It sounds like a silly question I know, but think about it… how would you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time!
I speak with far too many people who don’t have goals or plans that they are working to. Most people never bother for the simple reason that it scares them. Once they commit themselves to a target or goal then it all falls back on them whether they succeed or fail. For some people that’s too much to handle so they dodge the whole issue and wander aimlessly through life.
But then there’s the whole other side of the story. The folks that aim so damn high that they are doomed to failure from the start. Setting the “impossible goal” is like trying to stuff the whole elephant in your mouth at once. You are going to choke!
Goals should stretch you and make you work but they should be small enough to be achievable. The sense of “success” that you feel from ticking a number of small items off your list can be just the motivation you need to get you through some of the bigger items.
I had the pleasure last Saturday of doing sound for one of my favourite bands, Black Label. These guys are not only a great rock act, but they are really switched on when it comes to self promotion. They don’t have the backing of a big record company yet they’ve managed to successfully release a number of great albums and recently a very well put together DVD. The thing that impresses me most about this band is the loyal following they have built up over the years as well as the long term sponsorships they enjoy. You don’t do either of these things without putting in some effort, and they do.
When I arrived at the gig the first thing I noticed is the “same old faces”. What I mean by this is regular punters who go to lots of their gigs. This is priceless. These guys and gals appear regularly, which is great for crowd numbers, but they also buy CD’s, DVD’s and T-shirts which is great for the bands bottom line. In my opinion the reason these guys have built up such a loyal following is simply because of the amount of work they put in. They mention their CD’s & merchandise regulary during their show and after the show they take the time to sit at the merchandise table to chat with the fans and sign autographs. they are very approachable and it pays off. When plenty of other bands are keen to get of the stage and hit the dressing room, these guys are out with the fans. They really deserve the success they enjoy.
So what are you doing to build your relationships with your fans? Here’s a great new video that deals with that very topic.
This might seem like a strange title for an article but so many people lately seem so intent on failing that I really feel the need to help them. After all, that’s what I do, right?
If you have no ambition to have a music career then you don’t need to read this, you are already [...]
Keith Jopling over at Music Think Tank has written a brilliant article about the perils of being a modern musician.
He suggests that “Live Performance” is going to be the way most new artists are “discovered” and he puts up a very good case. As they say in the classics, get over there and read the [...]
Hi Folks,
This site will now feature an informal blog section where I can post about subjects and topics that don’t fit in to the existing subject categories.
It will include a wide variety of subjects will interest the online musician. Call in often!
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