In addition to many things, I’m a voice-over actor and musician and I have lots of old material laying around. I was listening to old compositions of mine from back in the day, and I loved listening to my voice and music as a little kid. And although many of the songs were pretty good, many were extremely cringe-worthy. Yep, lots of them were. If you’re a creative type and you’ve been creating things long enough, you definitely have volumes of extremely embarrassing failed efforts. That’s just how it goes. The difference for artists signed to major labels is that they have teams of people working with them every step of the way to keep those failed efforts from happening. But if you’ve been working in, out and around the outskirts of the industry as an independent entity like I have, you probably racked up your share of disc-burning worthy “what-was-I-thinking” classics. I stand by my aptitude as an artist, and given the work was made after my 18th birthday, almost always the songs had lots of potential and were well-written. However, many were not produced correctly, at all. Many times it was the singing or oversinging, other times the arrangement, sometimes the production, and sometimes all of the above. But all those embarrassing failed efforts is what helps you fine-tune yourself into a consistent professional. Failure makes its way toward greatness. If you’re a music creator, writer or a participant of any type of talent-based initiatives there is a way this can be avoided altogether. I listened to tracks of mine that were great and received well, and then I listened to a bunch of the not so great ones, making sure no one was around of course. And I realized why the good ones were good and the bad ones were “bad”. And more importantly, I realized how those fails could not be repeated.
Working Alone
The biggest mistake I made when it came to making works of art hands down, particularly with music, was always working all by myself. Not having any other pair of ears and having no outside opinions or criticism has ruined several potentially good songs. I did this since I was a child. When you get used to hitting home runs, you get used to acclamation and praise for mediocre manifestations because people remember your home runs. And then…you get lazy and rely only on yourself too much. And then soon you lose the ability to hear when you’re hot and when you’re not. Other people help make you better. Collaborators will tell you when your vocals aren’t strong or if a line or 2 is too cheesy. Being a control freak and a loner I was sabotaging myself and I wasn’t displaying my best effort. Only thing is I just didn’t hear it. People don’t know you and don’t know what you could do at your best. No one knows the work of art in your head but you. And people who don’t know your potential will think your C performance is your best and will keep it moving. Working alone I wrote the songs, played the instruments and sang them, including the background harmonies. Here’s what happens: Many songs were strong enough to still be well-received. Then respect for certain elements saved other songs, like the beat, or the lyrics and melody. But other songs died by the wayside and I didn’t even realize it. Working with other musicians and asking for honest opinions can turn a flop into a hit. Don’t just ask your girlfriend or besties who will most likely be cheerleaders for everything you do. If you want the truth, the real truth, then leave your comfort zones. Go look for it and use what you learn.
Choose Songs That Suit You
It’s important to know which songs suit your voice and which songs do not. There are so many types of songs and styles. I mostly write for other people, but when writing with yourself in mind it’s important to be aware if the song is right for you. For example Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon are amazing artists. But if those same legends tried to belt out love songs and ballads like Peabo Bryson or Luther Vandross, it’d be terrible. That’s sort of what I did at times. It’s important to know who and what you are, and more importantly what you aren’t. Don’t overreach, stay in your lane and be yourself. If your singing voice has limitations, be cognizant of that. If it’s forced and not natural, people can hear that.
Spend The Time and The Money
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Don’t shortchange your work. In the end it will sound like what you put in. If it’s not a lot—there you go. I’m a one-man show when it comes to many creative ventures. As a writer, for example, I produce strong material. However, that doesn’t mean I should be editing everything (even though I do anyway). I should pass things off to another pair of eyes. Of course, not to change my words, but to check for errors and fluidity. Same for music. I did too much myself. I would write the song, perform the song, then engineer and master the song. Of course something was bound to fall short. It’s worth it to spend the money to recruit people to handle things you should be delegating to other entities. Don’t cut corners and don’t do too much yourself.
“Making it” as a Musician
Nowadays I make music for a variety of reasons. I make music for corporate videos and several miscellaneous projects. I also make music for song placement and licensing initiatives. And I also make music passionately for underground music scenes, and of course for recreation. In addition to that, I’m also a content creator for several different platforms. However, here’s what I do differently now (drum roll…); I ask friends what they think. Don’t ask the friends that will tell you everything is “good” and keep patting you on the back. Ask the friends or professionals who will give you that tough honest critique you need.
I try to explain this to people at times but you don’t need a huge record deal; things are not always what you think they are and you should be careful what you wish for. There are so many unbelievable ways in this day and age to make a living in the creative arts without being compromised by unsavory affiliations and with your artistic freedom intact. There is a large community of songwriters and musicians who produce music for passion or professional independent projects. Some of us do it commercially and get paid, some just for recreation, and others all the above. I’m in the “all-of-the-above” category. Regardless of the reason, everything that you plan on presenting to the world should be done with care and the proper groundwork. We are emotionally and psychologically attached to our artistic creations like no one else would be. You probably love your work because you hear it how it is in your mind, completely unable to hear the imperfections that everyone else would. Before you post things to the world a little tightening up with critiques first could save you from a world of embarrassment. With all that said live life, share, keep creating things and be blessed.
If you want honest criticism of your song or album click here!
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