by David Andrew Wiebe | Jun 21, 2023 | Creativity
As musicians, we sometimes get caught up in what to buy, what not to buy, whether to avoid spending completely, and similar thought processes that keep us in analysis paralysis rather than action.
Here’s a formula that works every time:
Buy tools and resources that increase your belief level.
I have never regretted purchasing tools or resources that increased my belief level in achieving my goals. These decisions have always paid off.
Want to buy that book, try that course, pay for some coaching, or join a members-only forum for musicians?
If it increases your belief level, it’s the right move every time. Whatever you see in front of you is the answer you’ve been looking for.
by David Andrew Wiebe | May 13, 2023 | Creativity
I am often asked:
“I don’t get it. Why do musicians need coaches? Do they need help with their performance or something?”
Yes. But that’s not all:
Most musicians will leave school knowing how to play an instrument, sing, write, and compose music, or some combination thereof. And if they’re lucky, they’ll have built a handful of valuable connections.
But they will leave school WITHOUT knowing how to brand themselves, build a website, grow a social media following, book gigs, market their music, and more.
Diving deeper, and you will discover that many musicians, even professional ones, are untrained.
Well-known musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Jack White, Prince, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain, Elton John, and many others are famously untrained (many of my favorites).
Imagine starting a career in music without any knowledge of how music works, no idea how to market yourself, and no resources or connections… that’s where MOST musicians are starting from.
If musicians want to take their careers seriously, they can’t count on some chance meeting with an A&R rep. This very rarely, if ever, happens anymore.
Musicians require comprehensive business plans, marketing strategies, branding know-how, and much more, to be an independent success in any capacity.
Next time you’re talking to a musician friend, ask them how their career is going and listen intently to their answers. Are they stuck? Feeling frustrated? Getting nowhere fast? If you dig beneath the surface, you will find most of them are having trouble making forward progress.
Put those friends in touch with me. I help artists just like them.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Apr 2, 2023 | Creativity
A filmmaker may say, “Making a film is not like choosing to become a visual artist. You can’t just pick up a pencil and paper and start drawing.”
True, but if a visual artist wants to do professional work, they’re going to require professional implements. Have you looked at the cost of a professional Copic marker set lately?
A photographer may say, “Taking professional photos isn’t like becoming a musician. You can’t just pick up a guitar and record in your bedroom.”
True, but if a musician wants to do professional work, there is a bare minimum setup they’re going to require, and that includes a professional set of headphones. Have you looked at the cost of Neumann mixing headphones lately?
(Links were added so you can check the price for yourself, not so I can monetize this article.)
There are two things to glean from this.
One, there is a cost to making art. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to do what you do, and it is more affordable than it’s ever been. But there are nuances to every type of artistry that make them more expensive than they first appear.
A filmmaker may be able to film entirely on their iPhone, but there are still costs associated with actors, sets, music, and more.
A photographer may also be able to take photos entirely on their iPhone, but there are still costs associated with lighting, tripod stands, wardrobe, and more.
A musician may be able to make music from their bedroom, but there are still costs associated with session musicians, distribution, graphic design, and more.
Two, the comparisons we draw from one artistic endeavor to another are often unproductive. We have unconfirmed assumptions around how much it costs to be an artist in different disciplines.
Diminishing another artform for being “easier” or “cheaper” or “less work” is fruitless, and often untrue. In an ideal world, we would show respect for every artform, knowing that there is a price to pay to be an artist in any capacity, let alone a professional artist. Instead of singling out different artforms, we should seek to find and understand the commonalities, and work harder to “keep the money in the family.”
by David Andrew Wiebe | Mar 7, 2022 | Entrepreneurship
Great things are born out of periods of imbalance.
And so, much of my work to do with Music Entrepreneur HQ, at present, is revolving around SEO and conversion optimization.
Some of this work will no doubt be “invisible” or at the very least only noticeable to the extent that you pay careful attention to Music Entrepreneur HQ and its 800+ pages of content.
That said, as you can see from my daily blogging habit, I take documenting my work seriously.
So, while it may not prove the most thrilling of content I’ve ever published, I will primarily be sharing PDF Vault related updates as I continue to build it out.
There is a frontend process and backend process to all this.
The frontend process being making users aware of the very existence of the PDF Vault (again, this would be the “imperceptible” work I do on the website).
The backend process being adding PDF resources to the vault as they are created. At this point, I still have hundreds of PDFs to create and add.
Anyway, today, I added the following PDF resources to the PDF Vault:
- 008 – Get in the game – don’t just sit on the sidelines
- 009 – The Value of Personal Development in Building a Music Career
- 010 – Do You Have Mentorship in Your Life?
- 011 – The Importance of Reading Books in Personal Development
- 012 – What the Music Industry Can Learn from Pokémon Go
- 013 – Career Update: September 2016
- 014 – The Importance of Listening to Audio in Personal Development
The PDF Vault is free to access (in exchange for your email address). Sign up here.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Aug 10, 2021 | News
Elite Players: All Access Pass isn’t right for you if…
- You don’t think current crises represent the best opportunity to grow your music career (entrepreneurs know the best time to launch a business is in “down” times)
- You don’t think expressing yourself creatively or impacting others with your art is of any importance or consequence to the rest of the world
- You could care less about making money in music
- You don’t want to take your music beyond a fun little hobby
- You’re too scared to prove to yourself that you could make it
- Personal success is a pipedream you’re quick to dismiss
- You don’t value personal growth, personalized coaching, or relevant training
Otherwise, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.
Head on over to Elite Players: All Access Pass to discover this new opportunity.
