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The Difference Between Professionals and Amateurs

Posted on July 25, 2017 by - Uncategorized

Savvy Musician Academy, the online musician, Leah mchenry, facebook for musicians, music career marketing, music industry education

Do you know what the difference is between a professional and an amateur? This week I want to talk about writer’s block, Resistance and getting the job done.

 

#MakingTheAlbum Week 5

<<< Click here to watch #MakingTheAlbum Week 4

 

 

Hey, guys. Welcome back to my Making The Album updates.

 

I promised you that I was going to keep it real and be completely honest in these updates. Well, you could say that reality has hit hard because, lately, it’s been tough. This is probably the hardest time I’ve ever had writing an album.

 

Because of that, I’ve been reading a lot. Now, before you guys start sending me a whole bunch of messages, I know I said I’m not supposed to be reading non-fiction at the moment, but the truth is, there are a couple of non-fiction books that have been getting me through this, and I want to share them with you.

 

As always, you can watch the video for all the details, but one of the most important books I’m going to recommend to you is called The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. It’s for artists, entrepreneurs – anybody who is born to produce something, even if they never get famous. It’s for anybody who knows it’s in their blood to do something creative.

 

Click Here To Learn More…

 

I’ve talked about writer’s block in the past, but here’s the thing: I’ve never really struggled with songwriting. That’s never been a problem for me – until now.

Because of that, I believed a myth. I believed that, if you’re truly talented, if you’re supposed to do something, it’s going to come easy. Now, I’m finding out that that is totally false.

 

 

Here’s the myth that I believed: if you’re truly talented,
if you’re really supposed to do something,
it’s going to come easy. That is totally false.

 

 

This time around, I’ve discovered there’s two people living in my head – the entrepreneur and the artist – and they are really at odds with each other. So, part of the struggle I’m having is letting go of the entrepreneur side a little bit. There’s a time and a place for that side of me to take dominance, but not when I’m supposed to be in artist mode.

 

In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield talks about Resistance, which he describes as an internal force that tries to stop us from doing whatever it is we’re born to do. You know how sometimes you find yourself doing anything to avoid sitting down and working on your music? You’ll wash the windows, put your books in alphabetical order, clean the lint out of the washing machine filter… all before doing the thing that you love to do most. That’s because of Resistance. It often appears as procrastination, but it comes in other forms, too, and sometimes they’re subtle.

 

Steven Pressfield says that how an artist responds to Resistance shows who they really are. The amateur will avoid, avoid, avoid, because he knows the work is painful. The professional will embrace it. The professional sits down and does it anyway. The professional musician struggles through the pain of creation, whereas the amateur would rather avoid the pain entirely, and therefore will never write their symphony.

 

 

The professional musician struggles through the pain of creation,
whereas the amateur would rather avoid the pain entirely,
and therefore will never write their symphony.

 

 

So, do you want to be an amateur or a professional? Basically, what it comes down to is, how much pain tolerance do you have? How uncomfortable are you willing to get to achieve the end result that you ultimately want?

 

Initially, it’s going to feel like you’re pushing a boulder up a hill, but once the boulder gets over the top, it’s downhill from there. Be encouraged: at some point, it does break and the creativity will flow. What I’ve found is that the stuff that comes after I push through is usually my best work.

 

So that’s where I’m at – pushing through the pain. I know, however, that when I come out the other side of this, I’m going to feel fulfilled and proud of what I’ve written.

 

 

“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest
of us just show up and get to work.”
~ Chuck Close, visual artist

 

 

I’m coming to the end of the songwriting process. I’ve got about three songs to go, but I’m open to making changes if any new, better ones come along. I’m starting to look to the future now – what I’m going to try with my marketing this time around. I’m excited to experiment.

 

Probably soon, I’ll be sharing with you about the income I made this last year, which I’m really happy with, considering that I did nothing new musically.

 

I hope you keep following me, and that you’re encouraged by what I have to say.

 

As you’re thinking about your own projects, see if you can figure out how Resistance works against you – what tactics it uses to stop you from making music. Let me know what you come up with in the comments below. And here’s the challenge: in the war against Resistance, are you going to be a professional or an amateur? Maybe the secret to being successful all boils down to this:

 

 

“Go to your studio and make stuff.”
~ Fred Babb, artist

 

 

With love,

LEAH

 

P.S. Click here if you’d like me to notify you via email when my weekly updates are released.

Tips for calming down a stressed, creative brain and still getting everything done

Posted on July 25, 2017 by - Uncategorized

Savvy Musician Academy, the online musician, Leah mchenry, facebook for musicians, music career marketing, building a fanbase

I would describe this past week as “scattered” (Post-It Notes are a girl’s best friend)

 

#MakingTheAlbum Week 4


<<< Click here to watch #MakingTheAlbum Week 3      Click here to watch #MakingTheAlbum Week 5 >>>

 

I’m still in the middle of song-writing, and I will be for a while. This album is a labour of love, so I’m taking my time to craft meaningful, enduring songs. The problem is, my producer and I have been collaborating on several songs at the same time, and each song is at a different stage. That happens when the ideas start to flow and you want to get them down before you lose them. Also, because he lives in Germany, he works on one or two while I work on another couple. We communicate well, mostly over Skype, but, creatively, switching from song to song makes me feel so scatterbrained. I prefer to work on one song, get it done, and move on to the next.

 

Last week, I talked about my experience of learning how to program drums, so that I can more easily show my producer the feel I’m going for with each song. Once I’d learned the basics, I was like one of my children when they get a new toy: “Whoo! The novelty!”

 

After I finally sent my first effort to him, though, he said to me, “You know, I think your drummer sounds a little hysterical, and no drummer could ever play that.”

 

I laughed and said, “OK, just bear with me. I’m going to tame this. My drummer is going to take a chill pill.”

 

Honestly, though, I think my drummer was echoing the rhythm of my brain. I know at times I definitely feel hysterical, and I need to tame my thoughts and take a chill pill. There are so many details and steps that I have to remember, and things that I have to tackle to achieve my goals, that my brain works overtime.

 

Learn More…

 

So this week’s video is all about a tool I’ve found that is a miracle for getting organized, calming down a stressed, creative brain, and clearing the way for ideas to flow.

 

There are all sorts of apps and planners and things you can use to get organized and make sure you don’t forget to do things, but sometimes the simplest ways are best, and this tool is as simple as it gets: it’s Post-it notes. With lists. In bright colours. Stuck up on my computer screen, where they’re in my face.

 

When you write things down, you free up some mental bandwidth for creativity. You no longer need that little juggler who sits up there in your brain, trying to keep too many balls in the air.

 

 

Use Post-it notes to remember things,
and free up some mental bandwidth for creativity.

 

Essentially, I have three Post-Its, with different a type of list on each one.

 

The first Post-It list is my TO DO list – all the physical tasks I need to get done that day, in order of priority from top to bottom. So it might be “finish backing vocals on track two,” “create Facebook post,” and “give drummer chill pill.” I even write a reminder to color every day. (If you’re confused by that, go back and take a look at my previous videos!) If you write your TO DO list as you’re finishing up each day, when you come down to work the following morning, there’s no pressure to remember everything. As soon as you sit down at your computer, you can see it all there in front of you, and you just do what it says.

 

As musicians, we need to get to a skill level
where playing or singing is such second-
nature that our muscle-memory kicks in
and we don’t have to think any more.
Then we’re engaged in the moment.

 

 

On the second Post-It Note is a list of things I need to remember both while I’m “in training” and when I’m performing.

 

I want to have a certain level of vocal precision and technique before I go into the studio. Being a musician is like being an athlete. You don’t start training a week before the Olympics; you train for months – years – beforehand. When you first start out, your muscles get shaky because they’re not strong enough, and you need to strengthen them by practicing. As musicians, we need to get to a skill level where playing or singing is such second-nature that we can smile, let our muscle-memory kick in, and not have to think about technique any more. Then we’re engaged in the moment, and we can enjoy it.

 

So I write out tips for myself, to help with my training. The first tip is to smile before I sing. Smiling relaxes the body, which makes for a better vocal tone.

 

 

Our bodies associate smiling with relaxation.
My tone will be better when I smile before I sing.

 

 

The second tip is “visualize the notes I want to hit with ease.” Some people are skeptical about visualization. They think it’s mystical, or a little fishy. But a lot of my stumbling blocks come from my beliefs and the mental limitations I put on myself. I believe that God created our minds to be extremely powerful, and that it’s actually a really helpful mental technique to visualize the notes that I want to hit as though they’re easy.

 

 

A lot of my stumbling blocks come from my beliefs
and the mental limitations I put on myself.
God created our minds to be extremely powerful,
so I visualize myself hitting the notes with ease.

 

 

The final tip is for when I’m performing. My vocal teacher pointed out to me this week that I’ve been so focused on technique, technique, technique, that I’m neglecting to engage my emotions and just perform. So that’s what I’ve been working on this week – forgetting technique and feeling the song.

 

 

There’s a time and a season for technique.
There’s a season for preparation – for working out.
Then there’s a time to forget about all that, trust
in your hard work, and engage your emotions.

 

 

The final Post-It Note is a reminder of the things I’m doing to address my challenges. My greatest challenge at the moment is sleeping.

 

If you’re not sleeping, you’re not good for anything. I’ve had a good hard look at why I’m not sleeping well, and I believe that my cortisol level is actually the problem. I’m such an ambitious person that, even when my body isn’t active, my brain is thinking, creating, problem-solving . . . all of which raises cortisol levels. My internal drummer needs to take a chill pill. Even though I find what I do fun, my body perceives it as stress – something that uses up the mental bandwidth. I can’t be at peak performance-level unless I address this, so I’ve started taking some adaptogen herbs that balance hormones and help to manage stress, I make sure I do some belly dancing every day (I’ve been belly dancing for years!), I go to bed by a certain time, making sure I read beforehand, which I love to do, I try to stick to a low-carb diet, and I’m using essential oils.

 

So those are my Post-it note lists. How can I possibly remember all the little things on them at any given time? I can’t. But the Post-its ensure that I never forget, and that takes the pressure off.

 

A lot has happened this week. I’m tackling a lot. I’m addressing physical, mental and emotional issues. All of those things will affect creativity, and ultimately how our projects turn out, so remember to take care of yourself – your body, your mind and your emotions.

 

In the comments below, give me your own tips for calming an overactive or hysterical brain, or your creative uses for Post-it notes!

 

With love,

LEAH

 

P.S. Click here if you’d like me to notify you via email when my weekly updates are released.

What should musicians do about file sharing?

Posted on July 25, 2017 by - Uncategorized

What should musicians do about file sharing

I don’t know about you, but when I first launched my music into the interwebs, I wasn’t sure if I was doing myself a disservice or not.

 

I was sorta freaked out that people would steal my music.

 

I know for a fact there are programs for downloading videos and songs right off of YouTube.

 

What the heck. What do you do about that?

 

It’s a really sticky and sort of complicated debate. But here is how I look at it:

 

 

First off, I absolutely believe in private property.

 

If I create a product I own the rights to that product.

 

But with music it’s a bit weird….. because……. did I really invent those chords??

 

Do I own that chord progression and time signature?

 

Did I invent that exact string of words in that exact consecutive order???

 

I think not.

 

If we really think about it, nothing is new under the sun at all.

 

You do own the physical CD and the t-shirts, however.

 

If you disagree with me, that’s totally fine. But the reality is that you and I BOTH must face this situation, so let’s just think about this for a minute……….

 

So, on one hand, the music is a recycled version of someone else’s stuff… It’s just a fact… We all do it.

 

We’re all influenced by the music we grew up with and listened to. We put our own spin on it, yes. But it’s undeniable.

 

On the other hand, we created something. It’s our art. We put time and money and effort into something, and it feels like people just want to take it for free and not pay us for it.

 

WELL, let me just calm your nerves a bit. I have learned there is a difference between PIRACY and FILE SHARING.

 

They are not the same.

 

PIRACY is indeed stealing. It would be like taking my CD, making copies of it for the purpose of selling them for money. That’s piracy.

 

FILE SHARING is literally like going to your friend’s house to watch season 6 of LOST on Blu-ray.

 

Did you pay for that?

 

No.

 

Did you enjoy your friend’s copy of that show?

 

Well, yeah.

 

Would that be considered “stealing” since you now have enjoyed that show without paying for it?

 

Um… I guess not?

 

Are you more likely to buy your buddy that DVD for Christmas, because you experienced the bonus features yourself?

 

YEAH, definitely.

 

The bottom line is the stats show file sharing increases the likelihood of the consumer purchasing a product.

 

That would be your music.

 

The internet is not going away. We can’t change what people do. So I say… *so long as it’s not unethical or immoral*… if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!

 

I’ve actually posted my music on file sharing sites before as a way to get more exposure and publicity.

 

It’s true!! File sharing is actually FREE ADVERTISING.

 

I say go with it. It just means we have to be creative and SMART when it comes to HOW we will make money as an independent artist online.

How to start writing your album

Posted on July 25, 2017 by - Uncategorized

Savvy Musician Academy, the online musician, Leah mchenry, facebook for musicians, music career marketing, music industry education

I’ve had many musicians ask me, “How do you write an album?” The exact answer is going to be a little different for each one of us. However, there are a few tips that I’m excited to share with you in this behind-the-scenes look at the complete process of creating and launching an album!

#MakingTheAlbum – Week 1

Learn how start writing your album

I’m so pumped to be able share this with you!

I’m going to show you how I use a very specific process to write, record, master, and launch my albums!  I’m even going to show you how I build my fanbase (pretty much passively) while I’m creating the album! (Hint: I’m also going to use crowdfunding to build a buzz for the release!)

The good, the bad, and the ugly will be posted, so don’t forget to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. I won’t always be wearing makeup. I won’t always have good things to say as I struggle with all the things us musicians face. Things are about to get REAL.

Learn More About How Leah Plans a 6-Figure Album Launch Release!

This week is the first entry in this series that I’m calling, #MakingTheAlbum. In this video, I talk about my struggles with getting the creative juices flowing and how to overcome writer’s block.

I definitely recommend you watch the video, but here are some quick tips that I’m doing in this writing phase:

  1. Make room for creativity. None of us can do it all, when you add something (music, writing) to your plate, make sure to take something else off.
  2. Create a routine that works for you. Starting your day off right will give you the best chance at success throughout the day. Plan your day to take care of responsibilities while reserving time for your music (avoid interruptions).
  3. Find inspiration. I choose to read non-fiction books and play video games to find inspiration for my specific niche: Celtic Metal. Think of different media that will inspire you to create your kind of music.
  4. Say no to writer’s block. A friend recommended a great book to overcome creative blocks – it’s called The MacGuyver Secret. Basically, it helps to get your inner subconscious working on those ideas even when you’re not thinking about it.
  5. Pick low hanging fruit first. I initially picked songs that I had already written before and I knew I wanted to go on the next album. I didn’t have to totally start from scratch and come up with something brilliant. It took the pressure off.

I look forward to you joining me on this incredible journey as we learn and experiment together! It’s going to be amazing.

Much love!

-LEAH

P.S. Make sure you get my 6-figure Album Planning Tool 🙂

The #1 Thing Most Musicians Resist That Will Keep Them POOR

Posted on July 12, 2017 by - Uncategorized

Savvy Musician Academy, the online musician, Leah mchenry, facebook for musicians, music career marketing, music industry education

I see this constantly on Facebook and social media platforms.

 

Musicians, singers, songwriters, or band members see some article, or tips somewhere about the music business and they have this knee-jerk response.

 

It’s the same one over and over.

 

It’s an incredibly prevalent belief, and it’s the ONE mental shift that virtually all musicians need to make if they truly want success.

 

It’s the belief that there’s something wrong with musicians who want success.

 

Here’s a few comments I’ve seen recently:

 

“A true artist only plays because they love it, not for money”

 

“You shouldn’t be concerned about making money, you should only be concerned with playing music.”

 

Or there’s this one:

 

“Money should never be the motivating factor for a musician”

 

I’m just going to say it now.

 

THAT IS TOTAL B.S.

 

Since when has it been wrong or bad for a hard-working, full-time musician to pay their bills and eat? Apparently, it’s not art unless they are starving artists. Then it’s real.

 

Second, in NO OTHER INDUSTRY do people say that kind of crap about a vocation.

 

One could argue that a baker is also an artist, and HOW DARE THEY charge for that 3-story wedding cake?

 

After all, they should just do it because they love it, right? How could they possibly think of CHARGING for that…. even though people would like to consume it?

 

Even though all those ingredients cost them money? Even though they show up to work at 5 am, spent years in training and apprenticeship, and have perfected their craft? NO!

 

They ought to be POOR and do something else for a living, and give their divine ART away for free.

 

 

RIGHT?

 

 

Now that we’ve got that ludicrous belief out of the way, let’s dive into the biggest thing artists overlook that will keep them poor.

 

 

It’s the BUSINESS side of music.

 

 

Why do they do this?

 

Probably because they’ve been surrounded for years by ignoramus commentary such as the one above.

 

They know learning the music business means WORK.

 

And they don’t want to work. They want to play.

 

Therefore, they will stay POOR.

 

They are afraid of failure.

 

They have zero self-confidence.

 

Musicians often have low self-confidence because they derive all their musical value and worth from YouTube comments rather than an inner satisfaction from the product they’ve created, and the work itself.

 

They believe money is evil.

 

By the way, it’s not money that’s evil, it’s the love/worship of it.

 

They feel some kind of guilt about asking people to pay them for their music, or for promoting their music.

 

 

More reasons musicians stay POOR:

 

They do not like the thought of having to use their left brain.

 

They feel weird about promoting themselves.

 

Plus, business, numbers, analytics, and advertising don’t sound very sexy.

 

It means you have to have your act together.

 

Learning the business side of music means a steep learning curve and learning curves are often painful.

 

The POOR musician avoids pain at all costs.

 

The SUCCESSFUL musician does whatever it takes, IN SPITE of the pain.

 

 

The following is what separates the amateur from the professional.
Much of it has to do with their level of personal growth and CHARACTER.

 

 

The amateur musician:

  • Only wants to use the right side of his brain
  • Only practices and plays music when he feels like it
  • Has no schedule and no self-discipline
  • Gauges her musical worth/value through fan reactions and social media comments
  • Has a big ego and is always looking to boost it artificially
  • Is very flaky and consistently shows up late or is a no-show
  • Is lazy and believes someone will magically discover them
  • Doesn’t understand how to leverage his time, money, or talent
  • Believes all you need is good music and success should magically happen

 

 

The professional musician:

  • Engages both the right and left side of the brain
  • Practices and plays consistently, or schedules it into a season of life (they are deliberate)
  • Practices self-discipline in OTHER areas of life
  • They are punctual and value other people’s time
  • Derives his satisfaction and musical value through the finished product itself,
  • NOT from social media reactions
  • Understands that music is a vocation and a calling, not just a hobby
  • Embraces the fact that music is “work” and the product of good work is fruit of your labor (i.e. monetary compensation)
  • Understands that it is a good thing to be paid for your worth and is not intimidated by learning the business side
  • Realizes that if they want to increase their income, they need to increase their skills and value to the marketplace
  • Understands how to leverage her time, her money, and her talent
  • Knows that in order to be successful, you must solve someone’s problem.
  • Good music solves someone’s problem.

 

 

I could go on.

 

But the main idea here is that the amateur musician can’t be bothered by the business side.

 

They don’t care about numbers and believe the silly notion that a true artist shouldn’t be concerned with money.

 

The professional musician knows that good music solves someone’s problem, and they know how to properly leverage their talent through learning some basic marketing skills.