Cycles
There used to be an album cycle and an artist’s career revolved around this roughly two year timeline of events. And with the cycle, usually at the beginning or the end of one, came a break.
You wrote the album, made the album, promoted it, released it, promoted it more, did radio, did the big tour and then back home for some built in time off before the next cycle.
Now there isn’t an album cycle. Now it’s constant. There are no built in breaks. No time off. There’s no end. More work, more content, more posts, more promotion, new songs, new videos, no end in sight…it just keeps going.
It will swallow you unless you insist on not being swallowed. Unless you switch from playing THE game to playing YOUR game.
»» There’s a certain degree of constant-ness that you have to be willing to accept if you’re going to be an artist these days. It’s the way it is right now. The industry has changed. Expectations of music consumers have changed. Marketing and promotion has changed. It’s all faster and more fleeting than it used to be. You need to know that…and decide whether or not this is the circus you want to keep signing up for.
Customers And Stuff
If you’re trying to find more people, customers and fans who will check out what you’re doing you might ask the existing people, customers and fans who they are…and then go look for more people like that.
If you’re trying to find more stuff for your people, customers, fans to check out, your job is simply coming up with the next thing.
So the question is…
How long do you need to, or how long will you employ the first scenario before switching to the second?
Five Run Homer
The bases are loaded and you’re up to bat. Opportunity is knocking. It’s your time to step up to the plate and crank that homer, four runs, the grand slam.
All you have to do is hit the ball over the wall and you will have accomplished the best case scenario.
‘But maybe, just maybe on this one, if I step up to the plate and put even more energy and focus and blood and sweat into it…If I can hit this one a little higher and harder and further, I’ll finally be able to drive in five runs.’
Five run homers don’t exist. No level of extra anything will make it go from a four run opportunity to a five run opportunity.
Take a breath. It’s a long game. No need to try and squeeze more out of the opportunity than is there to be squeezed.
Future Thankfulness
It’s one thing to tell your audience ’thank you’.
It’s another thing to recognize when it’s six months before the show and you know you’re going to be thankful while you’re standing on stage in front of that audience six months from now so you act on behalf of your future thankfulness and take the time and energy to put together a great performance.
That’s what real gratitude for your audience looks like.
The real ‘thank you’ to the audience starts long before you ever step on stage.
Instagram At The Beach
Cancelling the dinner date last minute to stay home and eat a sandwich.
Talking at the front row of a show.
Scrolling Instagram at the beach.
In theory, the thing we are giving up is way better, way more valuable, way more expensive.
So making a flippant decision in the other direction helps us feel immense value about the mundane choice we made.
The sandwich tastes extra special because you gave up the prime rib and got to stay in your house slippers.
You’re not just talking, you’re talking while world class talent is right in front of you.
You’ve great at ignoring your surroundings while scrolling Instagram…but when you scroll while ignoring a beautiful ocean view, it’s just a better scroll.
That’s pretty expensive sandwich, talk or scroll so it brings the feeling of importance…but probably brings some naive arrogance with it too.