August 24, 2011 Advice for Beginners and A Reminder to Veterans in the Music Industry
It amazes me that after being in the industry long enough to be considered a veteran by many that I have come to respect over the years, that there are some artists and companies industry related out there that think they are going to “GET TO THE TOP” by backstabbing or undercutting other musicians, agents, managers, producers, etc. That being said, they are “Playing Games” in our Industry!
I believe there is a steadfast principle in our industry that stands the test of time and will continue to. I always shared this with my new artists I started to work with “You will get further in this business by working WITH others then working against them. If you are fortunate enough to have a Management Company, Booking Agency, Producer or Label that is willing to invest their time, energy and money to help you move forward towards your goal and vision of success in this industry, then that should motivate the artists or potential artists to stand behind their companies they do business with and hold them up in the highest level of respect, honor and loyalty.
If every artist out there could “DO IT ON THEIR OWN”, then we as Management Companies, Booking Agents, etc, would not exist as there would be no need for our services. When an artist signs a contract with one of those entities, then you have the basis of what should be construed as a partnership. A fine picked team that is willing to share not just the good times as you climb your way up your ladder to success, but share all things that come your way, whether good or bad.
It breaks my heart along with so many others that there are many artists today that are seasoned veterans and they are still spending more of their time trying to find something bad, something wrong, or something they may not know the whole truth about, and they talk of things that aren’t their business. That being said, they are hurting their own careers by both their actions and the drama they are creating. If these same artists spent as much time working on their material, practicing and fine tuning their talent and performance as they did talking about others in their field then they wouldn’t have the time to be worrying about someone else’s business.
Back thirty years ago in this industry, the drama that surrounds so many of today’s artists didn’t exist back then. The artists of the sixties and seventies didn’t have the time to play games in the Music Industry as they were too busy trying to get noticed, trying to get their single played on the radio and trying to get booked in local clubs and venues. During that period they had to work hard, be unique, be talented, because there were so many other artists that were trying to become a “Known and Proven Talent” that they didn’t have time for the drama nor the game playing. Examples of the era, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Uriah Heep, Alice Cooper, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Credence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beatles, Chicago, Three Dog Night, and the list goes on.
The one principle that artists of that caliber knew and lived by then, that so many have forgotten today is an important key and that is “NEVER STEP ON ANYONE ON YOUR WAY UP IN THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE IF YOU DO, AND IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TO NUMBER 1 ON THE CHARTS AND ON THE RADIO, NO ONE, LET ME REMIND YOU “NO ONE” STAYS THERE FOREVER, AND ON YOUR SLIDE DOWN FROM THE TOP, THOSE PEOPLE THAT YOU STEPPED ON WILL REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID ON YOUR RISE AND WILL NEVER LET YOU FORGET IT.
Please do not misinterpret what I am saying, this is not designed to be a bad rap on artists alone there are good and bad in both artists, management companies, booking agents, producers, labels, etc. If I personally didn’t LOVE the artists talent and potential of talent we hear early on, I would never have entered this industry.
I believe the majority of us no matter what position we hold in this industry lives by the intent to be there for others in our field and lend a helping hand. I believe that the majority of all of us have the special gifts and talents that we can use to help others that need our assistance. Experience is something we learn from the knowledge of others older and wiser. I believe Knowledge is something we have learned from Experience and Experiences we have all walked through.
The moral of this post is simply this:
Spend your time doing the things that successful people do to become Successful. If you invest your time trying to create drama for others, or finding something bad to talk about regarding others in your field the only person that you are costing a loss of potential career goals and the loss of the future success you could achieve is YOURSELF.
This principle will never change. Remember as one candle in the theatre burns out another one sings a new and different tune. And, the Music and Sound goes On.
In closing, our entire staff wishes each of you much success.
SEE YOU AT THE TOP ! ! !
~~Sher~~
Reader Comments (4)
Beautifully stated. It's really easy to get sucked into drama with so many tools out there to express your opinion to the entire world. Honestly, I wish there was a "do you really want to say that?" feature on posts and comments. From my experience, even if you're in the right, getting into online slug fests never helps you out. It wastes your time and can make you look like an ass. As you stated, your energy is best spent working on your career.
Thanks, Sher!
Dear Sher the problem with your article is this. Unlike any other small business the music industry constantly wants artists to be babies and insist they cannot manage their careers and should stick to being 'creative'. I have never heard anything more ridiculous than that. The result is that the professionals became TOO powerful and the likes of Simon Cowell etc feel that they can make or break an artist's career. There is NOTHING a professional can do that the artist (running like a business) cannot do for themselves. At some point they will have to delegate but it will be a delegation from a position of strength and not a weakness. I am currently writing a guide on how to run your DIY music career like a small business because afterall that is what you are.
Wow! very good content and advice. Asked early on in my days working with Earth Wind & Fire, programers across the country wanted me to give them one piece of advice to up and coming artist or wannabe artists, what I gave was this, "Learn the business of the business that you are in", read that again to make sure you truly understand it.
With the new digital era, even though it is a level playing field, there is a learning curve you must tackle whether you want to or not, if you plan on making this your life's dream battle.
Social Media and all the ends and outs. With all things new to you in your life, there is a learning curve, so listen to the motto of: "JUST DO IT!"
Who am I? The "Silver Conductor" on facebook and:
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The "Silver Conductor"
This is a great post! Deciding to work in the music industry is a decision to work amongst thieves, liars, and "haters" how ever, just because someone treats you that way doesn't mean you should continue the trend. We must all come together and work to keep this amazing industry thriving... especially with the introduction of Mp3s. Once again I love this article!
Best Regards,
Cleveland "C-Dub" Williams
CEO/Founder of Capital Clique Records LLC
cdub954.wordpress.com
www.youtube.com/browardcountycdub