I'm so fortunate to have the ability to have a solo recital each year. I'm lucky to have found and made contact with Sheila Weidendorf, who is already so active as a musician and a true "savvy musician". I aspire to create my own opportunities as a free-lancer also, so this is just another step in the process.
What is a "savvy musician", you ask? Oh, well it's a free-lance musician who essentially makes their own work happen. It's one who creates opportunities for themselves that result in income. It's so easy for free-lancers to expect work to come to them, meaning that they wait for auditions to come up and then take them. Or they wait for any other kind of job posting. Usually, those kind of musicians end up working at a grocery store or some other retail nightmare.
I was once one of those myself. I mean, in my defense I was in school full time and complete supporting my family, so I didn't have the wiggle room I needed to start out as a free-lance musician. I got lucky with the fact my wife got a job, and with the fact that work came so quickly.
But anyways, a "savvy musician" realizes that work doesn't always come to them, particularly if they want to make a living off of it. Instead, they need to create opportunities. Having a solo recital and selling tickets for entry is one thing I've done. I've also started the Harbor Brass Choir, and soon the Penn Cove Brass. I'm organizing a music camp this summer for brass players. I visit schools to recruit for all this stuff, plus lessons. All of this stuff has resulted in income for me, and a decent amount at that.
So, musicians, be savvy. It's the only way to do what you love and not what you hate.
Take care and value music.