Music mentoring, consulting & coaching
I think it’s fair to say that nearly everyone working successfully in the creative industries, including the music industry, has had one or more people help them in their career. Someone might’ve offered some really useful advice right at the beginning, or ongoing help, guidance and practical pointers right through a career.
Another way of saying this is that most of us doing these jobs have had one or more creative mentors in our music careers. People who have done the thing we want to do, who can act as our cheerleaders, wise advisors, and sounding boards.
At the time, I might not have formally identified those people who have helped me as being mentors, but when I look back across my many years of playing music, then developing what I do into a full-time creative career, I can see I’ve had many wonderful mentors.
If you do a search for creative mentoring or music mentoring, chances are you’ll find lots of mentorship schemes aimed at improving career chances for children and young people. You may also find schemes such as the Help Musicians Co-Pilot mentoring programme (for which I am a mentor) which helps working musicians of all ages take the next step in their careers by matching them with an experienced music professional, who can share their expertise to help talented creators focus, grow and thrive. All of these schemes are great, but also often over-subscribed, and they cater for very specific target audiences.
Throughout my career, I’ve found that I have a passion for sharing my hard-won experiences, knowledge and skills. I’ve done this with musicians, songwriters and music producers of all ages and backgrounds. Some of these have been creative professionals, but many have not. Whether or not we earn our living from music, there is always something to learn and ways to grow that can enhance the sense of joy or fulfilment we get from music.
So, whatever creative journey or career path you’re on, I’d encourage you to find a mentor. Sometimes this happens by happy accident, but don’t be afraid to get proactive with your search. Building trust with a creative mentor can take time, so the sooner you start, the better!
Mentoring, when appropriate, has been an informal part of my work as a music producer for many years, but it can also be a separate, structured relationship with agreed timescales, regular scheduled mentoring sessions and professional boundaries agreed in advance. I have worked in this way as a volunteer with Help Musicians and am happy to talk you through the process.
FAQs
Someone with experience in a relevant field of work/creative activity who can help you in your creative journey or career by offering useful advice, ongoing help, guidance and practical pointers. They might also be your cheerleader in this hugely competitive world.
Young people looking for ways to make music their career. People in the very early stages of a music career looking for a guide to help them navigate what can sometimes seem impossible to navigate! Working musicians, songwriters or audio professionals looking to develop their careers in new directions, or just looking for an experienced fellow professional to act as a friendly sounding board. Anyone who takes their music seriously enough to want to proactively grow what they do, learn more about what they do or simply develop new skills for their own satisfaction.
Relevant experience, a passion for sharing that experience and their other professional knowledge and skills, along with a trusted reputation.