expert opinion
Changing Lives One Note at a Time careerists in the music business
T h e d r e a m o f b e c o m i n g a f a m o u s m u s i c i a n commonly
occurs at a young age, at a time in your life when you are told by everyone that “you can be anything you want to be.” Because the life of a musician is generally portrayed as fun, glamorous and fortunefilled, it is a highly sought-after career choice for many people. Living the life of a career musician can be tough, but those who have the calling feel strongly that the hard work pays off. They are driven by an inner passion that knows no limits. Two of my favorite performers are the talented artists, singer-songwriter Ben Burgess and guitarist Susan McDonald. I recently had the opportunity to speak with them about their careers as musicians. Walk down Sixth Street in Austin on any given Saturday night and you will hear the sounds of a hundred bands spilling onto the street, blending and mixing in the most extraordinary ways. Sometimes harmonious and interesting, other times discordant and downright disturbing. It was on one of those nights that my husband and I were making our way through the crowd when one band’s sound seemed to cut through the chaos. Maggie Mae’s was vibrating with the soul-shaking, groundbreaking sounds of Ben Burgess. Burgess’ music has been described as a unique blend of jazz, funk, reggae and rock n’ roll. His songs will awaken your senses like a case of Red Bull and get you moving and grooving in ways you never thought possible. Ben Burgess Ben’s passion for music began the day he www.benburgessmusic.com was born. His mom was a disc jockey in college and his dad taught him how to play the susan mcdonald guitar. Growing up with music, it came as no www.guitar9.com/ surprise to those close to Ben that he would summsusanmcdonald.html make music his life’s work. Ben has come a long way since his days of playing a toy guitar and writing his first song. He recently sold a song to Disney that will be performed by the Jonas Brothers and opened for Willie Nelson at the Willie Nelson Picnic at The Backyard.
74 austinlifestylemagazine.com
Ben is quick to tell you that pursuing a career in music is far from easy, stressing the importance of treating your music career as a business. When he’s not performing on stage or writing songs, he spends countless hours booking gigs and marketing himself across the country. At the end of the day, the thing that makes it all worthwhile is “being able to provide music that brings out raw emotion in people.” Contemporary Classical Guitarist, Susan McDonald’s music has been described as enchanting, warm and heartfelt, while she herself describes it as “Segovia with an attitude.” A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Susan has entertained audiences around the world performing at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall. Influenced by her father, a harpsichordist and composer, Susan realized her passion for music at a very young age. “The first time I ever laid eyes on a guitar, I fell madly in love with it.” The guitar belonged to her older sister who, in a classic sibling rivalry move, wouldn’t let her touch it. She took matters into her own hands and created her own “guitar” out of a shoebox and rubber bands! When Susan is not performing at any number of famous venues, she can be found playing her classical guitar for patients in cancer hospitals. Playing in cancer hospitals changed her world view and her place in music. It is what made her realize that she was on a “mission to touch people’s souls.” One of the many things that Ben and Susan agree on is the idea that musicianship should be handled as a business. Both dedicate exhaustive hours practicing and rehearsing to better their last performance. Susan recommends that all young musicians study marketing and know the importance of networking. This seems to align with what Ben believes, “it’s not what you know, but who you know,” and urges young musicians to be “kind and respectful because you never know who you are going to meet.” Building a career in music can be rewarding, but people need to think about the sacrifices that come with the journey to stardom. Musicians spend extensive amounts of time on the road travelling to performances. They typically play on nights and on weekends. Often it takes years to build a fan base and “get noticed” so many musicians must support themselves by taking a day jobs to cover the bills. As for making it big, Ben said that he is “still trying to get there. I’m paying my bills.” To be able to say that and live your passion as Burgess is, I’d say he’s got a pretty good thing going. Susan has earned recognition as one of the most exciting new talents on the international music scene. She has self-produced four CDs, two of which, “The Cathedral” and “Comfort,” were nominated for Grammy Awards. I would wager to say that she has made it in the music business.
ben burgess: chad harlan; susan mcdonald: david stence
by linda ginac