You remember that street performer you talked to once? Wonder what they're up to? Follow them on social media? Super excited to see them getting famous and you can say "hey, I met them once before they were famous!" This is what we're going for. To get the traction we need, we have to interact face to face with as many people as possible; to be seen in public performing, to be handing out business cards and encouraging people to go to our website, to be singing and showing off our music every chance we get! We need to be so contagiously excited about what we're doing that news of us starts to spread like a contagion through the masses. It's easy to think that posting videos on social media is enough to build a following and develop our music career BUT that's never going to build the die-hard fan base, we're looking for. We realized this week that we gotta get more psyched about the gift that we have to give and then get our asses out the door and share it. We need to GIVE that gift so people can actually receive it, so they can feel connection with us and be excited to find and follow us online, in other words, to stay connected with us and build a relationship with us as an artist. The strangers who first encounter us online might grow fond of us overtime but the listeners who meet us in person first will be more loyal because they actually got to meet us. We feel more like an intimate or endearing acquaintance now than some random musician. They delight in the fact they get to say, "I met her once..." and they'll be curious...scratch that, more than curious...they'll be hungry for updates. I wonder what that singer girl is up too now? Better check in. Make sure we're publishing interesting stuff for them to follow and if it's actually educational / valuable / wise then maybe they'll even share it along to friends because "it turns out that girl actually posts stuff that helps me change and improve my life." Add value to the world and ask yourself (in everything you do), is this loving people?
Now talking doesn't do shit. ACTION is what makes the dreams come true. So, here are my action items:
JUST DID IT:
1) This week I started performing on Instagram LIVE, including an Capella performance of a yoga chant (Gayatri Mantra).
2) I updated my website to make it look more shwifty - new photos, better organization.
3) I spent 20+ hours recording music and practicing my songs.
4) I pushed myself to fully let go and sing as boldly as I could in front of / with my husband (who I'm always shy to sing in front of wholeheartedly - afraid to be vulnerable or embarrassed by making weird music faces in front of him still). Did the absolute best I could in that moment and celebrated massive progress!
5) I up-ed my music goals with the 10x rule (multiple everything by 10 so 'now we're really talking) so now instead of wanting 1 album on Spotify, I'm aiming for 10 and instead of performing at the Gorge once, I'm aiming for 10 times at least. It's scary to admit your crazy big goals to people but I told my business friends about it at our Tuesday morning networking group and they were unphased, totally supportive and actually when the extra mile and connected me with some people they know in the music industry! Wootwoot!
JUST DO IT:
1) Business Cards - so I have something tangible to hand to people when I meet them.
2) Schedule at least 1 performance per week for the next month to make sure I'm regularly getting out and meeting people. Tell my friends about these performances so I'm held accountable. eek.
3) Go pick up a new busking permit at Pike Place Market so I can start performing on the street again.
4) Perform improv piano somewhere - go find coffee shop, grand piano in a shopping mall or a piano bar and show off those fingers on the keys!
5) Contact the musicians I met at the last open mic to set up a coffee date - maybe we'll hit it off and decide to collaborate?