Pursuing a successful career as a musician is by its very nature a difficult and stressful process. The extremely competitive and sometimes unpredictable and chaotic nature of the music business will often prove to be all too overwhelming and can leave one feeling discouraged and unfulfilled. But, as in pursuing any other goal, if you take the right steps and prepare yourself properly for what lies ahead, the sky's the limit for what you can achieve. That being said, the first, and perhaps the most important step of the process is learning to dig deep inside of yourself and fashioning the right mental attitude; an outlook that will see you through the hard times and keep you focused on your ultimate goal. All battles are first won or lost in the mind and so before you rush into getting on stage or looking for a record deal, you have to make sure your head is in the right place. This first article in a series of five on becoming a successful musician will examine the importance of mental preparation and developing the right mindset.

For starters, try posing some of the following questions to yourself and then writing an in depth response to each. Some of this self-reflection will seem like common sense, but you would be surprised at the lack of thought most musicians put into their careers. Among the most basic questions are the following: 'Why do you want to become a musician?'; 'When did you first decide that you wanted to be a musician and what sparked that desire?'; Who are some of your favorite musicians and why?'; What would you say your music sounds like and what direction do you see it taking in the future?'. Of course, you'll know the answer to these questions-at least to some extent, but really dissecting the thoughts and feelings surrounding such questions will help you to solidify your 'musical sense-of-self', so to speak. Attaining a deeper understanding of this musical-self awareness will most certainly result in a huge boost in confidence in pursuing and attaining your goals, no matter if it be getting a record deal, performing, or garnering a fan base.

To further this point, let's take a look at the daunting task of getting a record deal. Record labels and production companies are more hesitant than ever to sign new artists and take risks on them, which means that regardless of how large a musical talent you may be, the labels are determining this risk factor based upon you as a person. So, your mindset has to be in the right place in order to prove that you're more of an asset than a liability. Even if you're the next guitar prodigy, if you come off as unsure of yourself and lacking in self-control, they'll just as quickly send you packing. In order to avoid that fate you will need to do a thorough self-evaluation and identifying the characteristics you possess that would make you an asset to any record label and more importantly, the characteristics that might make you a liability to them. Make sure you know exactly what worth you bring to the industry and try to correct any habit or behavioral pattern that a label might identify as a risk factor. For example, something as simple as showing up on time will reveal that you're responsible and that you keep your commitments. Get to know yourself and don't be afraid to admit to your weaknesses. Only after admitting these problem behaviors to yourself can you begin to fix them.

Practice is another area for which mental preparation is a must. Assuming that you've taken the time to develop your talent and you've started writing your own music, the next big step is practice. Achieving the right mindset here is extremely important because how you practice will always dictate how you perform. You can't expect to perform well consistently if you don't practice well consistently. So, the first attributes to develop are consistency and repetition. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort, full stop. Even if you've written a masterpiece, you need to practice it to the point of near perfection and every time you do so, you have to give it your all and no less. How else could you expect to be comfortable hitting that high note with the right amount of force and vibrato or shredding through an intense guitar solo while bounding on one foot across the stage in front of a large crowd if you don't first do it on your own? This means putting every ounce of effort and feeling into every note every time you sit down to practice. If you're having any trouble with this, try using a motivational technique. For example, something as simple as imagining that you're playing in front of a huge, fired-up audience whenever you sit down to practice can really help to get your blood pumping and your mind focused. Next, learn to keep your cool and not to get ahead of yourself. Patience is most certainly a virtue and getting yourself worked up can lead to developing unwanted nervous habits. Finally, and most importantly, make sure you're not turning practice into a painstaking and regimented process. Have fun with it. Remember how much you love what you're doing every time you sit down to do it. To sum up, consistency, repetition, patience, and an overall enjoyable and positive mindset are some of the more important things to focus on. Every time you sit down to compose or practice, take the time to go over these musical ideals in order to help get your head in the right place.

Perhaps the best way to sum up this article is to dismiss one of the biggest myths about making it in the music industry: Getting noticed and attaining fame is all about being lucky and being in the right place at the right time. This couldn't be further from the truth. Neal Boortz once famously said "Luck is opportunity met by preparation, and to be prepared is a personal choice." Remember, developing the right mindset is the first big step to being prepared. Achieving that mindset is not about accidents, but is entirely up to you. Ultimately, your prospects as a musician are very much in your own hands.



By: Gene Ruby

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