My name is Ari Koinuma, and I am a musician. A guitarist and songwriter mainly, but a few other things, too, like a web developer. And I would like to make a living doing what I love.
And like many of us, that remains an unrealized dream.
In the music industry, it seems that the goal is always on the hits and making it big and becoming famous. But so many of us aren’t in it for those reasons. It sounds trite, but we make music because we love it, because we can’t live without doing it.
I don’t need hits or fame or lots of money. Sure, I’ll take them if it comes my way. But before any of that, I’d like to make my music a sustainable career. An activity that provides a comfy life for me and my family, so I can justify spending all my professional hours devoted to the craft.
To me, a Self Sufficient Musician is a person who has made his art a sustainable business. It’s not necessary to do everything DIY, but when you are Self Sufficient, you are not dependent on any other entities to keep you afloat. You can be a major-label artist and still be Self Sufficient, if your operation doesn’t need that major-label contract. Even if it (or any other entities, be it your manager, your booking agent, even your band member) goes out of the picture, your music-making will still continue thriving, providing quality music for your listeners and putting bread on the table.
That is my ideal. And this site is dedicated to sharing the lessons learned in my pursuit, particularly about the business end of being a musicmaker.
As with all teachers, I teach what I need to learn. May we all learn how to realize our dreams.