10 Tips Even the Most Naive Musicians Should Know

 

I get upset when I encounter naivete, or blissful ignorance…it pisses me off.

And then there are the clueless, the naïve, and the blissfully ignorant. “Why won’t they just go away?” I ask myself. Because regretfully, “ignorance is bliss” is still a permanent state of mind for many aspiring musicians. These idiots will never go away regardless of the dozens of outstanding books, articles, regional and national music conferences, and webinars that are out there spreading the gospel of ‘do-it-yourself’.

I am a music business consultant. I should be happy that there are so many clueless musicians out there. They could become my next client. But they won’t because they have no desire to educate themselves. Even when I tell them they can get a lot of free information at my web site, they won’t even go there and read the free articles because… they are too lazy. So, what’s a music business consultant to do?

NEVER!

1. Learn how to write a song!

That doesn’t mean however that your music has what it takes for record labels to invest their money and time developing, promoting, and marketing that music. A&R Reps are always saying, when asked what they are looking for, “We don’t know what we are looking for, but we’ll recognize it when we hear it.” What we can read into their comment is that your music must truly stand out in some significant, original, dynamic, and creative way. 95% of the original music out there contains regurgitated ideas that were ripped off from some other more gifted musicians. Challenge yourself! Talent scouts in this business hear hundreds of mediocre songs every week. What is it about your songs that make them stand out from all the rest?
 

You can always tell the difference between a musician who is in it for the money, and a musician who is in it for the music. The dedicated musician/band MUST play live every chance they get. Money-focused musicians whine about the fact that they can’t get club gigs that pay anything. If you really think that you can make your living solely as a musician in the first three to four years of your career, you are headed for a breakdown and disappointment. Think about it...almost every legendary musician who has made a mark on our culture has been a musician who struggled long and hard at their craft, and never stopped playing live.

3. Never stop practicing your instrument.

Prior to late 70’s, more often than not, the music that is our heritage was made by musicians who, from the time they took up their instrument, worshipped at the feet of some master bluesman, jazz player, folk legend, songwriter, or whatever. The habit of these inspired musicians was an appetite for perfection, the need to be not just 'good enough', but GREAT.

In the business of music, when we hear something new, original, and accessible to people, we can then invest in you with more security, believing that if we put our ‘label brand’ on you, with our talents of promotion and marketing coming to the front, then we ‘have something’, and your music becomes our music, and we work together to broaden you audience appeal. It’s kind of like a partnership between ‘Art and Commerce’. They can work together!
 

I never cease to be amazed how few artists are willing to spend $35 to register their copyrighted songs online with the U.S. Copyright Office. www.copyright.gov

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