What’s the #1 thing you can do to move the needle in your career?
If you said anything other than networking, you’re wrong.
More important than the music you make, the tours you go on, the social media posts you make, networking is the #1 thing that will take you from hobby musician to living your dream.
In music and all art in general, there’s the stuff that thrives in the moment, and then there are the songs that stand the test of time. What was fashionable in music back in the early 2000’s isn’t in favor today, obviously. But while it’s easy to separate what’s trendy from what lasts in music after 20 years, it’s a lot trickier to know while you’re creating. When we listen to contemporary music, we’re exposed to fads that inform everything from lyrical content to production decisions. There’s nothing wrong with listening to trendy music, but letting what’s popular and influential now crowd out your creative intuition and authenticity in songwriting is a big problem.
Though the music industry has recently transformed in ways that give independent musicians a lot more agency and opportunity than it used to, many artists still rank signing with a label at or near the top of their list of career goals. Working with a reputable label can deliver massive benefits that can be elusive for musicians who go it alone. However, things are slowly changing in a big way when it comes to the musician-label relationship, and there are big advantages for going the independent route you should consider.
Right now, live streams are kind of all we’ve got. And I’m actually loving them. Sure I miss the live concert experience, just like everyone else. There’s magic in being able to see your favorite band perform live, to feel the energy of the room, to be surrounded by others who know, love, and just get the band the same way you do. That’s irreplaceable.
When it comes to things that can ruin your songs, a lot can happen between the initial spark of an idea and a song’s completion. From bad performances that stifle a song’s potential during recording to ideas that don’t resonate with audiences, lots of factors can make music fall flat. A lack of imagination is one of the most dangerous among them.
When you set out to create new music, what does your mindset look like? Are you curious and ready to explore ideas wherever they take you, or are you bogged down with the baggage of expectations? The truth is that it’s impossible to completely separate ourselves from our past experiences when we create. But when your desire to sound a certain way or accomplish something specific when you write overshadows your creative spirit and freedom, your work suffers badly for it.
To some songwriters, a song feels like a living and ever-changing entity, even when it’s finished and shared with the world. To others, released songs feel like permanent fixtures that can’t and shouldn’t ever be changed. While these two mindsets couldn’t be more different, a situation every songwriter finds themself in is not knowing whether a song is ready to master and be made available for others to listen to or not. Here are five signs that your song is ready to share:
If you’re like me circa 10 years ago, you’re kinda freaked out about networking. In fact, you’d do almost anything to avoid it. After all, talking to strangers, trying to “sell” yourself, and investing all that time and energy into something that doesn’t produce immediate results? Exhausting, right?!
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