NXNE Appearance June 14th
About a week ago I was asked to make a list of 5 things I’d tell young starting music acts who are at this week’s NXNE.
Talking about NXNE I’ll be there on June 14 at the Hyatt Hotel on King Street West at 4:30 doing a guest interview. The interviewer will be journalist Michael Barklay. It should be an interesting event and I hope that if you’re attending NXNE you’ll be able to drop in and say hello.
So here is my list.
1/ Be true to yourself. You can and probably should listen to what people have to say but don’t end up chasing your own tail by changing all the time to suit the current trends. Find out what you’re good at and keep at it. Of course some change to your music is always good but let it be what you want to do, not what you think will make you popular.
2/ Find a good manager. These days that may be more of a business partner, but whatever you call it, remember it’s a minefield out there, and everyone can use some good guidance. Probably easier said than done but make it a priority to find the right one.
3/ Don’t take the brown acid…….no just kidding. It’s a cliché but remember you’re going to meet the same people on the way down as you did on the way up. Try, and I know it’s hard, but be kind to the people you meet along the way. You never know who can help and in any case it’s the right thing to do.
4/ Don’t spend more time designing the t-shirt than making the record. All the add-ons can be important but nothing counts more than the music. Nothing.
5/ We used to have an expression, don’t trust anyone over 30. We were probably right. Disregard everything I’ve said.
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