DeeAnn
“Always stay true to yourself, be honest and follow your gut because you might have different people trying to pull you in various directions based on what they think they know about you."
Damien Quintard
“When you have a vision as a creative person, you will be confronted with people that have a totally different vision. If you follow too much of what everybody is doing or saying, it’s going to blur the original vision. ”
Lanz Pierce
“The label [is] a bank. It has a mandate like venture capitalism. It's not personal; it’s all followers. If you're a pre-rev company, they won't invest past a certain amount because they want you to find product market fit and prove you have an audience, but there's exceptions. ”
José James
“Have people around you that believe in you. It's a myth as an artist that you're always going to believe in yourself.”
Mitch Ryder
“Get yourself a lawyer and an accountant if you’re serious about wanting to go forward as a musician.”
Janiva Magness
“Be prepared because people are gonna stand next to you if you’re fortunate enough to have any kind of success… Most of the people will be waiting for you to stumble and fall, with a fork and knife to eat you alive… Don’t be naïve.”
Jet Jaguar
"Making music a serious pursuit requires big sacrifices.”
Brenda Russell
“It’s important right off the bat to encourage the new songwriters out there, folks trying to express themselves through music as I’ve always done.”
Pancho Burgos-Goizueta
“I graduated Berklee at 28, didn’t get my first assistant job until 30, and wrote my first film at 34. I wish someone had said: don’t wait. Just suck at it for a while… You just have to evolve and close that gap.”
Spencer Hatcher
“[Social Media is] so crucial in today’s world. If you wanna be a musician you also have to be a famous content creator. It’s really hard to do. But social media is how you’re gonna make it anymore.”
Gino Vannelli
“There are a lot of sad stories out there. We don’t wanna listen to sad stories of people we don’t know, unless they do something for us.”
Micah Plissner
“Your style, attitude, stories and persona, and how you express yourself personally on stage and in the studio are the most important things.”
Anthony Martini
“You need your own identity and something unique. The fact you have a shitty voice might be what makes you cool. Look at someone like Bob Dylan. He didn’t have a great voice, but it’s unique and you know it when you hear it. He leaned into his strengths, which were lyrics and poetry."
