Sunday, May 11, 2014

Check out this Blog from a special Guest Blogger!

Tips for Entering the Music Business - For Vocalists and Musicians

Musicians have entertained others throughout nearly all of recorded human history. Bards and troubadours once traveled from town to town to play for anyone who would listen. In contemporary society, these entertainers contribute to the economy as recording artists, session players, and commercial musicians. Some instrument players and vocalists tour the world playing tunes like bards of yesteryear.

Since there are so many ways to pursue a musical career, artists often find it challenging to select a niche and begin attaining the necessary contacts to get gigs. However, this is a crucial first step; a musician must discover his or her own unique path to artistic expression.

Choose Your Field of Discipline

Initially, vocalists and musicians are set apart by their chosen spheres of specialization. For example, vocalists must learn different skills than guitar players. By choosing to specialize in a particular instrument and style of music, you can also start identifying the social contacts that will be crucial for getting gigs.

After you have attained proficiency and specialization in your chosen instrument, you are free to focus on building a unique voice. The best musicians have styles that match their personalities.
Additionally, your skills will need to be applied to a specific area of the music business. Do you want to help songwriter’s record demos? Do you want to be known as a recording artist? Are you comfortable with touring? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself before building a portfolio.

Demonstrate Your Skills

Once you've identified your goals, it is important to demonstrate your skills to other musicians. For example, many free social networking sites allow you to upload pictures, a biography, and music samples. You should use these services as a type of press kit to present your skills to other musicians. Watch the classified ads in the local newspaper to identify like-minded tune smiths. You also may have success finding people to work with on online services like Craigslist.
For your pictures, it would be wise to present a combination of professionally filmed photos and live performance or studio shots. If you don't have great writing skills, look to friends to find help putting together a biography. You should provide recorded samples of your work as well as a live video. By including both formats, you will be letting potential colleagues know what you sound like on record and how well you can play live.

Stand Your Ground

Don't let detractors talk you out of your decision. Once you have chosen your niche in the music industry, the primary objective is to cultivate contacts and build name awareness. Both of these objective can be accomplished by promoting social media profiles online and by attending lots of local shows. Every contact helps when you are first starting your career.

Although the music industry has been undergoing a fairly serious market correction, the internet actually makes it very easy for a new musician to get his or her name out there to the public. The internet significantly improves the ease with which one can find colleagues in the music industry.

Author Bio

William Okoli, a music producer turned journalist, now spends his days helping others reach success through music. Not everyone can pack a stadium of ten thousand fans, but if you have a passion for music, you have a career ahead of you. Visit TheMusicPush.com to learn more.