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The Unexpected Entrepreneur: Interview with Joe Satriani

inc.com

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Re: The Unexpected Entrepreneur: Interview with Joe Satriani

#11

Post by ajtaylor »

blankenship wrote: post #6

The whole interview is great, but the last few paragraphs on advice to young musicians are brilliantly helpful. “Be voracious when it comes to uncovering the secrets of the music business and how people outside the music business behave as entrepreneurs.” And I wish more of my fine art friends would embrace this mentality (primarily so they can keep making art): “[Art and business] seem diametrically opposed, but I d…

The last sentence was the kicker for me:

"You have to be both. Then you can surround yourself with smart people, secure in the knowledge you can control your own art and your own career--because if you don't, someone else definitely will."

I'm not much of an entrepreneur these days, but I know that the best way to succeed in life is to control your own destiny.

Re: The Unexpected Entrepreneur: Interview with Joe Satriani

#13

Post by pohl »

ajtaylor wrote: post #11
blankenship wrote: post #6

The whole interview is great, but the last few paragraphs on advice to young musicians are brilliantly helpful. “Be voracious when it comes to uncovering the secrets of the music business and how people outside the music business behave as entrepreneurs.” And I wish more of my fine art friends would embrace this mentality (primarily so they can keep making art): “[Art and business] seem diametrically opposed, but I d…

The last sentence was the kicker for me: "You have to be both. Then you can surround yourself with smart people, secure in the knowledge you can control your own art and your own career--because if you don't, someone else definitely will." I'm not much of an entrepreneur these days, but I know that the best way to succeed in life is to control your own destiny.

It's especially important if you're in a small artistic niche like instrumental rock that only connects with mainstream interest on very rare occasions, like Satch's Summer Song or Eric Johnson's Cliffs of Dover. Steve Morse handled this by becoming a commercial pilot, which gave him the latitude to focus on composing music that he himself found interesting, rather than trying to tap into what the market wanted.

Re: The Unexpected Entrepreneur: Interview with Joe Satriani

#14

Post by at-fates-hands »

When you talk about things happening for a reason, this is pretty much the blueprint:

"We shared part of the building with Nolo Press, a company that made how-to books with tear-out pages for all sorts of legal situations. Their dumpster was right outside the door where we would hang out and have a smoke and a drink in between practicing, and it was always overflowing with damaged books. So we're out there wondering how we're ever going to make it in the music business and start absentmindedly flipping through books. One of them showed how to start all kinds of businesses."

Re: The Unexpected Entrepreneur: Interview with Joe Satriani

#16

Post by zhemao »

HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #15

FTA: It's not complicated This is the beauty of starting a business in the USA. It really is that simple.

It depends on what business you are in. Some are more tightly regulated than others. For instance: healthcare, telecom, and finance.

Re: The Unexpected Entrepreneur: Interview with Joe Satriani

#17

Post by drblast »

I've always liked Joe Satriani's music and guitar talent, but every time I see an interview with him I'm so impressed with his intelligence and drive.

This is a video where a guitarist won a free lesson with Joe. It's incredible how much Joe can pack into a 45-minute lesson; it's obvious he's a fantastic teacher and he's totally dedicated to learning and improvement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXk4gxcjVr8

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