Success in the Music Industry
by Darla Z
There are many forms of success. The obvious is financial. But in my opinion, financial success is not determinative of success in the music industry. I know so many musicians and artists who have spent their entire adult life earning money as music professionals. They haven’t lived extravagantly, but they have made a living. They are not the Taylor Swifts of the world. And yet every single day, they get up and get to do what they love. Make music.
From the dawn of time, music has been an integral part of human culture. A drumbeat can stir the soul and has incited masses throughout history, just merely by the sound. From the 8th or 7th century BC, music played a significant role in Homer’s narrative in the Odyssey, serving as a powerful tool to enhance storytelling and character development. Another writing of old is the Bible, which mentions David’s skill as a harpist. The Psalms authored by David, thought by many scholars to be worship songs, were written around 1010 to 960 BC. Besides Psalms, singing and music is often discussed throughout the Bible. In the late 1500s, William Shakespeare inspired some of the greatest musical scores ever written.
Music is played at weddings, funerals, sporting events, churches, synagogues, mosques, school assemblies, and family get-togethers. Music often blares in our cars and keeps us company as we drive to our destination. Or soft, gentle music can help a little child drift off into a sweet slumber.
To be able to utilize your gift in music to entertain others is the ultimate form of success. I remember years ago a great man whom I personally knew and admired spoke at a college commencement speech. He was a Polish immigrant who spent years surviving in Flossenbürg concentration camp in Bavaria. He ended up becoming the Chief Supreme Court Justice for the state of Oklahoma and his name was Marion Opala. During his speech, I heard Justice Opala declare emphatically that if you’re going to be a mechanic, be the best mechanic you can be. Likewise, if you want to be a doctor, be the best doctor you can be. I remember Justice Opala’s speech often because in my life, I have seen firsthand in every walk of life, the person who just gets by or the person who excels in whatever they do. I believe the person who takes pride and joy in whatever they do, even in the most mundane of tasks, is a success.
The key to success, and as Justice Opala said, is to be the best you can be. But being the best takes sacrifice. As an artist and musician, you can’t just walk out on stage and perform. You must be ready to perform, and you must have courage to put yourself out there. As a singer, before I appear in concert, I spend hours of preparation. I learn my lyrics, I work on phrasing, I work on breathing, I work on breathing and phrasing, I practice the songs over and over and I do my scales. As a songwriter, I spend hours perfecting my lyrics. Though the lyrics may flow out of me and be written in a matter of minutes, perfecting and editing my lyrics takes time.
You cannot be successful in the music industry without practice and discipline. You can be the most skilled performer in the world, but if you don’t practice and do what it takes to get ready for your performance, the audience will know it. Being a success also is accomplished by the audience seeing you enjoying yourself. If you are obviously happy doing what you’re doing, that will spill over to those who are listening. Your joy in doing what you love is infectious.
Financial success is merely a sideline. Because quite frankly, very, very few make millions in the music industry. But if you can make music every day, then you are a success. Even if you have a side job or a full-time job, and yet you perform at night doing what you love, you’re still living your dream – because it’s the music that matters. I remember one time I sang for an older audience and I sang the song Smile. There was an elderly woman who started crying and had to leave the concert hall. I felt terrible. I saw her later after my performance and she said it was her and her late husband’s song and she had been overcome with emotion when she heard me sing the song. That’s what so truly wonderful about music. It touches your soul like nothing else. And you have the power to do that. Being a success as a lyricist, musician, singer, producer, engineer, or songwriter is not determinative of financial gain. It is whether you can move people with what you do and whether you love doing it. If you don’t, you will never be a success. If you do, you’re the most successful person in an industry that needs people just like you.
Darla Zuhdi
https://www.youtube.com/c/DarlaZ
https://www.facebook.com/SingerDarlaZ/
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