Musicians, where's your head at? [1/2]

The state of mind associated with the formation of your musical outfit, whether you are starting a band or intend to build a solo career, is very important as it gives the first clues as to how to try and run your career according to your actual motivations for getting started.

 

Short-term vs long-term involvement

 

For example, it often comes to light after some time that all the band really wanted to do was spend a couple of years partying, playing the country and having a good time before getting on with what they deem to be normal life. The band thing was never seen as anything more than just that. In other words, the headspace at the time was directed towards a short-term involvement that would be lot of fun, but that would ultimately come to an end. Now consider how differently you would go about your business if you involved yourself with musicians who were committed to making a career out of the music business and the art and craft of their musicianship. 

 

In the first case you would have to be sure to keep things fun, not too serious and not too difficult. In the latter, the emphasis would be on learning, growth and the establishment of reputation for long-term development. There is nothing wrong with either attitude. The world is full of bands who are really just there to have a good time. But life starts to get complicated when there is confusion over what the various members want to achieve and when there is a combination of different attitudes within the group.

 

Motivation and honesty

 

It is vital to be honest about your motivations behind establishing or joining a band.

 

In a business where being cool, offhand and casual is often deemed to be crucial, to admit to being in the process of developing a career and taking controlled, predetermined steps towards realising that goal might appear to be out of kilter with the attitudes of those around you. But being a music professional is identical to having any other job. You will still need to commute (albeit to rehearsals, studios and performances instead of an office), you will still have equipment to maintain and keep up to date, and you will still have rent and other bills of your own to pay. Therefore you will have to pay attention to how you intend to earn your way and, what’s more, how you will seek to further yourself in the business so that you can grow your earning potential and establish music as a viable career.

 

Oddly enough, if you were to admit that you just wanted to mess around for a couple of years, have some fun and maybe make some cash and so on, people would no doubt be offended that you can treat their chosen profession with such levity. In the music industry appearance is everything. But if you want to appear in exactly the right way, you first have to examine your motivations carefully and be honest about what it is that you want and expect to achieve. If you do not do this, planning what you need to do next becomes difficult and the road ahead will inevitably contain conflict between various agendas.

 

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

 

Since the creation of music often requires collaborative partners, both musical and other, motivation becomes increasingly important. It is a matter of investment. In fact, it matters not one bit if your band members are less motivated to make a career out of music than you are. As long as you know this to start with and do not, therefore, put all your eggs in one basket. Even a band full of part-timers whose desire is to play for a couple of years before getting on with “real” life can still achieve a significant amount if the music is good enough and this can provide an excellent stepping stone to the person who wants to stay in the business long-term. This is not so much about only playing with people who share your motivations as it is about optimising the experience you can gain by achieving a better understanding of your own direction and ambitions.

 

Originally published in David Chislett's One, Two, One, Two: A Step By Step Guide To The South African Music Industry. Download a free copy of the book at www.davidchislett.co.za.