Going into 2010, musicians will see and experience the reoccurring gravity of competition that will weigh down on them from all the other musicians who are trying to make a name for themselves or from the musicians who are continuing to flourish. In all reality, the music industry is becoming oversaturated, and yet, the musical juices keep flowing into the music industry which has continued to create a diverse melting pot of music.
Though this may be the case, it is not necessarily a bad thing; it’s but a hick-up for those who can evolve – adapt and outlast. This concept of adapting and outlasting leave musicians with some constructive ideas that they should consider if they want to emerge.
A thriving musician in 2010 should be able to:
- define their talents and capabilities
- creatively apply and improve their talents towards what they want to achieve
In the music world, an array of possibilities can be at a musician’s finger tips as long as they are willing to reach out and find what they want to grasp. For a musician to open up their possibilities they must be able to define- to put into working ideas- what they want to do with their musical talents; and what will make them feel successful in their musical pursuits.
Define Yourself As A Musician
If a musician is not able to define their talents and capacity for becoming a better artist, then they will, more than likely, not be able to promote why the music industry would want to invest in their musicianship. This means they would have failed to adapt to what consumers request which means they will not be able to outlast the new generations of the music industry.
If a musician is able to define (or market) their positive attributes and apply them then they are more likely able to promote why their demographic of the music industry would want to invest in their creativity and potential achievements. This concept means that they would have succeeded in adapting to the request of listening consumers which means they will have opened up their possibilities and taken one step closer to achieving their goals.
Musicians should have an edifying message that they want to achieve for themselves and also achieve for the bigger picture.
The Kanye’s and the Gaga’s
In most cases, musical audiences do not want to be able to see through the pretentious message of an artist. Authenticity should be a first and lasting impression.
Some exceptions to this case maybe Kanye’s arrogance and Lady Gaga’s outlandish style which would seem to be unattractive, but actually seem to work for them and their audiences are compelled by it. From Kanye’s freshman record, College Dropout, to his senior record, 808 & Heartbreak, he has been spitin’ out crucial beats and rhymes that the public can relate to. Kanye was able to understand and define his ability to put emotions and ideas into catchy hooks and rhymes, in which the music industry recognized and rewarded him for that- of course he did have nice connection as a producer for Rock-a-Fella Records- but he still had a considerable amount of make-shifting to do.
When all is said and done, musicians just have to do their thing. They are going to have to find their place in the music industry because the music industry is not going to go out of its way to come find a place for them. The industry knows that music listeners are looking for exciting creativity and something original and compelling that listeners can share with others. Those of us who appreciate music appreciate the artist that create the music.
So, from a musician to a musician, we should try and define ourselves and our music with qualities that would be appreciated by other musical zealots and appreciators alike.
This post was written by Zach Frmmel, a senior at UCF majoring in English Literature with a minor in Humanities. He plays in an indie band, GreatFriendofMine, and you can check out their music on Bandcamp here.
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