I’m in a band called Cupid and the Cowboy. Here are some tips that I’ve picked up after a few years of playing music around town that may help with the creative process of being an indie musician in NYC. This is written for eager singer-songwriters and jam bands alike.
- Have a teacher. If not one, have two or three teachers. You have teachers when you’re in school, right? And professors in college? Learning shouldn’t stop when you reach adulthood. For example, Paul Davids and Jens Larsen are my guitar teachers. LOL. They’re excellent Dutch guitarists who have YouTube channels that I can watch anytime — and I’ll never be able to play like those guys. But I’m OK with that because they inspire me and give me something to aspire to.
- Choose a mentor. This goes beyond having a teacher, because whereas teachers help when you want to hone your skill, mentors are necessary when you want to grow as a person who can contribute to a field for posterity. My mentor is my band leader, the Cowboy. He’s been in bands since he was a teenager, he’s fearless, and he helps me navigate this crazy whirlwind of a music scene in NYC. While a teacher may confer knowledge, a mentor confers wisdom.
- Find your community. Who supports you? Find your music community (singer-songwriter, rockabilly, hip hop, etc.) and your non-music community (swing dance, fashion, poetry, etc). When starting out, you’ll rely on your friends to come out to your shows because you won’t have fans. That being said, be sure to support your friends as well. Who do you support and what do you have to offer others?
- Tie a skill to your music. Fortunately or unfortunately, the present indie musician is expected to wear a number of hats unrelated to music. Can you write? Draw? Do you love being on social media and are always on your phone, responding super quickly to texts/inquires? If so, use these skills to your advantage in order to create and nurture future friends/fans.
- Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of. In NYC it’s hard to find a show to play, much less get paid for it! The stereotype of the musician as naive and perhaps flighty exists for sure. Sometimes the music scene plays on those stereotypes and may take advantage. Make sure you don’t become prey; like spending money on playing shows. You’re the entertainment. It might make sense to play a show for free if you want to be exposed to a new audience for the first time but you decide if it’s right for you to play a show for free. And open mics, which I think of as playing a free set, can be a great way to debut a new song, or network with other artists in your community. However, I am a bit hesitant about open mics for a few reasons. Open mics with cover charges are a bit suspect because why pay a cover if you’re spending money on food and drink there already? Furthermore, open mics can be dangerous for those with alcohol use issues. At open mics you can find yourself waiting 2 hours or 3 hours to play! So practice moderation while waiting to play, or you may end up over drinking and ultimately playing your set drunk — I’ve seen it happen. (Unless you don’t mind doing that) And if you stay the whole time at the open mic, that could be 4 hours spent at the open mic in total. Some people may be looking to socialize, and kill time. A serious musician is likely not. However, you determine the best use of your time.
People from around the world move to NY in order to realize their dreams as musicians. Although NYC is an undeniable artist hub, be sure to protect your time, energies, and creativity. Trust in the process. Believe in yourself; others will learn to believe in you too.
