If you have been exposed to any part of the music industry, you will have heard these famous six words: it’s all about who you know.
While talent and network are both important, neither can stand alone when it comes to finding success in the industry. Talent is the first step in making your way in the industry. Once you have that talent established, and you are able to find yourself in it, you can bring it to other people and see real magic happen. Having those that believe in you and your talent in your court is ultimately what creates a powerful story. It really does take a village in this industry.
CAN ONE GO WITHOUT THE OTHER?
This applies to both songwriters and industry professionals. Songwriters bring their talent to other songwriters and creatives and get to create magic in that way. Industry professionals bring their talent to their industry peers and get to collaborate in that way. The perfect potion, though, is when these two groups of talent get to bring their gifts together and create soundtracks for the whole world to experience.
You can say that these days social media has made it easier, especially for creatives, to go without the other in order to get their music out into the world. While that can be true in some capacity, time and time again, you will hear from creatives that the more they have to focus on both creation and business, the less they can focus on creation. Some may choose to run their business on their own, and that is great. Others may want to be able to fully put their all into their art without having to step aside to worry about the business part.
All of it at once can be overwhelming for anyone. That is why having a team of people who believe in you in so important. You want passionate people in your court. That is the beauty of the music industry. You have so many people coming together in so many different roles that all have one goal and that is to create the soundtrack of peoples’ lives. Music is so special and precious in this world. There is not one person that goes through this life that does not experience the impact of music. Music affects us all whether we realize it or not. It is in all of our lives. To be able to say that you are working with some of your best friends and biggest champions to make this experience a reality for the world is a beautiful thing.
A reoccurring theme you will notice in Outer Song is the importance of trust. Trust is the one thing that can never be damaged and allow you to still have a successful career. If you do not have trust within your network, you have nothing. You certainly do not have a network without trust.
You have to have a foundation within your network. This foundation can be the shared passion for a project. The foundation can be a shared experience that helped you relate to the project at hand. The foundation can simply be the support of everyone understanding that everyone else is human and everyone needs a hand every once in a while.
No matter what you decide to build your network’s foundation on, make sure it is sturdy. Make sure it is reliable. Make sure the people who are standing on that foundation with you and helping you build it are willing to be there for you when you need it because they know that you will be there for them when they need it. Know about reliability and accessibility within your network. Know your network.
Just like with anything, you can get through all these steps of finding your network by learning who you are as an individual. The more you know about yourself, the more you can offer effectively to the others within your web of colleagues. By taking this first step, you are setting not only yourself up for success, but everyone else who is fortunate enough to step within your circle.
HOW TO FIND YOUR NETWORK
Now, finding this network can be a daunting task, but once you figure out who you are and what you stand for with your gifts and talents, you will be able to narrow down the people you want to have in your court.
The first step is knowing your values. You have to know how you want to make an impact in this industry. This will help determine who you want to do it with. If you find people with similar values, it will make it so much easier to stay aligned in your goals and your path toward success.
In Nashville, especially, there is such a close-knit community within the music industry. There are many resources within our community to connect with others. Organizations like YEP and SOLID make it accessible for people to find their network within Nashville’s music industry. They host mixers as well as seminars that provide valuable opportunities for connection and learning in order to grow and cultivate a successful career for both yourself and your peers. Their websites are linked below.
https://www.yepnashville.com/
https://www.solidnashville.org/
There’s also many places in Nashville that you can meet other music industry peers that you can connect with. Going to live shows and writers rounds are always great places to meet and connect with your peers. Places like the Listening Room Cafe, Bluebird Cafe, Virgin Hotels, Live Oak, and so many other places are some of the most active places for writers and publishers to come through and connect.
Showing up and connecting with others is the beautiful part of this industry. While it may be daunting, it is also so rewarding.
Outer Song wants to help make this easier for you either as a creative or as a professional. We are passionate about connecting those in the industry so that the greatest potential for success is met. By being a part of Outer Song’s network, you are already making the right steps to finding your network.
