10 lessons in career longevity from Billy Joel

10 lessons in career longevity from Billy Joel10 lessons in career longevity from Billy JoelIn 2014, Billy Joel became the first musician to ever be awarded a residency at Madison Square Garden after performing a whopping 46 concerts there - including a stint of 12 consecutive sold-out shows. Since then, the 68-year-old performer has done monthly shows, keeping pace with the other MSG franchises the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, at what is considered the worlds most famous arena. Remarkably, his shows continue to sell out - especially amazing if you consider the fact that Joels career spans mora than four decades.As my fellow 20,788 concert-goers and I sang along with Joels classic hits at a concert over the summer, I started to think about what goes into sustaining a lifelong career and what keeps people of all ages coming back year after year, decade after decade.I also started to piece together overall career lessons we can learn from the fortepiano Man.Keep your sense of humorJo el began a July show with a bit of self-deprecating advice. Were the house band here at Madison Square Garden he said, encouraging his audience that they ever find themselves with a similar opportunity, you should take the gig. After selling out stadiums for decades, Joel doesnt seem to have lost his ability to marvel at his own good fortune. He seemed to be in on the joke and wanted the rest of us to know it.Longevity lesson from Billy Its okay to sometimes let your colleagues and co-workers know that you take your work seriously - but leid always yourself.Age aint bedrngnishing but a numberJoel said he never thought hed be doing this at 68, playing a sold-out show to an audience singing along to every popsong. The most interesting part though, was the age range of his fans. Aside from the more expected demographic of Billy fans, there were parents there with small children, and group after group of teen girls dancing and singing along to every single song. Billy Joel at 68 seemed to connect with every person in the audience no matter their age or stage.Longevity lesson from Billy Stop focusing exclusively on your age as a deciding factor on your career worth, you truly never know who will champion your work or cause.Pay attentionLike most musicians, Joel has had No. 1 hits and other songs that never quite made it. He referred to the latter as album track no-mans-land and explained that not every song can be a radio hit. And so, at certain points of his concert, Joel opened up the concert to requests, allowing the audience to pick which song they wanted to hear with sometimes surprising results.Longevity lesson from Billy You may be studying demographic materials and reports so intently that you miss what your audience truly wants. Sometimes the smartest thing to do is give them a choice and see where they take you.Dress the partWhile Joels bandmates were dressed in appropriate rock star-ish garb, Joel himself was dressed in a black suit jacket, button-down shirt and matching tie. He could have worn a ratty old T-shirt and been fine, but he dressed up instead, and I, for one appreciated it.Longevity lesson from Billy While people always remind us to dress for the job we want, Joel has reached the pinnacle of any musical career- and he continues to dress up for every single show. Its a nice way of respecting both the audience and the gig.Its okay to be subtleMany celebrities use their fame to hammer their audiences over the head with their own political or social beliefs, which can turn off people who might just want to watch a movie or listen to a song- but Joel opted for a subtler approach. When he spoke about the 50th anniversary of The Beatles release of Sergeant Pepper, Joel reminded the audience that it was also the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. We can use more of that now he said meaningfully to the audience, referring less obliquely than some to the current political climate.Longevity lesson from Billy It can be tricky to share your political or social beliefs while also trying not to alienate your co-workers or core demographic- but that doesnt mean you have to be apolitical. Find subtle ways to respect your own beliefs when possible.You dont have to be BeethovenIn aRolling Stone interview,Joel mentioned a quote from Neil Diamond that inspired him Ive forgiven myself for not being Beethoven.Joel said I realized my issue was I havent forgiven myself for not being Beethoven. While hes spent the past decades composing classical music, Joel still performs his classic pop and rock music. But that doesnt mean hes forgotten his inspirations. During Moving Out, there was a snippet of Beethovens Ode to Joy sneaked in. Im not sure much of the audience noticed it, but it doesnt matter - I suspect that Joel included it for himself.Longevity lesson from Billy Respect your idols and keep learning from them, but realize that you might just be able to create masterpieces for your own era- or office.Know your b est workJoel revealed a lot of candor during the show, telling the audience, Ive had more not hits than hits as the band performed a song few of us were familiar with. Yet while Joel hasnt released any new music since 1993, he keeps filling stadiums.Longevity lesson from Billy While resting on your laurels can be a career killer, understanding your best skills and professional crowd pleasers can keep clients happy year after year. Dont try to reinvent the wheel, just keep doing your best work.Enjoy the connectionDuring Piano Man, Joel allowed the audience to sing the final refrainSing us a song, youre the piano man?/Sing us a song tonight/?Well, were all in the mood for a melody?/And youve got us feelin alrightHis eyes were closed reverently as he spun slowly around the stage taking in the moment. It seemed to recharge him and remind him why he was there after all those years. It was a powerful moment.Longevity lesson from Billy Recharge when you need to before a big project. Remind yourself why you do what you do. Let others help you if needed.Sell out but dont be a selloutJoel intends to play as long as he still sells out shows. And with all that and with playing his songbook year after year, he still delivers a powerhouse performance.Longevity lesson from Billy Respect and keep doing your best work, and while youre at it respect the smart people who will continue to pay you for it.Deal with your past professionallySome of Joels most famous songs were inspired by past loves. And while he still performs Just the Way You Are and Uptown Girl among others, theres a sense of acceptance for what was. Unlike Taylor Swifts ex-boyfriend tunes, theres more of a sense of closure than contempt.Longevity lesson from Billy Dont put other people down to build yourself up. And while youre at it, try to leave the past in the past when possible.