This month our feature article speaks directly to aspiring artists and producers. Our question to you is...Do you plan on being an ASPIRING artist forever or one day being established? If so, then make that day TODAY. If you're wondering how in the heck am I supposed to do that here's the answer...MOVE YOUR FEET! Without getting too complicated, you can be certain that nothing will ever happen for you if you do not move your feet. Go places, meet new people, make new contacts, build new relationships, get stuff done! If you decide to commit your self to doing this everyday the worst thing that could happen is that a bunch of people know who you are.
Here's a start for my local artists and producers: How to plan for a productive week...
1. You should have a list of at least 4 music-related events that you will attend every week.
2. Keep a list of new contacts you make every week and most importantly KEEP IN TOUCH! Email and MySpace should not be your only integrations with a "true" contact. Plan to physically sit down with at least one of your contacts every week.
3. Keep a short list of specific individuals you want to get close to and be strategic in how you go about initiating those relationships. Keep in mind that most people succeed at getting close to these individuals by getting in good with everyone around them first. Research where these people hang out, eat, play, and work. Envision how the conversation will go when you finally meet this person and when you get your shot, execute.Persistence will win every time.
4. Master your craft! You should plan to create new material by the end of every week. This doesn't mean that you have to record a song or make a beat everyday but make every effort to make music every chance you get. This does mean that you should think outside the walls of your home setup. Making music with others opens a whole new world of opportunities and perspectives. Oh, and work or school is not a valid excuse for not being able to put down new material.Whether valid or invalid the bottom line is that if you have reasons why your not getting stuff done then obviously your not getting them done which means that there is no forward progress.
5. Get a job, internship, or apprenticeship with a reputable company with contacts in the music industry. The more contacts the better. I promise that this is by far the fastest way to gain some valuable contacts and initiate relevant relationships.
its a bummer some people remember their "friends" when they need something such as to promote gigs and so on. I like having conversations with different types of people but it seems a lot of people are just too busy with their next project, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, MASTER YOUR CRAFT! so few people are able to do so just because their closest relations say that the life of a musician is no life at all. I say go on be the master of your passion!
Your definitely right! A genuine friend doesn't only contact you when they need something. With that said it's important to establish who are your friends and who are associates with whom you can trade benefits with. I was once told that all relationships are Debit/Credit - meaning give and take - and if you take more than you give you'll be in the hole...
ReplyDeleteto your second comment-When your craft is truly your passion in life, you really cannot help to master it because every time do it, you do it to the fullest. And so yes, I totally agree...MASTER YOUR CRAFT!
Question,
ReplyDeleteWhere should I look to get into the industry? I just moved to NYC and am 26 I have a job in the IT world, but am definitely outgrowing it quickly. I love music and have been meeting quite a lot of people in the industry in my 2 months here so far.
(more random bump ins at concerts).
I want to get in on the back end of things, just trying to find a resource I can use to find these "Ins" and see where I fit in in the whole scheme of the industry.
i dO MUSIC has def been a great tool which like everything else I have stumbled upon, and am using.
-Ian