Building Confidence as a Freelance Musician
With Hannah Mitchel-Harrison
When I was growing up, flute and music were my constant companions. I spent nearly every afternoon at the music school. It was a place where I fit in doing things I enjoyed and was good at. So it wasn’t a surprise that at age 15, I decided to study music at a Conservatoire.
HOW WOULD I SUPPORT MYSELF
And for a while, I didn’t really consider what my working life would look like. I just wanted to get better as a musician. But as years went by, it started to dawn on me that making music was something I would need to use to support myself. But what would that look like?
THE NUMBERS DON’T ADD UP
In my mind, the only options were teaching or getting a job in an orchestra. And while I did actually end up landing one such job, let’s be real, the numbers don’t add up. If you consider the number of people studying music vs. the number of orchestral jobs or high-profile teaching positions, you realise the percentage of success is very small.
WHAT’S YOUR VERSION OF SUCCESS?
But the question is, is this the only way you can consider yourself successful? Given the above, there will be a large number of excellent musicians who won’t get either of those jobs but does that mean they are “less than”? What if you took a moment and defined your own version of being successful as a musician?
MEET MY NEXT GUEST
In the 7th episode of my podcast, I’ve invited Hannah Mitchel-Harrison – a freelance pianist, piano teacher, and entrepreneur. Hannah runs a successful business providing work for other musicians and offers support for freelance musicians helping them build sustainable careers.
Building Confidence as a Freelance Musician
With Hannah Mitchel-Harrison
When I was growing up, flute and music were my constant companions. I spent nearly every afternoon at the music school. It was a place where I fit in doing things I enjoyed and was good at. So it wasn’t a surprise that at age 15, I decided to study music at a Conservatoire.
HOW WOULD I SUPPORT MYSELF
And for a while, I didn’t really consider what my working life would look like. I just wanted to get better as a musician. But as years went by, it started to dawn on me that making music was something I would need to use to support myself. But what would that look like?
THE NUMBERS DON’T ADD UP
In my mind, the only options were teaching or getting a job in an orchestra. And while I did actually end up landing one such job, let’s be real, the numbers don’t add up. If you consider the number of people studying music vs. the number of orchestral jobs or high-profile teaching positions, you realise the percentage of success is very small.
WHAT’S YOUR VERSION OF SUCCESS?
But the question is, is this the only way you can consider yourself successful? Given the above, there will be a large number of excellent musicians who won’t get either of those jobs but does that mean they are “less than”? What if you took a moment and defined your own version of being successful as a musician?
MEET MY NEXT GUEST
In the 7th episode of my podcast, I’ve invited Hannah Mitchel-Harrison – a freelance pianist, piano teacher, and entrepreneur. Hannah runs a successful business providing work for other musicians and offers support for freelance musicians helping them build sustainable careers.
Episode Highlights
- Hannah shares her journey as a piano player including rebelling against the label growing up.
- The gap in music education relating to the business side of being a professional musician.
- Hannah’s drive to help other musicians build their own careers as freelancers.
- Finding success, respect, and the “Why” in your business
- Setting realistic goals and making small steps as tools to get “unstuck”.
- Wellbeing for freelance musicians – Hannah’s tips.
- Hannah shares her thoughts on performance anxiety
Episode Highlights
- Hannah shares her journey as a piano player including rebelling against the label growing up.
- The gap in music education relating to the business side of being a professional musician.
- Hannah’s drive to help other musicians build their own careers as freelancers.
- Finding success, respect, and the “Why” in your business
- Setting realistic goals and making small steps as tools to get “unstuck”.
- Wellbeing for freelance musicians – Hannah’s tips.
- Hannah shares her thoughts on performance anxiety
EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES
Hannah’s websites:
Music Services | Harpenden Music | England
The Freelance Musician:
The Freelance Musician Podcast | Podcast on Spotify
The Freelance Musician – South Wales Pianist
Hannah’s Social media:
The Freelance Musician Facebook Group
Other Links & Resources:
