3 min read – by Boran Zaza
This is Part II of a four-part series named “Entrepreneurship in Classical Music.”
I am a professional stalker. And I am proud of it!
What? Why?
Let me quickly state that not all “stalking” is born equal: On the one hand, there is good, informative stalking. On the other hand, there is the unconstructive kind. People who keep stalking their exes, I am looking at you ;).
Why I became a professional stalker
Four years ago, my acceptance letter from McGill University made it across the Atlantic to my home in Lebanon. Thanks to my travel-friendly Iraqi and Syrian passports, I had never seen the continent where my acceptance letter came from. Most importantly, I did not know ANYONE in Canada, the country that was soon to become my home, and where I was going to build my career. The idea frightened me, and I had to do something about it.
So, naturally, I started stalking.
I stalked all my prospective classmates, prospective teachers, and even the administrative staff. I checked what their interests were, where they grew up. I was trying to get a sense of what they went through to get where they were in life. I knew my experience was very different from everyone else’s. Looking back, I realize that unconsciously, I was doing everything I could to avoid a guaranteed culture shock.
The purpose of stalking was not to judge or criticize people; I simply wanted to learn and to prepare for my meeting with them, to feel at ease with them, and, most importantly, to make them feel at ease with me.
To this day, I stalk everyone that I am either about to meet, that I might meet or that I want to meet.
Note: If you’re reading this, I have probably stalked you and already know a great deal about you. Hello friend!
It is by this careful stalking that four years later, I know most people in the classical music scene, not only in Montreal but also in the entire province.
Contacts are everything
Contacts give you resources, power, opportunities, support; you name it!
BUT! Your contacts won’t give you any of these things if you don’t ask.
A couple of years ago, I was still a broke university student receiving financial aid from school, while also juggling four part-time jobs and taking an overload of credits during my semesters. A photoshoot, while necessary, seemed like a luxury that I couldn’t afford. Then, from a contact raised an opportunity!
The wonderful photographer Tam Lan Truong reached out to me via Facebook messenger and asked me if I could tune his piano (a service I had advertised on my social media). Now, I knew that Tam was a fabulous portrait photographer for classical musicians. So I had an idea. Admittedly, at the time, I thought it was a bad idea. Nevertheless, I thought to myself: “What will I really lose by asking?”. The answer was clear: Nothing.
So I replied to his message on Facebook: “Tam, I have an idea that may or may not interest you… You need your piano tuned, and I need headshots. How about we do an exchange of services”?
To my surprise, he agreed! And I’m so glad he did. This was the beginning of a very fruitful friendship that brought contacts and opportunities for both of us!
The moral of the story?
Just ask.
Stop hesitating and overthinking.
It is by asking that I got to produce a whole music video without any budget and got a beautiful cafe as a location for free.
It is by asking that I received an entire art exhibition hall and then a whole piano showroom for photoshoots without paying a penny.
I asked. I used my contacts and resources.
Look around you. You are much more resourceful than you think. That cousin who’s looking to build his photography portfolio? That friend who loves technology and building websites? That sibling who has a particular knack for graphic design? Resources, resources, resources.
While drawing on your contacts, never forget that you are a resource as well. Therefore, make sure you always make yourself useful to others and ALWAYS offer something in return when someone helps you out. This is how you build relationships with your contacts, and in the process, they become more than just a name you stalked: they become your advocates and your friends.
Build contacts, ask, create opportunities, and don’t be afraid. This is how every great project starts.
Next week, I will be talking about ideas, about advertising yourself and I will also introduce you to your new BFF!