Not all musicians are great writers, but the two skills definitely relate to each other. Especially if you’re a natural lyricist – you’re almost certain to have developed some writing skills. Writing is a skill that is easily transferable to the non-musical world, and it can be a great way to make additional income. Freelance…
These days, terms like content marketing, digital marketing and offline marketing, get thrown around a lot. The objective of marketing is the same no matter what form it takes. The idea is to promote your event, product, service, or project to a specifically defined group of people. These people are sometimes referred to as target…
Having trouble writing something new? Does songwriting feel like a chore rather than a joy? Well we’re going to look at how to get rid of writers block. If you’re finding it hard to write, there probably isn’t anything wrong with you. However, it is entirely possible that your motivation has changed. It could be…
If there’s one thing most musicians yearn for, it’s natural musicality: being able to play exactly what they want. It’s that element that distinguishes a music student from a musician. Believe it or not, everyone can develop this natural musicality. The secret to unlocking it lies in the practice of ear training. Ear training provides…
Making more time for music is something that every musician is trying to do. For me, it seems that everything I do, I do in order to make more time for something else. When I do all the dishes at 11 PM, even though I’m exhausted, I’m doing it so I have more free time…
Performance. Many musicians live for it. If not for performance, I’m not sure I would have ever chosen to pursue a career in music. Once I learned the thrill of performing for an attentive live audience, I was hooked. But in ensuing years, I soon discovered how hard it can be to keep an audience…
I’ve been a full-time touring musicians for three years now. It’s been an incredible learning experience, and I’ve played some shows that have made every hardship worth it. Something I’ve enjoyed doing is figuring out how to make touring more fun. For me, this means a few things: Being more profitable, more comfortable, and more…
Mental health can be a bit of a touchy subject in any setting, but an important one nonetheless. Depression is a common condition, often thought to be the result of something that hasn’t gone well in one’s life. But this is just one type of depression – circumstantial depression, to be exact. We all experience…
What is bluegrass? Well, just like most derivative genres, it’s a mix of things – country, folk, traditional, and jazz. It’s usually characterized by a repetitive and fast “boom-chuck” rhythm, which wouldn’t be the least bit out of place in country or folk tunes. Some people take bluegrass quite seriously, like some people take classical…
There’s no question that a great chorus makes or breaks a pop song. In fact, it’s even possible to write a hit song with a chorus so good, that the mediocre verses don’t matter. To me, ‘The Boys Are Back in Town” is a classic example of a song with a killer chorus that has…
Marketing yourself as an artist is an ever-changing and challenging effort. Different artists in different genres will take different paths in their promotion, and there truly are no rules. Some artists make it totally independently and others need a full team working with them. In the hip-hop world, artists like Chance the Rapper are changing…
There are three types of artists. There are those who are stubborn. They refuse to change, even in the face of rapid technological advancement. They don’t purchase ads. They don’t tweak their live show. They’re determined to blaze a trail whether it kills their career or not. Then are those who are extremely adaptive, and…
Children’s music is a real market that often slips under the radar, simply because most children’s entertainers will never be famous enough to be in a major spotlight. That said, there are exceptions to this rule (Raffi, The Wiggles, Fred Penner), and there are many, many people that make a living playing children’s music. For…
Street performing appeals to musicians for a variety of reasons. It’s fun, it can be a good way to gain some live performance experience, build your following, maybe even earn a few tips while you’re at it. But there typically are some guidelines, rules, and regulations you need to be aware of, subject to your…
If you’re fairly green in the music industry, knowing how to spend your money is challenging to the point of overwhelm. Everyone tells you to spend it in different ways, and everyone is more than happy to take your money. It’s become extraordinarily clear to me that if you want to pay someone to do…