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Work Ethic Makes The Difference

5/11/2016

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Another aspect of booking for MicCheck is work ethic.  My goodness, work ethic.  I’m beginning to believe it is the invisible wall that traps independent artists into their cyclical lifestyles and leads them down the path of “people don’t support”.  That may have been a rough starter, but when researching artists to put on MicCheck, you can see very clearly who has a stronger work ethic than others.  But it’s not just booking for a show, it’s also evident in the type of show they put on, what they post on social media, and how polished or poor their musical presence in the world is. 
 
Independent artists often, not always, have a strong entitlement mentality.  Now I must be honest, that statement applies to not only performing artists, but also writers, business owners, and anyone else who seems to think that talent is enough to catapult them far into the world of success.  Unfortunately, the truth is, the one who works the hardest will win.
 
In my music performance life, I’ve always used the statement “do for 2 as you would for 2000.”  What I mean by that is, don’t let the circumstances dictate who or how you are.  If you want to do a show where you dance from start to finish, don’t wait until you are afforded the “exposure” you think deserves it.  Every opportunity is a chance to change your success level.  But having that kind of mentality requires a higher level of work ethic.
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With that said, here are 5 tips to strengthen your work ethic as a person in the music industry (no matter your position).  

Have a plan for your path to success.  If you have never sat down and really thought through where the efforts are taking you, your work ethic will be average at best.  How can you work hard at something undefined?  The plan doesn’t have to be perfect.  You can perfect as you learn and grow.  But there should be a plan.  A plan holds you accountable.  A plan requires you to work even when there is nothing pressing.  If you find that you only think about your image, pressing cds, or your website when some grand opportunity presents itself, your plan isn’t detailed enough.  So, take time to map out your success to the best of your ability.  

Stop waiting for others to make your dreams come true.  Help is great.  As a matter of fact, help is inevitable.  Just know, no one wants to help someone who hasn’t done all they can do to help themselves.  Contrary to what most people believe, there are people who come across opportunities all the time, but when the opportunity presents itself, oftentimes, they feel as though no one is “ready” for it.  MicCheck has that problem often.  No, MicCheck is the world’s best stage.  But it.s a growing stage and platform independent artists who are helping themselves.   But whether the Miccheck stage, or any stage, are your prepared to capitalize on it?  What have you done so that when someone comes to you, you can say “‘yes” with confidence.  If you have waited for someone to design something for you, marketing you, beat the streets for you, talk to the radio outlets for you, and you haven’t gotten out there to make it happen yourself, that answer will often be nothing.  You are not prepared to capitalize.  So get out there and do what you can.  It may not be to the level that you want due to budget, resources, or access.  But when the right team, investor, or opportunity comes along, they will have something to work with and help make it better.  

Realize that there is no such thing as down time.  If you don’t have a show or you aren’t in the studio, you can’t assume there is nothing to do.  No down time.  You should be working.  Attend events, network, write, exercise, research, submit to shows and radio stations, listen to music to be inspired, look for parallel avenues to generate income, etc.  You should be doing something.  If your name isn’t a household name in the world of music, you have work to do.  Just think.  The people who we idolize as celebrities do more in a day than most of us do in a week.  You have to be prepared for that level of work.  It doesn’t start when you get on.  It starts before.  So while making your plan, build in self-development aspects to make sure you are strengthening your craft, image, marketing, presence, or whatever your plan requires to take you wherever your dreams say you are going.

Avoid the amen corners.  Having a crew is cool.  Friends, family, and fellow artists are great channels for support.  However, you don’t need to adopt a group of people who always tell you that you’re on.  They are lying to you.  You aren’t always on.  Be around people who will hold you accountable.  Place yourself in circles of people who are moving forward in whatever industry they are in  so that you feel motivated to keep moving.  If the only time you see your crew is to chill, you should find a new crew.  You don’t have to get rid of the old crew.  But you need an alternate crew.  Because chilling doesn’t get you to the dream, work does.  Your work ethic is often evident in those around you.  Sitting around dreaming and talking about the dream isn’t good enough.  So ditch the amen corner, and align yourself with people who barely have time to get together because they all are working so hard to succeed.  When you do get together, there is more fun to be had as you celebrate the progress in your efforts.
 
Grind with the end in mind.  Being an independent music creator is the equivalent to an out of shape person trying to get a summer body.  We work and we work to be in a place where we can do what we want.  We work at it and work at it and feel as though nothing is happening or changing.  I’m not speculating.  This is what I know.  But no differently than that person looking in the miroir after only a month of working out, you have to remember that it’s a lifestyle change.  You have to begin to put the right things in to get better results.  And those changes can’t be temporary.  They must be a conscious decision to change how you think and what you do.  That sometimes will be your only motivation.  So get your mind away from, “nothing I do works”.  Trying it for a few weeks, testing it on one show, or attempting in on one project isn’t enough.  Figure out how to get the results you want.  Then grind with the end in mind.  Don’t give too much energy to the fact that you don’t see quick results.  Just keep pushing and working.  You will be in shape in no time and people will swear you just got it all handed to you.  …  Because for some reason it’s easier to believe it just happened than that you worked your ass off for it.
 
All that to say, get your work ethic up.  Be one of those people who are undeniable because you have already considered all your options and have done your best to be ready for everything.  And when opportunity knocks, you will be ready to swing the door open. 


Jacqueline Jones
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Friends vs Fans?

5/4/2016

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Every year that I have started the booking process for MicCheck, I find myself sorting through emails, soundcloud links, and social media outlets looking for artists to put on stage.  There are a few things I look for upfront.  But one major thing is fan base.  For an event like MicCheck, where my mission is to aid independent artists grow their fan base, I require that they have shown their efforts before I extend the invitation.  For many who ask about the show, believing they have a fan base, I find there is something I should point out.  

For every independent artist and entrepreneur there is a point where you rely on others to support your efforts.  Those efforts are supposed to transition your position in your industry from one level to the next.  When it comes to independent artists, oftentimes, we find that we garner the support of our friends and family to get us started.  But are friends really fans?​


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MicCheck Alumni from multiple years pause for a photo op after MicCheck15.
PictureJacqueline Jones thanking the MicCheck14 crowd.


​You don’t want this answer, I’m sure.  But more than likely your friends aren't truly fans of your music.  95% of them support you because of who you are to them.  But if ever you find that you and a particular friend aren’t as close, it’s easy to see just which side they are on.  The reposts begin to slow down.  They don’t attend your shows.  They don’t request your music at the local radio station.  This fact isn’t intended to discourage you, only to point out a reality.  

If 95% of your friends aren’t really fans, and 95% of your “fans” are your friends, you don’t have many fans.  It’s better to realize this and attempt to start a strategy to create more actual fans sooner than later.  Rarely do people want to deal with this reality.  But if you truly feel your destiny lies in your own hands, you can’t believe that everything is working on it's own.  There is always something to improve.  

Now the question is, what next?  "I have come to terms with the harsh reality that I don’t have many fans.  What do I do about it?"  Here are 3 things to get you started in building your fan base.  

Get in front of the right crowd.  Taking gigs, for a lot of working musicians, performers, and artists is really about paying the bills.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  But it’s going to be extremely difficult to make a jazz music fan out of a hip-hop crowd.  So don’t be afraid to say no.  If you have taken time to create music, you had a particular genre or consumer in mind.  Whether you thought about it consciously or not, you know the type of person who will like what you’ve created.  Now where are they?  If it’s jazz, where are the jazz clubs?  Are there open mic nights for your genre where you can showcase your art?  When you take a show, ask the venue owner what type of crowd they normally have.  Or simply show up at the venue and take a look for yourself.  Research who else performs at the venue.  Don’t simply take gigs and blindly and think, “one day all of these people will be fans of my music.”  If you aren’t in front of the right crowd, most of them will forget you before your band has broken down.

Be personal.  One of the many great things about independent artists is the ability to be approached.  If a person feels your music is good, they want to feel as though they got to know you on the ground floor.  So take the selfies.  Respond to the comments on social media.  Thank people personally.  Be accessible.  In the realest sense of being a fan, you feel as though you know the artist personally and that you can relate to them, even if you have never met them.  So when it’s time to talk about you, they are comfortable sharing their love for your music with others.  So don’t try to be hollywood too soon.  

Treat your music like a business.  This sentence may be in every single thing I will ever write about independent music.  Businesses don’t build clientele by only servicing their friends and family.  They don’t become well known by only relying on their circle to get the word out.  You should work to figure out what works best for you.  Make a budget.  Make a budget.  Make a budget.  If you don’t have funds to work with to create a budget, every show you do and every unit you sell that makes money should be immediately reinvested into your business.  You should be aware of your overhead costs.  You should know what it requires monthly to keep your business afloat.  If you haven’t thought about any of these things and you are just making and putting out music, performing, and recording, you may never leave the place you are.  No, that is not true of everyone.  But it is reality for most.  Get your business in order.  (I think this tip deserves a blog all it’s own.)

Be grateful for the friends and family you have who love and care enough for you to support you.  At least for a while, they will buy every song, every tshirt, and attend as many shows as they can.  Just remember, you don’t want it to only be them and you don’t want them to always feel obligated to be the ones there.  So if you’re planning to make music your career, you are going to need FANS.

​Jacqueline Jones

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