week with your band. You are getting noticeably good. People compliment you at gigs. You can play all the bands songs in your sleep. You're working on your stage presence and your confidence is good.
Learn a speed metal song. Learn some Jazz riffs. Learn some Chili peppers funk riffs. If you can't just pick it up as most people can't, take it back to your Bass teacher. This will hopefully accomplish a few things. First of all it will expand your sound like you never imagined. Also, it'll keep you from getting over confident. You realize you haven't began to master your instrument, just gotten really good at the style you're band plays. Take your Bass and show up at open Jams. There you'll learn all types of music from Blues, jazz to Rock n Roll.
Learn to sing back up at the very least. If you can, sing some lead. At first it doesn't have to be a whole song. After practicing singing on key suggest to the vocalist singing a section of a song. Maybe something you wrote, many musicians find it natural to sing to their own music and lyrics. Move up from there,

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