“The best place to start any transformation is education,” said Thad Bullard (a.k.a. Titus O’Neil of WWE fame). Artists often look outside the box for inspiration for lyrics or melody, but what about for transformation of their craft or career? Since the world is full of lessons to learn, here is a lesson for the indie artist/musician from the world of teaching.
In the world of public education, teachers are given the opportunity to transform every summer. Almost out of necessity, to preserve their mental health, most teachers have 60 days in a row that are teaching free. After ten months of working their bodies and brains to the bone, they get two months of “down time.” Do they binge-watch Netflix, brush the dust off a stack of books, and put more effort into crafts or baking? Sure! But this is also a time to assess and transform their craft. Schedules are filled with professional development opportunities, webinars, re-writing lesson plans, and determining how to make some changes for the better in their classrooms.
As a public school teacher of 31 years, I have never started a new school year thinking that I was going to do things the exact same way that I had done them the previous year. Never. I have always finished each school year with a list of things I want to do differently. I know I can do better. I know there are untapped resources that will help transform me into a better version of my teacher self. My education comes from many different sources, and it always leaves me feeling better about the school year to come. I try to spend time with teachers in different fields and from different schools. At the very least, I am more communicative with teacher groups on different social media platforms.
What about you. Do you feel stuck in a rut? Do you find yourself putting your nightly performances on “auto-pilot”? When was the last time you thought about transforming how you write, share, sing, record, or even simply talk about your music? Let me suggest three things you can do to transform through education. (None of them will require 60 days off!)
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Tap Into Connections
What resources have you investigated? Which old, long forgotten connections can you revisit? Dig out those business cards or notes you wrote and forgot about months ago. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because someone hasn’t contacted you, they don’t want to be contacted. Just like Bruce Wawrzyniak always preaches about on the “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast or in the weekly blog posts on this website, personal connections have value, and they need to be nourished.
Create a Professional Network
For those of us that teach there are PLNs (Professional Learning Networks) and in the business world, there are Peer Groups. Have you considered pulling together a small group of diverse but like-minded artists to learn and grown and transform your craft? Before you answer this too quickly because you’re thinking of a couple others you routinely get together with for co-writing sessions, understand the difference. Learning is very social. We tend to learn best with and from others. While it would be nice to meet in person, don’t overlook using social media or video conferencing for gatherings.
Listen to a Podcast
“But I’m so busy, I don’t have enough time for all that,” I can hear you saying. It can be a few days or a week that you are learning something different to help you grow in your career that would be sufficient. It could even be listening to a podcast on your way to your gigs. But rather than listening to the crazy successful artists like John Mayer and Beyoncé, listen to artists who are similar to you, like on NHTE so that you’re learning something on the way to your show instead of getting lured into feeling like you can never make it to where those A-listers are. I promise that you will find people who are doing what you do and encountering the challenges you face. Learn from this virtual, on-demand network of connections that represents the best of all three steps!
As we start into August, remember, taking action as I’ve described above doesn’t have to wait until January. Besides, we all know how effective New Year’s resolutions end up being. Start transforming your music career today!
Wendy Wheeler runs The World Is Your Classroom, which helps provide educational services to the lifelong learner in and out of the classroom, focusing on the skills necessary to ensure maximum learning and success. Contact her through that website or the social media platforms linked to on there.