your priorities

one common question a lot of musicians have is, “what should i focus on?” here are some suggestions:

1. create a great record.

by this, i mean having a solid, well-produced (doesn’t sound garage produced), presentable piece of music with your identity associated with it. if you’ve started a record, finish it. many musicians stop recording in the middle of a project. reasons include: a change in artistic direction, the need to tour, or a change in band focus. sure, it’s important to stay true to how you feel your music should sound, but many end up making excuses on why they didn’t finish a record.

it is important for a musician to have something tangible and presentable to distribute at shows. it is makes a much bigger statement to a fan, a promoter, or any potential supporter, if you have something complete and tangible to give them, and not just a sticker with your myspace link on the back. in fact, many music industry folks feel that if a band merely has a demo with a few songs and not much else, they’re not ready to move to the next level, and they won’t take any chances on you.

2. touring.

aside from the obvious reasons of getting exposure for your music, touring establishes both momentum and energy for your music.

touring also has the effect of creating your identity. if you compare a group that’s  played 30-40 shows with another that’s played 80-90 shows, you’ll notice big differences in their demeanor, style, and confidence.

because touring also creates “buzz,” it involves a lot more than just mean playing at venues or parties. it includes the promotions associated with those shows. (i’ll talk about this more in my next post on how to create the buzz associated with your touring).

and of course, it’s also a good time to show off that great record you finished.

~ by cafenotes on December 30, 2008.