CPA - Career Path Analysis

The CPA is a great tool to help focus on which techniques need more work when relating to your specific career or academic goals.

Write this up in list format with headings as below 

Short-term aims 6 – 12 months

Which techniques do you feel need the most attention in the next year? Be specific here – If you, for example, want to progress at linear drumming then you should add an aim directed at a specific linear system, maybe based around Mike Johnsons Linear drumming book for example.

How do you hope your career or academic goals will progress over this time? Again be specific – perhaps aim to do a gig incorporating a new linear system you have been rehearsing within 6 months. or upload a youtube clip of your progress on the linear system.

Mid-term aims 1 – 2 years

Where do you aim for your technique, style and performance level will be within 2 years? These may be broader as mid-term aims rely on how well the short-term aims go.  You should perhaps be thinking about how you are going to market yourself as a drummer via social media channels or through gigs and finding out what your niche is.  How your academic goals will aid in your long term aims or how could you be making a living off music.

Long-term aims 2 + years

What are your next steps? Your long term aims, in my opinion, need not be your end goals, but more your next steps, in this section I always like to place a bullet-pointed list incorporating my successes from my mid and short term aims and my next steps.

Final thought 

Your CPA is work in progress and I encourage to change this as you go forward.  Like everything in life your focuses may change, you may start practising linear systems depicted in your short term aims however you find independence more beneficial and enjoyable and fit more in line with your long term aims.  Don't be afraid to change but don't get distracted too much, try and stay as focused as you can.