Is it normal my music career has been so unsucessful?

From someone who made a small fortune in the music industry in the mid 60's; you need to play what the audience wants to hear, in the beginning. For instance; picture a long haired "hippie" looking band being booked to an NCO Club (non commissioned Army officers) in the middle of the Vietnam war, in SF Bay area.
Disaster for sure; they hated us before we played a note. By the end of the night we had free beers so deep on the stage there was hardly room to play and we played there often, thereafter. We got the idea very quickly to play what they wanted to hear, which was NOT our music.
Build a talented band. Play lots and lots of local gigs until you build a following that fills the places you play every time. Play at least 5 nights a week; it doubles as practice, but with a live audience. Always judge a new crowd by what songs they got laid to in high school. Then do the same farther and farther afield, playing county fairs, or wherever your "following" will follow. Then a booking agent will get you going on more gigs. DO NOT SIGN WITH A LABEL OR AGENT until you are very, very tight and versatile.
As your popularity grows, begin inserting your own compositions into the sets. Do not allow your ego to over rule your business sense. Do what you must to get popular, then be true to your musical ethics.
Instant success; in three or 4 years.

Well, define unsuccessful. I think it's pretty well known that music is a rubbish career if you want to make much money. It's not a job in the traditional sense, it's a vocation. You're quite likely to be depressed if the only way you measure your success is by how much money you made as opposed to the quality of the art you've created and the satisfaction of expressing yourself.

(CONT.)

1. Spend one ENTIRE day, alone, asking yourself, and visualizing, who the fuck you are, as a person, and a musician. What separates you from others? What stories have you experienced, that no one else has? Perhaps your lack of success, or a story to tell, might be the inspiration for new songs, or an album.

2. After you've spent that time reflecting, reiterate, to yourself, that YOU WILL NOT -- NEVER WILL -- BE THE HEROES YOU LOOK UP TO. Neither can they be their heroes. The only person you can be is YOU. So play like YOU. Sing like YOU. Don't force the mannerisms of Thom Yorke in your motions and inflections; if the influence is there, embrace that, and let it be a comment on your style.

3. You've written HUNDREDS OF SONGS. All you need is THREE SONGS, dude. THREE DAMN SONGS. Three, to 10. Whatever. An EP isn't a necessity, but find a few DAMN GOOD songs that you can make as good as fucking possible.

4. PRODUCE YOUR OWN MUSIC. You know what a music producer is, precisely? They're sort of like the director in film. They work their intuitive skills to help translate the album's message to the listener; he/she has a vision for you, and the end result for the -product-. Being a producer takes an intuitive mind, to hear something once, and think something new -- hear something thrice, and replace it completely with something else, with ONE word to drive the process: WHY.

5. MIX YOUR OWN MUSIC. Again, why not? Develop these skills to be the best artist you can be. Mixes determine whether or not someone merely hears the music, or is often reminded every 20 seconds that their music is coming through their speakers rather unpleasantly. Imagine yourself, or your band, playing infront of you. Where are the amps, what part of the room are you playing from, etc.?

Mixing is the 'where' and the 'how' of it all.

Being your own producer, and mixer, you can now make a decision i'll give an example on: Say you're mixing a vocal. The song's fine how it is, and you're working on the primary element of the song.

You get an idea, that, this vocal calls for a radio effect. "Yeah, that's cool. I'm feeling that."

As a mixing engineer, you ask yourself: "how is this sound being created? Is it coming from a radio? A megaphone? A tape player?"

These are all the little nooks and crannies of it all, that LITERALLY set the stage for your song. There's panning -- the stereo shit; reverb and delay. Proper instrumentation comes before any equalization, etc.

That is stuff you WANT TO KNOW, because it LITERALLY impairs you as a musician to not be well practiced in the ears. Sound is your forte! Be the sound expert! Practice!!! AND FUCKIN' READ A LOT. LIKE YOU'RE DOING NOW. CAPS.

As a producer, you ask yourself: "WHY a radio? WHY a megaphone? A tape player... Yeah."

So you choose the tape player. Why? Let's say this song is perhaps about the past. A message to, or from a passed loved one, or an old friend you cut ties with. Something important, left behind.

As a producer, you'd decide on an old tape effect! To create that imagery. Because, an old, perhaps busted tape could invoke THE REMINISCENT FEELINGS APPROPRIATE FOR THE SONG, OR PASSAGE. You have your actors on the stage, and their fucking props are there, finally.

Now, the best part is that, you could choose ANY of the three, because YOU HAVE CREATIVE CONTROL. As a producer, you -question everything-.

Now, if you APPLY these concepts, you'd make it so much easier for yourself not to rely on flakey fuckwits that don't commit to the work, and spending your money on some plebs who're probably too pleb for you. Mastering isn't appropriate unless you're lady gaga or chris brown or some shit. You're not. I hope you're not.

Get connections, grow a social web. Don't be afraid to be judged, and heard. The music isn't fully written, until it is heard.

And the money isn't made. It's given to, by those who enjoy, appreciate, and believe in what you're saying, and feeling. Free music via internet only VALIDATES that appreciation and support all the more, if they are to pay for it.

But, no matter what, an applause, handshake, hug, and a few laughs and smiles... that's the most precious thing.

That's the most important fucking thing.

"I have composed hundreds of my own songs and can play almost any instrument."

Go solo.

"I make all styles of music as well and can play back most songs after hearing them. "

Be a studio musician; be a live musician for your friends who're touring europe. There's money in both these options, and doors that can open for you.

"Despite all this, i have made no money. I havent even gotten a gig in 3 years and i will play for free."

"I have no money."

"I will play for free"

You're not obligated to play for free. Nobody will make that call but you. All venues will more in likely expect to pay the performer, unless you live in music abundant places you have to PAY to perform at ('cause everybody wants that damn stage, right?)

" I have been complimented by several people that i am the best piano player they've ever heard."

Ask yourself if you think you're the best you can be.

Most importantly, NEVER -- EVER -- answer to: Pianist, Guitarist; Drummer, Bassist; Singer, whatever.

You are a musician. There's a fine line between an 'instrument player', and a MUSICIAN.

Send us your Soundcloud or something. Do you have music for us to hear? If not, you've got a long way to go, still.

If you ever do get your foot forward, go indie, and remain indie until you've invested a lot of your time in developing the knowledge to HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN MUSIC.

Signing to a record label will cut your profits; they promote you, they sell to the masses, and most importantly, -YOU GET HEARD!-

An album sells from 10-20$. Bound to a label, you obtain a minor portion of that; your music, is now THEIR product.

Now, if you're your own boss, you can sell 1,000 CDs/vinyls, and you will make FULL. FUCKING. PROFIT.

A label sells you 50,000 albums, you might make a nifty bit, but what you get is the afterbirth, not the big baby.

Sell 5,000 albums ALONE, with FULL ownership of the product, that easily nails you 50,000-100,000$, not including expenses.

You know all your instruments, you know how to build a song from the ground-up; you've got chops, and maybe you can sing(?).

What's keeping you from taking the reins?

Dude, no one wants to listen to good music anymore, they just want generic crap that they can listen to without using their brain cells. Don't take it personally.

Try better advertising.

my best advice, would be to send your music to other forms of media like Indie video games developers. Good music in a cult hit in an indie game could get your name out there and maybe help? just a thought