Enjoyment Wins.
Do you enjoy your work?
I bet it depends on the day.
I'll also bet it depends on what you're playing and who shares the stage with you. How does your customer know you enjoy your work? Do they care?
I used to work as a talent agent. I positioned myself as representing the interests of the purchasing client, not the musician. The benefit of taking this position was that I got to see what truly mattered to my client without thinking about selling my band. It didn't matter if the group I sold was mine; it just mattered that I sold the "right" band.
Determining the "right" ensemble started as a nerve-wracking journey. For many prospective clients, I produced a slate of the best musicians between Milwaukee and Chicago. I would have been privileged to perform alongside some of these folks. Imagine my surprise when the weekend warrior bands consistently got picked.
My clients were not professional musicians. They were "professional humans" seeking to share a feeling with their guests. This feeling came from a memory of a time when they first experienced music in a meaningful way. My clients wanted to rekindle that feeling for their guests. To make this happen, they needed to find people like them who believe what they believe.
The weekend warrior may have a full-time job working outside the music industry. In my experience, often they do. In spite of how they spend their day, they love making music with their friends. For them, nothing brings greater joy than playing cover tunes with their friends and sharing that experience with others. As a result, they look like they enjoy their work because they enjoy their work.
People who look like they enjoy what they do are like people who want to share a sense of enjoyment with others. As a result, showing enjoyment wins. Go a step further, showing that you are like the people you seek to serve "wins."
If you are a serious musician making high art, represent yourself that way. Find others who want serious music and high art. They will gladly pay you for you to share your craft. But then, in the same way, don't represent yourself as the party musician. That's not you, and to be what you're not is fake. Don't be fake.
If you want to improve the conditions of your industry - showing enjoyment, no, sharing who you authentically are, wins.
Do you enjoy your work?
