Category Archives: Muze

Class is in Session: Finding the Right Music Teacher

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Sooner or later, and no matter where you are in your musical journey, we all could use some guidance.

Last week, Luke kicked off the breakdown of Muze’s “10 People Musicians Need on Their Side” series by helping you learn what to look for when shopping for the right producer. But, before you can even get into the studio… you have to know how to perform!

So, in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I decided to ask a couple of teachers how it’s done!

Erin McLendon and Caitie Thompson are performing artists and the co-founders of Music on the Move Studios. Based in Nashville, Music on the Move is a female-owned business which helps artists grow their careers through educational and performance opportunities. Those opportunities include private and DIY lessons – Erin teaches voice, while Caitie instructs students on a variety of instruments.

I sat down with Erin and Caitie to learn more about the role of a voice or instrument teacher. In the process, they helped dispel common myths, while showing the correlation between learning proper technique and building confidence.

Read the full article on Muze!

The 10 People Musicians Need on Their Side

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As we’ve pointed out plenty of times on the Muze blog, it takes a village to build a career in the music industry. No one artist – or industry professional, for that matter – can go it alone. And fortunately, you don’t have to.

This article is dedicated to helping you know what to look for – and what roles to fill – when building your team. And of course, you’ll need more than musical talent in your midst to bring your career to the top. Let’s explore the different roles together, shall we?

Meet them all on Muze!

Your Artist Brand: A Uniquely True Story

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken the time here on the Muze blog to discuss effective ways to get your music (and your story) in front of the masses. We coached you up on the components that should go into your Electronic Press Kit (EPK). Then, we covered what to do with it next – that is, how to identify the right opportunities for your music, and best practices for using your EPK to pitch your art to tastemakers.

With all of that said, there is an important part of this whole process that deserves a deeper dive – and it’s making sure that you have your story straight.

Indeed, any independent musician – any “singer-songwriter from Anywhere, USA” – can put together an EPK and send it out to media, talent buyers, and other music industry tastemakers. However, it takes a truly unique individual to stand out and endear themselves among the pack. It takes a compelling story – dare we say, a personal brand – to connect you to your potential audience.

In this article, we’ll cover:

Read the full article on Muze!

Making Your Pitch: Using Your EPK to Discover New Musical Opportunities

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A couple weeks ago on the Muze blog, we took a deep dive into the components of a complete, thorough musician’s Electronic Press Kit (EPK). This virtual promotional package is an all-in-one look and listen which highlights who you are as an artist. Having an EPK is an essential component to telling your story to music industry tastemakers, including media outlets, talent buyers, and others who offer creative or professional services to help you further your career.

Now, for the million-dollar question: what do you do once it’s complete?

You pitch it!

However – like anything else you do in the digital space – you’ll want to pitch responsibly, and understand the steps that you can take to ensure your music lands in the right hands and has an opportunity to shine. In this week’s article, we’ll cover:

Sound like fun? Let’s jump in!

Read the full article on Muze!

Want to learn EVERYTHING there is to know about pitching your music? Sign up for UMC’s on-demand Perfect Your Pitch course!

Crafting a Musician’s EPK: What Are The Components?

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Let’s say this loud, and say it proud.

Every musician in search of new opportunities needs to have a well-crafted EPK.

What is an EPK? It’s shorthand for Electronic Press Kit. It’s a single document or webpage dedicated to hosting a complete, multifaceted promotional snapshot of your music and all that it represents.

Of course, your audio – that is, the music itself – will have a home on your EPK. However, that is only the beginning; your EPK exists to be a world of multimedia for music industry tastemakers – including members of the media, promoters, and even managers and publicists – to explore, as they consider you for opportunities to further your career.

In this article, we will cover the components that go into a comprehensive EPK, including:

  • Developing a strong artist bio.
  • Getting your music ready for consumption.
  • Including high-quality visuals that are on-brand to you.
  • Providing press clippings (reviews, features, interviews, etc.) from digital media outlets.
  • Where to host your EPK.
  • Sample artist EPKs currently online.

Let’s dig into the specifics, shall we?

Read the full article on Muze!

Embracing Technology’s Role in the Modern Music Industry

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As we progress through 2022, we find ourselves smack in the middle in an exciting, dynamic, and ever-evolving creative landscape. After years of traditional music industry dominance, power is now moving back into the hands of the individual creator, with new tools constantly emerging to help musicians (and artists of all disciplines) get the most out of their careers, on their terms.

However, as the famed philosopher Ben Parker once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” To get the most out of the modern digital landscape, not only does it behoove us to use these tools – we must be willing to understand them in the first place. Then (and only then) will we get the most out of these tools, and find ourselves in prime position to locate bigger and better opportunities.

Read the full article on Muze!

Musicians: Here’s How to Stay Accountable to Your Goals

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In my previous article for Muze, I invited you to come along with me, as we walked through 10 New Year’s Resolutions for musicians to carry forward into 2022. It’s still January, which means that it’s still the New Year; therefore, it’s not too late to dissect these resolutions into further detail, and adopt them on our journeys forward.

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at our resolution on accountability. Don’t let its position at the bottom of the list fool you; a strong sense of accountability – to ourselves, and to those around us – is paramount to achieving our goals as musicians and creative professionals.

Keeping that in mind, here are some techniques you can employ to hold yourself accountable to your goals, as you strive to make 2022 your most successful year to date!

Read the full article on Muze!

New Year’s Resolutions for Musicians in 2022

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Folks, we did it. We’ve made it to the end of another year, which means that it’s time for your New Year’s resolutions!

2021 was undoubtedly filled with challenges, as the music industry began its climb back from pandemic-induced shutdowns and uncertainty. This state of flux surely made it hard for many people within the industry to set goals at the start of the year. After all, it isn’t easy to hit a moving target.

Nonetheless, we emerge victorious from this year, and head into 2022 with a clearer sense of what’s to come within our industry. That makes this the perfect time to plan for the future – which, by our watches, is just about here!

Here are some New Year’s resolutions we’ve cooked up for musicians. Feel free to adopt these and make them specific to your circumstances. And, if there are any we should add, let us know in the comments!

Read the full article on Muze!
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