The Working Musician Playbook with Matt Halpern

Build a lasting career in music.

Day 1
  • 19 video lessons
  • 9 hours and 53 minutes of class content
  • Streaming access on desktop and mobile browsers
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee

It takes more than raw talent to make a living as a musician – and it doesn’t happen overnight. In this online course, Modern Drummer’s 2013 Best Metal Drummer of the Year and founder of BandHappy Matt Halpern will show you how to break out of the garage and build a lasting career in the music industry.

Drawing on his own successful experience with the award-winning band Periphery, Matt will walk you through the everything you need to know about breaking into the industry, improving your technical skills, and making the right moves to ensure long-term success. You’ll learn how to get your foot in the door, build a sustainable career as a working musician, and keep growing your career from there. From finding the right management, agent, and label to building relationships with sponsors and key industry players, you’ll learn it all from one of this generation’s most respected minds in the business.

Special industry guests include:

  • Ash Avildsen—Sumerian Records Founder/CEO
  • Mike Mowery—Outerloop MGMT Founder/CEO
  • Mark Scribner—Business Manager for Killswitch Engage, Periphery, Animals as Leaders
  • Mike Johnston—Drummer, Clinician and Founder of Mikeslessons.com
  • Chris Brewer—Head of Artist Relations for Meinl Cymbals USA
  • J.P. Bouvet—Drummer, Clinician and winner of Guitar Center Drum Off 2011

By the end of this class, you’ll have a comprehensive, actionable playbook for breaking into the music industry and putting in the right work.

Course Instructor

Matt Halpern

Matt Halpern

Matt Halpern plays drums in Periphery and is a co-founder of The Entertainment Institute. He’s a fixture on the clinic scene, multiple time winner of the Modern Drummer Magazine readers’ poll in the Educator/Clinician and Metal Drummer categories, and one of the most respected names in rock drumming. Also, he loves dogs.
  • James K. Mar 2, 2020

    Matt's insight into the music industry and the business surrounding it is something you cannot put a price on, especially if you are a working musician. This is a must-watch.

  • Nathan M. Jul 7, 2018

    This was all so insightful! It's early in my soon to be career as a working musician and this class is everything I wanted to know. It's great to hear some validation from people who've made it. This isn't some magic trick, this can all be achieved with talent, hard work and a being the best you can be to everyone around you. On top of being insightful I instantly connected with every guest and speaker. We're all going to friends one day and I can't wait. Great class lead by great people. Thanks Matt.

  • Jenny D. Sep 5, 2017

    Matt Halpern tells it like it is! Refreshing voice and perspective from a working musician who doesn't sugar coat anything. From the first lesson, you are informed of not what you should be doing but also how and what kind of personality it takes to thrive. I've always kept a cool head but never really had direction when it came to the business side of this industry. Can't wait to apply his logic to my own music journey!

  • U. Mar 22, 2015

    This information is priceless. For 50 dollars it's an absolute steal. Great work Matt and CreativeLive!

  • K. Apr 15, 2014

    i tuned in live and made notes during Mike Johnston's presentation and that alone was worth the money i later paid for the the whole class which had tons and tons of more useful stuff even though i am not a drummer, or even an aspiring touring musician really and it was still a bomb for me to digest and work on with a fresh new force and perspective and knowledge which i can implement myself and share with others to help them! Thanks Matt for doing this! Awesome is the word!

  • N. Apr 11, 2014

    Thank you Matt Halpern, creativeLIVE, and all of Matt's guest speakers. This course was very informative, inspiring, just out right awesome. I recommend it to any musician, or anyone in the music industry. Its well worth the money for this priceless information!

  • S. Apr 10, 2014

    Completely invaluable and inspirational. The ideas here can be applied to every facet of life. This is really a course on being a good person. Humongous thank you to everyone involved.

  • B. Apr 10, 2014

    I absolutely loved this class. There were so many helpful tips to help get me and my band even further on track with both the business and performance aspects of being a group, and it will definitely help me with any future endeavors that I may have whenever or wherever they may appear. I've always held the mindset of just being a cool person when it comes to working with others, but to see that aspect stressed so heavily from everyone, was really eye opening to just how important that one little thing can be when it comes to making progress in the business. Thank you so much for offering people with this fantastic opportunity, and i would whole hardheartedly agree that any musician who is looking to make a statement in the music industry absolutely should have checked this thing out.

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