STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
I’ve been very lucky to have lived out my dreams as a musician. I’ve had the chance to play with and work with many of my childhood musical heros. Music has allowed me to travel the world many times spending time in the Middle East, India, China, all over Europe, and North America. As a youth I didn’t know anyone who was successful in the music business - I had to learn everything by trying, failing, and trying again. I have treasured and made a study of this learning process. As a person with a love for teaching, I’m often asked for advice from aspiring musicians. If the person wants to be an instrumentalist, this advice is easy to draw from my own experience. However, more and more I’ve been asked about advice for aspiring singer/songwriter/artists. I have certainly worked with many singer/songwriters but I have not pursued that path myself. In the spirit of Gandhi who would not give advice unless he himself had direct experience in the subject, I will attempt to take steps on the singer/songwriter path. I will lay out every step that I take and the philosophy behind it. I will also add some of the most valuable lessons that I have learned in the past. This blog is for anyone who is taking sincere strides to add positivity to the world through sharing their art. Though we live in a culture that is competitive, I believe that it is best for all and most true to our nature to freely share wisdom and knowledge.
#1 Make Something
Wisdom piece: A quote from producer Brian Grazer “It doesn’t have to be great, it just has to exist”
you have to make something. It doesn’t matter how good you are if people have no way to hear or to know what you do. Let go of any perfectionism at the point. Most people don’t love their 1st albums, 1st composition, 1st whatever. Put out something and then continue to develop your artistry. You will learn far more by taking a project to completion than by waiting for for perfection. Nothing on this earth is perfect.
Put stuff out. Let me rephrase that: be good, and then put stuff out. Focus on consistent strong releases. It used to be that a musician could put out an album every few years and build a career. That time is over. The power is continuing to move away from the big record companies into the hands of the individual artists. Get on a regular schedule of releasing music, blogs, videos, and whatever other content you create.
Application: Albums used to be the standard format for releasing music. Nowadays its more common to release an EPs (see below) or singles(single songs.)
Definition: An EP (short for extended play) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is usually too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP. An EP typically has 3-5 songs.
Personal Goal: Release an EP by April 1 2018
What is YOUR goal for a release?