by David Andrew Wiebe | Mar 15, 2023 | Music
Here’s a viable business idea on a silver platter. If you’ve been waiting for a music business opportunity, take this one.
There are people looking for kalimba instructors and kalimba sheet music. I just received an email from one such individual today.
The problem?
- While there is plenty of kalimba music in tablature form, some people simply do not want to read kalimba music that way. They’d prefer something closer to standard notation.
- Some of the available music features accidentals (sharps and flats) or notes that fall outside of the instrument’s range that cannot be played on all kalimba types.
- There are people looking for instructors in their locality or online who can serve them in their specific time zone (e.g., UK).
You know the market. You know the problem. Now, go and conquer. Let me know how it goes.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Mar 14, 2023 | Music
I’ve been staring at a lot of recording studio sites lately and I noticed something.
With all the mention of COVID policies and Instagram photos showing staff wearing masks, it looks like some sites haven’t been updated since 2020. Which is probably the case.
I understand how busy it can get. Probably the only reason I find time enough to keep all my sites updated is because content is my main source of revenue.
But it’s high time you took new photos and showed your wonderful staff without masks. Even if they are still wearing masks inside the facility during work hours.
I never treated the pandemic as though it were a meme and can’t understand those who do, either.
Look, I’m not here to pass judgment. I fundamentally disagree with the notion that masks are “warm,” “cute,” or “fun,” but you’re entitled to your opinion.
What I’m saying is – let me see the faces of your wonderful staff. Photographing them with masks is mostly pointless. I can’t identify them. I can only see their eyes, maybe their hair. There’s no sense of connection created, and that’s the whole point of photos. If you’re not going to take profile shots without masks, you may as well not even take them.
People connect with people. They don’t connect with studio setups or gear lists. So, if you want to create a connection with your prospects and customers online, show your beautiful faces.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Mar 9, 2023 | Music
The projects I take on are often perceived as “fun” or “glamorous,” presumably because they are usually related to music, creativity, performance, or entertainment in some capacity.
But music is not any less work than anything else. You cannot get good at it without treating it like a full-time job, or at the very least, a very serious part-time job.
No one in their right mind says, “after my 9 – 6, I’m going to go home, have supper, and practice my guitar for six hours.” But these are the very virtuosos you see on YouTube, some not even famous. What they’re doing requires an immense amount of focus, dedication, and hard work.
You can’t go to the clubs, hang out with friends, or lay on the beach if you’re practicing guitar six hours per night. Once you’ve paid your dues at the day job, the only thing waiting for you at home is a music stand, your practice material, and maybe a notebook to jot your ideas down.
And if you’ve ever heard a musician practice… oh boy. It looks like playing something the wrong way, repeatedly, for hours, sometimes days (or weeks, or months, or years) on end, until you can finally play it correctly. Talk about agony.
Just because something appears “fun” doesn’t mean it takes any less work. It’s usually the opposite. If you want to become a master of your craft, you can’t let anything get in the way of your commitment. And if you want to stand out in a profession others consider “fun” and “easy,” you can bet you’ve got your work cut out for you.
My projects get done because I take them seriously, just as any entrepreneur would. I no longer think about whether I’m passionate about what I do. I decide to be passionate about what I do, simply because I’m doing it.
Come spend a week with me some time. Then you can be the judge of whether what I do is any fun.
I’ve made a commitment to creating the life I love through my creativity. And that means doing whatever it takes. If I have fun along the way, I count it as a bonus. But it doesn’t mean I don’t encounter challenges or go through an array or emotions as I’m doing it (I’ve simply found that being emotional about everything wastes precious energy). I’m human. I go through everything you can imagine me going through.
An unreasonable commitment to showing up and doing the work is what has gotten me to where I am. Without integrity in what I do, I would not even enjoy the humble success I have today. And I am nothing if not a work in progress when it comes to integrity.
