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I
always meant to write one of these. I wouldn’t consider myself any more of less a
source of information than the next guy, but having
a few years under my belt has given me a chance to
learn some things that may be of use to those whom
are just getting started. This is my way of attempting
to share the things that I’ve found valuable.
For those of you
who think this is BS, fine. For those of you who
feel that it’s
all true, great. But the best thing I can recommend
is that if you want to continue playing music the rest
of your life, read it and take from it whatever you
think will help you. Leave everything else here. :)
For
every musician who thinks you’re doing the right thing, there
will be a vast number of people who will tell you the
same thing isn’t worth trying. Listen to everybody’s
opinion, but make the final decision for yourself.
When you get to the end of your ride (which I hope
is a long and fruitful one), you’ll ultimately
be responsible for all the choices you make. |
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- Realize that if
you get a reputation for being difficult to work with,
it can be impossible to undo – you
can’t outrun your own karma. Bad-mouthing other
musicians on the scene could result in you burning bridges
that you may eventually wish you had the chance to cross.
- There’s a lot of easy
wisdom to be gained by having conversations with guys
in your music scene who are older or more experienced
than you. BUT – times change,
and so do the ways of doing business. While you may learn
some important principles to accelerate your own artistic
growth, you may also find yourself spending time listening
to frustrated people that didn’t get an opportunity
to go somewhere. Take the words of all these individuals
with a grain of salt, but try to keep them in mind when
things are happening to you directly. You can learn a lot
from other people’s mistakes, just as you would
your own.
- If you plan on doing something in
the music industry, realize that it IS an industry. Learning
how to properly conduct business does not ‘taint’ your music;
it simply helps you to prevent being taken advantage of
(and there’s a lot of people out there that are willing
to take an unfair amount of your money while trying to
look like they’re doing the right thing).
- Musicians will tell you that
networking is critical, and it’s very true. However,
you can go much further if you simply get out and start
meeting people BEFORE you might need something from
them. More important than networking is to simply be
visible – make your existence known.
If you eventually do have a demo to hand out or want to
get a gig with a signed band, you’ll have much, much
better luck if you’re shaking hands with someone
who already knows you.
- No matter how great you are,
someone’s
better than you - and that's fine, because art is subjective
and not a contest. Don’t worry about being the fastest or
the flashiest – just be you. Figure out what you
sound like, and do more of that. Eventually, you’ll
be known for sounding a certain way and the right gigs
will find you (provided people know you exist – see
my previous point).
- Be personable. If you are seen
as constantly negative and/or confrontational, you’ll
struggle to find any long-term gigs. Remember
- if you play in a band that has any commercial success
(or just works really hard), you’ll
spend one or two hours a day playing and the rest of the
time in cramped quarters with other people. Given a choice,
I’d rather work with someone who is less impressive
musically and easier to get along with. Every time.
- People are people – you
might have four or five band members in your project,
but each could be playing for money, sex, parties,
art, fame or any combination of those. Everybody has
their own motivation for doing what they do, and being
aware and respectful of that will save a lot of problems
in the future.
- Learning music
theory will not screw up your ability to feel music any
more than taking drivers’ education
will screw up your ability to drive a car. Ultimately,
the rules of music theory are more to be seen as guidelines – think
of it as a path to extending your vocabulary in the same
way that an English class can make you a more effective
speaker.
- If you can do
it, avoid limiting your mindset. If you don’t
like a certain type of music, don’t shut
it out entirely – see what it has that makes it
popular. Music only pushes boundaries when the performers
remove the boundaries they project on themselves.
Lastly, and most importantly...
Find the music that brings you joy - pure joy that puts
a stupid grin on your face when you play it. That way, whether
you're playing to an arena of 50,000 people or sitting at
home playing next to your cat, YOU WIN.
Brandon
has worked with Juno and Grammy award-winning artists at
the local, national and international levels as a producer,
performer and songwriter, and is currently spending much
of his time working with Canadian songwriter Sean Jones.
Check him out at http://www.brandonmcpherson.com/index.php
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The views, opinions, positions or
strategies expressed by the authors and those providing
comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect
the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Metro
Music Mayhem. We make no representations as to accuracy,
completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of
any information contained within and will not be liable
for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information
or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its
use.
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