How to Fail at Music

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 0 people | Log in to rate

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Top 20 Ways to Fail at Music

It's a crime the way artists manage their careers.

Everybody makes mistakes, and artists are no exception. I've been at this long enough to make a lot of mistakes, and long enough to have learned from a few of them.

One thing I've gotten better at over the years, is taking a step back and looking at the big picture. This survey is my attempt to get you to do the same thing, in a somewhat entertaining way.

This thing is a lot more fun if you are honest with yourself. One word of advice - you're only guilty if you haven't learned from this mistake yet. Don't hang yourself for how you did things 5 years ago.

Are you ready to stand trial? 

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#1

Do what everybody else does.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#2

Spend more time on myspace than on your instrument.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#3

Play bars and coffeehouses until someone "discovers you."

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#4

Define success with the words "stardom" and/or "platinum."

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#5

Put your faith in a record company.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#6

Work part-time at it.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#7

Write your bio yourself.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#8

Embrace new technology
...after everybody else does.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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Chime in... 

Anyone think I'm wrong?

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Way off..

Right on.

Lafe says:

1. Who else would write your bio? (serious inquiry)
2. On embracing new technology: it's a balance. My audience is aging baby boomers who listen to NPR. I'd be wasting my time making and marketing ring tones. But iTunes? I'm on it.

Buck P Creacy says:

Like buzzard says to another... "The heck with patience...

I am going hunting!

Buck P Creacy, Storyteller

drivinman says:

Emails from bands who share no interests, clunky platform to email from.

drivinman says:

It's good to make fun of our foibles.

 
 
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#9

Play rooms you can't fill, and rooms where people don't pay attention.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#10

Spend more than $2000 on your first CD.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#11

Spend more than $10,000 on any CD without a serious marketing plan and funding.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#12

Assume that people will buy your record if you just get it out there.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#13

Act like someone you are not.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#14

Write boring, self-absorbed emails to your fans.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#15

Be half-assed about building your email list.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#16

Put un-flattering content of yourself on your website or YouTube - (exception - if it's truly funny)

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#17

Neglect to identify your audience. Who are they? If you can't answer that, you'll never find them.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#18

Neglect to identify yourself. Who are you? If you can't put it into words or pictures, your audience will have a hard time finding you.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#19

Neglect to spend considerable time re-writing, co-writing, and evaluating your songs.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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#20

Keep doing the things that are clearly not working for you.

We the jury, find the defendant... 

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by drivinman

I'm a singer-songwriter based in Lawrence, KS. I tour as a solo act, and sound like Sting or Duncan Sheik with a bit more sense of humor. http://frans... (more)

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