10 Dangerous Ways You’re Hindering Your Growth As A Music Artist

You know the saying ‘you’re your own worst enemy’? Absolutely valid for musicians. As talented as one can be, they could be equally stubborn and stop their potential in its tracks. We’re warning you may not like the following list, BUT it might be the only time somebody’s being actually honest with you. If you want to evolve both as a creative and as a brand, take the time to REALLY digest the following 10 ways you’re stopping yourself from growing as a music artist.

10. You think you’re the best.

Although it’s okay to make extreme confidence part of your brand message, it is NOT okay to actually believe it. If you think you’re the best, there is no place for growth in your mind thus, you will start going backwards. Believe us when we say, NOBODY IS THE BEST. There is so much to learn, to do, to implement, to achieve, to correct, to improve. You might be a terrific songwriter but a mediocre live performer. You might be a fabulously looking singer but a terrible team player. Know your strengths and weaknesses and sincerely dedicate your time and energy to always be a better version of yourself in all aspects.

9. You can’t function without validation.

It’s okay to seek validation at the very beginning of your career, but constantly asking people for their input is a major turn-off. Look at it this way: Do movie producers ask you how you feel about their pictures when you leave the theatre? Do opera singers walk through the aisles asking every attendant how they liked the play? Do painters ask every single person in a gallery what’s their impression? They don’t. They KNOW what they’re doing is good enough to be shared with the world. So unless you feel that your music is good enough to be put out there, don’t release it yet. That’s why you need validation. Because deep down, you know you’re not doing your best yet.

8. You only do things for others to your benefit.

Ah… that feeling you get when a producer praises your music first and tries to sell you his beats next. Don’t be that guy/gal. And don’t support artists just because of what you need from them. Support those you truly believe in and who likely, often, are better than you. Learn from them. Support them. And don’t expect stuff in return. Be in it to become better, not to take advantage of people or gain favors. Even you see through the BS when someone does it to you.

7. You can’t control your emotions.

Although music is a very personal and intimate occupation, you can’t allow your public behavior to be unhinged or out of socially accepted norms. Don’t yell at people. Don’t throw tantrums. Don’t curse in public (especially if kids are around). Don’t burden others by talking endlessly about your personal struggles or excitement about opening for X, or Y. Be a normal human being who treats people with respect. If those around you notice you can’t control your emotions, suddenly, those venue bookings will dry up, and the fans will stream less. And with social media around, you only need ONE Karen episode to go viral and not have a shot at redeeming yourself anytime soon.

6. You let your personal issues affect your professional endeavors.

Imagine you’re shooting a music video, and your videographer walks up to you and says they can’t go on with the scheduled filming because they are having the blues and are depressed. If you want to be a musician, treat your passion as a JOB and act accordingly. People in healthcare, construction, accounting, marketing, sales, (and just about any other field out there) don’t stop working because they’re not feeling like it. Whatever you have going on in your personal life, unless it’s the death of a loved one, it MUST NOT impact your professional life to the degree that you can’t do your job anymore. If that’s the case, go into therapy, take time off, but don’t engage in work you can’t deliver and waste other people’s time. It is VERY easy to slip into the difficult-to-work-with box. Also, Katy Perry got dumped by her ex-husband via text right before going on stage, and she STILL put on a badass show while crashing on the inside.

5. You take criticism personally.

Imagine you get paid to test a face cream to tell your honest opinion to the company. That cream created rashes on your face and made your eyes tear up. But once you let them know, the representatives of said product tell you you’re being a hater. Do you realize how stupid that sounds? And yet, many musicians do just THAT: they defend their music the instant someone criticizes it, albeit that criticism coming from years of experience and a solid reputation in the industry. You ARE NOT READY to be in the music business as a full-time professional if you crumble at not-so-nice feedback and feel everyone’s being jealous of you. No, they’re not. They’re likely being way nicer than you think, and they’re taking a huge risk of you snarking back when they tell you the areas you need to improve in.

4. You can’t accept that your music is not everyone’s thing.

Cutting ties with family members who don’t love your music simply because they usually listen to Country and you do Downtempo is very, very, very immature. Nobody is obligated to feel any type of way in regard to your music. It is your DUTY to connect with listeners and strangers in ways they can relate to and find inspiration from. Beyoncé is one of the most successful artists of all time, and even SHE has a ton of people who don’t vibe with her music or brand message. Get over yourself and become an active ‘recruiter’ of like-minded people by satisfying a specific niche in your market.

3. You are not grateful for the small achievements.

Before you get to the big success, there will have to be years of many small successes. Music is very much like working out in the gym. In the beginning, you’ll have to mark as progress the 20 minutes you didn’t die on the treadmill. Then slowly, over months and months, you get to walk an hour without falling short of breath. Then years later, you get abs and a defined body. If you only expect big stuff to happen to you, you’ll quit before ever developing a true momentum.

2. You view followers as numbers.

So many musicians are guilty of this… Tsk tsk tsk. You have to remember that the new boy who followed you is someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s schoolmate, someone’s friend. Each person who follows you is in contact with a great many other individuals. Not acknowledging them when they comment, support, and share, is honestly idiotic and selfish, and you deserve to never grow beyond the one thousand followers you paid for. We said what we said.

1. You are not honest about your personality’s shortcomings.

Know when you have acted out, when you have been rude, when you didn’t do your best in the recording booth, when you’ve offended the producer for no good reason, when you rolled your eyes at the venue promoter, when you didn’t uphold your contractual obligations, etc. We’re all flawed, very true. But it’s on YOU to grow if you want to expand your brand beyond your area code. You can’t skip being a good human in today’s age. If anything, people are more likely to overlook your off-pitch hook but support you nonetheless if you are kind and empathetic.

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