THE MOST VALUABLE SKILLS AN ARTIST WILL NEED IN 2021.

“2020 IS MY YEAR!” - said you and every other artist. And then Covid-19 shut down every bar, venue, studio, and pretty much anywhere else live music could be performed, recorded, or talked about. Many musicians spiraled out control with depression, drug abuse, anxiety, and altogether stopped writing music on account of the global pandemic. I say many, but not all. Some musicians took the time off to write more, collab over zoom, make meaningful connections over social media, and create, altogether, new forms of increasing their presence as an artist. But that was 2020. Where does that leave us now, dumped into a seemingly new year, with no sure promise of our lives getting back to normal?

You want to know what skills an artist needs in 2021? The same ones they have always needed: Consistency and Innovation. The music industry has never stood still. Not once. Especially for the independent artist, or an artist that works with a small team. Let me go deeper…

Consistency. This is one of my “key skills for life” (along with confidence). No matter what happens in the world or your personal life, you are the only consistent variable. This does not mean “work every day all day because someone is always outworking you”. It means that you are going to show up every time. Especially when it counts. You are going to make a plan and stick to it. When your manager, teammates, or another artist presents an opportunity, you show up. 2020 pushed people with this skillset, further widening the gap between their inconsistent counter parts.  A death of a friend, family member, cat or dog can only knock you down for so long before it’s time to come out of hiding. Your life being uprooted and flipped on its head can only knock you off the horse for a short amount of time, or that dream you have is going to fade off into the sunset, just like your careening artist career if you don’t GET BACK UP. Grief is a powerful tool. Use it to fuel your fire. But be consistent.

Is it okay if I share a personal story with you? Cool. If you read another story of mine titled “Why TRND MUSIC wouldn’t exist without country music” you know my grandmother passed away recently. I cried with my mother, reminisced with my grandfather, and looked through old photo albums with the family. But as everyone was going to bed, I made time to connect with all of our management clients. Because just like they need to be consistent, I need to be consistent for them. What’s helpful in times of an inconsistent world to me is remembering why you chose to set out on this artistic journey. My grandmother inspired me to run a music company, and by continuing to pursue that dream, its my small way of honoring her. I won’t go into a proper grieving period for everyone, but consider it.

Be consistent with your marketing. I’ve worked with artists who work THEIR A$$ of on a recording, album art and visual, only to drop the ball on marketing and advertising. You’ve got to be consistent. Make the plan, do the plan, be the plan.

Innovation. You lost your job, you had to move, or you just have less time than you did before. How can we maximize our effectiveness? How can we make money off of our craft in a new market? Artists have been trying to figure this out since BEFORE the pandemic, so there’s really nothing new here. Figure out your niche, your fanbase, your market. Figure out what they need, and how you can give that to them. Create a way to exchange your effort for their monetary value. Write stuff down, execute, and use the first skill I mentioned, CONSISTENCY.

God Bless.

Having trouble with Consistency and Innovation? Our team would absolutely LOVE to help you. From studio time to artist management, we provide a consistent environment where you can grow with other artists. Shoot me an email and lets talk! BlakeLaBella@trndmedia.com