By Cari Cole
Mastering the music machine is no easy feat. It’s wracked with riddles, potholes and — a plethora of snake-charmers and charlatans along the way. Rick Barker (Taylor Swift’s ex-manager) just called out a guy acting as if he worked for Warner when upon further examination, he has a record as a sex offender – and he was dialoging on Twitter with young 11 – 12 year olds about their music. Ugh.
A student just reached out to me about a musician/marketer, Leah McHenry, who claims to make her living (as a musician) running Facebook Ads, who turned out to be an actual shyster and blocked her from the group that my student paid for, just for asking a normal question inquiring about the program delivery. Be careful of shiny objects and fake people — do your research and be sure to work with credible, established people, not newbies, or wolves in sheeps clothing. Once you get in the mix with people who are credible, the snake-charmers become quite obvious ;).
But don’t worry. Don’t believe the sharks or naysayers. It’s a new time in music and you can succeed. Never before has the music industry been so open to artists who work hard, have something exceptional to offer, and know the business. Every single day we mentor artists who as a result, experience massive growth and success on a regular, consistent basis. And we have a cazillion testimonials to prove that progress and success.
Here’s my list of 6 signs that you will succeed in this crazy little business of music.
1. You’re not afraid to dream big
You can’t get to the big stage without imagining it first. If ya don’t see yourself there, you’re probably not gonna get there. You got to have the guts to dream it to be it — and it starts with thinking big no matter how many people believe you can do it. All you need is to know you can — and you will.
2. You have good taste
You’ve got a great ear, good taste and high musical standards. And no matter how far you are on your musical journey, whether you’re selling out Madison Square Garden, on your way there or playing locally, you know the difference between good and great and you’re willing to take a stand for creating exceptional work.
3. You care less about the destination and more about the journey
It’s not about the fame for you (though some money and what that brings would be nice.) Fact is, you can’t help yourself – music is not a hobby, it’s a calling. As long as you can remember, you’ve been obsessed and can’t do anything else. You’d rather sit in your room and write a song, than go to a party. You prefer the recording studio, to a barbeque. You stay up all night just to finish that song — not because you want to — because you have to.
4. You’ve got something to say
You know that music helps people (and you) connect to their emotions, gives them a place to let their hair down, to heal, to find themselves. Plus, you have a lot you need to say. You’ve had a lot of hurt, a lot of joy, and a lot of in between — and you want to express it, get it out and make sense out of this crazy existence.
5. You’re a goal setter
It’s a proven fact that people that regularly set goals achieve more. So if you’re gonna make something of yourself in music, you’re pretty driven by your goals. No one can set them for you – you do it by yourself – naturally. Not because you’re a taskmaster, but because you must. You aim for the moon and land somewhere in the stars. You are, a star.
6. You’re an extroverted introvert or an introverted extrovert
To be an artist, a musician and/or a songwriter, you’ve got to be at least a 49% introvert. No one sits in their room day after day, year after year practicing an instrument unless they do. But, with an equal or almost equal balance of extroversion — you’ve got the perfect temperament for a successful artist.
Because you know careers aren’t created in a vacuum (even though you’re a self starter), and so you don’t isolate too much. You get help, take lessons, have mentors — you never stop growing and most importantly, you reach out when you need help, cause you know you’ll get there faster and wiser.
Check, check, check, check, check and check.
Don’t stay stuck — keep moving — like a snake, and outfox those snake charmers – yeah baybee!!
Build your artist community and inner circle right here:
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