Technology is a double-edged sword when it comes to music creation. On one hand, technology gives us the tools to write, record, and produce in ways we couldn’t have done otherwise. Yet, leaning too heavily into the convenience technology offers can be bad for our music. This especially goes for writing and performing with MIDI instruments.
Music is a creative pursuit where creators and performers can be talented, lucky, and ambitious and still somehow end up quitting a few years in. If you’ve been at it for a while, you know how grueling a music career can be. But have you ever nailed down exactly why?
All musicians get bored with the process of creating and performing every now and again. However, if you’re suffering from chronic musical disinterest, it’s something you should worry about. We can’t always rely on our emotions to inspire us as musicians. If it’s been months or years since you’ve felt moved during your music-making process, it’s time for a change. By “change,” I don’t mean subtle tweaks in your musical routine, but a massive, top-to-bottom overhaul. When it’s clear the regular way of doing things isn’t doing it for you anymore, it’s time to blow up your music-making process and start over.
If you’re serious about writing music and performing, you already know how hard pursuing music can be. Musicians wrestle with a great deal of doubt that comes from things most of us have experienced, whether it’s playing night after night to empty rooms or investing lots of time and money into a new album without any idea whether anyone will listen or care. For serious artists trying to make something substantial happen with their music, the work of navigating a career in music can seem bleak and hopeless at times.
Have you ever worked tirelessly on a new song, only to have it totally flop?
Or maybe you’ve spent thousands on an album, only to have the buzz die out about a day after the release?
And really, is there anything more disappointing than releasing a piece of music and feeling like no one cares? It’s incredibly discouraging!
But I’m going to let you in on a little secret—9 times out of 10, it isn’t because the music sucked. It probably isn’t even just because of the social media algorithm being against you. Instead, it has everything to do with your PR and marketing strategy—or should I say, lack of.
Simplicity is a great asset for musicians, especially if you’re the kind of artist that’s intent on reaching big audiences. But when it comes to emotion, dumbing things down underestimates the intelligence of your audience and dulls your sharpest ideas. Depending on your musical identity and goals, you probably want your music to be accessible to everyone in your audience. However, oversimplifying the emotional backbone of your work isn’t a good way to do it. Boredom might be an even worse reaction than disdain when it comes to how listeners receive your music, and emotion plays a huge role in keeping audiences engaged and invested in your work.
Getting press can feel difficult, can’t it?
Especially if you’re committed to running your own PR campaign, it can feel like a constant struggle to not only make the connections and build the relationships needed to truly get in front of the right writers, playlist makers, podcast hosts, etc. But what if I told you there’s an incredibly valuable, not so often sought out tactic that most artists in the music industry miss? Well, there is, and it’s called guest blogging.
Some of us make music in hopes of connecting with people. Others create purely out of the motivation for fame or financial game. For other musicians, the desire to build something artistic and challenging is at the heart of their musical identity. But no matter what drives us to be musicians, one thing is certain––we’re all bound to fail at some point, even if we do everything right.
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