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Serious about your music?
Why is your band still poor?
How serious are you about your music career?
Ever heard of the term “Sell-Out?”
Yeah, selling out. That’s one of the biggest fears serious musicians face on a daily basis. The fear of losing their musical integrity just because they made a few bucksis a constant threat. People you know saying “You’ve changed”, “You’re not the same”… Yeah we’ve heard all that.
But is it really wrong to make money off of your creativity? Is it really wrong to make a living doing the thing you like to do most? Why is it ok for bands you admire to earn money while you find it very distasteful to charge your friends the price of a Php30 door charge? Pakisama? To prove you’re still you?
Bull crap.
Anyone who calls you a sellout is envious of what you’ve achieved. You don’t need those people in your life.
If your friends really want to support you, or if they’re really your friends, they’d pony up that amount (however big or small) to support you, the venue and the music scene. You, on the other hand have to make sure you make it worth their while to come and pay to see you play.
Alright?
Being commercial isn’t selling out. The moment you asked someone to watch you play your guitar, you’ve sold out. That means before you even knew the word sell out, you already did. That’s because you are asking for their approval, their appreciation for your skills and your talent. Selling out doesn’t have to be just about the money. Being appreciated is a form of payment. Getting a round of applause is a form of payment.
But then again, the sound of clapping hands hasn’t fed an empty stomach yet.
The only way for anyone to sell out is to provide a product or service at a fee that is not worth the value declared. So, if you charge your friends php100 to watch you and a few bands play and you don’t play well… Congratulations… you sold out.
Once you go onstage, it’s no longer practice time. It’s time to perform. Be a good monkey and perform.
Here’s a list of How Not To Sell Out
1. Get this through your thick skull: “Being commercial is not selling out”
You are pursuing a career. You need to see yourself as an originator of “the final product”. There will be many steps involved and each progression will open your mind up a little more. Embrace change as it happens. It’s not selling out if you produce a high-quality product that you are truly proud of and confident enough that others will see value in since they’re going to be paying for your stuff. Stuff includes your performances, CDs and other merchandise.
Do all these with the goal to generate revenue for you and your band.
2. Know Who You Are As An Artist
Why is this second? Shouldn’t This be first?
It doesn’t matter which one comes first. You have to know who you are as an artist, to what lengths you’ll go to achieve your dreams and clearly define what you offer to your supporters/ fans/community in order to sell yourself properly.
3. Are you experienced?
10,000 hours. If you devote 10,000 hours to doing something consistently, you’re bound to perfect it. It goes both ways. Do it right and you’ll be able to do it perfectly right. Do it wrong and you’ll do it perfectly wrong.
As a band, you need to frequently play as a group. Your individual skills differ before forming the band. Some of you are going to be really good. SOme are going to be really bad. As a band, playing together will help you guys reach a certain level of proficiency and gain the self-confidence needed to trust each other onstage. This creates the tightness that high calibre bands display at all times.
Wanna go pro? Don’t forget to play as a team, bro.
Always do an ego check. It’s ok to have a rockstar attitude as long as that attitude is focused properly. That means don’t bring it offstage. Be a rock star onstage. Never offstage. Because that’ll seriously ruin your chances in performing the next step.
4. Network
The music business is all about creating the right contacts. So talk to serious people. Don’t just sit there with your band and ignore the rest of the world. Make things happen for yourselves. Don’t wait for a lucky break. Be the lucky break. Talk to people. Don’t be a snob.
No one likes snobs.
5. Be professional
One thing about being a performer or an artist is that it’s a job that becomes your entire being. It’s not a 9 to 5 that you can forget after you’ve clocked out.
Every time you’re out in public is an opportunity to network. Every time you’re onstage is a chance to attract more followers. And every time you put on a performance is a chance to gain the attention of local management.
Don’t mess it up. Get serious. Drink just enough to get a buzz and make it fun for you to perform or drink after your performance. Take care of your health. Don’t be late. Make sure you inform the venue ahead of time if something does happen that you can’t control and never, ever, ever cancel a gig (unless one of you is on a hospital bed)
Be professional. Nuff said.
This, even if it looks like a long-winded article, isn’t enough to provide the information needed to help your band out. Send us an email musikawabad@gmail.com if you want more updates.
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