It's not the easiest thing in the world to make a living in the arts, but the world sure could use more people who do it. Kevin Moreland has been playing the piano since he was eight. He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Morehead State University in 1994 and hasn't had need of a "day job" since. He started out majoring in classical piano but fell in love with jazz. "If you don't practice [classical] every day, you can't maintain those chops," he said.
In college he performed with a cover band, playing for fraternity parties. "We needed equipment, so I purchased it," he said. After graduation the band split up, and Moreland used the equipment to DJ at weddings and parties, which he still does. He also plays piano for events and with a jazz quartet, lays down instrument tracks of his own and of other people's in his home studio, and tunes pianos.
Moreland studied piano at MSU with Jay Flippin, who gave him the only piece of business advice he learned at school. "He told me to start networking and keep a record of all the people I worked with." Today Moreland's database of 700 area musicians is part of his Web site. Another area of his site is dedicated to other wedding professionals: caterers, event planners, photographers, cake decorators and more, totaling 325 so far. "The directories are free," he said. "I'm giving back to the community, and it's great networking."
On Wednesdays and Sundays, Moreland is a part-time employee at Madison Hills Christian Church in Richmond. As music director, he directs a band (two guitarists, a drummer, several singers and Moreland on keyboards) and makes arrangements of the songs they perform.
"My schedule is the opposite of most people," he said. "My downtime is in the middle of the week." He typically finishes a DJ gig at a wedding on Saturday nights around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and is at the church by 7 a.m. on Sunday. Although the piano is his primary instrument, he plays a little bit of drums, bass and guitar. His personal preference is an electronic keyboard, unless it's a concert grand. "The Yamaha CP300 is my main piano," he said. "It's a fantastic instrument."
Speaking of electronics, Moreland has always been interested in computers. He had a Commodore 64 in elementary school and taught himself some programming in middle school. "Music and computers go hand in hand now," he said. For the last 10 years, Moreland has maintained his own Web site. He has been contacted by people he never would have met otherwise, such as the Miss Teen New Jersey, who needed a background track for a song she was going to sing in a competition. "She couldn't find it, so I made an arrangement on CD," said Moreland. He used his 24-track mixing board to record keyboards, drums and other instruments.
As an independent professional, Moreland keeps up his business chops through reading. It's advice he passes along to other musicians. "I give them a list of authors; it's something they don't teach in school." Seth Godin and Jeffrey Gitomer are two of his latest favorite authors on sales and marketing. When he studied music in college, business classes weren't part of the curriculum, so everything he's learned about business has been self-taught. He spends more time on "business stuff" - keeping in touch with people, working on his Web site - than on the music itself.
In 2008, he's focusing on video as a marketing tool. "Live music is a visual thing," he said. "You see musicians playing instruments, as opposed to a DJ who sits back and presses 'play.'" He videotapes performances of his jazz quartet at events for potential clients to see. "It's becoming a huge part of the Internet," he said. "I just discovered the power of video last year."
Moreland charges by the event and usually raises his prices every year. "You do break it down internally by the hour," he said. Brides are sometimes surprised by a fee "for only four hours," but it takes him 20 to 25 hours for one wedding. That includes meeting with a bride for several hours, phone calls and e-mails, preparing the music he will perform (or DJ), loading and unloading equipment. It adds up quickly. A musician with a head for business, Moreland's philosophy is people-based. From clients to fellow musicians, he treats people right and makes them feel good about working with him.
"I surround myself with people better than I am," he said. "They bring up your game level."
To learn more about Moreland's work, visit www.TheMusicDifference.com
Kathie Stamps is the co-founder of www.ISBO.biz, an online directory of independent/small business owners.