To say I’m a college graduate still sounds like a silly mess-up, a blip in the system—I imagine the university faculty sitting in a conference room waving my file in the air, saying, ‘CLEARLY we must have made a mistake, there’s no way this girl is ready for real life adult living. Did you hear that she lost her house keys yesterday and she had to call triple A 3x last month?’
And yet, here I am. Graduated. Ready to take on the world—or at least to ponder the eclectic variety of American home styles that I could choose from when I eventually buy my own place. Maybe a cozy Craftsman bungalow or a sleek modernist space? Each style carries its own sense of identity and history, much like the newly-minted graduate I am, eager to establish my own place in the world. Usually the latter, but the great thing is, I can use terms like ‘the latter’ now since I’m so educated & scholarly. A term that also applies when debating between the charm of a Cape Cod and the grandeur of a Colonial for my first foray into homeownership.
Sometimes I wish I had gone on a path that was more straight and narrow. To say I envy med school students would be a huge stretch, but I do miss the structure of school telling me exactly what I need to do in order to succeed. Once you graduate, the lists and guidelines are gone—you’re totally free to choose your path. This is exciting, but also terrifying.
To all my fellow music entrepreneurs out there trying to make it as an artist, I’ve decided to make a list of tips I’ve learned since graduating.
Learn to be your own parent & your own best friend.
At school, I’d set goals and perform in class every week, giving me motivation to achieve those goals. Now, I have to write down and categorize my goals and put aside time each day to work on them—whether it’s getting better at guitar, upping my social media game, recording demos, or collaborating with writers.
When I’m straying away from productivity, I have to nag myself a little. When I’m rundown and stressed out, I have to give myself breaks and love.
Don’t compare yourself to other people.
Instead, befriend everyone in your field and give them tips in the areas you shine in, and hopefully they’ll help you too!
Be NICE & follow through!
You can be the most talented person in the world but it won’t get you anywhere if you flake out on projects or treat people badly.
Watch stupid TV shows
Allow yourself to be scared and frustrated because this is the most confusing, freaky part of life and we’re all trying to find ourselves and sometimes you just need to binge-watch Friends and take things less seriously.
Keep animals nearby
Preferably a dog, bonus points if it’s a treeing walker coonhound.
Go outside
If you’re mixing music or writing to tracks, it’s easy to get cooped up inside for days and this WILL drive you crazy. So go outside every day and step on crunchy leaves. Or cry because it’s cold and you lived in Miami for 4 years.
Social media is a lie
Don’t take it seriously, the people who look like they’ve got everything figured out are totally lost just like you.
Remember why you’re doing this
Remember the butterflies you got when you first auditioned at your music school, the rush you got when you were accepted, the feeling of performing at your senior show, knowing you poured your heart into every note you played and every lyric you wrote. Don’t get so caught up in the fight to be successful that you forget why you love what you do.
While it’s impossible to be completely ready for the ‘real world’, studying songwriting & music business at Frost gave me all the tools I needed to be ready to start my career. I got to explore every genre, from jazz to EDM to bluegrass. I learned from amazing teachers, some of whom I still take lessons from today. I made friends with talented musicians and songwriters who I can call up to book a gig or schedule a co-write with at any time.
Right now, I’m co-writing tracks with DJs around the world, writing top-lines for emerging artists, and finally releasing some of my original music (produced by students I met at Frost). Almost every connection I’ve made has started at Frost, and my confidence in my ability to write in a variety of genres and network with musicians has gone through the roof. While the real world is daunting for a singer/songwriter, I feel confident in my journey as an artist, thanks to my experiences at school.