Practice, Practice, Practice

 
There’s a given formula to getting better. We all know it but hate to admit it. It’s practice. You think you can stop reading this now, right? You know this already! We all know it cognitively but most artists don’t fully integrate how important it is. That’s because a little ego issue comes into play [...]

Going Full-Time – How to do it sanely

 
Your gigs are more frequent. Your day job is becoming more of a drag. You have some bigger offers in the works, maybe even a record deal. Is it time to quit your day job? You don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot financially… but man, this is what you’ve been waiting for. Life [...]

Happy Holidays

“Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a [...]

Going Solo – Asking the Hard Questions

 
You know when you’re near the end of a relationship? It’s usually when one person suggests to the other, “Maybe we should see other people?” It is pretty much the death knoll and time to start packing your proverbial emotional bags.
 
Same holds true with bands and solo careers. Once one member is getting that itchy [...]

Group Dynamics

The Elements of an Effective Group
 
As we’ve established, a musical band or an improv troupe or a choir or a writing team are all examples of creative groups, where group dynamics apply. So if you understand the elements of group dynamics and apply them to your project, it’s bound to move forward more smoothly and [...]

Tabula Rasa

How to Clean the Mental Slate
 
Tabula Rasa: (noun)
 
1.  Latin ‘scraped tablet’, from the Romans’ use of wax-covered tablets which could be written on with a pointed stick and cleared by smoothing over the surface)
2.  A mind without any preconceived ideas
 
In a high-paced world, we often see our creative endeavors as a commodity or an [...]

Business with Family

Keeping it in the Family
 
There are tons of success stories when it comes to family members and performers; whether it’s the Beach Boys or the Bee Gees or the Jackson 5, they have all made their familial mark in the music world.
 
Has it been the easiest path? Not necessarily. While family members share a certain [...]

How to Grow Spherically

  
A well-known music composer in L.A. finished another successful movie soundtrack but suffers from enormous back pain. A dancer at the beginning of a productive career can’t kick her cigarette smoking habit. A graphic designer wants to take a singing class but thinks such a choice would be silly, since it has nothing to do [...]

How to Take Criticism

 
Rob, lead singer of his band, relayed how frustrated he was.
“I had someone come up to me after a really successful show and say, with a smile on his face, “Man, your music is really sweet. You guys just need to work on the vocals.”  This might have been a stinging comment regardless but get [...]

How do you want the audience to see you?

 
Defining your image is almost as important as the music you produce. We are visual creatures and while your music should be your primary focus, you need to work a well-thought out look as well.
 
Your image is more than the clothes you wear (though that certainly matters and we’ll discuss further.) Your image is [...]