Putting,the,Cart,Before,Horse, entertainment Putting the Cart Before the Horse: When is Your Music Ready
Know your event objective. If the aim of the event is to educate people then the entertainment is not the key element of the event. You would do better to use some light form of entertainment during the break to help attendees unwind and rel Music is a vast sea and there are lots of singers in the world who earn so much fame because of their singing, voice and style and Rob Thomas is one of them. He is one of the best singers whose songs become very popular and he has great fan
I may very well receive some hate mail from this article, so beforewarned that its full of advice that some aspiring artists may notwant to hear (but need to).Recently I met an aspiring artist (Im not in the business ofdisparaging people, so no disclosure here). I have to say that he wasquick to mention he was an artist and songwriter, and virtually everyconversation revolved around his music and the life circumstances thatinspired him to write.I spent 9 years living in Nashville, so Im pre-programmed to be alittle skeptical. Everyone in Nashville is an artist, songwriter, ormusic industry something it seems, even if theyre your run of the millgas station attendant.Naturally I checked out the website, because I leave no stoneunturned. Ive found some pretty neat artists through passingconversation, and thanks to internet marketing, there are many greatindie artists out there (although for every great one, there arehundreds that are terrible).Upon first glance, the website was pretty professional with decentpublicity photos and artwork. Upon first listening to the tracks thatwere published, I admit I was sort of impressed because the productionvalue was ok and the melodies were kind of catchy.That initial good feeling quickly faded upon listening further.Cheesy production (80s sounding synthesizer strings are not cool onballads anymore), out of tune backup vocals, cliche lyrics, andself-indulgent drudgery. I know its a little harsh, and far be it forme to crush someones dreams. This artist had raw talent, and with alittle refining could be pretty good. The problem is that the materialwas half-baked.So youve practiced, youve written, youve produced. How do youknow your music is ready to be released on MySpace, iTunes, and thelike?Theres no magic fomula to propose here, but consider a few things before you broadcast your music to the world:Dont Get Caught Up in the Glitz and GlamourDespite what I assume the general population thinks, theentertainment industry is not glamorous. Its the cruel illusion thatmany aspiring artists get caught up in. Its fine to have goodpublicity photos and a cool website.Just keep in mind that its a marketing tool, and your music shouldbe on par with other professionals (people who actually get paid fortheir music). You can always develop or change your image, but yourmusic is what speaks to the listener.Produce Quality MaterialBeing a great singer or songwriter does not guarantee success (Iknow plenty of talented people who should be famous but arent yet).The temptation for a lot of artists is to release music that is notfully developed in its composition or production because it sounds good to them (I cant believe that I created this!).Take the time to develop well crafted songs, and experiment withyour sound. Its ok to have artists that influence you (everyone does),but be careful that your music doesnt copycat to the point where youhave no individuality (or that its way out of style).It helps if your actual musicianship is on par too. You dont haveto be a vocal acrobat or guitar god; just be sure that you can holdyour own in the studio or on stage.Get Objective FeedbackThis is probably one of the most important things. Your family andfriends may offer much needed encourgement (face it, theyve beenencouraging you since you sang into that hairbrush as a toddler). Thething to remember here is that your family and friends are invested inyou, and thats not necessarily going to help you connect with theaverage joe listener.Connect with other musicians who will be objective with you, meaningthat they wont hold their tounge when giving you feedback. Thick skinis required in this industry, so you might as well get used to it now.Think of it as a present. You dont have to necessarily absorb negativefeedback. Its one persons opinion. Just learn from it, and makechanges. Thats how you grow. You might have to re-write that hit songof yours over and over again until it really connects with an audience.If youve got a few tracks that youre just dying to release, justput them through a few objective filters. No one said this was going tobe easy. Taking those few extra refining steps now, will help youdevelop a better connection with your audience later on.
Putting,the,Cart,Before,Horse,