Fun to Procrastinate; More Fun to Accomplish Goals

While crafting music has only been considered a leisurely hobby of mine, it is important to recognize the work ethic that must be executed in order to garner the most satisfying rewards out of your new kickass EP, featuring face melting solos and thought provoking lyrics. I am a huge procrastinator, and that unfortunately, carries into my song writing.

I enjoy the process at a slow pace, without deadlines, and always taking my time to find the right inspiration to put together the perfect chord progression. This all helps compliment what I am feeling at the time. However, it is important to practice discipline and set goals for yourself. Write a new song by the end of the week, practice a new scale, or participate at that local open mic you keep saying you will do.

From the view of someone who sets out to make a living off their music; musicians don’t get paid to make music. They get paid to make music, build up an audience, carve out their public identity, promote themselves through blogs and local shows, make videos, open up for bigger acts, build up connections, sell T-shirts, and work day jobs until all that other stuff starts paying off. Even well-established acts can lose a lot credibility over laziness in showing up late to shows, throwaway verses, or missing album deadlines.

During The Renaissance, people known as artisans would fund budding artists that they believed in, allowing them to devote 100% of their time to their craft. Much like Latin and wooden flying machines, those don’t really exist anymore. If you work hard enough, your music will find its way into the right hands. But even then, almost all of the motion surrounding your craft and what happens to it will have to come from you, and that’s a good thing.