Be Proactive:

Have you ever worked somewhere in which you had to self-manage yourself? You can’t sit around waiting for someone to tell you what to do; you have to get a game plan, get up and get it done! That is what we call a productive person, and it doesn’t come easy for all of us. To be a productive person, you have to have a productive mind-set. A productive mind gets the most amount done, while consuming the least amount of energy. So, being proactive would mean having a constant, productive state of being and mind, and it’s exhausting! You’re mind is always on your craft, in one way or another! To be successful, you can’t afford many mindless days; those gears are constantly turning. This is a hard business and it’s not going to come to you while you’re sitting on your butt.

Be Personable:

It’s important to make positive impacts on people, and to stay in the back of people’s minds. This is a simple courtesy many of us learn as children, and we can utilize this skill in business. I’ve known countless people who have been raised to be polite, courteous, intelligent, and “just themselves” (which means “interesting”)…and why?...to make an impact on another, which can be a powerful and memorable encounter! Whether it’s in making radio plays, interviews, playing live shows, status updates on Facebook or MySpace, or writing blogs; you’ve got to keep your audience wanting more and staying curious. Imagine your life as a TV show…the audience starts watching, then something minor (but intriguing) happens and it opens their curiosity, so they watch more. Through repetitive intriguing incidents they find themselves wanting to know how the episode ends. If you don’t keeps your audience (fans) interested, you are doing a terrible disservice to yourself and to your fans. You have a passion for the business, so you should exhaust every avenue. Your fans have a passion for you, so you should be willing to open up to them, talk with them and share little bits of yourself to feed their intrigue. Musicians are nothing without their fans, so the least we can do, as musicians, is support our fans as they support us.

Be Professional:

I can’t say that I recall any professional basketball, baseball, or football player stepping onto the field and then not knowing the rules of the game. I also can’t say that I recall any professional teacher, social worker, city worker, banker or accountant who walked into the office and didn’t know their job description. The music business is no different than any other business. To be a professional, you have to understand the “in’s” and “out’s” the business and the procedures followed when it comes to copyrighting, booking, taxes, etc. There are many laws and “unspoken” rules you have to know and follow. The most difficult part of it, for most, is limiting your creativity when songwriting, but if your goal is to gain airtime, then you have to understand that the longer it is, the less likely it is what they call “radio friendly.” The same goes for songs with vulgar and explicit lyrics. However, YOU are the music ARTIST, so what you create is up to you. The key is to understand the game before jumping in. Know the “unspoken” rules of your craft. Do your research and learn (at least) Business 101…and if you purposefully try to avoid the law, don’t act surprised when you get busted. I promise you it will save you a lot of time and effort.

Please PRACTICE!!!

If you want music to be your career, you HAVE to practice your craft. I know that if I don’t play the guitar at least once a day then come gig time, I miss notes, sometimes words, and don’t give the audience the show they deserve. The worst thing any band can do is sound bad in front of their audience…and the club owners don’t want those kind of bands in their clubs either, because no customer wants to hang out in a club where all they play is off key, off beat songs heard in the background… unless their running the “Tone Deaf Lounge.” I’ll share a personal story about myself and what practice can do. When I first started playing music, I was unable to hear pitch at all. I was terribly off key and could not match a note to save my life. Even now, I have problems with it…you can ask those who know me. Sometimes I even have to lean over and ask my bass player the starting note of a song, but, through years of practice, I’ve become a million times better than I was when I first began and don’t struggle near as much anymore. One of the most overly used clichés known to man that sums all this up is “practice makes perfect.”

These are all just overhead ideas. You have to sand down the wood before staining it, just as you have to perfect your craft before selling it. There are so many things to learn and know in this business and it is constantly changing, but, at least, there’s room for learning it as you go. I’ve learned so much throughout the years and have just realized much of it over the last few weeks. Here’s a thought that always put my mind at ease: Not even the smartest person knows everything.

-Zach Harmon

“Musicians don’t make fans….fans make musicians.”

The Give List

1) “Give What You Can”

You will eventually come across people who want you to do a free show; it may be for a charity, friends, or just someone wanting a cheap deal. You don’t have to say ‘yes’ to every request, and there are definitely things you should consider when deciding to book a free show.

Charities - you need to consider whether you support this charity, or if you have already committed yourself to other charities that year. It’s good to find a particular charity you believe in and put yourself out there to support that charity through music. As for me, I am a huge advocate for children and will do almost any charity related to children.

Friends – we all have them. I have numerous friends in and out of the music business who do things for me. They promote me, advertise for me, record for me, support me, and some who just show up to every show. Obviously, I’m not paying all of these friends…they do it because they love me and I appreciate every ounce of their support. Most likely I will book a free or cheap show for those who have shown me undying support, as a way to say “thanks.” I also have many friends in the music business who have needed to call on me to record guitar or vocals for their album. They will usually pay if they can but if not, then we may work out a trade of sorts. More times than not, they have done something for me, so it ends up an even trade. We all understand the financial difficulties of this business, so when you can support your fellow musician through free work or trade, it’s usually appreciated.

Random acquaintances – These people are fans too, so they deserve respect. It’s really up to you whether you book a free or cheaper show for someone who just wants a free show. Sometimes this is not the best option for you…after all, you are a business, and you can’t afford to always play for free. However, you don’t have to say “no.” There are other forms of payment besides money…free advertisement, radio play, banners, and all kinds of things. The people you play for have jobs, connections, or may specialize in a field that could benefit you in your music career. Discuss this with them and see if you might be able to work out a possible trade.

2) “Give Credit Where Credit is Due”

There are many people who make a band what they are…the band members, producers, managers, club owners, the sound guy, stage hands, and most importantly, your fans, friends and family. A band is nothing without all these people. You’re never too BIG to say “thanks,” so stay humble and say it every chance you get, and never turn your back on your fans, friends and family. They are the people who will have your back, and who will diligently support and promote you along your way. If you live life for yourself then that’s all you’ll find but, if you live life for others, then you’ll find (and keep) others in your life.

The Not to Give List

1) “Do Not Give in to Temptations”

In the music business, there’s one temptation after another. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, women, freebies…whatever. Watch yourself…acting like a “rock star” doesn’t make you a rock star! I look at the music business like any other business. If you’re on drugs, drunk or stealing at a regular job, you’re going to get fired. For one, club owners don’t want to have to worry about a drunk or stoned guitar player falling off the stage and shutting down the party…they want you to show up on time, set up, sound check, then play an awesome show and keep their guests entertained and dancing. Be professional…drugs will only get you into trouble, and won’t make your rise in the business any easier, so there’s really no good reason to put yourself in that situation. Ask yourself "How do I want to be remembered?"  I’m not saying don’t have a good time and avoid enjoying yourself, but, there’s a fine line between having a good time and the beginning of a disaster. My band knows that before and during shows…we don’t drink. Now, there’s an occasional round of shots sent to the stage by a fan and we often don’t turn that down, simply because it’s rude, but other than that, my guys know that they need to wait until the show if over to let loose and start drinking. It just keeps everything professional, and everyone in a state to give their best performance. ...And I guess I’ll touch on the temptation of women (lol)…you gotta love the women fans, and many of them will be very eager to meet you. It’s always nice to have fans wanting to pose for pictures with you. Indulge in that all you can. It keeps your fans close. Remember that these women fans are someone’s daughter, mother, wife, girlfriend, etc. and treat them like ladies. Also, never forget your own values. When you think you’re starting to lose yourself, give your folks a call…they’re usually happy to set us straight again.

2) “Do not give up!”

Probably the hardest thing any struggling musician is going to battle with is deciding when to hang up the towel for good. I can’t tell you how many sleepless nights I’ve spent dealing with this internal warfare going on between my heart and my brain…do I give up and move on or do I keep holding on for a little bit longer? Like I said last week, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your music career. There will be many ups and many downs. There are days when I wonder if I should go ahead and make music more of a hobby and focus on another aspect of my life, but then I realize how horrible my life would be if all I did was regret the day I gave up, so I keep pressing on. There may be a point in your life when you realize that other endeavors are more worth your time and effort, and you decide to move on. It is your life, so if you can live without a music career than more power to you. I haven’t reached that point yet, and it’s important for all struggling musicians to realize that it’s going to be hard. There are very few aspects of this career choice that’s just easy…it’s hard, it’s definately mean and sometimes it’s ugly. It’s a full time job every day of the week, but if this is really what you want, then don’t give up just because it’s hard, taking up too much of your time or isn’t skyrocketing into super-stardom! Keep yourself grounded and remember why you decided to get into this business. Keep this in mind…the day you decide to give up is the day you decide the dream is over.

In conclusion, if you give a little over time, over time you’ll get a lot. You’ll get fans, respect, and much more. I’d almost say that this advise could carry over to almost any other dream or goal.

Zach Harmon

“Musicians don’t make fans…fans make musicians.”

So, for my first series of blogs, I’ve decided to explain what I’ve done to reach the point I’m currently at and share some things I’ve learned about surviving in this business. Whether or not my career is actually what people consider “making it,” I’ll give my best insight and advice.

My first suggestion (to all musicians) is not to wait around on your “big break,” but instead focus on those “small bends.” Ignore that old cliché, “look at the big picture!” It takes many strokes of a paint brush before a masterpiece is created. The “big break” only happens to one in a million, and for everyone else, it takes hard work and dedication. Some artists go at it their entire lives and release many albums, but still do not make that giant leap that they’ve been waiting for, and in a lot of those cases, it’s because they were waiting around for their “big break.” Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your music career.

So, how do we look at a music career in “small bends?” Well, it’s a process.  The best thing to do is to start off with a strong list of goals. Then, for each goal, make a “To Do” list to reach that goal, then get started on the leg work. Do your research when needed and never pass up advice from successful, tenured people in this business. Check off each step on your “To Do” list until you’ve made each goal a reality. Then post up or file away the “To Do” lists for each goal you’ve completed, as a reminder of all the things you can accomplish if you set your mind to something. No matter what you do, DO NOT throw them away! You may think it’s pointless, but when you’re in the middle of a slow month and things don’t seem to be “taking off” in the best way, these lists are nice reminder of the progress you’ve made, and inspiration can be found in them.

That’s all I have for this first blog in my series. Come back next week to see more. We have a lot of specifics and overall ideas to discuss.

 If anyone has any specific questions or comments, please ask and comment away in the comment boxes at the bottom of the screen.

“Musicians don’t make fans…fans make musicians.”

-Zach Harmon