Managing the Ups and Downs of a Musician’s Life

The On and Off Seasons in Ithaca, NY

Where I live in Ithaca, NY, there is a definite ‘on’ and ‘off’ season for musicians. May to October is ‘on,’ while the rest of the year is ‘off,’ except for holiday parties in December. The contrast can be so extreme that a musician must learn to manage their energy in both seasons and adapt to the transition from one to the other twice a year.

In my blog “7 Gigs in 7 Days,” I talked about a very busy week that I had right at the start of summer. I think it’s no coincidence that the first day of this week was the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. Summer, in the Finger Lakes Region at least, marks the height of activity, which makes sense as the days are long and warm. What I didn’t write about in that blog, though, is how I felt on day five of that week. It was the one day I did not have a gig, and it was the most challenging day of all. I’d like to use it as a gateway to discuss how I handle the ups and downs of being a musician the entire year.

Highs and Lows of the Busy Season

On Monday morning, after having done four gigs in three days, with two more booked for Tuesday and Wednesday, I felt excited and energetic. I got up early and started writing the blog mentioned above, as well as doing other marketing tasks, which I enjoy.

It’s exciting to live the life of my dreams; I have always wanted to be a musician since I was a teenager, and now that I’m in my 50s, it finally feels like I’ve hit my stride. I can deliver performances in a variety of formats and styles that consistently earn me 5-star reviews, and I’m extremely grateful for this.

However, by midday, I noticed that I was rapidly losing focus. I started doing several things at once or rotating between them erratically, which is something I almost never do. I also lost track of time and was almost late to teaching my first class of the day at Guitar Lessons Ithaca.

I didn’t realize how tired I was until I went off to meditate and found myself having bizarre lucid dreams. I don’t do any drugs, and I don’t even drink alcohol anymore, but it became apparent to me that day how tempting it might be for musicians on tour to partake in substance abuse to regulate their energy levels. If they are feeling exhausted but have to put on a high-energy performance, I can see the allure of a stimulant. Conversely, if they are having trouble sleeping due to over-stimulation, the temptation to take a depressant might arise.

Strategies for Maintaining Balance

This is why I try to get to bed as early as possible, eat healthfully, exercise, and meditate regularly. The long drives to and from gigs, the demands of performing, navigating tricky set-ups, booking musicians, preparing music, and managing administrative tasks can all add up to being very taxing during the busy season. Additionally, I also run a guitar school, and many musicians have other work they do besides music to help make ends meet.

Keeping my energy level regulated often takes conscious effort and diligence. Sometimes it means spending $100 or so on an Airbnb so that I don’t risk falling asleep at the wheel on a long drive home. The contrast between performing an exciting series of gigs followed by periods of rest can be stark, and sometimes downtime can be hard to get used to, especially if you’re craving more excitement, approval, and attention from audiences, fans, and clients. Musicians must learn to take it all in stride and maintain some kind of ongoing spiritual practice that can wield a necessary amount of equanimity through it all.

Adjusting to the Off-Season

In the winter, the opposite problem can be hard to adjust to. I still play gigs in November, January, February, March, and April, but it’s nothing compared to what happens in the ‘on’ season. It can be isolating and even lonely sometimes when gigs are few. To cope with this, I find myself doing any or all of the following:

Engaging with the Music Community

• Going to jam sessions to play with other musicians.
• Playing more lower-paid restaurant and bar gigs to keep my chops up.

Staying Productive

• Keeping busy with teaching, whose busy season is November to May, partly because of the school calendar where people are off for the summer and resume in mid-autumn.

• Working on specific musical projects. Several of my albums were recorded in the winter, such as One Small Step, Not From Brooklyn, For Music Geeks Only, and Sketches. Having a specific task at hand, especially one that can be done at home such as composing or recording, can help the downtime pass more enjoyably and productively. This past winter, for example, I spent arranging the tunes for my Latin Jazz/Salsa/Afro-Cuban band Salsa Ithacana.

Personal Well-being Strategies

• Keeping a regular exercise schedule, including jogs and hikes outdoors when it’s not too icy.
• Avoiding overeating, especially heavy foods rich in carbohydrates.
• Getting to bed as early as possible, even as early as 7:30 pm in the winter. Sleeping as close as possible to the sun’s schedule is the most refreshing, in my opinion.
• Eating small amounts of dark chocolate and having rooibos tea.
• Using a winter lamp that gives off natural sunlight. This was recommended to me by a therapist many years ago, and I feel it helps my overall mood during stretches when my body is not exposed to sunlight for several days or even weeks at a time.
• Reading good books. Winter is a time of reflection so that new growth can more easily follow in the spring. Some classic books that could be read in the winter are Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle and Be Here Now by Ram Dass. This past winter, a friend recommended Power vs. Force by David Hawkins, and The Alchemy of Inner Work by Lorie Dechar, both of which I enjoyed.  I also really liked The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and I wrote a blog on it as well one on the Hawkins book.
• Writing and journaling more. I write in my journal year-round, but in the winter, the entries are more self-reflective and lengthy.
• Enjoying low-key family time. Just being with close friends and family can be heartwarming in winter, even if the activities are limited to indoor ones, such as cooking, playing games, or watching movies.

Embracing Seasonal Rhythms

In addition to managing each season for what it is, musicians must adapt to the transition to and from the busy season. For example, I remember having to remind myself to leave an extra 30 minutes early for every gig at the start of the busy season to allow for x-factors such as traffic, wrong turns, or tricky set-ups. Or perhaps it’s time to take inventory of all your gear and ensure everything is working properly.