When I moved to New York in 1993, I said yes to every gig, rehearsal and session that came my way. I rushed from my day job to teaching to playing, hung out all night, slept a few hours and did it again. That went on for seven years. I was busy, I was building a network, and I was having fun. I was also reacting to my career instead of running it, and I burned out before I figured that out.
A lot of musicians are in that same spot right now. Ask what they’re practicing this week and they can tell you. Ask who they’re getting to know, which musical situations they’re preparing for, or what they’re doing about money between gigs, and the answers get vague. You can work hard for a long time that way without knowing whether you’re moving toward what you want.
Today, November 15, I’m inviting everyone on this newsletter, free and paid, to Broadway Bound and Beyond: The Course ahead of the January 15 public launch. Lessons open today.
The course is $397. Paid newsletter subscribers get $100 off, bringing it to $297, from November 15 through January 14, 2027. The course is a separate purchase from your newsletter membership. Previously promised masterclass-purchaser discounts will still be honored.
Already a paid subscriber? Open your paid-member enrollment post and use its discounted link to enroll for $297.
On the free list? Enroll directly for $397, or upgrade to a paid newsletter membership for $10/month, then open the paid-member post above to enroll for $297. New paid subscribers qualify, too.
It’s built from what I learned over 26 years in musical theater, organized into six modules:
The reality of the work
Relationships and trust
Reputation
Versatility
Financial resilience
Putting the pieces together
Each module comes with fillable worksheets, so you’re working out your own answers as you go. By the end, you’ll have a dated 90-day plan for your next stretch instead of a general sense that you should be doing more. Enrollment also includes the replay of The Trust Economy masterclass, along with the Q&A and its companion resources.
The course is a good fit for college students and recent graduates heading into professional life, and for working players who want a clearer direction for the next stretch.
A paid newsletter membership is $10 a month and includes the full Real-World Training posts, the archive and the course discount. Paid subscribers can open the post Your music career needs its own plan for the discounted enrollment link.