How to be a Musician

On this episode, I chat with a professional musician from my hometown of Edmonton.

English Level: B1 🇨🇦🇨🇦

Show Notes:

Introduction (0:21)
When did you realize you wanted to make music? (1:26)
When did you decide to go fully into music? (3:13)
What are some ways musicians can make money? (4:53)
Did you have mentors along the way? (7:39)
What are the challenges of being a musician in Canada? (8:55)
Do you mentor younger artists? (11:51)
Why do you make music? (13:58)
Do you ever feel like quitting? (16:26)
How do you market an album to the masses? (17:51)
What was your favorite place to perform? (20:21)
What is your writing process like? (24:34)
What does the future look like for you? (25:43)
Where can we listen to your music? (28:35)

Vocabulary Words:

Intention (noun): something that you want and plan to do
Gig (noun): a live performance by a musician or group playing popular or jazz music.
Grant (noun): a sum of money given by a government or other organization for a particular purpose.
Peer (noun): a person of the same age, status, or ability as another specified person.
Self-confidence (noun): a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgement.
GPA: Your grade point average (GPA) is the average result of all your grades and is calculated on a 4-point grading scale in Canada.
Aptitude (noun): a natural ability to do something.
Fatigue (noun): extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness.
Surreal (adj.): strange; not seeming real; like a dream:
Self-loathing (noun): hatred of oneself.

Phrases to Remember:

To gravitate towards: to move or tend to move to or toward someone or something. to be attracted to or toward something or someone.
Take a toll on someone: to have a serious, bad effect on someone or something
Revenue stream: a source of revenue of a company or organization.
To get a cut: to get a percentage of the sale of a product/service
Pros and cons: arguments for and against
The right footing: Make a good beginning, establish good relations
To excel at: be exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity or subject.
Lose track of time: to be unaware that so much time has passed
To catch off guard: take (or be taken) by surprise

Mistake to Avoid:

(incorrect use of determiner) fewer people NOT less people

Comprehension Questions:

When did Josh start to think he could do music as more than a hobby?
Since when has Josh worked 100% as a musician?
What percentage of Josh’s income comes from producing music for others?
(True or False) Josh has had some of his songs played on NetFlix shows?
What is one advantage of being a musician in Edmonton?
What percentage of Josh’s time is spent producing other people’s music at this time?
Why was playing at the Bedford so special to Josh?

Question to consider:

If you were a musician, what type of music would you perform?

Links:

Follow Me:

Support the podcast by leaving a tip: