I was a flute performance major in college (and yes, I went to band camp, hush). It was one of the most exhilarating and exciting times in my life, and I have amazing memories of those experiences. And I also learned a whole bunch of things along the way, some more official than others, but all reflecting the ecletic culture of musicians.

It’s struck me recently that many of the things I learned in music school (and the arts in general) parallel often with this social media stuff. These are a few of the music school secrets you should keep in mind.

The right instrument is the best investment.

I spent a small fortune on my flute (it was a gift from my gramma), and I spent 6 months shopping for it, including travel to other states to try various ones in person. There is no substitute for the right instrument, ever. Invest in the tools that will enable your social media efforts to flourish. Don’t cheap out on your website or your blog design or your interactive features because you think social media should be “free”. These are the tools your customers will interact with over and over, and use every day. Consider it an investment in THEM.

Practice isn’t optional. Really.

Coming from a musician, this may sound silly, but I was surprised at how many people thought they could get by without putting in hours in the practice room. What happens when you don’t practice? Your section mates know it, your private lesson prof knows it, and you make amateur mistakes you wouldn’t make had you worked out the kinks in the practice room.

Take the time to test social media efforts on a small scale, perhaps interally, to gauge their traction. If something doesn’t work, go back over it again and again and either ditch it or fix it. Rehearse the small things, rehearse the big picture. No serious musician ever goes on the big stage and just wings it without having put in significant preparation.

Sectionals are what make the ensemble.

Sectionals are the bane of many a music student’s existence. You get locked in a room with your section mates to relentlessly work through the critical pieces of music as a team. They’re drudgery sometimes. But this is the targeted refinement that ultimately makes the big picture work. And you can immediately see the results when the entire ensemble gets back together.

Work with your team, across departments, and spend lots of time with the people in your company that your social media efforts will affect. Talk through possible scenarios, challenges, obstacles, opportunities. Get to know each others’ strengths and capabilities. If you’re a lone champion for social media in your company, invest the time with your colleagues and managers to help explain your approach to them. You’ll repeat yourself, but investing in your internal team is critical.

Playing Is The Only Proof

Music history and theory are required classes (and intense ones at that), but they’re just that. Classes. The real work happens when you actually pick up your instrument and play. When you’re handed a brand new piece of music, the only way to know how it sounds is to play through it.

You can read all the textbooks about social media you want, but until you get in and get your hands dirty, it doesn’t count. You’re not doing anything, and no one will ever hear you. Get moving on doing something real.

The soloist isn’t where it’s at.

The orchestra musicians secretly snicker at the soloists (sorry, oh great soloists that I’ve performed with, but we do). The ensemble is the backdrop, but we’re the color behind the diva. Without us, the soloist is  – well – all alone up there. And we know it.

It’s not about being a rockstar and getting your name in lights. If you are the name and face of a company’s social media efforts, that’s great. But you’d best remember that your performance on stage is only as good as the colleagues backing you up and delivering on the promises you’re making, implicitly or otherwise. Spend the effort to  build their trust as you would a customer or a client. Value their insights and opinions. They’ll make you better.

Clunkers happen, even in concert.

Every musician has performed in concert when the mother of all sour notes comes sailing out of the brass section. It happens to the best of us, especially as students when we’re learning.

The audience knows it happens, but you can’t just stop the performance in its tracks for a do-over. You pick up and move on (and try not to wince too obviously on stage). In a corporate social media scenario, you’re gonna screw up, and that’s ok. Acknowledge the mistake – to your customers if the situation warrants it – say you’re sorry, and then on with the show. Audiences appreciate and forgive imperfect performances, even if the newspaper critics might not.

Listening is a key to musicianship.

When you’re part of an orchestra, you have your eyes on your music, your hands on your instrument, but your ears are open all around you. You’re listening for your stand partner, cues from other musicians, and the overall blended sound of the ensemble. Musicianship is the ultimate balance of listening and playing, fitting into the sound.

Simply, you just don’t know where your voice fits in until you hear the music around you. This is the crux of listening as a brand in social media, and understanding how your presence fits into the bigger picture – your customers’ expectations, your industry. As my former music director was apt to yell at us in the middle of rehearsal, “Open your ears!!”

I miss performing every day, but I can’t help think sometimes that I’m just part of a different ensemble now. Has your avocation shaped the way you approach your role? Do any of the above lessons resonate with you?

Photo credit: jordanfischer

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