Recently, I checked into my advice box and found another request, stating “So my dream is music. I love singing, I love writing lyrics and I love entertaining but I feel I have to be realistic because dreams aren’t always real. and I feel that I have to get a job that pays well and a job that is good at music but there’s a 1% chance I’ll make it big. and I don’t know how to make this dream something real.”
Dear “Unfavorable odds”,
Dreams are important, they give us direction and honestly sometimes purpose in life. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a dream even if it feels impossible. Ok, so the odds are not in your favor. Millions of artists upload their content to platforms like Spotify every single year, that’s the easy part. Less than 0.1% actually make a living wage off of it. Scarier than that is that only about 0.01% are considered famous and 0.001% become household names like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars or Carrie Underwood. But if someone had told a church-singing, rural Oklahoma girl (Carrie Underwood) not to dream we wouldn’t know what happens when he cheats and we wouldn’t have Jesus taking the wheel. And even though Bruno Mars was rejected by the industry for years because of uncontrollable circumstances, including being “too short”, he didn’t stop dreaming. Call me an optimist but I have a few options as you work on your dream, because I believe in a world where dreams can come true.
When considering options we should start with this: decide the role of music as a passion or profession. However, be honest with yourself before you continue. Is it something you love so much that it brings you joy and will continue to bring you joy when it’s hard, when paying your bills depends on it and when there is real pressure and deadlines? Realize that some passions are meant to restore you, not sustain you financially. On the other hand, if you can handle feedback, rejection and lots of repetition – then consider it as a profession. The key to success in the music industry is persistence no matter what path you choose.
Don’t think about your choices in black or white, there are multiple ways to go about your dream.
- Shrink your dream until it feels attainable and then let it evolve. What that means is to focus on the tasks you can accomplish right now and as time goes on dive a little deeper. This means putting your energy into this dream and recognizing that it’s going to be a lot of work; as time passes you might find that you are still on the road to becoming what you want in the music industry or you might find an interest in producing, teaching, composing or even becoming a songwriter among other options.
- College isn’t a bad thing. A degree doesn’t decide your destiny, it builds tools you can use to succeed. Carrie Underwood and Nick Jonas have degrees in communication. Lady Gaga studied theater and Kesha studied psychology. Maybe making it big looks like your name headlining a tour but give yourself a shot at making a livable wage.
- Look at the industry as a whole and give yourself some hybrid options. Back to the Bruno Mars story – he had the dream of becoming a headliner but getting there wasn’t easy. He broke into the industry through the side door – he created a songwriting team and wrote hits for other people. He succeeded by helping others succeed first, created value to his product, made himself indispensable until discovery for his talent was unavoidable. Very few people do only one thing in the music industry. It’s a strategy to get your foot in the door until a breakthrough moment happens.
- Play the lottery. Don’t be afraid to use the resources you have available to you now. Platforms like TikTok can create more opportunities than people realize. Lil Nas X became famous after a series of memes and challenges leading to a number 1 hit after his song “Old Town Road” went viral. Even Olivia Rodrigo used TikTok to transition her value from actress to recording artist. After going on American Idol, Benson Boone’s following on TikTok gave him a shot with a recording label.
No pressure, no names — just honest buzz. If you need advice click here.
Until next time,
Bee-atrice! … Bzzz
