Had this in mind for a long time now, but for some reason(s), I am just writing it out as an article. The idea of this article stuck in my head way back when I visited a studio, just to hear young artistes make beautiful music and stuff.
This particular guy came up, had 30 minutes studio session and he went into the booth. For the first 10minutes, he was listening to the beat and mumbling into the MIC. He later decided to record, I was craving for something spectacular, but my hopes were dashed when this guy couldn’t lace his hook on the beat till the whole session was over, and he had to leave the booth.
Out of curiosity I had to ask the guy when he came out “how far, wetin happen na”, he replied and said “I no get time hear the beat for house before I reach here”.
I will just try to pass my message across as brief as I can, the title of this article is “taking your career serious as a potential music star”
Firstly, how do you manage your time, how do you make use of every small opportunity to make music, how passionate are you about your music? This might not really affect young acts who have already been signed by record labels, because no record label would spend money on any artiste and will allow the artiste underutilize their resources.
As an unsigned potential star, you are your manager, your PR, at the same time the artiste. It’s not easy being unsigned, so sometimes I marvel at the unseriousness some of you guys show when it comes to your music careers.
Music is not made in the studio, you only go to the studio to record your music. Only on few occasions does it happen that you are just In the studio, and you hear a beat and you just get inspired to go in on that beat and it comes out really good.
Music is created in your head, music is created when you see that beautiful girl in your hood and that love song just pops up in your head, music is created when you watch the news and see another life lost etc . . Inspiration comes in different forms. The question is what do you do with the inspiration? Do you pen down lyrics based on the inspiration or you just Over look it and throw away a great idea for a good song?
After penning down your song, don’t hit the studio just yet, don’t get too exited and waste your sessions at the studio. Get your beat, listen to it over and over again, get used to the beat, rehearse your lines on the beat till you are comfortable that everything is In place. Note where you would want the sound engineer to add effects and so on. Once all that is done, hitting the studio and recording would be smooth and straight to the point.
You can’t go to the studio without an idea of how you are going to lace your lines o. The beat, you can’t go to the studio without even knowing the arrangement of your beat. Thats as good as wasting valuable studio sessions.
Secondly, how much time do you put into your music? Some of you guys think that music is an escape route from the 9 – 5 kind of hustle. You are so very wrong, music is a 24/7 thing, you live for music alone, you eat, sleep and wake up with music. If you are upcoming and you don’t put in more effort into your music than an already established artiste, how are you going to reach the top? Only hard work leads to success. Music isn’t for lazy people or for people who love to procrastinate.
As an unsigned artiste, you have to discipline yourself in order to be successful, once it’s time for studio, make sure you are there, once it’s time to write, make sure you write. There is time for everything, time to work and time to play, some of you guys party everyday like already made and known artistes. Checkout the work they have put into place before partying, and you will be shocked how hard they work.
To blow is not easy, it takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication. Now is the time to work, do not waste it, grab every opportunity available to make your career a successful one. The time for play will definitely come.
HARD WORK, DISCIPLINE, DEDICATION WILL LEAD TO SUCCESS!
Even the Holy book says it (Proverbs 6 : 6 – 10) . . Take time out to read it.
Written by: Tosin Adeda