The Social Side of Thriving – And Surviving as a Guitar Player

By: Robbie Burns

Photo: Courtesy of Robbie Burns

We can find out a lot about what chords to play, which strings to pick and where to buy the best guitar. There are classes on theory, ear training, whammy-bar etiquette and how to be a rock star.

We have heard of ways to make money in music by playing, teaching, blogging, tweeting – even selling T-shirts. But, what about social survival for musicians?

One of the greatest qualities about being a musician is that we march to our own drummer, or as a guitar player, to the beat of our bar chords. But no one is an island. Beyond our long hours of solitary practice, devotion and promotion, we still have to integrate with the human race.

Who will show us how to do that?

Where’s the book, “Devote Your Life to Music, Feed the Obsession it Takes to Succeed and Smile and Make it Look Like you Fit In While you do it”? You’re probably not going to find it because there aren’t many resources on the subject.

Did we Choose Music or did Music Choose us?

Everybody agrees that the music business is a tough profession. But, it is one that can be very rewarding as we channel our creativity, ideas and innovations into our work. It’s who we are, it’s what we do. All the mainstream logic and conventional wisdom in the civilian world is unlikely to make sense of it, because it’s something that gets into our blood – and once it does, we are driven souls.

As that blood and sweat and tears pour out from our efforts, how we direct some of it toward the social side of the equation? One way to approach it to surround ourselves only with other musicians and artistic types. This can lead to having a great support network, but ultimately you’ll probably find it lacking. You’re still going to have to step – or be thrown – outside that bubble of safety sometime between now and the time you collect your first Grammy.

Sailing Past the Skeptics

Although many civilians can be very supportive, the biggest challenge usually comes down to dealing with the critics, doubters and under-informed individuals.

Fielding questions like, “How many players are there in your trio?”, “Have you written anything I might have heard on the radio?” or “Do you know any Celine Dion?” (an accomplished singer, but not a common guitar cover choice).

Generally, if we can get past these initial queries without insulting our conversational counterparts, we can usually get on to the weather or fake interest in the local sports teams and get away with it.

But what if we could turn it around and neutralize corny comments while generating respect for our efforts – and end up coming out on top of the discussion? Yes! Just tell me what key that one is in…

Sit in on the Justification Jam

Here’s the answer:  the Justification Jam. After a lifetime of navigating these conversations, I’ve created the Justification Jam. It’s a great standard that we can rely on to win friends, influence people and have them singing our praises. The Justification Jam is not only an effective tool for social survival, it’s a great resource for reference, reinforcement and motivation.

The Jam is an evolving community list of skills and attributes that can support guitar players and musicians everywhere, anytime it is needed. It’s also a place to visit to get ideas on how to respond to cheesy questions with confidence, diplomacy and dignity.

And there’s more. If you contribute your thoughts to my Justification Jam, you’ll be entered to win a gorgeous Seagull Artist Mosaic acoustic guitar. So, the next time you get cornered in a conversation that’s heading off pitch, take command and call the tune with the Justification Jam.

Ending on Good Note

Here’s a blues ending to keep on file. If all words fail, whip out your axe and chop this one up for them and  you’ll be sure to impress!

About Robbie Burns – Robbie’s is a veteran guitar player who studied with the virtuoso, Joe Pass. He is also a guitar mentor and songwriter whose songs have been published by Warner/Chappell, Almo Irving (A&M) and BMG (Arista). His interest in writing for the acoustic guitar include the recent releases, “A Dream a Dollar” and “Candy From a Baby”.