By Jose Valentino
A letter to aspiring artists
Many young-minded (not pertaining to age), novice, or inexperienced (or should I say non-healthy-experienced) artists-producers-musicians only talk about how they want to work at ‘the big stage’, how they believe they deserve the biggest contracts and performance platforms, how they want to walk the red carpet and be the 1st call, and win the awards . . . etc. [insert yawn].
. . . and all of this without having worked the no stage, the little stage, the medium-sized stage, the restaurant, the club, the broken down bar, the birthday party, the wedding, without understanding their audience’s interests and needs . . . without refining their artistic identity and devising a business plan, without becoming really skilled in multiple crafts, without networking and fortifying solid relationships, and without learning how business, law, socio-psychology, and communication arts applies to their desired enterprise, etc. [insert caffeine]. ️
The lack of experience, unwillingness to hustle the right way, and the shunning of heeding advice of professionals [who are non-musical and who are musical] who actually care about them generally results in their inability to move forward with their career, with reaching a plateau, or even going down a dangerous road too hard to retreat. Those few premature music business professionals that do get the opportunities generally end up like . . . well, you fill in the blank. So often when consulting them, the focus of their talk tends to be self-centered and how they were “meant”, “called”, and “destined” to be on the stage (or doing this as a career).
A focus on self-gratification as opposed to focusing on service unto others is a recipe for an artistic identity/career crisis. Nobody “deserves” to be successful or rich or famous or whatever, especially not when you haven’t put in the work. But even if you have put in the work . . . we don’t deserve anything. Our talents, opportunities, experiences, platforms, careers, employment (and unemployment) are merely gifts and opportunities to help other people’s lives be better – whether it be short term or long term. Our focus as creative professionals (and really, everyone!) should be to uplift, empower, speak truth and promise to one another, minister to the lives of those in need (which is all of us) . . . and to use our gifts along the way to enhance the expressive-projection of our faith, hope, and love through our outreach to those we come in contact.
Relationships are the currency of the kingdom. If you have been given a gift (and that is all of us), then work at it, refine it, exercise it, fail lots of time, and get back up, fail again, and get back up. Be grateful along the way. Forgive those who used you in a bad manner along the way (this will happen, especially in the music business). Focus your efforts on discovering the joy and excitement music brings to you by how it enriches people’s lives. Work harder than anyone in the room. Be bold and ask questions (x1,000,000). Try new things. Apply the wisdom – that is called understanding. Mess up and try again. Hold on to what is actually working (do what is actually reaching people’s souls and hearts). Expand yourself and your creative output. Put others before yourself. Don’t be afraid to start from the bottom. You will end up finding out the journey was way more fulfilling then reaching the goal. The finish line of each goal is merely a marker to look back on and to remind you of all the blood, sweat, relationships, failures, successes, laughs, and tears you went through in order to reach your desired destination.
Put this into practice and you might find different results towards your endeavor. Never be “too gifted or experienced” to learn and grow. There is always another milestone to reach. When you are not sure about what to pursue next, reinvent yourself so you can reach the population of people. And take time to be the audience member . . . the receiver. If you are constantly pouring, you will eventually run out.
So, enjoy the struggle towards reaching your dreams and include a focus on others as opposed to yourself as the fuel for why you will embark this crazy journey we call the music business. Of course this applies to non-aspiring music business professionals too.
Just food for thought . . . I commend all the hustlers grinding day and night, especially those who are grateful for what they have been given.
Hey! Have a great day and goodnight! 🏽
Latin Grammy Award Winner Dr. José Valentino balances his career in three fields; music, television, and academia. He is an internationally-touring performer, CEO of JV Music Enterprises LLC., film/TV composer for Hayden 5 Media NY, Entrepreneurial Coach for Diaz Music Institute (5o1c3), and Head and Inaugural Professor of Music Business & Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida. José has produced 60+ albums, performed in over 1100 concerts, worked for American Idol and X-Factor, and composed for 30+ nationally-televised commercials. A few accolades include the EMMY® Award for Best Cultural Documentary, and three Latin GRAMMY® Award Nominations, and 51 DownBeat Music Awards.
Website: http://www.josevalentino.com
#selah