Your Music is NOT For Everybody!

Early on, Calling Our Music “Alternative Christian Funk” as catchy as it sounded, wasn’t exactly accurate for my band, SounDoctrine. Most importantly, the phrase Didn’t Tick Off Enough People! Our goal was to create a space within a space that didn’t fit anywhere! Eventually, We decided upon “Originalternativefunkjazzfusion” just to see the look on their faces. 

It’s not easy. You want to be Liked, Followed, Acknowledged, Even Accepted, but Not by Everyone! The onus is on you to find Your Tribe, Your Family, Your Folk who truly “Get It” without you having to explain yourself, graft a convincingly strong elevator pitch or work your nose off “building” a brand. The doggone thing builds itself - organically. Just play from your from your heart and sing from your soul! 

Don't Apologize and Definitely Do Not Make Excuses!

I realize I am talking to fellow EntreMusicians. This post betrays all of the obvious elements we must employ to attract our fan base and/or become 'successful.’ But there is zero freedom in compromise, sounding, looking or performing like everyone else. At the end of the week, this is ART, Self Expression, Liberty, Your Spirit on Display! Some People Are Not Going to Like Your Work. Others Will Detest It! Smile & Offer to Take a Selfie With Them!

Ignore the formula. Eschew the Rules. Annihilate the Cookie Cutter Context and Create Yourself! No One Remembers Cover Bands for long, although those gigs may keep the lights on for a while. But, Understand that even the Best Tribute Acts dare not step outside of their Counterfeit Characterizations and into Their Own Identity even for a moment or the entire show falls flat. In the meantime, who gets to know You? 

It is the Longer Road. The difficult, narrow, intense uphill climb to even a quarter way up the mountain. But so is Mediocrity.

The People who Do Actually Grab Hold of Your Sound will do so out of Sheer Devotion and Commitment. These will be the Fans that Become Family.
They Will Be the Ones Lining Others Up for Your Shows, Singing Your Songs, Sharing Your Social Sites and Subscribing to Your Channels. These, the Few, but Mighty Will Be Your Evangelists. Love Them Back. Feed Them. Care For Them. Treat Them with Grace, Truth and Love and Watch Your Community Develop into a Place You All Call Home.

Check Out My Interview with Lisa Marie Simmons and her international band, Hippie Tendencies. They have developed a sound that will either Endear or Repel You and are growing an Audience that thrives on their Artistic Transparency. 

You can’t manufacture that kind of Loyalty. 

Nor Should You...

 

I Was Listening to Notespeak while posting this

 

 

Photo by Kenan Süleymanoğlu

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