• Understanding The Law Of Exchange For Musicians

    in Making Money As Musicians,Motivational Minutes,Piano

    In today’s lesson, we are looking at the law of exchange for musicians.

    I’m a believer in the law of exchange and it has worked for me and several people out there. Therefore, I’ll be sharing this law with you too hoping that it’ll work for you.

    The Law Of Exchange – Giving and Receiving

    We all are endowed with value.

    Everyone has something to offer and that’s why I love the quote that says “don’t look down on anyone except you’re admiring their shoes.” Whatever it is that you have makes you valuable; especially to people who don’t have it and are in need of it.

    The reason why you and I have all the endowments and gifting that we have is to give value. All the valuable products and services that are available in the world today came from men who took the decision of adding value to other people’s lives.

    Although, we all have something to offer and value to give. Notwithstanding that there’s something special that you and I have to offer – a product and/or a service, it’s sad to know that so many people don’t give value; they only receive value.

    There are various forms of exchange you must have come across. Let’s discuss these two notable ones…

    • Gaseous exchange
    • Foreign Exchange

    Gaseous Exchange

    There is gaseous exchange in the environment and it’s between human beings and plants. Human beings via respiration breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon-dioxide while plants take in carbon-dioxide and take out oxygen.

    Notice that there is a breathing in and a breathing out – that’s an exchange – receiving and giving.

    Foreign Exchange

    Foreign exchange (aka – “forex”) is the system by which one currency is exchanged for another. Forex makes it possible for international transactions to take place.

    Every country has her currency and its value. During foreign exchange between two countries (let’s say the United States of America and Nigeria), a particular amount of dollar would be exchanged for a stipulated amount in naira and this depends on the value of each currency.

    There are other examples that I wouldn’t want to give because of time constraint.

    What will become of our environment if there is no gaseous exchange? What does it feel like breathing in alone without breathing out? That’s exactly what it looks like when you’re just receiving value without giving value.

    What will become of our environment if there is no gaseous exchange? What if plants take in carbon-dioxide from us and don’t give us oxygen in return? Believe it or not, you and I will not survive the outcome.

    What if there’s no foreign exchange? Every country will have just their local market, import and export of goods and products will not be possible because all the countries don’t use the same currency.

    In a nutshell, beyond receiving we all are required to give value to the world – exchanging value for value. Believe it or not, there’s someone out there who needs exactly what you have.

    Irrespective of your style or level, class or creed, race or tongue, there’s an opportunity out there for you to offer value for value.

    Saying “value for value” here, I’m talking about exchanging you value for money. Money is valuable right? There are people who have the money (value) you need in their possession and are waiting to exchange it with you if you have the value they need.

    So, what are you waiting for? You have the value to give and it will help you and others if you understand and apply the law of exchange.

    “Just Before The Exchange…”

    When a raw material passes through a refining process and is well packaged, it increases in value.

    How many times have you bought oranges that are more expensive than orange juice? Orange juice (the product) is the end-product of the orange (raw material) that has been processed and packaged. Consequently, it’s more valuable than the regular orange fruit out there.

    Inasmuch as there are people out there who are ready to exchange their value (money) with your value (gift), however, it is important for you to know that people don’t place so much value on raw materials; instead they go for finished products.

    If your value is not properly processed and packaged, you’ll find it challenging to make people pay for it. Believe it or not, a properly packaged product has more value and consequently sells higher than it’s raw material. That’s why as musicians, we need to go through the process and also package our value properly.

    The Process

    It’s very important for us as musicians to undergo training on our respective instruments. This training process costs time, money, etc., however, it takes you from being a potential to being a product.

    The Packaging

    How you present yourself as a musician matters a lot. Always remember that the way you dress determines how people will address you. Don’t dress like a juvenile on the street and expect to be treated like a man of God.

    Building an image for yourself will help you a whole lot. Taking advantage of social media, you can create an image of yourself that will attract the right exchange.

    Final Words

    What are you waiting for? You have the potential, you are just a step away from becoming a product. By going through the process and packaging your value properly, the sky is just your starting point.

    “Listen to me!”

    You may be a local raw material today, however if you take the right steps today, you can become a product that will be distributed globally.

    It’s time to apply the law of exchange. Don’t look down on what you have. On your inside is a giant musician who’s just been receiving value and giving little or no value. Start giving today and thank me later.

    See you at the top!

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    Onyemachi "Onye" Chuku is a Nigerian musicologist, pianist, and author. Inspired by his role model (Jermaine Griggs) who has become his mentor, what he started off as teaching musicians in his Aba-Nigeria neighborhood in April 2005 eventually morphed into an international career that has helped hundreds of thousands of musicians all around the world. Onye lives in Dubai and is currently the Head of Education at HearandPlay Music Group and the music consultant of the Gospel Music Training Center, all in California, USA.




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