When we talk about artist development, what do we mean?
I find that there are two schools of thought on what it means to develop artists in the modern music industry. The more common one in mainstream, “traditional” industry circles involves convincing artists to fit a particular image.
Look like this. Sound like that. Work with these producers and this creative team *only*. Get into a writers room and write, write, write until you can’t write anymore. Maybe one of your songs will be placed. Maybe a major artist will decide to record one. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll even get signed to a major (but only if we can get those numbers up). If all goes well, eventually you’ll be able to do whatever you want as an artist – but only after you’ve given us a hit. Or better yet, several.
The inherent flaw to this method of artist development is that it keeps artists in a constant state of chasing. The carrot has been dangled. You must keep in the race to be the one to catch it, and “make it big” before somebody else does. This creates a sense of competition and a mindset of scarcity. If there are only so many opportunities to go around, your artistic vision goes out the window. The focus turns away from creativity, and toward how to make the most commodified, commercially acceptable thing. Don’t bore us. Get to the chorus, and you’ll be a STAR, kid!
All the while, chasing outside of yourself is a recipe for trading your truth for membership. Your raw authenticity is exchanged for the promise of a new day… if only you fit this particular mold, at this particular time. So often, this pulls artists – human beings with real lives and real stories – away from themselves, and into a machine they didn’t sign up to help operate. And, while one of those songs or “viral” moments might bring in short-term fans and collaborators, you’ll have a hard time keeping them there if you haven’t built true connections. Striking gold on a current trend may bring a wave of new attention to you at the moment… but who will be left after the virality fades, and the industry has moved on to the next big thing?
What becomes of your artistry then? Who are you, after listening to somebody else tell you who and what to be?
There is another way to build a career that has been hiding under our noses this entire time.
We have more tools at our disposal than at any time in human history. These tools can empower you to lean into who you are, tell your stories, and build your community – whether fans, collaborators, or partners who align with who you are, what you do, and why you do it.
The best part? Those people will be there, even as the trends change and new viral moments come and go. They’ll continue showing up, supporting and investing in you, because of a genuine connection you’ve built that can weather any viral storm.
To build that kind of creative ecosystem – the kind that endures based on connection, not commodification – you must start from within.
It’s time for a new school of artist development: one that cares about your stories, ideas, and perspectives. The new school of artist development understands that the cookups – the writes, the jams, and the studio sessions – are important, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg of what makes a successful artist. The new school is here to help you uncover the thing that *you* want to build, based on your own unique values, perspectives, and experiences. The new school of artist development helps you use those things to identify your true creative mission, and empowers you to visualize ways to bring it to the world.
The new school of artist development is not interested in gatekeeping. Here, you have access to the resources, connections, education and opportunities to build your platform, on your terms. We teach artists to lean into not only their own creativity, but their own independence as entrepreneurs, providing them with expert insights on how to build a business to support the art.
To all of you “starving artists” out there: what would you create if you weren’t starving?
Let’s create new possibilities together.