Indie Artist – Success Gear.
Today’s post and a few to follow, are about knowing success and making it possible in the music industry as an independent artist. It is not going to be easy and will require a lot of hard work, but in the end, it’s going to be worth the trouble. As discussed in my blog Indie Artist-Defining Success, remember that this is a full-time job and it is your own business. You have embarked on a business journey that needs to be handled correctly in order to become rewarding. How you avoid fatal errors that indie artists and bands commonly make remains to be learnt. The fact that the people that are supposed to be your biggest fans are pressuring you to follow a well-worn path, and treat your music as a hobby can be very discouraging.
Avoid Deprecating Yourself
Look into the mirror and criticize yourself as much as you want. That is allowed, because you are your own worst critic. Review performance tapes, take notes, and use them to improve for next time; but keep it to yourself. Do not criticize yourself in front of other people. The last thing you want to do is feed their beliefs that you can’t make it as a musician. This includes your fans as well. You may not have played all of the notes exactly as you had intended, but you are the only person who knows that. Others don’t even need to know. Maybe that dissonant chord you played was the spark that grabbed the attention of that future super-fan and made him notice your performance over the droll conversation he had previously been engaged in. Everything is possible, so don’t spill the beans.
Value Your Work
If you don’t value your work, no one else will. When you are booking shows think in terms of what you need, not what you can get. Most desirable venues are sold out 3 months in advance. More popular a venue, further in advance should you contact them. Even more so if you’re looking to play on a Friday or Saturday night. So be sure to contact the booker at least 3-4 months in advance. As discussed in my blog More Tips and Tricks, the more you plan in advance for a tour or show, the more bookings you can get for your preferred dates. Many bookers will ask you to find local acts that draw a crowd and combine your performance with them. It is not very difficult to find local acts online. You might need other acts or have to rearrange a show and need bands. All of these can be found online. Just do your research well while planning.
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If you need to make $50,000 a year for you to consider yourself a professional musician, then you have defined yourself a goal that you can aim for as well as demonstrate to your critics. Setting a goal is the first step toward accomplishing it. Also, as I have discussed before, not all of your income will come from performing. There are at least 101 ways to make money with music. Once you realize that, your financial goals won’t seem nearly as difficult to achieve. Another important point to remember at the starting of your career as an indie artist is that not all value is money. There are gigs that pay well and you should definitely seek them out. And there are other gigs that don’t pay so much, but provide great opportunities, like playing to a large crowd of potential new fans, opening for your hero, or traveling to a new destination. Try everything and see what works best for you.
Show No Fear
The fear will always be there, you just have to get over it to move forward. Once you know that, you can choose not to let it control you. Be confident and let it show on your face and actions. In the business world they say, “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” And it really works. The guy that shows up at work in a tie every day eventually becomes the one that climbs the ladder the fastest. It’s not specifically because of the tie. There is a peripheral psychological effect that comes with dressing and acting the part to which you aspire. This is true for an indie artist as well. Start acting what you aspire to be and you will eventually become that one day. Get yourself geared up for success and put 100% of your energy into every performance. Complete your performance, no matter what goes wrong, even if it’s just you and the sound guy. From the moment you walk in the door, until the last embers of the after-party die out. maintain your performance persona. The idea is to believe in yourself.
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