6 Tips for Building a Career as a Violist

Building a career as a violist takes a lot of practice and passion. Thus, aiming to be successful in this career path doesn’t just happen overnight. Here are the best six (6) tips and advice that you can take from the experts in having a prosperous career as a violist.

Tip #1: Always take your mentors’ advice

The mentors you are with or you’ll be with have been on the same journey as yours. Always listen to their advice no matter how it may seem irrelevant or insignificant to you. The piece of advice they are sharing with you in every viola lesson was the advice they wish they have known when they were just your age. And besides, it wouldn’t hurt to take advice from someone who has been in the industry for quite some time.

Tip #2: Always take your concerts seriously – whether big or small

One thing that most musicians take for granted is the opportunity to perform in small and big concerts. Just because it is not the place you imagine you’ll be performing or the kind of audience you want to perform to, you would just waste the chance to give the best version of yourself. Always showcase the promising musician in you. You may not know who would just turn up at that small concert.

Tip #3: Always use technology to your advantage

Technology has made our lives easier, especially on the aspect of being heard. Now, you can use various social media platforms to showcase your music, may it be a cover or an original composition, globally. Moreover, through the internet, you may be able to browse through some of your favorite violists on the tips and hacks they do to be the best at their craft. You can also purchase your instrument by checking violas online and have it delivered to your doorstep.

Tip #4: Always practice

Probably the most important tip of all – do not stop practicing. Similar to what scientists do, they never stop learning and exploring. Just because you’ve been performing a piece over and over again doesn’t mean that you are already a good violist. It might take years to get out of the amateur status, but constant practicing would get you to places you’ve never been to and will help you learn more about your personal style of playing the viola.

Tip #5: Be your own teacher

While it is not advised to be too hard and critical of yourself, it wouldn’t be so bad if you’ll also become your own teacher. In a way, you’ll be objective of providing yourself points on aspects that you can work on as a performer. Always learn from your mistakes and see things on a positive note. Musicians, as beginners, commit a lot of mistakes and I wish I hadn’t done that memory, but if it weren’t for those misfortunes, they wouldn’t be where they are today.

Tip #6: Build your stamina

Definitely the least, always keep a steady stamina in your practice and performances. Even during practice where it’s just you and your instructor, imagine as if you’re playing for several people. It helps you to play through the whole piece without stopping and keeping the motivation and concentration at bay.

Bonus Tip: Always believe in yourself

Probably another takeaway as someone eager to start a career as a violist – always trust in your capability. Sure, there are already well-established violists, and there are better violists at your current level, but at the end of the day, you won’t have to compete with them – you create your own room for success. You build that door of success for yourself no matter how much you’ve been rejected. As they always say, every closed door leads to a bigger and worthwhile one.