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We know that being a DIY musician is far from easy. Going out into the music industry on your own is intimidating at times, but it can be so rewarding in the end. In this new series, we're giving you a quick roundup of our best tips and advice from experts every Monday to help you become a better DIY musician.
1. Being nice will get you farther than you think
"I hear countless stories from people in the industry about artists who throw a fit when they don’t get what they want or are just plain rude. The least you can do is be polite and professional. You don’t need to suck up to anyone and you don’t need to be shy, but you do need to be friendly, accommodating, and polite." – Liam Duncan, full-time touring musician
From: How to Send a Killer Email to Anyone in the Music Industry
2. Stop chasing perfection
"One of the most important lessons one can learn about performing is letting go of perfectionist tendencies that burden the psyche. It sounds like the opposite of what you learned in music lessons, but chasing perfection is a waste of time. It's no more real than riding unicorns or Santa Claus." – Anthony Cerullo, freelance writer and keyboard player
From: Why Perfectionism Is Toxic to Your Music Career
3. Engage in mindful practice
"Mindful practice helps you become more active in the process of experimenting while combining clear goals and ideas.... It involves repetition, but in a different way. Mindful practice is slow, thoughtful, and specific." – Anthony Cerullo, freelance writer and keyboard player
From: Musicians: How to Tell if You Practice Mindfully or Mindlessly
4. Play on the street
"This is the season to spend a little time busking.... Playing outside on the street is the lowest pressure gig imaginable, like an open-air rehearsal, and you’ll improve your chops and your rapport with strangers." – Jesse Sterling Harrison, author and recording artist
From: 6 Things Every Musician Should Do Before the End of Summer
5. Reframe performance anxiety
"According to a recent study from Harvard University, moderate amounts of stress can be converted into positive energy. It's possible to trick your brain from feeling stressed out into a feeling of excitement. By reframing the anxiety in your mind, the brain will start thinking more confidently and you'll begin to see a positive change in performance." – Anthony Cerullo, freelance writer and keyboard player
From: 5 Facts All Musicians Should Know About Stage Fright
6. Find a mentor
"Create a LinkedIn account, and search for music industry professionals in your area. Then, politely and professionally ask for some time to sit down with the contacts you found. If they agree to meet, chances are that they'll end up providing a wealth of information about how they got their position, what they're doing there, and the pratfalls and problems they're seeing from their perspective." – Bryan Howell, rock musician
From: 6 Risks You Should Take With Your Music Career, Starting Today
7. Make specific practice goals
"The key is, as Dr. Anders Ericsson writes, to 'take that general goal – get better – and turn it into something specific that you can work on with a realistic expectation of improvement'.... It begins with a process of breaking things down into smaller and smaller steps until you wind up with something that can be realistically accomplished in a practice session (or a few)." – Ian Temple, pianist, entrepreneur, and professional musician
From: This Psychologist Wants You to Stop Wasting Your Practice Time
