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Ever wonder why we have one hit wonders? You know the
bands and artists (from local to national acts) that build some momentum
and interest in their music, and then do not capitalize on it. Timing is
everything in any business (especially the music business) and being able
to strike when it’s hot is more than just a cliché, it’s a skill set that
is often elusive and difficult to execute.
Webster’s dictionary defines momentum as…”a mass moving forward,” or “a
property of a moving body which determines the length of time required to
bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force.” Or the
related word, momentous, meaning “a great moment.” In other words,
momentum is often used to describe something good that usually requires
much time to pass before it slows down and eventually comes to a halt
completely.
What exactly does it take to build momentum, garner respect, and achieve
some level of success as musician in a local or regional area? The answer
is hard work combined with smart marketing among other things. Bands have
to bust their humps writing new material, rehearsing, and trying not to
kill each other every week and month they are together. At the same time,
musicians have to continually come up with new and interesting ways to
keep their name “out there” and steadily increase their draw. It’s a lot
of hard work with small odds for success. Too often unfortunately, just as
bands or artists begin to peak in popularity, they seemingly self-destruct
temporarily or fall off the radar all together.
Why do some bands blow what they’ve worked so hard to achieve? Maybe its
because they don’t feel they deserve it in the first place? The best bands
with the most consistent followings and longevity have that certain level
of class that is difficult to quantify. These are the people who
consistently treat other bands and fans with respect, regardless of
personal opinions, preferences, or taste. They rarely exude bad attitudes
and at least attempt to always take time to listen to and learn from
others.
Now pay attention, here’s where it gets tricky. When a band does achieve
some success and notoriety, how do they keep it going? For starters, don’t
believe your own hype. Becoming bigger than life only serves to destroy
what a lot of people have worked very hard to build. Congratulate
yourselves on your success, but remember that it’s a lot harder to stay at
the top than it is to get there. Keep in mind that your current and future
audience is more than just your immediate following and your long-time,
stalwart supporters. Wherever you are, whenever you are; you are in a
position to either win or lose new fans and thus momentum. The old saying
goes that you’ll see the same people on the way down as you did on the way
up. Believe it or not, there will come a day when you won’t be all the
rage and your proverbial ship has sailed back out to sea.
The Bottom Line: Take inventory on where you and your band or group falls
within the spectrum of strategy, timing, and respect in relationship to
your music’s longevity. If you have gone to all the trouble and are
fortunate enough to have built some momentum, carefully assess and plan on
how you are going to keep it and also take it to the next level.
Multi-millionaires are often quoted as saying that “making the first
million is the hardest, the rest come a lot easier.” Respect and invest
what you earn from the start so you can decide when you are finished.
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