By Harvey Rachlin
Rejection—it happens all the time and is a natural part of life. Those in the arts are particularly susceptible to getting a thumbs-down due to the fierce competition and the relative lack of openings compared to the number of applicants.
But rejection shouldn’t be discouraging. Virtually everybody gets rejected at one time or another—even the most talented or most accomplished people in music—and if handled the right way, rejections can be the impetus to acceptances.
Music is a diverse field so who gets rejected? It can be musicians auditioning for a place or a particular chair in a band or orchestra; singers auditioning for a spot in a chorus; high school and transfer students applying for admission to a conservatory, college or university; musicians and conductors applying for a teaching or band or orchestral job; songwriters and composers submitting work for publication or for placement in a TV show, movie or advertising commercial; composers submitting a work for professional performance; artists trying to get a recording deal with a label or producer.
The annals of music are full of stories of how the biggest stars in music got rejected at some point or another during their career but they persevered and went on to fame. You, too, can also pave your way from rejection to success. Here are some common-sense rules on handling rejection:
Accept rejection as a natural part of a musician’s life. It happens. Period. If it hasn’t happened yet, it’s bound to happen, and if not, congratulations, you are a rare exception!
Be optimistic but also realistic. It’s good to be buoyant about your chance of success but at the same time temper your excitement with the reality that there may be only a certain number of positions or places available for your particular pursuit.
Evaluate the rejection. Reasons are not always given for rejections but if you are so informed, consider the feedback. You may disagree with the reason why you were rejected (if you are told) and that is fine. If you think there is merit to the reason why you were rejected, use the feedback to try to improve yourself.
Develop thick skin. Sure, rejection stings, no matter how many times you get a “Thanks, but no thanks.” Even the seasoned musician-warrior feels the bite even if it gets less painful the more the rejections come. But try to mentally prepare yourself to become as impervious as you can to turn-downs.
Remember that the rejection is just one person’s opinion. So many factors go into how people think but keep in mind that evaluations are subjective. Other evaluators may feel differently.
Channel the rejection into motivation. Whether you are told the reason for the rejection or not, the fact that you didn’t make the cut should be reason enough for you to harness your energy into psyching yourself up into trying even harder to accomplish your goals. Not that you need to show them that they were wrong, but hey, a little bit of that feeling can go a long way!
Keep searching and be resourceful. Opportunities abound and you can find them if you look hard enough. In today’s world you can search for opportunities throughout the world on your electronic device. At the same time, networking is always great!
Believe in yourself and don’t be discouraged. Have confidence and be self-assured. Always. You are not your rejection. You know how good you are and eventually you will find someone else who believes in you also.
Stay focused. Rather than fretting about your rejection, keep your eye on what you are trying to achieve.
Expand your goals. Even if you haven’t gotten any rejections, it’s always good to consider other areas to which you could bring your talents. There are many sidelines or other career options for musicians. Bulwark yourself from rejection by having alternative areas to which you could peddle your talents.
Move on. You got turned down, okay. It’s not the end of the world. Don’t dwell on it. Press on!
Stick to it. No matter how many times you get rejected, never give up. You don’t need a 100% batting average to succeed. Even just one hit may be enough to build a career.
You may be a musician, conductor, songwriter, composer or music teacher but whatever you do, you’re special. Doing what you do takes a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance, not to mention talent. Because music is an aesthetic art form that can be fulfilling like few other careers, many people pursue it. And that means there is a lot of competition. And with competition comes rejection. It can’t be helped. It comes with the turf. But people succeed all the time. Believe in yourself. Be persistent. Create or grab opportunities. Forge ahead and don’t look back. There are few highs like succeeding in music!
