I will tell you up front that I loved this book. There is a huge gap between, say, getting a few shows and actually building a career in music that you will be able to stick with for years. Most people don't address the things that actually fill that gap. In this book, Jeffers does. Each of these 25 notes is a short and easy to read, and each offers a piece of advice that will help you sustain your music career - and your sanity in the process. Even music fans will appreciate this behind the scenes look at what life is really like for musicians, and if you are trying to figure out how to make your living in music, these lessons are words to live by.
Although the book is incredibly practical, it is also charming. Jeffers knows he has a cool job, and his love for what he does leaps off the page. His enthusiasm will get your equally revved up about putting his tips into action. (My favorite story is about the tour manager with the "Be nice or go home!" sign in his office. You might be surprised how many people in the music industry forget that lesson.)
If you are a touring musician - or if you want to be - this book is highly recommended. Learn more.
Sure, the music industry can be a lot less formal than other businesses. For instance, yes, you've caught me, I AM watching Judge Mathis as I write this post. You may also go to work in your casual gear and count attending a show with beer in hand as work time. These are all good things, but the important balance to strike is between the sometimes casual work culture and professional communication. When you are calling someone or emailing someone for work purposes, put your best professional foot forward. Be clear about what you want, stay on point, respect time and boundaries, and no text speak. Get more tips for communicating like a pro.
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It is a pretty exciting time in the music industry right now, what with all of the changes and new technology on deck giving people more control over their careers. The less exciting thing is some of the rhetoric that surrounds it. Sure, ok, major labels are struggling and the internet gives musicians a direct connection to their fans. Cool. But all of this grand, groundswell of the people sticking it to the man stuff always rings a little empty to me - not because I don't believe musicians shouldn't have control over their music or anything like that, but because I think it is just a little bit simplistic. OK, so you're going to do it all yourself now. Great. Now, what exactly are you going to do?
Let's back up a minute and consider DIY. They say every generation thinks they invented sex, and I'd say the same holds true for DIY. A newcomer to the music industry might be fooled into thinking no one ever self-released any music until the advent of social networking, but I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, the internet makes the whole thing a lot easier, but DIY is a very old fashion concept that happens to have come back into style right now the same way my teenage sister is now wearing all of the same things I wore growing up in the 80s. Although I'm not minimizing the importance or value of DIY in the music industry - I am a big believer in it - don't let the fact that it is a very cool thing to embrace right now stop you from objectively evaluating what it really means to you.
And what does it really mean? This is really my point. Sticking to the man is a full time job. There could be all of the resources in the world at your fingertips, and if you don't use them - and have a plan for using them effectively - then it doesn't mean anything. DIY is very, very, very, VERY hard work. Unless you are releasing music just for kicks, without any interest in making it a full time concern or your career, then there are certain things you need to be prepared to do. In other words, record labels could crumble around you, mainstream radio stations lose their signals, and print media publications go OOP for good, and there are certain fundamental basics you will need to do if you want to get your music to listeners, build a fan base and make a living. At a minimum, you need:
Those are two major things - companies have thrived specializing in just one of those jobs - and those are just the basics. You should ideally have the ability to book shows and tours (and the means to play the shows), an understanding of basic industry business matters like royalties and publishing, maybe some merch...well, the list could go on and on. Most importantly, you need a proactive plan. Simply reacting to opportunities that come your way isn't enough. Neither is randomly chasing opportunities. Let's say you invest months into getting a track on a big deal soundtrack...and you get it....and then what? Do you have a plan to promote your involvement? Have you kept up the other parts of your empire while you were at it? If not, you'll almost invariably learn a very hard lesson - that your song was included on a very successful soundtrack...and you are still right where you started.
You CAN do this stuff for yourself. Although ultimately a successful DIY campaign will mean that you can no longer manage to do it all yourself, you can certainly build your music career the way you want it with your own two hands. Just don't kid yourself. It is going to take hard work, long hours, patience, dedication, and a little bit of luck. If you're serious about making a career in this brave new music industry, don't believe the hype.
