A music school audition doesn't have to be scary. With the right preparation, you can show up confident and ready to wow the panel. Find out how to get audition ready.
When you're building your music career, there is one battle you're likely to face time and again - money. Although financial woes are par for the course, they aren't insurmountable. The trick is tackling them in the right way - and no, the right way doesn't usually have much to do with Visa or Mastercard.
On today, the 30th anniversary of Bob Marley's death, it only seems right to give a nod to a trendsetting reggae label, Lee "Scratch" Perry's own Upsetter Records. In fact, it was from Jamaica's Upsetter record shop that Bob Marley launched his music career (and poached the Upsetters away from Perry and turned them into Wailers).
We talk a lot about genre from the perspective of the consumer, but it matters a great deal from an industry perspective as well, especially when you're trying to get your music career off the ground. Every genre has its own culture that not only helps dictate the way you devise promotional activities but that also determines the hows of building your career and even the definition of success.
Sure, there are certain generalities - for instance, no matter what, playing live is a powerful way of building a fan base - but take, for instance, the hip hop mix tape. For aspiring hip hop artists, a popular mix tape is a critical stepping stone. For an indie rock artist, a mix tape is non-issue. That is just one simple example of the many, many ways your genre can change the way you pursue music success.
So, with that being said, is it "easier" to build a career in some genres than in others? Is it easier to make a living in some genres of music than others - in other words, do some genres of music have a stronger "middle class" of musicians than others? What obstacles do you face in your music career that you think are genre specific? Share your thoughts on how your genre of music impacts your goals.
If you've got pipes, but life touring with a band just doesn't appeal, working as a wedding singer could be the music career for you. Breaking into the wedding business in your area can take a little work, but once you are established as one of the go-to vocalists in your town, you can count on your phone ringing off the hook with lots of lucrative job offers.
