Musicians know how hard it is to grow a following and make connections in the music industry. They are tired of fighting for their spot in the music world. Every musician’s goal is to make it big, but how does one go about doing that? It always feels like a daunting path with no end in sight. That’s why we created this article.
This guide provides musicians with all the steps they need to take in order to grow their following and get ahead in the competitive music industry. Tips that will help musicians overcome the challenges they face on a daily basis and give them the tools they need to succeed!
Practice Daily
Set aside a specific room or area where you can practice. If you have access to a studio or dedicated practice space, use this when possible. Otherwise, set aside a room where you can find silence and quiet that isn’t too distracting.
Schedule your time with your goals in mind so that they’re easy for you to accomplish each day. For example, if it’s been a week since last time you practiced and now it’s Friday afternoon, you might think “Great! Now I can relax all weekend.” But if instead you made sure that practicing was part of your routine on Thursday nights so that things were easier during the weekdays when there were other things going on?
Learn from the best
There’s no better way to learn than from the best, and that’s why we’ve compiled a list of tips for daily growth for musicians by musicians.
Get outside. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and explore new places. Being busy is great, but it can also be dangerous if you’re not careful! Take some time to go somewhere new and see what it looks like outside of your usual routine. You never know what you’ll find!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
The internet is filled with advice and resources online, but sometimes you need someone in person. If you’re having trouble figuring something out or need some help on an important project at work, it might not be the best idea to try and figure it out on your own. There’s no shame in asking for help!
Be generous with your time. If there’s anything we’ve learned from our parents, teachers, mentors, friends and colleagues over the years, it’s that generosity is hard-earned. It doesn’t come naturally or easily for anyone!
Align with people who are on your level or higher than you
Sometimes, it’s hard to find people who want to help make your dreams come true.
This is especially true if you’re just starting out, and you don’t have any connections yet. But if you can find someone who is on the same level as you. Someone who also wants to grow, achieve their goals and become better musicians, you’ll be able to learn from them and get even more out of the experience.
The more you align with those who are above you in the hierarchy, the more likely it is that you will be able to make progress quickly. This is because they have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed and are more likely to help you out when they see you struggling.
Do something out of your comfort zone
You might be thinking, “But I’m not an expert at anything.”
But even if that’s true, you can still find something in which you’re an expert and push yourself to try new things.
Say you’re really good at playing guitar. However, what about playing the drums? Or getting into singing? Maybe writing music? Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to try new things! The more comfortable you feel with something, the less often you’ll actually want to do it.
There’s no limit to what kind of challenge you can take on: whether it’s learning how to sing karaoke or learning how to play piano in minor keys, don’t let fear hold you back from taking those risks!
Listen to as much music as possible
If you want to improve your music, you have to listen to as much music as you possibly can.
The more exposure you get to different styles, genres and techniques, the better your own music will be. It might seem like a lot of work at first, but once you start listening consistently, it’ll become second nature.
This doesn’t matter if you’re listening to classical, jazz, pop, rock, or hip hop. The more music you hear, the more you’ll understand how all the different styles work and how they can be combined. You’ll also learn from the composers’ techniques and get inspiration from the artists’ sounds and styles.
By listening to a lot of different types of music, you’ll start to figure out what kind of music works for you. Then you can start working on creating your own style based on what appeals to you most!
Check in with yourself at the end of every day
It’s important to check in with yourself on a daily basis, so that you can take stock of where you are and where you want to go.
What did I do today? Is there anything new I learned? What were my successes? How challenging was it? How can I improve tomorrow?
Make sure you’re staying connected to your “why.” This is why you started doing this, right? So that you could do whatever it is that makes you feel like a human being? If not, then what’s keeping you going?
We all need to take time for ourselves, and it’s important to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves in order to keep up with everything else we have going on. That means setting aside time every day to check in with yourself, and make sure you’re getting everything you need out of your daily routine.
Checking in with yourself will help you identify what areas are working well, and where there might be some room for improvement. You might find that some days you work better on certain things over others, or that you have trouble focusing on certain tasks at specific times of day. This can help you figure out what patterns are emerging in your life so that you can plan accordingly and adjust accordingly when necessary.
Take care of your physical and mental health
Musicians, like everyone else in the world, are impacted by the daily stress of life.
That’s why it’s important to practice self-care, and not just in a superficial way that involves getting your nails done or taking a bubble bath. It’s important to take care of yourself physically and mentally.
Take time off from practicing your instrument every day. Go for a walk outside instead of sitting at your desk with headphones on all day long. Eat healthy meals and get enough sleep. This will help you stay energized and focused as you tackle bigger challenges.
Find a community of musicians and get plugged into it!
It’s easy to forget that as performers, we are also humans. We have a body and a mind, and both need to be taken care of daily.
If you want to be able to perform at your best, you need to take care of the physical part of yourself. Sleep well, eat well, and make sure that your body is getting enough exercise. If you take care of your body, it will take care of you!
And if you want to keep your mind sharp and focused, then you need to make sure that it gets enough rest as well. This can be done by taking regular breaks during rehearsal sessions or shows (I recommend at least 15 minutes every hour), or by scheduling time off from work each week so that your mind has time to recharge.
Keep great company, work hard, and practice!
Music is all about collaboration—it’s about sharing ideas and working together to create something amazing. So make sure you surround yourself with other musicians who are striving for greatness and have the same drive and determination as you do!
If you’re going to be spending time on your craft every day, make sure that you have a community of other musicians around you who are working hard as well. That way, you can support each other and keep each other accountable to your goals. There’s nothing like having friends who inspire you and push you forward!
Takeaway: Your music career is going to be filled with huge successes and big failures.
You’re going to have a ton of successes and failures in your music career. But it’s up to you to keep your head in the game and remember why you wanted this in the first place.
The most important thing is that you keep creating. Don’t wait for inspiration—it will come when you least expect it.
You also want to make sure that you’re constantly learning new things, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles and genres.
