[#HearMeNow]: Gig Ethics – Kwesi Koomson

I recently visited a town built on water. In the 14th century the people created a settlement on a lake close the western coast of Ghana. This was after they were attacked severally by Senegalese groups who believed that the Chief’s stool was made of gold.
Their strategy was successful and today they continue to live on water – the people of Nzulenzu. Their settlement is amazing! They erect wooden pillars to touch the lakebed and also to hold their houses up the surface of the lake. These wooden pillars are changed every 5 years as they get weak, staying in water. Their settlement set me thinking…
As musicians we are flooded with gigs or the opportunities to gig but we hardly change our pillars. The mindset pillars that grow into attitude pillars and eventually character pillars. We stand in the waters of seeming popularity, assuming we are still strong.
You may be surviving the times but without a cognitive overhaul, your relevance will definitely deplete. Relevance is not ad hoc; relevance is a constant demonstration that your talent and abilities is useful to another person.
The only constant for us as musicians is to change – develop the gig ethics. There are dynamics to the music business. In subsequent editions, I shall address some of those. Let’s focus on the pillars of creativity, emotions, money and communication, and examine their importance to the musician’s growth.
It is important to work hard as a musician, but your hard work does not necessarily guarantee your success.
So what is Gig Ethics?
-Kwesi Koomson-

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