Transformation – The Musicians Best Friend

Transformation is a vital tool that you as an indie musician must learn to handle with mastery. To see the ultimate successes I’d imagine most of you want to see in your career that is. Without out seasons of transforming in your music career things would become static and eventually you’d start seeing troubles, failures and losses. This I believe is where so many acts fail, even on the major level. This is because transformations also are accompanied by transitions and usually radical changes. In addition to that, you must learn not to conform, which is basically transformation externally, to what is around you. Doing so will only lead you to the same places and results you are currently receiving. You must learn to bear with the pain of transforming yourself from within in hopes of finding transformation on the outer areas of your music career and success.

You following me? Take for example a musician that has no control over their career. They don’t write their own songs, don’t play any instruments, and really don’t know enough about recording to at least give a little say on their production either. They would be foolish to go about finding their desired career control by getting new songwriters, musicians and production crews. They really would just be repeating their same mistakes or mis-steps inconsideration to what they ultimately are looking for–more control of their career.

The appropriate way to go about getting their career control would be to begin to study up on these areas. Get some instrument coaching, set up an apprenticeship of sorts under an established producer, and practice their butts off at songwriting. This way they could at least be able to communicate better what it is they’d like from all of these individuals they are currently working with/under, if not take many of these reins over themselves.

This second way is what transformation internally is all about. By learning you’d force yourself to change, not only in skill level, but in consciousness also. It is a known fact that once the brain has been expanded it can never go back. What this means is you can never again operate under the same circumstances you are currently under by mistake or chance. In order for you to ever sit in the same place be it mentally or career-wise you would Have To Be Making A Conscious Decision To.

This is why artists that have reached the top of the mountain and fell off for one or two cds can again reach that highest level of success (think Mariah, Prince and I’m guessing Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson too). They have already mastered that level of transformation that it requires to reach the top of the mountain and raised their consciousness to that next level already. Therefore transformation though it can create uncertainties, fear, radical changes and even pains is actually the musicians friend. It’s these pressing things that force you to take stock of where you really are versus where you’d like to be. And just like sand in the mouth of an oyster, the pressures of transformation, if you stick it out, will eventually turn your career into a shiny new pearl. Taking you or your band into places of success and happiness that you never could of even imagined before.

~ by bmarcel on July 15, 2007.