Popularity Timing

If you already had a popular album when record stores started getting popular…record stores needed something the feature on the aisle end cap…so they put the yours there because that’s probably what people wanting to buy.

Similarly, when music streaming services were becoming the norm around 2013, if you were already a popular artist, that’s what’s going to be most popular on the platform…and that’s what’s going to get on the digital end cap. And because streaming services are still the norm, artists who had a big arc back then are more likely to ride it longer.

A friend of mine sent me this Rick Beato video, where he brilliantly goes into more depth on this…highlighting that the average age of the top twenty five Spotify artist is 36.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Mic. Listener. Record Button.

Adding a microphone to the conversation changes the conversation.

Adding a listener to your performance changes the performance.

Adding a record button to the session changes the session.

It doesn’t do much good pretending like these things aren’t true.

It’s more fun to embrace and adapt to the changes.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

The Laser Level

The laser level is a perfect tool, giving you perfect lines…until you need a line that is a little bit out of level. It’s not very good at giving you anything other than perfect. No wiggle room. No grace. No understanding for anything that is a little bit off.

It’s simply a perfect line every time.

But often times in real life you need an adjustable option too. Sometimes perfect just doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to make something better.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Passing On Good Companies

Just because they’re a great company, it doesn’t mean you should work together.

If you’re only criteria for working together is whether or not the other entity is legit, your path will zig zag all over the place.

Sometimes you’re going to have to pass on working with great people because it isn’t a fit with where you want to go and how you want to get there.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Singer Studio Notes

You’ll perform the song better if the lyrics are memorized.

Things can be fixed later but it would be better if you just did a better take right now.

i.e. Lean on how good you are, not on how good the editor is.

But yes, in all likelihood, edits will be made.

Your facial expressions come through the microphone.

You’ll sing better if you’re in shape.

Practice it slowly, make sure you know all the pitches.

Get better at feeling like singing.

You’ll sing it better if you’ve sang it a hundred times before…preferably in front of an audience.

Ad libbing in the last chorus is going to be harder than you think…come in with some ideas.

When you need a break, no need to be dramatic. Take the break. Come back. Get to work.

Do at least one weird take.

Follow vocal trends with careful discretion. If it doesn’t work will you be glad you did the trendy vocal thing?

This vocal take might out-live you…make it great.

»» This is an incomplete list. Send me what you have and I’ll do a follow up in the future.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

One Liners

Not feeling like it isn’t a good reason not to do it.

Being uncomfortable is often a good reason to keep going.

Desire is powerful and can lead you astray just as much as lead you to success.

We all have plenty of motivation, we just need to learn to aim it.

We all have a long enough attention span, we just need to learn how to spend it.

Circumstances aren’t forever.

We control very little but what we can control is worth our time and effort.

Presence trumps technique.

Service and connection are the antidotes to complacency, navel gazing, and many other things.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple