How Local Musician Rise from Fame

Breaking into the Music Industry and Scene as an Artist

Several of today's well-known musicians' stars started as local artists playing in front of a few dozens of people before breaking into the music industry.

Famous artists were once ordinary talents in their hometowns. Driven by their passion for music paired with the courage to set out in an industry that is riddled with obstacles, a rare few somehow reached the pinnacle of success.

Local musicians must go through the uphill climb of establishing a name, gaining an audience, and earning a place on any stage. Surviving the music AND entertainment industry requires tough skin to create a brand and stay true to your vision and style.

Many will have opinions, so long as you play music from the heart, the rest will flow. Of course, it is always good to be recognized by your peers and/or audiences. With a lot of luck and a bit of witty marketing, it's every band and musician's dream to be acknowledged and thrive in the music community. Every opportunity comes at its time. Being prepared is the key to being able to take advantage.

What is critical AND necessary to develop as an Artist today?

Finding your voice and honoring your style and identity are the first steps in identifying yourself as a performer. Performing LIVE is a second crucial step in developing and mastering your craft as an artist.

Live performances offer real-world experiences and reactions from audience members. Equipment may malfunction; how do you react or recover? You may be criticized, your style may not be someone else's. This will happen - regardless of the negative comments and feedback - don't quit. It may take time to discover your sound and performance style, but that will be achieved over time.

Once you have identified yourself as an Artist, you will attract an audience that will notice and relate. Given the digital reality we live in today, communicating and sharing an adored Artist are much more accessible and the norm.

Effective ways to break out as an Artist:

1) Local venues: The ideal place to begin showcasing yourself and/or the band is at local hot spots or go to's. Smaller venues with no more than two hundred (300) capacity allow new artists to have the opportunity to highlight their talent. Resto-bar; lounges; cafes; restaurants; local pub, and breweries are additional options

2) Private Events: Exclusive celebrations, invites, or other events where the band is engaged in entertaining guests for a private function or event.

3) Open-door shows: Local parks, festivals, and/or other related mini-concerts.

4) Virtual Live shows: Today, people are more engaged in social media than ever before. Now is the time to create your Artist account/page and begin sharing your work through digital platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Tik-Tok, Facebook, and others. Live streaming your performances is a great way to gain new fans and interest in your work. You may even land a promo gig (non-paid). The point is to get your music heard by as many people as possible. One day, you will wake to thousands of notifications from one of your videos that made it into the general public.

REALITY: ALL is NOT Fair

Many artists do not receive the same amount of attention and opportunity. That is why one crucial component to success is persistence. Regardless if there is an audience of none OR only one person cheering in the crowd, always give your all.

A great example of a band making their mark in music is Tatiana Blades and the Collektives. The Miami native singer and songwriter, Tatiana Blades, is a growing Artist ready to share her inherited talent with the world. Daughter and niece to music icons Robert and Ruben Blades. Even given her family name blessed with music legends, she is not exempt from waiting her turn in the music line.

She has worked hard to identify her own music style, with much opposition from producers trying to label her vocal style with their vision of her identity. Determined to stay true to her own style, Tatiana Blades and the Collektives sound is far from the genre of salsa ballads and patriotic hymns of her family.

Debuting performances in the city of Miami, the band performed at local leading live music venues: Bar Nancy, Montys Sunset, Backyard FTL, and were set to perform Ball and Chain on the famous Pineapple Stage just before the pandemic hit and shut all venues down.

The downtime allowed the band members time to connect and work on their own original music. March 2021 marked the release of their first single, "Letting Go" - a song about the sunny side that lies on the other side of the pain of letting go. April 2021 is the release of "Honky Tonk" - a happy, upbeat tune set to make your move. Since the USA began distributing the Covid19 vaccine, cities and states are removing curfews, and venues are finally back to reopening and offering live shows.

Becoming a big star in the music industry can be a considerable challenge. It is achieved by chance, sometimes fate, and always hard work. Armed with self-confidence, determination, and dedication, this could also become a reality for you.

Final Thoughts:

Someone once said you don't have to be great to get started. But you have to start to be great. This is true for everyone who is dreaming of achieving their goal. It doesn't matter how many likes, views, and shares you have today. As long as you keep on connecting the right audience, your break-out will arrive soon.

A few things to becoming successful musician:

❏ Know and love your passion.

❏ Determine your potential and practice more often.

❏ Start from the beginning, don't jump off of the line.

❏ Collect/share opinions from colleagues.

❏ Build an audience. Start from your family, friends, and social media.

❏ Connect to local establishment owners.

❏ Believe in yourself.