I want to make music until the day I die; how I want, when I want, and where I want. I want my music to be accessible to whoever wants to hear it. I also want to help others get their music out into the world, as well as help others compose, arrange, and play. Mostly, I want to perform. On stage is the place I feel most at home, and performing for others gives me an energy surge like no amount of any drug ever could. Performing music allows me to connect with others on a far deeper level than my awkward verbal communications skills, and hopefully, my music reaches my audience on that deep of a level as well. Above all else, I want my presence on the stage to inspire others to pursue their dreams, just as I am pursing mine.
3 Months: I want to start off my time at Berklee with an impact. I don’t want to be just another musician trying to get through the curriculum and tuition costs- I want to thrive. I want my presence to be known from the start, and I want to form a reputable career from the start of this next leg of my journey. I want to focus on making as many contacts as I can, from as many different paths of life as possible.
6 Months: I want to be finishing my first album. I want to have recorded, mixed, copyrighted, and sent my album off to be mastered by the end of this point. As I am able to perform most the the instruments I write into the arrangements of my songs, and I am in the process of buying a personal condenser mic and interface, it won’t cost too much to record it.
9 Months: I’ll be halfway through my first year at Berklee, and while I’m there, I want to focus on amassing as much knowledge as I can. Providing the COVID-19 quarantine lifts up, I will be in Spain, and I want to spend my time immersing myself in the musical culture of the southern Mediterranean. I want to spend my time really improving myself, both in musicality and my character as a brand.
1 Year: I’ll be finishing up the school year, and I want to have amassed enough musical knowledge to start really pushing my compositional boundaries, so I can start compiling more of my songs for a second, and more musically interesting album.
My PMF would include people whose other favourite artists include Queen, Nina Simone, Stevie ray Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Post-Modern Jukebox, and Adele. It would also do well with people who are searching for soulful lyrics and tunes, such as people in an existential crisis. People who are creative, and/or musicians themselves would also be a target for my music, as it is not usually written in black or white and easily discernible.
My content consists of commercial music, mostly blues, jazz, and rock. I am a creator that creates deeper and more complex music over a longer period of time, like the traditional musician before Youtube took over and Constant Creators became a big thing. I want to market it by playing as much as possible. Of course I’ll use social media strategies and other adverts and promotions, but I’ve found that finding a place in the music world is a near linear slope. The more you bring yourself out to play, the more others bring you out to play. Exposure through performance is key for me.
I specifically want to leave any bad attitudes with me when I leave. I try to keep a positive attitude in the workplace, but I am human, and there are moments when I become overly frustrated, which often leads to me expressing that on to others. That is not something that I want to be included in my brand, so I’m treating this move from Bakersfield as a shedding of any negative attitudes. I also refuse to turn down a job in music because of its style.
Considering I am going to be buried in student loan debt, my marketing budget is going to have to be small and creative. I will have to start by posting Instagram and Twitter adds with the most popular hashtags in both music and generally popular tags, to reach the most amount of people, for free. I will also use the mass email sender to reach all the people that have subscribed to my website. A tactic that I will utilise that will cost some money, is buying adverts on social media and other websites to promote my bigger projects such as album releases and tours.
Strengths: knowledge, ability, and experience in performance, composition/arrangement, music theory, and music technology, ambition
Weaknesses: young in experience, lack of funds, immature,
Opportunities: Berklee, living in 2 vastly different cities in 2 years (Boston, Valencia, Spain), meeting new people who’ve walked different paths in both life and music, new collaborations, learning new things from new people and environments
Threats: people better/know more than me, people willing to unjustifiably slash others’ reputations to make themselves look better
Make sure I’m the best I can possibly be through hard work, practice, and studying
Push to get myself in income-earning positions to start paying back loans
Be constantly improving my playing
Be making connections with as many people as possible
Keep exercising my skills in music technology
Concepts from the Reading that Relate to My Plan
1.) “Inspiration Quests” pg. 89, Chp. 3
I want my music to be as much of a journey for the audience to listen to as it was for me to write and experience. By going out and experiencing new things (which I already love doing), I can have a broader view of the world, which will be reflected in my music.
2.) “The Artist Aesthetic” pg. 110, Chp. 4
One of the very first things I was told at the start of my professional music career in terms of me as an artist, was that I have an intriguing aesthetic. It’s still one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received. Throughout my career, my aesthetic both on stage and in my compositions will continue to be one of the most important aspects of my music to keep in mind.
3.) “Be a Leader” and “Set Expectations” pg. 234, Chp. 6
Perhaps I’m just a bit of a musical nazi when it comes to how I want my music to sound, but I’m all about having people in a band that are 1.) better than me, and 2.) aren’t lazy when it comes to playing something to make it sound right, even though it might be a hassle. I have high expectations for myself and my music, and I expect the musicians I hire to have the same attitude. I have also been leading bands for a few years now, and I can honestly say that pushing myself and my other band mates to the top with practice, energy, and good building vibes has become greatly important to me as a person and as a musician.
romaincrisis
kaledo-art
jacobvanloon
jbbartram-illu
gummygunk
