I dabble in writing songs for fun, and I play guitar. I’m interested in getting information from any music artists on where to begin? Any tips, advice or some general pointing in the right direction would be great!
–Thank you guys!
Hey Tom,
The minute you stop playing and writing for fun you have to realize that you have a ton of work to do. Step one is always get really good. Practice, play with other people. Find people who write songs that really impress you and ask them to co-write with you. Most people think songwriting comes by some divine inspiration (and sometimes it does) but it is also something you can learn and get better at doing with practice and by writing with other people.
I have answered this question about a dozen times for different people on Yahoo Answers so please reference those responses and also check out the resource pages I will link to below but here are some very basics.
1) LEARN MUSIC It is ALWAYS about the music - practice, learn everything you can about music theory and writing and reading music- this will make you much more employable than the dozens of hobbyists out there. Never ever stop learning and finding people to learn from…
2) NETWORK - seek out and befriend people who make a living making music be they session players, band members, music executives (at labels, publishers, management companies or booking agents) or producer / engineers… The music business is all about your talent and who you know. In many cases people can get away with less talent if they know the right people and can convince them to participate in their projects.
3) PLAY and RECORD often. Play live, get basic home recording gear so you can preserve your ideas and share them with other people. Join a band or two - co-write with anyone and everyone who will let you. Start simple with open mic nights and work your way up. Meet and keep in contact with everyone you meet who is doing what you want to do (making a living making music I’m assuming)…
4) BE PROFESSIONAL. The music business if full of flakes. Don’t be a dude, there’s a million dudes out there. Be a man.
5) LEARN BUSINESS. Look at and learn all of the ways that money is made in the music business. A good starting point is Donald Passman’s "all you need to know about the music business" - if you understand where the money comes from in the music business it will be much harder for people to take advantage of you…and they will try.
Good luck to you,
Rick
I found these tips on the music industry from a blog! They are tips for how to promote and get started in the music business.
Experts tell how to break into the music industry
Everyone wants to be a superstar. Sell millions of records, have their songs played on the radio, make music videos, perform before 20 thousand fans every night, win a Grammy.
We all watch the music hopefuls each week on shows like “American Idol”, “So You Think You Can Dance?”, “America’s Got Talent”, Puff Daddy and Missy Elliott’s show and many others. Everyone believes he/she has what it takes to be the next star of tomorrow.
While there is no exact formula or answer in becoming the next start, there are a few tips that can help you go in the right direction.
Mathew Knowles, father and manager of his first group, Destiny’s Child, features his singer/actress and daughter Beyonce Knowles. Coming into the industry he learned the music business on the job. With his previous 20 years of experience in corporate America, Knowles took classes on the business of music and production courses to gain the appropriate knowledge.
References :
http://www.talenttrove.com/mystage/view/59334
Hey Tom,
The minute you stop playing and writing for fun you have to realize that you have a ton of work to do. Step one is always get really good. Practice, play with other people. Find people who write songs that really impress you and ask them to co-write with you. Most people think songwriting comes by some divine inspiration (and sometimes it does) but it is also something you can learn and get better at doing with practice and by writing with other people.
I have answered this question about a dozen times for different people on Yahoo Answers so please reference those responses and also check out the resource pages I will link to below but here are some very basics.
1) LEARN MUSIC It is ALWAYS about the music - practice, learn everything you can about music theory and writing and reading music- this will make you much more employable than the dozens of hobbyists out there. Never ever stop learning and finding people to learn from…
2) NETWORK - seek out and befriend people who make a living making music be they session players, band members, music executives (at labels, publishers, management companies or booking agents) or producer / engineers… The music business is all about your talent and who you know. In many cases people can get away with less talent if they know the right people and can convince them to participate in their projects.
3) PLAY and RECORD often. Play live, get basic home recording gear so you can preserve your ideas and share them with other people. Join a band or two - co-write with anyone and everyone who will let you. Start simple with open mic nights and work your way up. Meet and keep in contact with everyone you meet who is doing what you want to do (making a living making music I’m assuming)…
4) BE PROFESSIONAL. The music business if full of flakes. Don’t be a dude, there’s a million dudes out there. Be a man.
5) LEARN BUSINESS. Look at and learn all of the ways that money is made in the music business. A good starting point is Donald Passman’s "all you need to know about the music business" - if you understand where the money comes from in the music business it will be much harder for people to take advantage of you…and they will try.
Good luck to you,
Rick
References :
http://musiciancoaching.com/music-strategy-blog/
http://musiciancoaching.com
http://musiciancoaching.com/music-career/get-a-record-deal/