About a month ago, I was digging through a pile of old drum magazines, kept by my family as if they were some sort of ancient relics. It turns out, they still contained lots of helpful information - it’s surprising how much the narrative on the creative process and artistic struggle hasn’t changed much through the years. Building a career in music has always been hard, whichever decade you were born in.
Flicking through copies, I stumbled upon one from June 1999, in which a very famous and accomplished drummer (whom I won’t name in this instance) shared some career tips for the upcoming student. Reading it was pretty inspiring, and a lot of it can be adapted to everyone trying to build something. That article helped me: I thought it might help you too.
- Instead of borrowing someone else’s style, borrow their experience, and use it to find your own personal artistic voice.
- If you have something to say, say it, and make sure they hear you. If they don’t, repeat it louder. If they still don’t listen, make sure they see you.
- Don’t waste energy on what’s not relevant to your musical journey. (Although do find space for your personal wellbeing)
- Believe in yourself.
- Building a career it’s hard. Be careful about getting distracted and losing sight of your destination. Focus on who’s ahead of you and learn from them.
- Anything meaningful requires hard work. Stick to it.
- Don’t follow trends blindly. Go deeper, discover the classics and be the next trend.
- Don’t be discouraged by criticism. Eyes on the prize.
- As long as they talk about your style, let them talk.
- Don’t be choosy with opportunities - as long as it fits your ethos, go for it.
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