MUSICIANS LEARN FROM CHILDREN There are many things that musicians can learn from their offsprings or younger family members. Characteristics that we lose with age need to be re-found. We need to reclaim our child-like instincts and to prove my theory I have devised a list of characteristics in children that budding artists in the music industry need to aspire to. So, in no particular order, here are my findings: 1# Children have an awe-inspiring wonder about everything new that they see. They like to know what it is, how it works, how it can benefit them and want to have a mess with it if it seems like it could be something they could use. This is the mentality you should possess when you see a new piece of technology within the music industry or you notice a new trend. Be curious and examine what’s new, if it’s possible to use this to your advantage for leverage then use it and consider whether it would be economical to continue with it. Kids are always keen to learn new things and understanding things that are new to them. This keeps them knowledgeable; everyone loves to know stuff! How often have you asked a younger person to stop doing something and their reaction has been to do it more? They have their own logic and don’t like taking no for an answer. It would be easy for them to follow the norm but they choose not to because they’re dedicated to get what they want. This is where the older generation’s politeness get’s the better of them. We give up too early which limits our chances of gaining a foothold within the industry. 2#Children see each new day as a new opportunity and attack it with a fresh perspective. A goal is only out of reach if you stop trying to reach it. How does it go? ‘If at first you don’t succeed… something something something’. Communication is the bond that brings children together. They find it easy to socially interact with others and build strong, lasting relationships with their peers and share hobbies and interests as their friendship grows. They’re interested in the same things and can stand out from another group of friends by showcasing their skills to impress others who opt to join their group instead of their competition’s. Being socially active in the music industry is arguably as important as having a talent in the first place. After all, what good is talent if nobody wants to hear you play? Practice your craft with your peers and gain popularity. The more popularity you gain the more followers will jump on the band-wagon. 3# Children can see past the real and enter realms we never thought existed. This means that their way of thinking is more imaginable than we could ever dream. Even away from dreamland, their creative mind shows no boundaries. Remember them playing with lego? How did they make that foot high tower that was top heavy stand on a singular offset leg? It went against the laws of physics as we knew them; but it worked! They use their imagination, dream of what they want and where they want to be and look to achieve it by any means possible. This is the mindset that us as musicians should adopt. Nothing is impossible: things are only unachievable if you don’t try hard enough. 4# Children like to go on conquests alone and will try to achieve their goals independently. However, when the going gets tough, they’re not afraid to ask for help from others. They can easily let go of their egos and work collaboratively to get to where they want to be. They build friendships this way and build a strong team of peers around them who are all working in sync to reach the levels they aspire to. The same thing can be said for the music industry: artists need to swallow their pride every once in a while and if things aren’t going quite to plan, enlist the help of someone else. At the worst, it’s an extra pair of hands and an extra set of ideas which may be influential in your success as an artist. There is no set path in the mind of a youngster. They often do things the hard way. They struggle to see the difficulty range in each individual task therefore try every which way possibly to try and succeed. They use what’s around them and can adapt it to suit their needs. They tend to take a “that could work” stance and then try it out for size rather than their older counterparts who dismiss what’s immediately around them and waste time looking for for “the perfect solution” when one might never come to fruition. A good quote from Robert Frost springs to mind: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken Choosing a path where others haven’t travelled will lead you to untouched and undiscovered landscapes with a different horizon to aim for. Remember that being unique is a huge bonus in the music industry. Being able to develop a bespoke niche will create a gap in the market that will accommodate yourself and your team and will point the spotlight straight in your direction. 5# Children have an exceptional talent for being able to forgive and forget. A trait often overlooked by begrudging individuals of the older generation. They are often knocked down but learn from mistakes and come back stronger. They aren’t afraid to experiment and are often unset in their thinking. They can see past the obvious and look at things through eyes of courageous possibility. The ability to come back stronger when your plans fall short will push your career further along the learning curve until eventually and with enough persistence, the learning curve will turn into a straight line that points towards your goals. Jealousy isn’t a characteristic we should concentrate on regaining from our youth as it only leads to fights and bickering. However if we think outside the box we can use some of the fundamentals that come with jealousy to create an observant way of thinking and reacting. As in any business, you’re going to have competitors; they are going to excel in places where you don’t and vice versa. The trick, without getting depressed and going to tell mummy over them, is to observe and analyse where they are excelling and react to it. Emulate and adapt their techniques to improve them and then use them for yourself. this way you will always be able to offer a better product at a competitive price. A recipe for success whether you’re in the music business or any other business for that matter. Striking while the iron is hot is the ultimate success story for most artists who are succeeding within the music industry. Good timing can be the difference between being recognised as a global superstar or not being recognised at all. 6# Children often don’t know when or how to respond to things therefore tend to respond instinctively; often ending up really well timed, they are very observant to their surroundings and will react very quickly without haste to seize an opportunity that is there for the taking. It is an animal characteristic that is instilled within every living thing on the planet however older human beings are the worst reactors on the planet as we often think too much about the consequences and let the opportunity slide. Seize the moment and react instinctively to improve your chances of being noticed. Don’t listen to your mind if your heart is telling you to commit to something! The ability in children to make a mistake but quickly learn from it ensures that every new day has the potential to teach a new lesson. Like when riding a bike for the first time, children will learn where they went wrong and keep practising their craft until they perfect it. This should be emulated by the older generation; let the team around you deal with all the marketing and promotion etc. You should stick to what you know and do best: create music! By constantly improving your skill, you are echoing what your promoters are promoting: an exceptional individual who is one of a kind!
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 04:33:04 +0000
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