Turning Your Dreams Into Reality Planning and Execution

Do you want to take your musical career to the next level, but aren’t sure how? Have you ever wanted to HAVE a career in the music industry, but didn’t know where to begin? Have you ever become frustrated and wondered if “making it” is really just about “luck” or having an uncle in the music business? At times, turning your dreams into reality can seem overwhelming and the whole thing may begin to feel impossible.

You’ve probably already figured out that the music business is an extremely competitive and difficult one. And I won’t lie to you, if you want to make it to the “top”, the odds are not in your favor. Does that mean you can’t have a successful career in the music business? Does that mean you’re crazy for wanting it? NO! You’re not crazy, and it is possible. The question is, are you willing to work your butt off to make it happen, no matter what it takes (within your own ethical boundaries, of course), or how hard it gets, or how badly you may feel like giving up?

If so, then congratulations! You’ve passed the first test. You want it so bad that you won’t let the odds stop you. Ok, so now let’s roll up our sleeves and get down to work!

Just wanting success is not enough. To make it happen, you need PLANNING and EXECUTION. Let’s examine these:

• PLANNING - Understanding and organizing the various materials and actions of an activity in order to obtain the desired results in a reasonable amount of time.

• EXECUTION - Getting things done; not “started” or “considered” but done!

Something as simple as getting up and going to work or school in the morning requires planning and execution. Stop for a moment and think about a typical routine for getting to work. Go ahead, close your eyes and run through the steps…What materials were needed (alarm clock, clothes, toothbrush, bath soap, coffee, breakfast, tokens, car, gas, etc.)? What actions were needed (waking up, undressing, showering, dressing, fixing hair, applying makeup, eating, transporting yourself there)? What results did you get (alertness, cleanliness, attractiveness, nourishment, punctuality)? This is definitely an over-simplification of the process; I’m sure you have things in mind which I’ve missed. I think you can see where I’m headed with it though. Had you ever before given such thought to the step-by-step sequence you (or others) use on a daily basis to get things done?

Achieving success in the entertainment business is no exception to the “plan and execute” rule. You must have a plan and you must know the steps that are required before you can plan them out. This is where many people falter – they don’t know the steps that are required. Imagine for a moment that you tell your family you want to become a doctor (one of the most demanding, competitive and exhausting courses of study in the world). It’s very likely that they’ll cheer. Why? Because the path to a career in medicine is well laid out, there’s a blueprint, a plan. It is fairly uniform and it’s proven. Follow the accepted plan, execute well, and you will get the desired result.

Tell them you want to be a singer (musician, actor, comedian, etc) however, and they’ll likely worry. Why would they welcome your suffering through medical training over the joys of expressing yourself artistically? Don’t they listen to music, buy CD’s, or go to concerts? Surely they do!

Perhaps the number one reason for such resistance is that the path to a successful musical career is not so well laid out. There are as many variations as there are artists. The plan doesn’t exactly exist. You’ve got to create it. But fear not! You can create it. And if you’ve created it thoughtfully, with correct understanding, you can follow your own path to success.

There are some basic steps that you need to take in order to accomplish your goals.

1) Decide what results you want. In other words, what does success mean to you? For some this might mean major (national or international) record sales and tours. For others it may be earning a living by composing for film and television. Still others may desire to be professional, working musicians, earning their living entirely from their craft. By first defining what results you want, you can then establish your overall GOAL. For example, to become a national recording artist, or to maintain a successful career as a drummer in cover bands and recording sessions, or to find steady work as a published songwriter.

2) Once you have established your goal(s), you need to determine what the smaller sub-goals are that will get you there. This is where the “understanding” part of planning becomes critical and where many entertainment careers fail to get off the ground. If you don’t know what it takes to become an “X”, how can you become an “X?” You must have or acquire the necessary information to help build your career. This is possibly the most important step in the entire process. Don’t take it lightly!

3) Make a commitment to being a professional musician. Take a moment and make a pact with yourself. Decide that over the next 90 days, you will apply yourself wholly to achieving your goals. This means getting proper training, rehearsing, practicing, reading and LEARNING. Believe it or not, the music industry, as a whole, is a supportive and caring community. Even those “mean” major record label execs want you to succeed. How do you think they make money? You don’t see them singing and dancing in music videos. No, they need artists who can succeed. There are many books, seminars and conferences in this industry created by experienced professionals who want to educate you about musical careers. If you are serious, get educated. Research, research, research and study, study, study! Buy the books, but even more importantly, READ them (I strongly recommend “On the Record” by Guy Oseary and “All You Need to Know about the Music Business”, by Donald S. Passman). Attend music conferences; subscribe to professional music magazines such as “Performing Songwriter” or Billboard (not Rolling Stone – that’s for fans.).

4) Perhaps the most overlooked step is GET HELP! Find the right mentors; people who understand the music business and can assist you in creating a realistic career plan. Seek them out. Don’t be modest or shy about your ambitions. Contact people who are knowledgeable and experienced in the music industry and learn as much as you can from their expertise and guidance. They may be local producers, recording engineers, MCs, music teachers, club managers, experienced performers, open mic hosts, karaoke hosts, entertainment lawyers, band managers, etc. Be friendly and unafraid. Introduce yourself, ask questions. You don’t need to pretend to know what you don’t know. If you don’t know what a “demo” is, ask. If you don’t know what a “bio” or “headshot” are, ask. If you don’t know how to get gigs, ask. Those of us who have established professional musical careers know what it’s like to be uncertain. And we want to help you! We want you to get to your goals as swiftly as possible. We experience a tremendous degree of satisfaction in helping determined, hard-working, serious musicians prove that careers in music are NOT impossible to achieve. Behind every successful artist you see are an unseen group of supportive professionals who help make those careers possible.

The business of music is an exciting and fulfilling venture and it CAN be done!

For more hands on information, please inquire about our Career Development Workshop.

We wish you much success!