I was at the Trebas Institute Graduation last Thursday. I always attend this event with great pleasure. I have then the opportunity to meet again my former students. At this occasion, I was asked to make an address to them. This was the occasion to talk about the reality of the business for those who think school is an end by itself.

During my years at the Conservatoire de musique, the business aspect was not really covered by any special courses. In fact, we were so wrapped into the daily practice of our instrument that most of us got into the business almost as an act of shear luck. We did not have any specific wisdom provided to us other than having a rule stating the impossibility for the students to accept any work outside the institution unless permission was granted! I understand the principle behind it, but it did not really help us to understand the way the then outside world was working. The only way some information could leak to us was by the side by talking to our private teachers.

On theses days I thought I needed at least three strings on my bow: playing, teaching and composing. As time went by I had to add another one: the digital world.

I focused my speech on networking. How to value the people surrounding us is of the utmost importance. We never know from which side an opportunity might show up. We never know when as well. And like a colleague of mine told me: “This is a people’s business”. So it is not a matter of being a pain in the ass or to overexpose yourself to your contacts, but rather to notify them about your whereabouts and your business developments. I think proper to keep it at the business level and to not mingle with personal information like some do on online social network.

And you? How do you interact with your network?