You have to throw out any thoughts of becoming an overnight success, because that is not going to happen.
Create goals, plans of what you want to accomplish with your music. Ask yourself if you are tough enough to handle the criticism, stalkers, sharks and hacks. With anything you do in life, there will always be the downers. Take stock on how you handle situations as they come, and they will come. Ask yourself WHY you want to share your music. If its because you want to make money, THAT is the worst reason for becoming a musical artist. You won’t survive two minutes with that kind of attitude.
Become very organized and build a business plan. I really do not like the business end of being a musician. My eyes glaze over whenever I think about taxes, inventory, marketing, planning, shipping, touring, hiring people to help, manufacturing, working with difficult musicians; however as an Independent Musician, that is what I signed up for. I do everything… and so will you. If you stay on top of the business end of music, you will do well.
Surround yourself with like minded musicians that are self starters, motivators and have good positive energy. Negative energy can bring you crashing down, and then you can’t concentrate on your musical creativity. Life is filled with decisions, roads and people. Keeping your business organized, staying creative and keeping all of it balanced is very important. If you allow it to overcome any aspect of your musical career, you will crash. Just remember this: If you make mistakes, there is always a new day to create, to network and to begin again!
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This piece is contributed by Kori Linae Carothers to a question as what to do to survive in the musical industry as an artist. You can know more about Kori here: http://www.koritunes.com/
