By Cari Cole
Every day, amidst the hustle and bustle of the music industry, I come across handfuls of super talented artists — who should be out there more than they are. It’s painful actually. It reminds me of my career, and oh, how I wish I knew then what I know now.
But I realize that they just haven’t found their place in music – they are misplaced.
And now that artists are more on their own than ever before, it’s getting harder. Harder to beat to know what you’re doing, to beat to your own drum, long enough to crack through the noise.
After being an industry insider for the past few decades, it’s never been clearer to me that there is not one path for an artist, but many. And to follow generic advice is surely to commit career suicide. Because, while you’re busy following paths other artists have used, hoping that will get you where you’re going, you’re busy missing yours.
Because it’s different for everyone.
So how do you figure out what your path to success is? It’s kind of like songwriting. You write, you re-write, you edit some more and then you show your inner circle of trusted listeners. Then following the feedback, you decide which songs make the cut. Some songwriters don’t do that though. They work in a vacuum, without feedback. That’s okay if you’re a real John Mayer or Chris Martin, but even they know enough to get opinions. Because without them, you’ll miss the advantage of perspective. And perspective is everything.
When it comes to careers, artists tend to fly too solo. They end up running in circles reinventing the wheel and miss the advantages that come from community. Because, careers in music aren’t created by yourself. You need others to help you grow. People who are have credentials, who are ahead of you, who are super supportive and have real advice and help – who are not just flapping their jaws.
It’s easy to mess up this stuff. Take Robin for example. When I met her she had a heartful of passion, a record under her belt and a hopeful vision of her place in music. But she didn’t have the right record or branding to actually realize that dream. So we took a deeper dive on her music, who she was as an artist, and what she wanted to say. We got that in her music. Then we looked at her branding and brought it to a higher level so her images matched her music and told you who she really was. Then we worked on developing a real story behind the music and helped her find her that rightful place she had been looking for. Now she’s booking out tours, winning awards and living the dream. It’s so exciting to watch it all happening.
How did she do it? By not working in isolation.
Together we are stronger. Together we break the mold.
It starts by building your community of artists and industry to work with as you go. People who believe in you, who will tell you the truth, give you a leg up, and actually help you go somewhere. Boom.
You’re Living the Dream, Don’t Miss It!
Ready to build your artist community and support?
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