1. You do not study about music business: This means you do not know the protocol in the industry. No matter how good you are, you end up being nothing.
2. You do not write songs seriously: Hit song statistics in a song catalog consist only of a small percentage.
3. No originality or creativity: If I were an A&R, I would try to sign an artist that sounds original. This means all songs, lyrics and image should be unique and at the same time can be classified into a genre. The problem with indie artists is that they know cover songs more than their original songs. It is a sign of weakness. It is because, original songs are the bread and butter for every recording artists and it should be mastered with heart.
4. Do not have enough live experience: Frankly speaking, do not fall into thinking that you will land a deal without doing live concerts; do some, but do not overdo it.
5. Too many live concerts and no studio work: Let the music industry know you are serious in your recording by spending some time to record songs with a producer or yourself. Spending too much time focusing on live concerts will not make the music industry very interested.
6. No business sense: This is worse, because if everything you do, doesn’t have a
target plan (consumers that will buy your CD for example, or a specific marketable genre of high demand like pop, rock and country) you are just wasting your time and this is a big sign of future artist failure.
7. Lack of extraordinary musical talent: I believe the music industry needs extraordinary talent, not so much on skills. Those signed artists that are considered legendary singers,songwriters, entertainers and instrumentalists, were discovered doing very well at a young age. So make sure your talent is extra ordinary. If talent is not enough, it is highly suggested to select another career in which you are good. Otherwise, you will end with disappointments later.
8. Lack of professionalism: Music industry is a business of professionals. Do not get mislead into thinking that your meaning of professionalism are people well dressed and socialites. No, it is not. Professionalism means great attitude towards work. A professional is not only a person that is well dressed, well connected and yet has a poor attitude. Also, the way you market yourself reflects professionalism. Overall, the way you treat the music business as a serious business, or how you approach and deal with relationships makes you a professional.
9. Lack of marketing strategies: Music business like any other business needs a solid marketing strategy. Most indie recording artists fail because they think it is someone else job. No, it is not. You have to start marketing yourself. Build some presence, connections and showing of talents. This is the time when you get noticed and music marketing professionals will want to join your team . Thus, making you even more popular.
10. Failed to treat music as a career: Deciding to become an indie recording artist is a career choice. Yes it is. Sadly, I think 99% of the artists think of it as a hobby or just fun. This results to less commitment, professionalism and time devoted to master the art of singing, songwriting and stage performance. The very few who sacrifice other lucrative career opportunities for the sake of music are signs of success. It is because they are determined enough to take all odds to make their music business career a challenging and a very satisfying career. Based on actual experiences, a fear of rejection or failure as an indie artist is already a sign of failure. The root cause is to fail to treat music as a career, again by failing to plan.
Reply
You are born time begins, the world rejoices and you cry
The start of time, you will never know what to expect
Time is always of the essence, a joint venture that you never signed up for
Put your mind in check, get your hustle on
Time waits for no man, it goes faster than you blink
Do things Take risks
The opportunities became liabilities
You are now dead time ends, the world cries and you smile
The end of your existence, was it worth it
You never know what could have happen if you took the next opportunity
But the time that you thought that was on your side was never.
The world spun without explanation and you somehow agreed to the joint venture
Life and Death in perfect harmony
Time and Opportunity in perfect symphony
They all dont give a damn about you
Its a contract that you are never to profit on
Reply
Sometimes in life the strangest things happen,
Sometimes, there are things you'll never understand,
Sometimes there are greater unseen pictures,
Sometimes destiny unfolds exactly how Jah Jah has planned.
And that is exactly how I feel, our destiny is before our very eyes,
Reply
Locked in my cage, I stare at the emptiness;
this very emptiness possesses my soul -
YOU ARE ALONE...
But we are one
The days, the months pass, as do the years,
yet as time progresses, it loses all relevance.
I sit here trapped in a recurring nightmare, never to be awaken.
I feed on my own self-pity -
I never hunger. I merely exist,
captive in this asylum, biding my time;
my sole gratification, inebriated isolation.
The door to my cage is ajar, as is often the case,
yet it's pointless to leave; each journey leads me back
to this God-forsaken realm of suffering and despair.
Long ago, I was free;
I remember faces, smiling faces.
A different me, in a different time -
it was a time of fulfillment, of togetherness, of love.
Then one day the fantasy ended, and I was here . . .
but enough about the past; I must face my reality.
Distant voices race through my head,
as I stave off insanity.
But this time, the voice is real.
Unsure of its origin, I feel my soul is not as cold; my burden lighter.
Though I smile, I soon shiver in frustration.
Tears stream down my cheeks,
as I cannot deny that the other voice is of my own big brother,
as my rationality succumbs to my imagination.
Reply
Intrigued by u not quite sure what caught me but,
Whatever it was I can tell u it got me, thinking of you
When I have extra time in my day, rehearsing and reciting
All the things I would say, if only we spent that time,
I feel I could make you feel me, give me more than just a moment
I'd have your mind enrichment course
Forgetting the physical cause I know I can please u
Just let me get a glimpse of your emotional and mental and
Let me intellectually tease u
Cease you from the stress that blocks your mind begging me
To give it to u one more time, so come and find out exactly where my beauty lies
Care for you the right way, bringing tears to your eyes.
Let me play on your spine like soft strokes to keys on my piano
Let me slowly run my fingers through hair like I'm strumming on my guitar
Awakening your symphony
Pleasure your notes
I am taken with u as if u didn't know so let's grow to a higher plain
That only holds two......my secret desire dedicated to u....
Reply
I look in the mirror and see the unknown,
Who is staring back at me.
I don't know who he is anymore, because he's not the man I wanted be.
He puts a smile on, while inside he is falling apart.
He says, "I'm okay",
As the pain fills his heart.
He pretends not to care, as everyone slowly walks away.
He hides behind the mask, and pretends to be okay.
He is scared to open up, and call someone his best friend.
They all turn out to be the same, and they never really care in the end.
He is scared to let people close, it always ends up as heartache.
He decides to trust someone, but it always ends up as a big mistake.
He feels like a stranger in his own home,
Like he doesn't even belong.
He tries the best he can, but it always seems to be wrong.
He freezes up at the word "love",
People throw it around too much.
His muscles constrict, as he is afraid to be touched.
He has ideas for the future,
Hopes and dreams of his own.
But he doesn't hold his breath, because disappointment is all he has ever known.
He asks, "Why am I never good enough", "Why am I always second choice"?
People tell him he's got to stand up for what he wants,
He's got to find his own voice.
I know who I wanna be, It's all so much clearer.
But the fact of life is, I'm only the man in the mirror.
Llife separates him through time,
He never knew what might happen so he kept this in mind.
No matter what I do,which way I decide to go
always remember that I have a friend
who loves him dearly and true.
GOD!
Life might get tough, not go the way you want it to,
so just think back in time, the time of peace and tranquilty.
Life might seem hard now,
but it's not even close of what might come.
Be true to yourself and to your heart, grab life by the horns and never look back,
because if you dont, you might regret a part.
That's the lesson for the day, for this time in life,
it just might bring you closer to your happiness, instead of apart.
The roads he has traveled. Bridges he has crossed.
He's gone the extra mile, and come to many stops.
He had a few road blocks, toward what he thought, could have been the end.
But had to be brought back a mile or two again.
So when closure comes, and the mirror breaks
I do know what it will mean.
I'll finally have peace of mind, I'll be able to feel,think, and breathe
I probably won't believe it.
I'll think it is all a dream again.
And although the journey will have ended.
I'll never forget what I've learned along the way, or how I learned to take it day by day.
Reply
Juzwun(PRODUCER) / Blog
Top 10 Reason Why Indie Artist Fail...
1. You do not study about music business: This means you do not know the protocol in the industry. No matter how good you are, you end up being nothing. 2. You do not write songs seriously: Hit song statistics in a song catalog consist only of a small percentage. 3. No originality or creativity: If I were an A&R, I would try to sign an artist that sounds original. This means all songs, lyrics and image should be unique and at the same time can be classified into a genre. The problem with indie artists is that they know cover songs more than their original songs. It is a sign of weakness. It is because, original songs are the bread and butter for every recording artists and it should be mastered with heart. 4. Do not have enough live experience: Frankly speaking, do not fall into thinking that you will land a deal without doing live concerts; do some, but do not overdo it. 5. Too many live concerts and no studio work: Let the music industry know you are serious in your recording by spending some time to record songs with a producer or yourself. Spending too much time focusing on live concerts will not make the music industry very interested. 6. No business sense: This is worse, because if everything you do, doesn’t have a target plan (consumers that will buy your CD for example, or a specific marketable genre of high demand like pop, rock and country) you are just wasting your time and this is a big sign of future artist failure. 7. Lack of extraordinary musical talent: I believe the music industry needs extraordinary talent, not so much on skills. Those signed artists that are considered legendary singers,songwriters, entertainers and instrumentalists, were discovered doing very well at a young age. So make sure your talent is extra ordinary. If talent is not enough, it is highly suggested to select another career in which you are good. Otherwise, you will end with disappointments later. 8. Lack of professionalism: Music industry is a business of professionals. Do not get mislead into thinking that your meaning of professionalism are people well dressed and socialites. No, it is not. Professionalism means great attitude towards work. A professional is not only a person that is well dressed, well connected and yet has a poor attitude. Also, the way you market yourself reflects professionalism. Overall, the way you treat the music business as a serious business, or how you approach and deal with relationships makes you a professional. 9. Lack of marketing strategies: Music business like any other business needs a solid marketing strategy. Most indie recording artists fail because they think it is someone else job. No, it is not. You have to start marketing yourself. Build some presence, connections and showing of talents. This is the time when you get noticed and music marketing professionals will want to join your team . Thus, making you even more popular. 10. Failed to treat music as a career: Deciding to become an indie recording artist is a career choice. Yes it is. Sadly, I think 99% of the artists think of it as a hobby or just fun. This results to less commitment, professionalism and time devoted to master the art of singing, songwriting and stage performance. The very few who sacrifice other lucrative career opportunities for the sake of music are signs of success. It is because they are determined enough to take all odds to make their music business career a challenging and a very satisfying career. Based on actual experiences, a fear of rejection or failure as an indie artist is already a sign of failure. The root cause is to fail to treat music as a career, again by failing to plan.
Reply
Time
You are born time begins, the world rejoices and you cry The start of time, you will never know what to expect Time is always of the essence, a joint venture that you never signed up for Put your mind in check, get your hustle on Time waits for no man, it goes faster than you blink Do things Take risks The opportunities became liabilities
You are now dead time ends, the world cries and you smile The end of your existence, was it worth it You never know what could have happen if you took the next opportunity But the time that you thought that was on your side was never. The world spun without explanation and you somehow agreed to the joint venture
Life and Death in perfect harmony Time and Opportunity in perfect symphony They all dont give a damn about you Its a contract that you are never to profit on
Reply
Destiny Where Have You Gone.
Sometimes in life the strangest things happen, Sometimes, there are things you'll never understand, Sometimes there are greater unseen pictures, Sometimes destiny unfolds exactly how Jah Jah has planned. And that is exactly how I feel, our destiny is before our very eyes,
Reply
My Big Brother
Locked in my cage, I stare at the emptiness; this very emptiness possesses my soul - YOU ARE ALONE... But we are one The days, the months pass, as do the years, yet as time progresses, it loses all relevance. I sit here trapped in a recurring nightmare, never to be awaken. I feed on my own self-pity - I never hunger. I merely exist, captive in this asylum, biding my time; my sole gratification, inebriated isolation. The door to my cage is ajar, as is often the case, yet it's pointless to leave; each journey leads me back to this God-forsaken realm of suffering and despair. Long ago, I was free; I remember faces, smiling faces. A different me, in a different time - it was a time of fulfillment, of togetherness, of love. Then one day the fantasy ended, and I was here . . . but enough about the past; I must face my reality. Distant voices race through my head, as I stave off insanity. But this time, the voice is real. Unsure of its origin, I feel my soul is not as cold; my burden lighter. Though I smile, I soon shiver in frustration. Tears stream down my cheeks, as I cannot deny that the other voice is of my own big brother, as my rationality succumbs to my imagination.
Reply
16th Day Of March
Intrigued by u not quite sure what caught me but, Whatever it was I can tell u it got me, thinking of you When I have extra time in my day, rehearsing and reciting All the things I would say, if only we spent that time, I feel I could make you feel me, give me more than just a moment I'd have your mind enrichment course Forgetting the physical cause I know I can please u Just let me get a glimpse of your emotional and mental and Let me intellectually tease u Cease you from the stress that blocks your mind begging me To give it to u one more time, so come and find out exactly where my beauty lies Care for you the right way, bringing tears to your eyes. Let me play on your spine like soft strokes to keys on my piano Let me slowly run my fingers through hair like I'm strumming on my guitar Awakening your symphony Pleasure your notes I am taken with u as if u didn't know so let's grow to a higher plain That only holds two......my secret desire dedicated to u....
Reply
Looking Through My Eyes
I look in the mirror and see the unknown, Who is staring back at me. I don't know who he is anymore, because he's not the man I wanted be. He puts a smile on, while inside he is falling apart. He says, "I'm okay", As the pain fills his heart. He pretends not to care, as everyone slowly walks away. He hides behind the mask, and pretends to be okay. He is scared to open up, and call someone his best friend. They all turn out to be the same, and they never really care in the end. He is scared to let people close, it always ends up as heartache. He decides to trust someone, but it always ends up as a big mistake. He feels like a stranger in his own home, Like he doesn't even belong. He tries the best he can, but it always seems to be wrong. He freezes up at the word "love", People throw it around too much. His muscles constrict, as he is afraid to be touched. He has ideas for the future, Hopes and dreams of his own. But he doesn't hold his breath, because disappointment is all he has ever known. He asks, "Why am I never good enough", "Why am I always second choice"? People tell him he's got to stand up for what he wants, He's got to find his own voice. I know who I wanna be, It's all so much clearer. But the fact of life is, I'm only the man in the mirror. Llife separates him through time, He never knew what might happen so he kept this in mind. No matter what I do,which way I decide to go always remember that I have a friend who loves him dearly and true. GOD! Life might get tough, not go the way you want it to, so just think back in time, the time of peace and tranquilty. Life might seem hard now, but it's not even close of what might come. Be true to yourself and to your heart, grab life by the horns and never look back, because if you dont, you might regret a part. That's the lesson for the day, for this time in life, it just might bring you closer to your happiness, instead of apart. The roads he has traveled. Bridges he has crossed. He's gone the extra mile, and come to many stops. He had a few road blocks, toward what he thought, could have been the end. But had to be brought back a mile or two again. So when closure comes, and the mirror breaks I do know what it will mean. I'll finally have peace of mind, I'll be able to feel,think, and breathe I probably won't believe it. I'll think it is all a dream again. And although the journey will have ended. I'll never forget what I've learned along the way, or how I learned to take it day by day.
Reply