A Review of “Family-First Composer” by Steven Melin

Q. What’s the difference between two large pizzas and a composer?

A. Two large pizzas can feed a family of four.

Composing music is one of my many passions, and it is what I study full-time at the ANU School of Music. But as a third-year composition major, job prospects aren’t looking great for me. I mean, how are composers supposed to not starve? How do we make money, let alone a comfortable living? I was thinking about these questions when my good mate – composer, YouTuber, and piano tutor Damien Gauci – lent me the book “Family-First Composer” by Steven Melin.

The bright orange cover inspired a flicker of hope within me, with a heroic picture of a man walking up a piano staircase holding his two kids. Isn’t that every composer’s dream? To escape the 9-5 grind and make music to provide for the family? Both excited and slightly skeptical, I devoured the book in a matter of days.

Melin’s book walks through everything a professional composer needs to start – from “finding your why”, earning passive income with music, the best gear and studio setup, and even invoicing and contract tips. It is not, however, a book about how to compose; it is a book about music business and finding financial success as a composer.

My favourite section was learning about how to increase supplementary income with other music-related work. Melin suggests teaching music lessons, keeping up performance/gigs, earning royalties through stock music, recording/producing music for others, making album sales, etc.

There is only so much knowledge that Melin can fit into a single book, but this limitation is supplemented by a chain of useful resources to investigate (including books and websites), and he gives specific “action steps” at the end of each chapter. This means that the readers have something they can do to immediately improve their composition business.

Technology changes quickly. Some of the information in Melin’s book about specific notation software(s) and DAWs might be a little out of date, however he acknowledges the fact that these programs are always being improved upon. With the speed that things change in the digital age of music, it’s only a mild criticism. Nevertheless, the business principles and habits are timeless.

In summary, it is possible to be a composer and feed your family. It requires an understanding of the different pillars of music business, multiple streams of music income, and a strong purpose to keep you going.

“Family-First Composer” is a must-read for us composers who want to blitz it!

Purchase the book here: