Just A Thought 💭
There is a staggering stat that over 100,000 people upload music to Spotify every day. 100,000 people a day! That’s more than 3 million people a month praying that their track will be the one that blows up. The one that will take them away from the job that they hate and thrust them onto a world stage where they are adored by fans all across the world. We give ourselves to these passions, and we commit to our dreams. They are our daily bread, and we pursue them like old southern Black ladies pursue Jesus.
But sometimes the weight of reality that is given to us once we cross the imaginary line between childhood and adulthood begins to afflict our hope that we will make it; That we will actually be successful. Whatever that means…
💡 As I get older I’m learning two things more and more:
📢 Dreams change: Dreams can change completely, but more importantly they change in form. If the dream is to work and make a living as a musician, maybe that doesn’t have to look like me being Drake, performing in front of thousands of people every night. Maybe I make a great living off sync licensing, and I play regional gigs to hundreds of fans that love me. Maybe I’m not performing at all, but I teach music in a school full of young minds who want to learn how to express themselves as musicians. There are a multi-verse of choices that could occur. There are so many ways your dreams can take shape, but we have to be (in my opinion) open and amendable to that change and realize that the universe does not give you what you want, it gives you who you are. Maybe you can’t be the person who dreamed of stardom at 15 anymore. Maybe you’re not willing to tour eight months out of the year because you have a family. Maybe you are the creative you are right now, and maybe, just maybe, that’s okay!
📢 Your timeline is your timeline: I heard someone say recently that we are in an artistic pandemic. He spoke to the fact that many people are creating anxiously and out of a need to keep up with the demand of 100,000 other people uploading music or creating TikTok videos, or Instagram reels. We are afraid that we will miss out, and success will miss us. But, I realized when anxiety walks in the door, creativity walks out. We can’t rush our processes. Your process is your own, and regardless of what other people are doing, you should always aim to create on your timeline, apart from anxiety, and drippin’ with inspiration.
The Integration of AI In Music. Should We Be Afraid?
🤖 If you watch the early days of Star Trek you will start to realize how much the show predicted the technology of today. No, we can’t go where no man has gone before quite yet, but our communications, weaponry, and even teleportation are in some form or fashion real world adaptions of the iconic series. This fact lives with me as I think back to another block buster movie; and how it’s predicted a very real version of the possible future…and that movie is… (Drumroll please)
I fucking Robot!
With the advancement of AI in many industries one can’t help but think back to the apocalyptic possibility that the robots will take over one day. Most people think it’s just the weapons, and security systems they will control, but what about the creativity? Right now AI generated photos are being uploaded to social media, and students in my music class are turning in two page papers that are AI generated; and what’s more…music is not far behind. AI integrated platforms like Landr use AI to master songs without any input from human beings. And [platforms like Amper music make it easy and quick to create entire musical compositions without the need of music theory or any real music knowledge. There is even a guy who recently created an AI algorithm that has the ability to completely change someone’s recorded voice to someone else. In this video his AI generated software allowed him to change his voice to sound exactly like Kendrick Lamar, and it really did sound just like him. Like…Dude! What the fuck!
My questions to you are: What are the implications of AI software that can manipulate and alter peoples voices to sound like other musicians and other creatives? Will there ever be a day AI platforms no longer need any human input to create your next favorite song? And if so, where does that leave the musician? Historically, the music industry has done anything they could to generate a profit even at the expense of the artist. Do we not think they would use AI to replace the artist with AI to maximize profit, and how soulless will the music feel?
It’s a weird and scary concept to think about, but also really exciting too (I know, I contradicting myself!). But, if I’m honest, I can’t tell you how many times Landr has saved me hundreds of dollars with their mastering service. By no means do I feel like those masters had the soul that a real life, flesh and blood engineer has, but they worked in a sticky situation. It was a perfect tool for that moment. And, I think that’s what we have to remember. Until the AI begins to actually think for itself and take over the world, it’s a useful tool. A way that gives access to those who may love music and not have the money for professional level mixing and mastering; or, also those who want to participate in the creation of music for fun, but know little to nothing about music theory. I mean, think back to the creation of the Linn LM-1 or the Tr-808. Don’t you think drummers that made their livelihood from drumming had an "ooh shit…" moment? Of course they did. But history shows that drummers are still drumming and integrating their skills and adapting the technology to their needs.
That’s what we have to do! We have to remember that nothing will ever be as authentic and soulful as humans creating from raw emotion, but maybe their is a place that allows use to coexist with AI technology in music that enables us to continuously create and innovate the music that moves the world. There is bad and good in everything, and I’m sure there will be a day where AI takes its shot at running the joint, but at the end of the day, music is like a wink from Sonny (the robot who helped Will Smith take down the evil AI software)…only possible with some input of real feelings….
…lol that was corny, but you feel me though 😂🙃
Helping Others In Their Glow-Up
One of my big dreams was to come to the big city and create a performance platform for independent music arts. Maneuvering through New York City as an independent artist is damn near impossible, and I wanted to do whatever I could to make that journey for independent artists easier. So the Empire State Music & Arts Festival was born: an annual multi-genre music celebration where artists come first! Myself and my growing team produce concerts, music industry workshops, panel discussions, songwriting round tables, and so much more!
After 10 years of this, I’m expanding ESMAF in the same vibe of providing resources and pathways for indie artists. Starting today, I’m launching my own artist and event services division of ESMAF. These services will range from artist accountability management, event planning, artist development, performance coaching, booking, and so much more.
I’ll tell you a quick story: A couple of days ago, a friend of mine attended the show of one of my recent clients, This Minority. He commented on a performance choice This Minority made and said “It was fire!” He was really impressed, which made it extra cool when I quickly realized that choice was something I directed my client to do during one of our accountability and artist development sessions together!
If you’re an artist and know what your goals are but are having trouble reaching them (or are looking for support in gaining clarity on them), I would love to speak with you to figure out how I can help you. You can click the link below and grab a 20 min FREE consultation with me.
“Working with Empire was an amazing experience. They bring a lot of knowledge and gems to the table. What makes a great consultant is translation, and Empire does not fall short in this aspect, and it was the best part of working with them.”
- This Minority
Indie Music Podcast Anyone?
You know how I mentioned “Your process is your own” at the start of this issue? While that’s true, I also think there’s a lot of value and community to be gained from hearing about others’ process, and that’s in part why I created The Process, a podcast where we explore the moments and experiences that shape creatives, and on that helps answer the question: “How are dope artists made?”
Listen to my first five episodes with indie artists Precious Gorgeous, ReeCee Raps, Mandella Eskia, Natalie Carr, and our brand new episode featuring artist, activist, and super dope person Arie; as we direct their journeys to become the artists and people they are.
Listen to The Indie Glow-Up Playlist
Discover the best, the brightest, and the future of the music industry with ESMAF’s Indie Glow-Up Playlist: a monthly playlist that highlights 15 phenomenal artists on the glow-up from all walks of music!
This month’s playlist includes artists like Elijah Fox, Brooklish, LANNDS, Benita, Mandella Eskia, and more!
Upcoming NYC Shows!
🎟️ March 18th @nublu NYC featuring: Ohene, Mel Rose, Fredom Imani, Phuoc, Brooklish, Ari Aum, and Sekayi!
🎟️ April 23rd, 2023 @Sultan Room Brooklyn featuring: Lillimure, Jake Brewer, Eaglin, and Sugarmama!
Concerts in Random Places
Have you checked out our new digital concert series Concerts in Random Places, yet?
Concerts in Random Places allows viewers the opportunity to witness amazing artists from all over the world performing their favorite songs in small businesses and local establishments of NYC!
You can watch and listen to R&B songstress Emelia Vero and 2022 festival headliner Juice perform live now.
Top 3 Glow-Up Tips Of The Month
Want to hear more independent creative stories in podcast form? Check out AP Studio Files. An amazing podcast the focuses on the lives and stories of indie artists and creatives in NYC!
Looking to elevate your songwriting skills? Check out Songwriting Without Boundaries. Using this book and the exercises in it will help you develop your songwriting chops every day with specific exercises and examples!
Looking for a really cool songwriting camp? Wanna meet new artists, producers, and get access to a week of intensive of songwriting, networking, and industry parties? Check out Anti Social Producers Camp! An annual week-long songwriter and networking conference taking place in NYC this (and every) June!