Recording Artist Advocate: It's not about talent, always...

You play and practice. Put together a tight set list, and try to put on a good show. Heck, a great show. But people who don't play as well, or even write as good make a lot more money.

What is the difference? What sets the high earners apart?

The most successful performers are entertainers. In addition to everything else they truly surprise and entertain and basically work their asses off in front of a crowd.

But they do more.

Surprise is good. I've talked about how your brain loves to be suprised and how you can open your audience up and really get in their heads. Do all that, but you still have to do more.

OK. I won't drag it out anymore. You need to attract an audience. That's the bottom line.

It's bodies through the door or tickets sold or downloads or views. That's it. If you can deliver an audience you will get paid.

So look at yourself. Look at your band. Do you stand out or blend in? Does the crowd root for you or do they even know you from the rest? Find that connection and use it to build an army. That's what it takes.

Reach out to them and thank them for joining. "Send us an e-mail telling us where you saw us play and we'll send you an mp3"or "Send in your pictures showing how great a time you had at our show" Do things that only visitors to your website (and their friends) can know about. Gain their loyalty and don't let them down. Create the club they want to be a part of.

What could you do if just a thousand people really liked your band?
What if it was ten thousand? or 50?

Are you starting to get the picture?

Recording Artist Advocate: An Exclusive Club...

I overheard some dads talking about their sons and their sports teams. It wasn’t the sort of talk I expected. They talked about how each son had to grow as a person as they got better at their sport. More than just learning the nuances of the game, they talked about how humbling it is to do everything right and still loose. It was how their sons reacted to those set-backs that made them proud. They also talked about kids who didn’t handle things so well.  

As a musician you will have good days and bad days. It’s how 
you react to the bad that sets you apart. An immature artist will 
look for someone to blame and throw fits. It can destroy a band.

Be realistic. If someone was consistently going to the wrong 
chord or coming in late, decide if you need to practice together 
more or if you need a new person in that position. 
If it was you having a bad night, do the same thing. 
You can spend all your energy blaming someone else 
or you can man-up and work on getting better. 
When you’re immature it’s the hardest thing to do, but 
working through it is the best choice you can make.

There is a very obvious dividing point between someone who 
plays an instrument and an artist you’d want to work with. 
The immature member of a band stands out and is like a 
heavy weight the rest of the group has to drag along. 
But, when you get a group of artists together that have 
gotten past that, there is no limit to the success they’re capable of.

Hold yourself to that higher standard. Don’t make excuses. 
Own up to your skill level and work on improving. Do the same 
with the rest of the band. Hold each other to that standard. 
The immature part of you will fight at every step. Push through 
and you can go from being just alright to being great!

It isn’t easy. Some people will never let go of their childish 
impulses. They will only make excuses. Get as far away from 
them as quickly as you can. Don’t let them drag you down.

You can be the artists successful people want to work with. 
You can be the band people want to hire, and at a higher price. 
Pros want to work with people like themselves.

It's a pretty exclusive club for good reason; 
the people who make it don't stop working to get better.