Artist First Principles
Seemingly every week I talk to an artist who is crumbling under the weight of an awful and toxic relationship or partnership. Some of them stepped through the door knowing full well that something was “off”, but were intoxicated by the potential. Others were blindsided. And I’m not just talking about naive newbies, but veteran artists with enough clout and leverage to avoid such pitfalls.
Sigh…
We find ourselves at a crucial juncture in music history, witnessing the dying breaths and dwindling presence of those in the music industry who exploit and degrade artists during the creative processes or as part of a well-worn power dynamic. It’s a last gasp effort to crush the spirits of rising talents, akin to drowning individuals trying to drag others down with them. It’s a peculiar human characteristic, to say the least: stifling those on the way up due to resentment for their unrealized potential or poor life choices. It has to stop and will take the resolute effort of artists like you to send this behavior to its miserable end.
How is this for a new year’s resolution?
I will stand guard at the gates of my artist career. While I may bend to the pressures, I will not break. Only those whose default demeanor, and way of operating and communicating, is rooted in respect, kindness, and transparency get to play with me. No perceived opportunity or relationship is worth the loss of my self respect and dignity. I will not settle.
If you were to ONLY focus on this, professionally and systematically dissolving any current relationship or partnership that doesn’t match this basic set of virtues, you will find that not only do the right relationships emerge, but so do the right opportunities. For so many of you, that would mean very real and meaningful progress and, just as importantly, it would bring peace of mind!
You know that having relationships you can count on are vital to both your success and your mental health, you have always known that to be true. It’s SO simple as to be easily discounted.
There is a stoic saying, “All learning is remembering.”
If you have learned the hard way over the last few years, remembering foundational truths can provide a way out and forward. Let’s transition from what to avoid to what to embrace:
The act of surrounding yourself with people who are supportive and reliable is self-evidently good.
I would consider that foundational and a first principle. First principles thinking is the act of boiling a process down to the fundamental parts that you know are true and building up from there.
Artist First Principles. I like the ring of that.
Here are a few others first principles that I know to be true:
Commitment to your craft is paramount.
(That’s worthy of saying twice. You simply do not become good enough to warrant the growing or sustained interest of listeners if you do not commit to your craft. It’s a blunt force realization, but it is bedrock.)
Quality matters.
(The quality of your writing and its performance directly affects the recording quality. This, in turn, influences the mixing and mastering stages. Each step is crucial, as it shapes the music’s perception and perceived value. A well-executed process enhances the music’s marketability, reach, and traction. Ultimately, these factors combine to maximize the music’s emotional, spiritual, and economic impact.)
“Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation”
(If an “opportunity” is blocked by a power dynamic driven solely by power and control, it ceases to be an opportunity. The advice to “never be afraid to walk away from a deal” holds true.)
Inherent or developed talent mixed with timing, luck, and maximal effort and responsibility are the key ingredients to an artists success.
(Only part of your journey is in your control.)
Professional artists were once amateurs.
(You are on your way, keep going.)
Learning and mastering the rules of the music business is necessary before you attempt to break them. Honoring, and then breaking them when necessary is optimal.
(So that people want to help you along the way.)
You are responsible for your choices, and even more strictly, responsible for the knowledge required to make the best choices.
(No excuses.)
Each of you hold personal first principles that are cornerstones of the larger meta principles of the music community. The health and stability of your career and the industry at large depend on your wielding of these principles in your willingness to take on the challenges ahead voluntarily.
You would find it time well spent to sit quietly and challenge yourself to articulate your own first principles. In the process you will find sobering and noise cancelling clarity, a stiffening of your backbone, and a welling up of strength that will ultimately set your career free and make all your professional relationships healthy.
But of course, you know this already. Here’s to learning to remember.
Cheers, everyone.
If this resonated with you, please share it with other artists who might find it valuable. Learn more about my learning environment and find out how to work with me here: www.thecompass-method.com
