BY RIA DEL MAR
The music industry is one of the toughest and most rewarding industries a person can be in. It’s
like riding a rollercoaster that can land safely at its destination or completely derail while going
one-hundred miles per hour. Nonetheless, it is the ride of a lifetime.
Although challenging, it is possible to make your dreams of becoming a musician come life in
your 20’s. It is extremely important to believe in yourself, embrace your mistakes, and be
aggressive when it comes to marketing and promoting your work.
We live in a world that constantly reminds us of our shortcomings, whether that is while
scrolling through social media and comparing ourselves to others who are further along in life, or
simply feeling defeated after someone rejects our work. In order to make it in the music industry
during your 20’s, confidence is the most important element. Your musical abilities and natural
gifts will certainly get your foot in the door, however, personality and self-assurance is what
makes you stand out in a sea of other talented musicians. Record labels are searching for the total
package. They want someone who is talented, charming, confident, and original. Therefore, aside
from working on your music, it is also extremely important to work on the way that you present
yourself.
The next powerful piece of advice is to not be afraid of making mistakes, it simply comes with
the territory. In fact, the more mistakes you make, the more seasoned you will become. The only
mistake a person should be afraid of making, is taking their dreams and passions with them to the
grave instead of passionately pursuing them during their lifetime. Feel free to experiment with
different genres, sounds, and musical styles. The hours each day that you spend working on your
music, creating catchy hooks, channeling your emotions and perspectives, and making sure
you’re translating those emotions through your music, will all eventually pay off and lead you to
an amazing producer that understands you, mentors you, and helps you bring your vision to life.
The last and most difficult golden nugget of wisdom that I can provide in order to help you make
it in the music industry during your 20’s, is to be extraordinarily aggressive when it comes to
marketing and promoting your work. The renowned Stephen King once said: “Talent is cheaper
than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard
work”. There are many musicians who are extremely talented, however, only a few of them are
persistent and know how to properly market and promote themselves.
The minute you wake up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself that
no matter what happens on this day, you must do at least one task that will push you closer to
making your dreams of becoming a musician a reality. One form of marketing that has incredibly
opened the doors of the music industry for me is to speak about what I do every chance I get,
whether that is during a casual conversation at a bar or at the office with my co-workers. The
more you expose yourself, the larger your audience and contact list will be. Another excellent
form of marketing that has done wonderful things for my career is performing for free every
chance I get. Not only will this help you improve your performing skills, but you also never
know if a famous producer might be watching your show.
Always stay positive and surround yourself with great people; if you believe in yourself, make
mistakes and learn from them, and aggressively market your work, you’ll be in the charts before
you know it.