I’ve been trying to grow my hair out for the past year now, but it’s not happening as I’ve spent too much time pulling it out! That’s a joke but sometimes the stress of trying to be successful can be tortuous. This holds true for many professions, but the one I’m currently dealing with is the Music Business.
I have developed this theory a few months ago: “Some careers have a path created and you learn how to walk it, in the music business, you’re creating the path as you walk it.” So, I’ve developed this five part series for all the fledgling artists trying to figure this thing out, just like me.
First things first, do not live in an illusion. Art can be “touchy,” our pieces are as dear to us as family, so we become very attached. Being attached to your art is a good thing. It enhances the connection and fluidity of the creative process. Due to our love for our pieces, we can become blind to the reality of its true worth. What I mean by that is the song may or may not be as good as you think it is. Even tough this may be difficult to do, step away from that song you just mixed and mastered for a solid three days. After the hiatus, listen to it like a consumer. Ask yourself, does it sound professional? Would you listen to this and think it’s good work? Is it mixed well? Also, don’t be afraid of to get feedback. Ask three or four people to listen to it and hopefully they will give it to you cut and dry.
Along with not living in an allusion, comes the knowledge of where you currently stand in your career. There are too many instances where I’ve seen artists stop working as hard as they should because they’ve accomplished a small short term goal or performed at an open mic and then feel as if their performance duties have been met for the next five months.
Never feel too big. Feeling big causes complacency and a false sense of where are you are and where you want to be. Emails should be a part of your weekly, if not daily routine. I’ll get into email regiments in part 2 of this series.
The career of Baltimore native Jason Noble, professionally known as DJ SUN has been steadily propelling upwards.
He has opened up for some of the most prominent names in Hip Hop— Meek Mill, Migos and Travis Scott to name a few. He has also appeared on HBO, Showtime, and VH1.
I had a chance to speak with him recently, and when I asked how he manages when faced with the many obstacles in the industry, he responded, “In the DJ community there is a huge sense of responsibility. One of these responsibilities is to make “it” (events) happen by any means. This means if you’re not getting booked for shows, throw your own, if there [are] no venues in your city, use a house, if you don’t have speakers, hook up to someone’s car— etc.
This mindset and approach is great not only for DJs wishing to build a crowd, but for scenes that wish to take the next step toward becoming recognized and respected.”
Noble is a serious example of how to create your own lane. You will be hearing much more from him in the upcoming weeks. Follow him on Instagram @spunbysun.
In the meantime… Stay Virtuous. Stay Idealistic. Stay Progressive. To contact Imani Wj Wrght, email: iwrightmusic1@gmail.com.