Benefits of Being a Diverse Musician

We live in a world where young musicians have access to a wide assortment of instruments and a limitless variety of musical styles. Given the wealth of musical resources available to us, why limit ourselves to just one instrument or genre?
 
When I hear students say things like “I only want to learn how to sing” or “I only want to play rock and roll,” I ask them: why stop there? The music industry is fiercely competitive, and tends to reward those with a wide variety of musical capabilities. Learning a to play a new instrument or style will provide you with new opportunities to create and collaborate. This article explains how to further your musical success by looking beyond your primary instrument or preferred genre.

1. Try picking up a new instrument
Learning a new instrument can improve your musicianship in profound and unexpected ways. Did you know that a singer can dramatically improve his or her sight-reading skills by learning to play piano? Or that pianists can improve their ear-training skills by learning to sing? Learning a new instrument helps us to conceptualize music in new and unfamiliar ways, thus deepening our musical knowledge and often improving our overall ability. If you are looking to challenge yourself musically, try learning an instrument of an entirely different type—for example, if you’re a horn player, try experimenting with a string instrument, or perhaps with some funky percussion! Learning how other instruments function will make you even more confident and proficient on your primary instrument. Being a complete musician is not just about mastering the techniques particular to your instrument; it’s about understanding the ways in which your instrument interacts with other instruments in various musical settings.
 
Furthermore, the ability to play multiple instruments will often improve your chances of landing a gig. Many unions, theaters, and ensembles have had to cut costs in recent years, often reducing the number of musicians in live performances and recording sessions. Often, musical directors are looking to hire musicians who can “double” on other instruments (for example, a singer who also plays piano or guitar, or a saxophonist who can play all types of woodwinds). Being able to play multiple instruments will help you score more gigs, improve your reputation, and increase your income.
 
2. Try learning new styles of music
No matter what instrument you play, learning many different styles of music will help you become a stronger performer. If you are a classically trained singer, studying musical theater will improve your stage presence and emotive power, your vocal projection, and the range of both your chest voice and your falsetto. If you primarily play rock music, learning to play jazz will help improve your harmonic sense, your rhythm, and your improvisational chops. In many musical contexts—including choirs, big bands, studio orchestras, and more—you will be asked to perform a wide variety of different styles. Limiting yourself to one style of music will in turn limit the types of performers, composers, and ensembles that you’re capable of working with.  Being able to play your instrument in many styles vastly improves your appeal and versatility as a performer. Take Ella Fitzgerald, for example, a legendary jazz singer who applied her jazz techniques to other styles of music, including Broadway show tunes and Latin numbers. Or take Yo-Yo Ma, a highly respected classical cellist, who has dramatically expanded the cello’s appeal through his many collaborations with jazz and pop musicians. Learning new styles of music will afford you new creative opportunities, and will also deepen your understanding of your primary style.
 
3. Explore new languages and musical cultures 
To really challenge yourself, try singing in a language other than your own. Listen to artists from all around the world, from China to Canada, Mexico to Morocco. Learn about instruments from distant cultures (for example, Spanish guitar, Turkish flute, or Scottish bagpipes) and take note of the particular techniques used to play them. Check out the popular music of a country totally unfamiliar to you. Learn a new language—you never know which country you might find yourself performing in!