Be Original

"You can't start a great company by being derivative. You have to be original. It's more art than commerce." ~ Gary Tan

Garry Tan invests in start-ups. He is particularly adept at identifying companies in the early stages that have huge potential. Over eight years, the companies that he has invested in have created over $100 billion in market value (yes, B as in Billion).

Take note (sorry for the bad pun) that a key element in any start-up is originality and that business at this stage is more “art than commerce.”

Hmmm…

One of the critical components of establishing a career in the music industry is being original.

Don’t believe me?

Let’s do a little experiment. I want you to go to your play lists on your mobile device or streaming service and identify a playlist that is all “cover bands.”

That’s okay… take your time… I’ll wait.

Don’t have a play list titled “Cover Bands”?

Jeez, I’m surprised!

Why is that?

Establishing a music career is huge challenge for any classical musician because most of us play standard repertoire. Repertoire that has been around for decades if not centuries. This is not bad in itself, but it does create some unique challenges.

Unfortunately, many classical guitarists are merely one-person cover bands. Don’t get me wrong, it is good for emerging classical guitarists to know the standard repertoire. There is a small demand for that and it is a great way for a young artist to refine their chops on that repertoire. When I taught at the university, I insisted students cover a wide variety of the standard repertoire. However, the goal was not for them to become “cover band” artists but to help them develop and refine their musicianship and technical skills.

But from a business standpoint, we need to honour our individuality and creativity. It is what will help us establish ourselves as a music business.

The key to all this (sorry, another bad pun), is that what we do must not only serve our creativity and artistic ambitions, it must also address a need that your listeners have.

It is not one or the other. It is both.

How are your artistic endeavours original? How do they meet your needs as an artist? How do they address the needs of the marketplace?

When you can answer all three, you are in a good position to create a financially sustainable career.