Every musician experiences moments during the creative process when it seems like nothing else exists but them and the art. We call these moments “sonic nirvana” and they are as satisfying as they sound. But they only last so long before the artist must return to the business of music – promotion, negotiations, booking, all that jazz. Here are 5 traits every musician needs to minimize time spent making deals and maximize time spent making music:
1) Be passionate – Successful people win because they pursue their dreams with vigor. Their passion motivates business and sells it. This is because passion is easy to detect in another human. When business people see passion in potential ventures they’re more likely to sign because passion is reliable.
2) Be Tenacious – Tenacity means never giving up, never being discouraged. It’s more important than ever to be tenacious in the music industry because there’s so much competition YET so many possibilities. Take Jay-Z, who in 1995 couldn’t get a deal anywhere he turned. What did he do? He started Roc-A-Fella records and now spends his days signing other tenacious rap acts.
3) Take Risks – Taking risks means leaving the comfort zone. It means not being afraid to try new ideas, reach new audiences, change your image, or tell someone they’re wrong. Risks can be controversial and they can put people off, but the more calculated and thought out they are, the more potential they have to bring you to places you couldn’t dream of.
4) Personality – Personality is how the greats make something out of nothing. That’s because everyone’s human and when they connect favors are made, deals happen, and partnerships are born. So how does one develop personality? A lot of cheesy motivational statements like “be yourself” work here but when it comes down to it personality comes from conviction in oneself and a willingness to show wit and spontaneity.
5) Talent – Simply put, if the skills aren’t there to back up the passion and tenacity then all effort flies out the window. You gotta have the bark AND the bite.
Discover more paths to musical success at www.promolta.com
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