From Jazz to Indie (Releasing Music)

There are always moments in our careers where we think of the possibility that maybe something wont happen, that what we are putting out into the world isn't going to get the recognition we hope and desire. This happens to me every time I'm in the midst of finishing up an album.

The process of creating an album is so difficult but I love every. single. moment. 

My first album 'Perception' took a good chunk of time, like about 6 months I'd say?

I give props to musicians who can record a whole album in a day and they're happy with what comes out of it. As we all know, spending money to make a record ISN'T cheap. But my thing is, don't ever rush putting music out because you want it to sound the best it can and for it showcase where you are at musically at the moment. 

'Perception' was my first statement into this world of "jazz" so I represented who I was and gave a little taste of where I wanted to go musically in the future. Now switching from this idea of being a jazz vocalist to an artist with no genre is scary! But the good thing about the first album is that it shows my touch to jazz with the R&B elements. I will still perform this music but now with the newest project I have coming out I have to figure out how to get into a different market. 

This is why I'm stressin'. New venues, new way to market, new Spotify playlists and a new Google Sheet made for exclusively indie music. I need to explore how to get this music to the right source.

I just make music that comes out of my butt...no. But really. When I'm writing a song, I don't know what it will fully sound like until I have my whole band behind me and I hear it in a recording. I've always hated the idea of having genres in music because I just want it to be universal. People will either like it or not like it, that's just how it is. Like for me....I don't like bacon but love ham. I try not to stress but when you're super passionate about what you're doing, how can you not want it to be as successful as it should be?

Here are some tips to have a more positive outlook on releasing music 🎧

1. If you are true to who you are, other peoples opinions shouldn't matter.
2. You will always have fans no matter what you release. People will love it and people will hate it, that's just a matter of musical taste. 
3. Don't worry about what your peers are doing around you, focus on your vision. 
4. Patience. Remember to take a breath and that good work takes time! (I still need to remind myself about this every day haha)
5. Spotify playlists don't mean ISH, they're great temporarily but having a fan base is WAY more important. 
6. To keep your mind off of the process of your album; research venues to tour at, labels & publicists that may be interested in your music, distribution in US, UK, etc. , media outlets that you can reach out to cover your release, try to find a videographer to shoot a music video with, do a photo shoot, and think about merchandise! (obviously you don't need to do ALL of this, but promoting yourself the right way is SUPER important)
7. Treat yourself once in awhile, everyone needs retail therapy once in awhile!
8. Go for a walk and clear your mind.
9. Bring a notepad everywhere you go and jot down ideas on what you can do for your release. 
10. Surround yourself with positive people and show people you're close with your music to get their ideas on how they hear the music. (DO NOT SHOW IT TO ONLY MUSICIANS)

I hope this was insightful, my experiences so far in this part of the music industry is still very daunting to me. Trends are always changing and we have to keep up to date with everything that goes on. STAY ON YOUR TOES! 

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