How to Create a Successful Brand as an Up and Coming Musician

For an entire year, I interviewed up and coming musicians of all kinds. The range of artists was wide and varied from unknown bands in Austin, to jazz artists, to concert pianists, to symphony musicians. My interviews helped me to understand how best to support up and coming musicians to create a successful brand.

I was in search of understanding a few things. One, I wanted to know why they did what they did. Two, I wanted to know HOW they did what they did. Finally, I wanted to know what their plans were for the future of their art and talent.

Here’s what I found. I wish my findings had surprised me and that I had learned something different.

I found out that about 85% of the artists I interviewed with had no real plan or vision for their future. While most knew very clearly WHY they did what they did and even HOW they went about with their vision as an artist, only about 15% had a plan and a goal they were shooting for.

What’s the problem with this finding?

I’ll answer you with another question! How do you get somewhere if you don’t know where you are going? Put a different way, as an artist how are you supposed to know what to do with your days and hours if you don’t have a plan based on a vision you have for your future?

From my own life experiences, I’ve found the only (and most powerful) way to get to my dreams and life purpose is to sit down and envision what the end result will look like.

Sounds simple, right? Yes, it does. However, simple is not always easy because we have to take the time to prioritize sitting down to and “seeing” in our minds’ eye the end result.

TIP: The end result rarely involves visions of money raining down on us. It does, however, involve visions of us performing, as musicians, in a healthy and happy way and connecting with our audience. It also involves truly seeing the future we want to see- before we get to that future.

This is the first, and most important foundational, step to creating a successful brand as an up and coming musician- see it first in your mind’s eye, write it down and then make it happen.

Am I making sense?

So what does this mean for you? Stop and consider:

1. Do you have a vision of your life and future as a successful musician?
   
2. If so, are you looking at that vision DAILY and taking the necessary steps to get there? This may include enlisting support and professional consulting and small course corrections.
   
3. If you don’t have a vision, why not?
   
4. If not, take 1 hour and go sit outdoors.
   
   1. Take your laptop and a blank Word document.
      
   2. Start typing stream of consciousness what you want your future to look like. Be detailed. Include as many details as you can. These details can include such subtle points like what you are wearing on what day and what the air temperature is when you are performing. The more details, the better.
      

Sound do-able? This is the first and main step that lays the foundation for your future success. It’s worth an hour of your life and time. Once you start writing, you may find you can’t stop. Keep going. The future is yours. You are in control. You owe that to yourself and your art.

I’m here to support you along the way. Call or email me anytime. Also, download this guide as your support tool.

Download this guide to get you started.

 

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Here’s to your brand success as a musician,

Katy