Musicians have entertained others throughout almost all of recorded human history. Bards and minstrels once traveled from town to town to play for anyone who would listen. In contemporary society, these artists contribute to the economy as recording artists, session musicians, and commercial musicians. Some instrumentalists and vocalists travel the world playing tunes like the bards of old.
Since there are so many ways to pursue a music career, artists often find it difficult to select a niche and start getting the necessary contacts to land gigs. However, this is a crucial first step; a musician must discover their own unique path to artistic expression.
Choose your field of discipline
Vocalists and musicians are initially distinguished by their chosen spheres of specialization. For example, vocalists must learn different skills than guitarists. By choosing to specialize in a particular instrument and style of music, you can also begin to identify the social contacts that will be crucial to landing gigs.
Once you have achieved proficiency and specialization in your chosen instrument, you can focus on building a unique voice. The best musicians have styles that match their personalities.
Additionally, your skills will need to be applied to a specific area of the music business. Want to help songwriters record demos? Do you want to be known as a recording artist? Are you comfortable with touring? These are the types of questions to ask yourself before creating a portfolio.
show your skills
Once you’ve identified your goals, it’s important to demonstrate your skills to other musicians. For example, many free social networking sites allow you to upload pictures, a biography, and music samples. You should use these services as a kind of press kit to introduce your skills to other musicians. Look at the classified ads in the local newspaper to identify like-minded melodysmiths. You may also have success finding people to work with on online services like Craigslist.
For your photography, it would be wise to submit a mix of professionally shot photography and live performance or studio shots. If you don’t have great writing skills, get your friends to help you put together a biography. You must provide recorded samples of your work as well as live video. By including both formats, you’ll let potential colleagues know how you sound on record and how well you can play live.
stand your ground
Don’t let naysayers dissuade you from making your decision. Once you have chosen your niche in the music industry, the main goal is to cultivate contacts and generate name recognition. Both of these goals can be achieved by promoting your social media profiles online and by attending lots of local shows. Every contact helps when you are just starting your career.
Although the music industry has been experiencing a pretty serious market correction, the internet actually makes it very easy for a new musician to get their name out there to the public. The Internet significantly improves the ease with which one can find colleagues in the music industry.
