Independent Artist Goes Global
/By Annette Dawm, WorkStory Ambassador
Patrick (also known as Pat) Maloney is one of the lucky people who can say, “I do love my job!” Raised in Ottawa, Pat works as a self-employed musician. It’s been a long journey for him to get to where he is today, but it is a journey that has taken him around the world doing what he loves—making music.
Maloney got his start in music as a child, where he played piano and later a drum set in high school. He then moved to London, Ontario to attend Fanshawe College for its two-year Music Industry Arts program. He ended up staying at Fanshawe much longer than he had originally planned because after he graduated, he became a Fanshawe College employee!
“I got a job with [the] Fanshawe Student Union promoting events on campus” says Pat. “That job put me in touch with a lot of industry contacts.” In addition to his “day job”, he also played drums for a band which had several other members. Eventually, Pat knew it was time to go solo and depart from the band and the college where he had worked for six years, thanks to the networking he had done with people in the music industry.
In 2013, he played 170 shows across Canada in all 10 provinces, as well as touring college and university campuses in the United Kingdom. Of this experience, Pat tells us,
“I book the Canadian tours myself, and travel England with Tony Lee, the Hypnotist. I spend most afternoons making cold calls to bars and sending emails to book myself. In these early stages of my career, I probably land one show for every 5 emails I send.” Although low numbers and low pay can be discouraging, Pat’s fan-base continues to grow and he couldn’t be happier with his job. However, when he first left London for Toronto, where he currently lives, he wasn’t sure how it would all turn out:
“I was worried about the money at first. But once I had my first bad month [over with], I was still happy and alive and I still didn’t have to go into an office [for work]. I could still focus on my passion! It was worth being a little strapped for cash!”
Luckily for Pat, the cash came rolling in when he reached out to his friends, family and fans for help to fund his second album, Repotting, the follow up to his solo debut, Root Rot. Earlier in 2014, Repotting was crowd-funded online through PledgeMusic.com and he says that “it was a great feeling to know that there are people out there willing to shell out a few dollars for a record they haven't even heard yet! There is very little financial support for independent music, so it's nice to know the fans are willing to step up.”
When asked why he loves his job as a self-employed musician, Maloney was quick to answer, “I love that I work for myself, and that I get to play music every night. I get to share what I love the most with audiences all over the world!”
Visit Pat Maloney’s website for upcoming tour dates and more information
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patmaloneymusic
Twitter: @_patmaloney
Instagram: _patmaloney
