How to become a successful musician: My Story

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

If anyone sees a reply from @Matt_johnson_jamiroquai that is a fake account impersonating me!. My one is @MattJohnsonJamiroquai

[@DagenhamGilly]

Hi Matt..yeah I received a message from the imposter..🤔

[@peterfeldmeyer1940]

Hey Mat, got one too, thought already that it is not from you, why would you send a message like this to an old small profile entertainer in Bavaria .... on the other hand side I am not on telegram as well.... anyway... love what you are doing for us

[@Wykesidefruitmachine]

Matt, if you see this, there's an amazing musician/singer that I'm a huge fan of who I think you could really do some amazing work with. He's called Oscar Jerome (he has a channel here on KZbin) and doesn't seem to have the audience he deserves... His track 'Do you really' gave me real Jamiroquai vibes! A collab with him would be immense, I can almost hear it in my head now. A rather selfish ask, but you never know. 😅

[@DavidMartineaumusique]

don't worry Matt, we know you are irreplaceable :)

[@bobbybaird1583]

Great Post Matt although i will disagree with one thing you said at the end about you not being a jazz musician. Most if not all jazz musicians started out classically trained and understanding the theory and rudiments of music in great detail. You've already trodden that road and i think personally speaking that you are a very accomplished jazz player even though you are not in that genre but I'm sure many others will agree that there's nothing you really can't do on keys.

[@johnlink7119]

I’ve been a working musician for 30 years, and I just wanted to say that this advice is perfect for the young musician. I’ve worked with so many people who can’t get the ego under control. Those people never get called again! The right sounds, the right parts, and be pleasant and professional. That’s the key…not your jacket, pants, or hair! Serve the music. Excellent, Matt.

[@nitbot]

Matt does have excellent jackets, pants and hair tho

[@MaximPustovit]

I wonder how Miles Davis would comment on your idea about a jacket and pants? ;)

[@AutPen38]

I think Miles Davis was one of those exceptions that tests the rule. He could be impossible to work with and appeared to have his priorities all wrong, but with talent like his, he could get away with all the crazy clothes, hair, and drug addictions! Most successful musicians are much more reliable and "nice" to be around.

[@cooltrades7469]

@@AutPen38 Did you work with him ? :))))).

[@AutPen38]

@@cooltrades7469 I taught Miles Davis the minor pentatonic scale. He said he didn't like my rules, punched me, stole my bag of dope, and shagged my wife.

[@leszekjezierski9414]

I'm not a musician, but I'm a programmer for 15+ years and I can say, your advices are useful in other mere mortals professions. 😉 Love your work and channel. Thanks.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Thanks!

[@AjaniReign]

Thank you Mr. Johnson! This is such good advice. I’m a beginner and I still have a lot to learn but this gives me lots of goals ❤️ My biggest takeaway: put your ego aside and realize it’s not about you it’s about the music. Im not gonna focus on popularity I’m just gonna make the music Jesus puts in my heart and stay faithful! I’m getting a lot of impartation from your videos and it’s helping me to write my first songs! Thank you! I pray to one day be as good of a keyboardist as you!

[@JanSchultink]

Thank you! An idea for another video: "how to become a successful song writer" with your ideas on approaches to writing songs, including approaches for people who might not be natural singers 🙂

[@promnightforthealiens6454]

Now I know where I went wrong all those years ago. Only kidding, but I did love hearing you recount your journey. What I found fascinating is that so much of boiled down to, practicing, saying yes and checking your ego at the door. As a young musician, all I brought to the club was delusions of grandeur, ego and only enough knowledge of my instrument to play the gig in front of me. As an older man, I see the joy of practicing, the journey of serving a song and I delight in checking my ego, it’s more fun for everyone involved. Thanks for the vids.

[@1881Gordon]

I'm sure I don't speak for myself Matt when I say that you being active on KZbin is a big plus for many a budding novice (like myself), intermediate, and Pro musician alike. Your Channel and the content, skills, tips, tricks tutorials and personality you bring are Golden....

[@drk1825]

Many thanks for your Inspirational video! Greets from zurich, Amir!

[@_alexxon]

Wish I could let music become my career. It's just as you said, "you may not be the richiest but you definitely the luckiest person because you are working on what you love." Feels like music is my passion, but I'm still struggling on academic stuff, university and so on. Music for me is just like a shelter, a far dream. But I'll keep going, learning stuff. Maybe someday, this dream could come true. Thanks for sharing your story, really enjoy watching every video of yours Matt. You are a excellent person that deserves everything!

[@DarioMiticocchio]

“Your ego will best be served by you serving the song”…. Beautiful

[@JosefKarthauser]

A year too late with this comment, so you may not read it, but in case you do, I wanted to say how much I appreciate your candour and transparency. It’s rare to get access to the insights from successful musicians - I’m finding the stuff you’re sharing is definitely influencing my context in a measurable way. Cheers!

[@mooretto]

That's a great story Matt, with some very good pieces of advice. Thanks a lot for sharing it with us. Shame I haven't heard this story 15 years ago, It would have push me to try harder and don't think that all the small gigs that I've done were a failure. Also, it' very much true that talent without a good personality will not go very far. And you are a great example, of talent, humility and dedication. That's why you're one of my favourite living musicians.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Thanks!

[@maxmeier532]

Next video, How to get over a breakup: Become a successful musician.

[@hanton22]

Speaking of getting the right volume - What's a good strategy for getting good volumes? Different type of sounds/parts need to be at different levels in the mix, and I find it hard to "imagine" where it needs to be when prepping at home and not hearing the whole band. I would love to see a video about the practical side of prepping for a tour: organizing sounds, levels, prepping the rig etc. keep up the good work! Loving your videos! :)

[@GabeChurray]

GREAT advice. Especially about knowing the tunes. When I began I started with the thought of: I don't want to rely on anyone else for what is going to happen during the set. Even if everyone else drops out or doesn't know what is going on.....I'm going to carry this tune.

[@synthartist69]

Awesome story Matt. I have always had the most respect for your playing abilities and style! We are probably about the same age. I have never made it to your level of success, but in the 90's there was a 3 year stretch in which my band opened for famous bands in my area of the U.S. One of those bands was ELO which was near the pinnacle of my part-time musical career :)

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

love ELO!

[@alexeagle3075]

Thank you so much for the helpful and heartfelt video! Unfortunately, my time has already been lost, and in the end I did not follow the path of a musician, but for young guys who just graduated from school and got sick with music, this video can help with the right choice and suggest how to act at first!👍

[@jeandaniel6899]

Precious advices. Thanks Matt !

[@georgecarlin5047]

"Just do the gig". I always say "Never let incompetence stand in your way". I think Matt embraced this. That's why he is successful, and more importantly, Happy!

[@filtafacta]

Competence and humility is the key! Thanks for sharing Matt. Very encouraging to hear your story ❤

[@MJ98774]

Wish I could've found musicians who love disco/old school funk/70s jazz like Herbie Hancock, etc.....your band was and is a mix of everything I like. Unfortunately, found myself getting calls for blues and classic rock bands and very few calls for music I actually love....which is why I eventually decided to hang it up. I still play music every day, it will always be a part of my life, just not interested in dragging myself to gigs where I hate the music and the juice isn't worth the squeeze. Not trying to sound bitter, I cut my teeth on 60s/70s rock and blues but just got tired of dealing with lazy musicians that never wanted to learn/play anything else...and if they could? Then they'd start bitching about money. When I first heard your disco inspired tune in the late 90s (dont know the name of the song) I thought, why can't I form a band like that? You guys are all super talented and revived and popularized my favorite styles of music. I also switched over from bass to keys and really like your tutorials as well. Thanks for all you do.

[@christophersmaby8485]

Lovely video! It is so nice to see someone living a lot of people's dreams be sensible, kind, and helpful. This is good life advice for everything, but particularly cool to hear from someone who has stood on some truly awesome stages and made some great music.

[@christianschilk]

May you have enough lifetime to achieve your goals in your beloved work Mr. Johnson....warm thanks for the inspiring words from🖤❤💛

[@iaamusic1121]

What a great video, thanks so much. I remember the legion gigs! 👍👍

[@robd2184]

Great advice . My industry is similar - need the personality and talent, but right place , right time is vital, and you have to kind of engineer your path towards that

[@DC11music]

This is absolutely the best advice in my 40 years of learning and performing as a guitarist. Thank you sir.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Very welcome!

[@smalltown2223]

Excellent advice. Assuming a person can play, the ability to rub along with everyone is one of the, if not the most important aspect of being in a band or doing session work.

Excellent l'artiste 👌,je vous souhaite une très bonne continuation musicale pour la suite de vos projets et vive la musique 🎹 Theret jluc.

[@phelie78]

Matt, "inspirational" is a word that is now used extensively and probably too much, your pitch makes a real difference : it does trigger lots of thoughts, brings energy while remaining very "down to earth" and authentic. I respect a lot your journey and accomplishments, keep up playing great music and being a true inspiration for us !

[@willsketchesmusic]

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I'm in the same shoes you were in the first several years, and it's inspiring to hear how you get to bigger and bigger things just by being consistently out there. It's a lot of functions, pub gigs, bar residencies, and the occasional bigger gig, and sometimes it feels like this is all it'll ever be!

[@knoellp]

It is so nice to hear you talk about your story. We live in Cologne and have been to two Jamiroquai concerts here. We are big fans for many years. I remember saying to my wife at the first concert that the keyboard player is the heart of the band - because you could see that. It's nice that you were able to do it that way.

[@joelizquierdo8624]

This is awesome 🤩 I’ve done covers for a long time and now that I’m working on my own music I’m happier. Even if no one hears my music I’m good with it.

[@marcuspearson6214]

Awesome. I was on the london scene in the 90's working as a sound engineer and DJ, in fact I use to play at a crackin' night at great portland street in the student union bar at a night called the Earth Club, you would get some of londons best jazz funk musicians jamming all night, and I would DJ and occasionally get up and sing or play keys. Now I have an amazing job, I teach music tech to kids in a special needs school who are autistic or who have suffered trauma, the job is so rewarding, and some of the tracks the kids are writing are really good, and every friday afternoon we have DJ club in the basement of the school, which is basically one big party.

[@simon_jakobsson]

I loved this video Matt. You approach everything with so much integrity, whether its a gear video, performance tips, your great music videos, or something like this. It's clear that you've lived your own advice, which makes it all the more inspiring. Thanks for another great video.

[@BucF16]

Love your channel Matt. This is exactly what young musicians need to hear.

[@EnryMusica]

Nice to hear your story Matt! Back in 1994 I was in Bournemouth learning English, Nice to know that you are from there! Saludos!!!

[@sonja1049]

The Jazz Open! What amazing gig this was ... Matt your so down to earth and that's very important to be successful and I always love it to see the passion what you have for the music to see in you're eyes, they spark then like little Stars at the sky ... thanks for the video x

[@danjwatts]

Great advice Matt! I was introduced to the numbers when studying guitar. Doesn't matter what instrument you play that'll always work. I remember early in my career a director told me that I didn't need to be the best composer in the world. Competent is fine but easy to work with is a must. I've definitely got more gigs because I'm easy to work with rather than because of my composing chops. Basically, everything is a collaboration so don't be a dick!

[@davewright4380]

Sound advice, great tips, will send to my nephew who is a young musician!

[@kwv629]

Iv just started mines sir. Thank you for your inspiration out here in the jungle

[@dos_mas_805]

Great video and thanks so much for your insight. What resonates most with me from your advice is this attitude and approach works whether you're playing the British Legion or Wembley. Thanks so much for sharing and much love and respect from the Central Coast of California.

[@fortissimoX]

Very true... excellent video, thank you for recording it! Btw, from the few of you videos I've watched, it's really hard for me to imagine that anyone had problem with your ego ever! You really seem like a genuinely nice person, and I believe you deserve success you've got. I wish you all the best!

[@brettwayne8103]

cream always rises! thank you for sharing this with us! This is great advice for musicians, but good advice for anyone too. Good work ethic and practices. Hardwork, humility, be prepared, perseverance! Good stuff. Really enjoyed this and needed to hear some of it! thank you

[@johncitizen8828]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing your story Matt.

[@garethplaysdrums]

Great advice 👍 Seen Frank Tonto at a drum clinic a few years ago. Such a great humble guy and mega drummer. I'm still waiting on getting a break but always take on any gig, drums or perc, I'm there 👍

[@Gianmaria_]

You could not have been clearer and more honest. In my own small way, I fully share your observations and tips and as a keyboard player myself, I have experienced the same kind of situations and experiences. Being prepared, serving the music and the other musicians you work with, listening to them and yourself carefully and critically, and still having fun. All this pays off and gratifies even if it does not lead to the great success everyone covets: after all, music requires a lot of energy, sacrifice and love... and sometimes dedicating one's life to it. Music will always give you a lot as long as you are willing to give it everything. :) Really great video Matt and always great music, thanks!

[@fiorissimo2012]

Thank you Matt. Very useful advices. I wish I could meet you and spend some time with you as I play the keyboards too (not the same level of course). Anyway I went to the jamiroquai 's gig here in Toulouse in 2017. Hope to see you again soon in Toulouse.

[@LiberLotus]

This was really great, thank you Matt for this and for everything you do. As an IT professional, I have music as my side piece, but I still dream of it being a more regular revenue stream than cover band gigs; this was definitely food for thought. Id love to show you a couple originals someday and hear your feedback. Cheers!

[@DagenhamGilly]

I found this video very interesting, Iam 63 and took up learning to play Piano/Keyboards 2 years ago ( I have a Yamaha P515 Stage Piano) I practice every day (2 hours) on songs I like to play.....even My Old Mans a Dustman. Thanks for posting very interesting and educational content which inspires me to play.

[@marioradovic2806]

Great guy, this advice is great for any work in life. Normal, good man, his family must apriciate that. Sory for my bad english. Best regards from Croatia.

[@xntricity6446]

A relevant topic absolutely and thanks for sharing your story and tips. You have allways been a great inspiration and mentor.

[@cortical1]

Thank you, Matt. It's a bit late for me to become a pro, after a long career in science, but I really enjoyed hearing your story. Your obvious talents are a joy to watch, and your story is interesting and inspirational, I'd guess, for anyone who cares about the role of music in a good life. Cheers from San Diego, California.

[@telantas]

Hi @cortical1, greetings from a fellow non-pro musician who also has a long career in science behind him (and a synthwavey logo!) All in all I think I am happy that I ended up doing science for a job and music for fun but, still, I found Matt Johnson's video informative and fun. Playing what-if scenarios in my head... ;-)

[@cortical1]

@@telantas Love it! There must be many of us. We should start a society and a conference.

[@telantas]

@@cortical1 Ha ha ha great idea but it might be hard to get the funding. ;-)

[@cortical1]

@@telantas Indeed. 🤔

[@freddyperezmusicentertainment]

Great post, humble, but so to the point, I have practiced many of your advices, and just learned a few MORE details. Gracias Sr.

[@rogualradiante6615]

Thank you Matt, especially for the generosity and simplicity you have in telling your story and giving advice. I am a school music teacher and now almost 40 years old I am trying to grow as a Theremin player and record my own music, your videos are very inspiring. By the way, I love your music, we listen to it at home and my 3-year-old daughter asks me to sing it. Muchas gracias por todo compañero.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Thanks Rogual!

[@pittan86]

Thanks mate!

[@Joemakatozi1776]

Great advice. Love the priorities. Learn the rhythm, feel, and groove. Learn to work well with a group. Stay humble and work hard.

[@JimBReay]

Loved the advice - just wonderful practical stuff. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom!

[@DojoOfCool]

Great advice for young people that want to get into the music business and yes it is a business. Key is persistence and all gigs can teach you something. Last as you said doing KZbin is important. Back in my day musicians would have business cards with their phone number. So if you met someone you could give them a card and not have to write on a scrap of paper or think that person will remember some numbers you rattles off to them. So today KZbin is the modern business card and is key to getting your name out there. Excellent video

[@monty6545]

I enjoyed this Matt , thanks for sharing with us . Back in around 1999 when Stuart Zender left the band i remember seeing an advert in what i think was the ' Bassist ' magazine , for Stuarts replacement . Well at that time i had been playing bass for about 5 years and spent hours , days , weeks , months learning all the basslines lol . And just not having the balls to reply to the ad i remember thinking what a gig it was going to be for somebody . Nick Fyffe i believe came in in the end on the Synchronized album although i believe quite a bit of the bass parts were played on the keys ? 👍

[@laurasongsandsuch.6567]

I loved your fascinating and positive story as well as your sensible advice! Your videos are always great!

[@phpn99]

Best advice I've seen on YT. Kudos to you. Applies to every sector of activity, in fact.

[@AMARINS]

Great to hear another musician's story! Hope your career keeps going great!

[@flowmaka]

This is solid advice for rookies and vets alike! Great information.

[@UndercoverWanderer]

Viewers, watch this video to the end, there are gems all the way through this video. Thank you, Matt for the amazing advice!

[@martattacks]

Absolutely amazing, humbling advice from one of the greats. Thanks so much.

[@peterjones596]

All tops advice, no matter your instrument, practice, practice and then practice some more. Oh, and jam along to the radio, whatever the tune, work out it's key(s) and join in.

[@wildhorsemusic1111]

Cool video. As a keyboardist myself I find your video fascinating.... Love the busking part ✨🎶

[@Donetur]

Hi Matt, I just want to say, sad about your wife. Be strong, believe every experience could serve to learn something as you always have done. A big hug and I wish you and your wife the best. Cheers from Chile.

[@tomlangmusic9623]

Thank you for taking the time to offer this advice Matt. You are so right on all of the points, it's very down to earth stuff - be a good hang, don't spend too much on tune/vid production, practice lots. I'd add as a keyboardist: balance your patches! I've played with folks who are all over the place with giant horn shots out of nowhere and then comping on a too-quiet Rhodes patch. Keep up the good work.

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

yes true!

[@julianpratt9616]

Epic advice Matt - learn the song you have been asked play and every detail of it. Respect the original, as you rightly said dont just get the chords off - get the parts nailed! The Social Media advice is massively relevant, it is part of the game now and make sure you are presenting yourself as the absolute best you can. Cracking video - and an incredible amount of advice for people out there starting out. Nice one Matt.

[@julianpratt9616]

Hey Matt, noticed a message to hit you up as you have something for me - was that you as its disappeared!

[@Stu-Vino]

What a fascinating video! V interesting, thank you

[@stevefranklin5714]

I love listening to this Matt. I have followed your playing since you came on board with Jamiroquai You are incredibly generous with your videos that you have shared with your followers

[@Mind-your-own-beeswax]

Wise words there Matt. My favourite band of all time of course use the premise that the composition is king. Each member of the band gives exactly what the song needs and nothing more. They are all very talented players of course but there are no overriding ego problems at all.

[@axs203]

You are humble......ready to learn. You are right...don't be the abnoxious ego head! I had to play Whiter Shade of Pale down the local pub once and I was so nervous about fluffing it .....it might have been down the local Dog n Duck but everyone knows that organ line....so I made sure to practise it! It was even better when the whole pub sang along to Hey Jude at the end... that is another one I needed to learn to do properly 😀🤣Good on you ...your love of music is there and your kindness shows through...this was a good inspirational video...let's see some more funky stuff from you soon....maybe some Deodato licks from you on that VV!

[@brunoteixeira5912]

You are an absolute Gem Matt. What a beautiful career you have and you are still down to share a lot here with us! Bless you mate ❤

[@brunoteixeira5912]

Oh and by the way, just added your most recent album into my bandcamp collection :) just heard "the freedom" and it is mind blowing! Taking us back (or forward) to that beautiful scene of London's "acid jazz" Congratulations!

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Thanks Bruno!

[@pierrenaffah4841]

Thank you Matt !!!

[@stevenponte6655]

What a great video and great advice. I was an OK pianist/ keyboardist, and OK rhythm guitarist, and an OK backing vocalist. I could play and sing simple things really well, every time. And that ended up getting me a tremendous amount of work. But I never learnt to burn, which is why I am here! ;)

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Well, doing simple things really well is under rated in my opinion!

[@CalebM-Music]

Thanks so much matt!!! You've got me pumped for practice and my gig I'll be playing for a mostly empty room next week! You're a rare gem here on KZbin. Hope to see you guys in Denver one day!!

[@sdfletcher]

This is the most comprehensive and informative video on this topic that I’ve ever seen. Thanks as always for your great advice and humility. You are a true mentor.

[@davelaffertykeyboards]

Very inspiring, thank you!

[@antonincoignettes5534]

Really interesting ! Thank you for sharing such "in-depth" thoughts

[@martinhemstead8952]

Great advice! Also, go and see other bands at their gigs and speak to other musicians. I was in the right place at the right time in a pub back in the 70's and joined a band.

[@KimTangPiano]

I love your advice Matt! It’s great to hear your journey and I totally agree about practice and gigs!! It’s time in the saddle right!! I remember trying to pick apart Virtual Insanity, one chord at a time, by pausing on tape, and I didn’t even understand what I was hearing at first… it is time we’ll spent to understand why you like a song and so wonderful to hear an awesome musician like you talk about your journey… thanks for being awesome and keep the videos coming!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@deancoyle]

Good advice for any industry you want to do well in, be nice, work hard!

[@laktoze_]

good advice. thank you

[@chrollo7102]

You’re great for giving this advice, thank you

[@AndyReadGuitar]

Brilliant. Concise, wise and v practical... excellent job

[@maxcarter970]

Loads of exceptionally good advice there. Thank you.

[@iszyman]

Great stuff man! I’ve been gigging for 30 years myself, and your tips are spot on. Plus it was nice to hear your stories. 😎

[@dmomcilovic9185]

Great video, nice insight thanks keep em coming.

[@MilesAwayOfficial]

This was one of the most inspiring youtube videos I've seen in years. Thank you, Matt!

[@JeffPalmer83]

Really informative and interesting video; thank you for sharing!

[@antoniosampaio2466]

Thanks Matt ! Nice video

[@Mickey_McD]

Wow, amazing insight! Thanks for sharing this information, Matt.

[@AS-us2kw]

Matt very inspiring and illustrative thank you

[@renwyckstation3326]

Matt, thank you for sharing your truly inspirational story and giving us great advice!

[@bartosz_staszkiewicz]

Sir, here's a load of gold. Thank you.

[@peterfeldmeyer1940]

so good. ...love it. ......

[@B3-R]

Thanks, very valuable advices,and certainly very true👍

[@skyrocketautomotive]

I stumbled across your channel yesterday (the Oberheim OB-Xa Video) and I've been binging it since, great informative content, no disrespect intended but your videos are so good I just thought you were a really good KZbinr, then twigged after a few videos that you're the keys player for a band that was part of the soundtrack to every family party of my teens (My aunt and uncle, and my mum and dad all loved Jamiroquai's sound, this was around the mid 2000s) and it blew my mind! Thanks for taking time out of what I can only imagine is a very busy schedule to make these videos!

[@unclemick-synths]

Great advice 👍. One thing I learnt was to work hardest at bad gigs. I was in a barn dance band in the 90s and when it was a tough crowd (i.e. the blokes were all too scared to get up and have a laugh) my bandmates were all for giving up but I'd push them and cajole the crowd. Often those were my favourite gigs - more so than the easy ones.