A lot of people think of fame and money when it comes to pro musicians. But I posit that, while some pro musicians are rich and famous, those two things are not a requirement for the status of “pro.”

What is, then?

* Mastery of skill. You need expertise, hands down. You need to have reached a requisite level of skill, and striving toward growth and improvement all the time.

* Validation of that skill. If you are going to be an expert, that means that there is, in fact, a standard against which you are measuring your expertise. These standards are not a bad thing - they ensure a level of excellence in the music industry.

* Sharing of the craft. Pros are visible, and they share their work through performing, teaching, writing, composing, producing, etc. It doesn’t mean you have to do this throughout your whole career, but it does mean that, if you’re going to call yourself a pro, you’re doing something with your work to impact people and move the industry forward.

Then, there are the mindsets. While we need the objective criteria, the mindsets are really what distinguishes pros from non-pros. The mindsets, carefully monitored and cultivated with consistency, are the things that keep pro musicians going, even when things are tough and there are setbacks and challenges (spoiler alert: there are always setbacks and challenges). What are these mindsets? Tune into the video to find out more!