7 answers
sholeh
Student
Dana Point, California
1
Question
Asked
499 views
How can I ever become a professional singer songwriter? Is it genuinely possible to be successful in this field??
You don't need my life's story, but I've had this dream since I came out of the womb. Maybe even before.
And there is simply nothing I love doing more (then singing and songwriting)! Nothing at all!
So, as an almost fourteen-year-old girl (am I allowed to expose this information, anyways?), what am I to do here? What can I do to make this dream reality? Is this even a dream worth pursuing, or should it be more of a hobby? I would love some advice!
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7 answers
John Sanders
Musician
3
Answers
Bozeman, Montana
Updated
John’s Answer
If you decided to not pursue this dream do you know you would always regret not trying? In my opinion this is a question you should ask yourself seriously now, and periodically throughout your work. How important is being financially secure for you and your loved ones? Even if you're talented and work endlessly on your craft the real money will be extremely hard to come by as a singer/songwriter.
If you still want nothing more than to be a musician and you don't care about money (remember to come back to those questions now and then in the future), then it's probably time to get to work: Write as much as you can, record yourself and listen back so you can fix what you don't like, take any gig opportunity, find and follow (in person) other musicians that really fire you up, try to find teachers and professional players that will give you honest advice and even play WITH you on gigs- and make sure to treat them with love & respect, learn how to play additional instruments, learn how to read charts & sheet music, learn covers of all genres and how to adapt them to your style, learn how to perform under adversity (like how to still deliver to a crowd when you can't hear yourself, the P.A. sucks, and the sound guy is angry and mean), watch out for people trying to take advantage of you (parents, family, and/or trusted friends can be invaluable for spotting this), etc. etc. Remember this is all just my opinion, and general advice like this is one of many tools for progress and is only useful to a point.
Trust yourself, find trusty collaborators, work hard & regularly, and be careful with people eager to give you advice! Only you know what's what. If you really love music then there is no wasted time in working on it
If you still want nothing more than to be a musician and you don't care about money (remember to come back to those questions now and then in the future), then it's probably time to get to work: Write as much as you can, record yourself and listen back so you can fix what you don't like, take any gig opportunity, find and follow (in person) other musicians that really fire you up, try to find teachers and professional players that will give you honest advice and even play WITH you on gigs- and make sure to treat them with love & respect, learn how to play additional instruments, learn how to read charts & sheet music, learn covers of all genres and how to adapt them to your style, learn how to perform under adversity (like how to still deliver to a crowd when you can't hear yourself, the P.A. sucks, and the sound guy is angry and mean), watch out for people trying to take advantage of you (parents, family, and/or trusted friends can be invaluable for spotting this), etc. etc. Remember this is all just my opinion, and general advice like this is one of many tools for progress and is only useful to a point.
Trust yourself, find trusty collaborators, work hard & regularly, and be careful with people eager to give you advice! Only you know what's what. If you really love music then there is no wasted time in working on it
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1860
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Sholeh,
Hi, and welcome to CareerVillage! First, I'd like to thank you for your feedback on my old post ("school sucks"). It's great to hear that students are reading these! Yes, you can disclose some personal details here. Just not enough that would enable us to find you and make contact outside of this forum. It's for your safety.
I don't know anything about singing/songwriting. Is it something you are currently doing, or, still a dream? I do know it's a hard field to be successful in, leading aspiring singer/songwriters to take other jobs to pay the bills - waiting tables, providing private musical instrument lessons, Uber drivers, etc.
I would encourage you to learn all things musical while in school. Enter talent shows. If you belong to a church, that's a great place to sing as well. Hopefully people more familiar will provide some additional feedback. Every dream is worth pursuing, it's just a question of how to earn enough to support yourself while in the pursuit phase!
Best of luck to you!
Hi, and welcome to CareerVillage! First, I'd like to thank you for your feedback on my old post ("school sucks"). It's great to hear that students are reading these! Yes, you can disclose some personal details here. Just not enough that would enable us to find you and make contact outside of this forum. It's for your safety.
I don't know anything about singing/songwriting. Is it something you are currently doing, or, still a dream? I do know it's a hard field to be successful in, leading aspiring singer/songwriters to take other jobs to pay the bills - waiting tables, providing private musical instrument lessons, Uber drivers, etc.
I would encourage you to learn all things musical while in school. Enter talent shows. If you belong to a church, that's a great place to sing as well. Hopefully people more familiar will provide some additional feedback. Every dream is worth pursuing, it's just a question of how to earn enough to support yourself while in the pursuit phase!
Best of luck to you!
Caio Marchiori Tranquillo
Sales Leader
5
Answers
São Paulo, Brazil
Updated
Caio’s Answer
Hello!!
Its a very nice question! I faced the same when i was in college, I had a band for several years and had the same dream! In my perspective is first to you really understand if this a think that you dream of doing, or if this is something that you like to do! I say this because in my view this can take to different outputs, if its a dream were you really think about it most o f the time...go for it! It can be a full dedication period, but also something that you can do in parallel of other things, this will also allow you to understand better other careers, or give you the opportunity to have a backup plan! Music industry is not easy, and it can be very challenging, but if its a thing that you really want, and love to do, and also have a real talent for it, you can persue it! But never forgetting to study, to connect with people that are in this market.
Also search for local artists to have real conversations about how is the reality of this, get advices, and understand the good and bad thinks on this!
In the end, for me, it worked like a hobby, i started to work with technologies and really enjoyed it, so it allowed me to understand that i can continue doing this. Hope that this can help.
And here if you want to connect!
Its a very nice question! I faced the same when i was in college, I had a band for several years and had the same dream! In my perspective is first to you really understand if this a think that you dream of doing, or if this is something that you like to do! I say this because in my view this can take to different outputs, if its a dream were you really think about it most o f the time...go for it! It can be a full dedication period, but also something that you can do in parallel of other things, this will also allow you to understand better other careers, or give you the opportunity to have a backup plan! Music industry is not easy, and it can be very challenging, but if its a thing that you really want, and love to do, and also have a real talent for it, you can persue it! But never forgetting to study, to connect with people that are in this market.
Also search for local artists to have real conversations about how is the reality of this, get advices, and understand the good and bad thinks on this!
In the end, for me, it worked like a hobby, i started to work with technologies and really enjoyed it, so it allowed me to understand that i can continue doing this. Hope that this can help.
And here if you want to connect!
Liam Rielly
Data Center Technician
180
Answers
Manassas, Virginia
Updated
Liam’s Answer
This is an attainable dream, you just need to deal with the reality to make it happen!
Record your thoughts and keep them. If you write lyrics, keep all of them. Stay organized with all of your lyrics. You might write something today and it sounds and feels cheesy but ten years from now it may be a hit song. Keep back up of your ideas. Record what you are playing, all it takes is your phone or computer. Everything you do, keep a backup of it!
Learn enough piano to survive (piano can be a cheap keyboard too), learn enough guitar to survive, and learn drumming basics. By "enough to survive" I mean enough to get your ideas out of your head. Be able to express your ideas to someone else so they can either help you play a gig or develop your ideas. Think about the most efficient way to share your ideas, it may be sheet music, it may be a video, it may be a recording, it may be a mix of all of those.
Perform often. Get in front of people whenever you can (I have a feeling you do already!). A great way is to find a coffee shop with open mics and start from there. Live performance is better than digital (online) but digital will reach further. At your age try to perform in front of people and grow from there. There will be plenty of opportunity to get online later (with the help of an adult) and get exposure there after you are established more.
The part last and most important piece that will make this career is to get representation for your works. This means that you have a finished works represented by a lawyer or a legal firm. Your intellectual property is your product. You need to have help with this, professional musicians, recording studios, and record companies all do this and actively defend the music by them or their artists. There are countless stories of people writing together and both taking ownership of the works then battling it out in court for decades after because they never had representation for their part of the song. At your age this might be unneeded, but this is why I say don't publish your ideas online and if you put something online make sure an adult helps you so your ideas do not become someone else's profit! The internet is overfilled with copyright infringements and it is a difficult space to not have your works used in a way you never intended! You would feel terrible if someone took your emotional song and put it over a joke video and that was how everyone remembered that song. Control your music and make it yours! Legally!!
Listen to a diverse selection of music. Listen to music from India, Africa, South and Central America. Listen to singer/ songwriters like Jeff Buckley, Nick Cave, Glen Hansard, Carole King, Rufus Wainwright. Learn about Elvis Presley and how his record company took music from other writers and made them hits for him. Also learn about Chuck Berry and how his music got taken from him. Learn about Robert Johnson and about how he boosted Eric Clapton's career. Listen to Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, and other jazz greats. Listen to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Allen Holdsworth, Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, Toni Iommi, Randy Rhoads, and other guitar legends. Listen to Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Bjork, New Order, Sash!, and other electronic music. Listen to Young MC, Fresh Prince, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, Run DMC and other rap/ hip-hop artists. I find the use of song samples and melody lines for rap/ hip-hop songs and copyright uses is a fascinating look at copyright law. I can go on and on.
Watch music live as much as you can. Get to every music event you can. Take notes.
Check out - https://radio.garden/
Read and take notes from "The Indie Band Survival Guide" - https://a.co/d/09FJNTdw
Record your thoughts and keep them. If you write lyrics, keep all of them. Stay organized with all of your lyrics. You might write something today and it sounds and feels cheesy but ten years from now it may be a hit song. Keep back up of your ideas. Record what you are playing, all it takes is your phone or computer. Everything you do, keep a backup of it!
Learn enough piano to survive (piano can be a cheap keyboard too), learn enough guitar to survive, and learn drumming basics. By "enough to survive" I mean enough to get your ideas out of your head. Be able to express your ideas to someone else so they can either help you play a gig or develop your ideas. Think about the most efficient way to share your ideas, it may be sheet music, it may be a video, it may be a recording, it may be a mix of all of those.
Perform often. Get in front of people whenever you can (I have a feeling you do already!). A great way is to find a coffee shop with open mics and start from there. Live performance is better than digital (online) but digital will reach further. At your age try to perform in front of people and grow from there. There will be plenty of opportunity to get online later (with the help of an adult) and get exposure there after you are established more.
The part last and most important piece that will make this career is to get representation for your works. This means that you have a finished works represented by a lawyer or a legal firm. Your intellectual property is your product. You need to have help with this, professional musicians, recording studios, and record companies all do this and actively defend the music by them or their artists. There are countless stories of people writing together and both taking ownership of the works then battling it out in court for decades after because they never had representation for their part of the song. At your age this might be unneeded, but this is why I say don't publish your ideas online and if you put something online make sure an adult helps you so your ideas do not become someone else's profit! The internet is overfilled with copyright infringements and it is a difficult space to not have your works used in a way you never intended! You would feel terrible if someone took your emotional song and put it over a joke video and that was how everyone remembered that song. Control your music and make it yours! Legally!!
Listen to a diverse selection of music. Listen to music from India, Africa, South and Central America. Listen to singer/ songwriters like Jeff Buckley, Nick Cave, Glen Hansard, Carole King, Rufus Wainwright. Learn about Elvis Presley and how his record company took music from other writers and made them hits for him. Also learn about Chuck Berry and how his music got taken from him. Learn about Robert Johnson and about how he boosted Eric Clapton's career. Listen to Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, and other jazz greats. Listen to Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Allen Holdsworth, Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, Toni Iommi, Randy Rhoads, and other guitar legends. Listen to Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Bjork, New Order, Sash!, and other electronic music. Listen to Young MC, Fresh Prince, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, Run DMC and other rap/ hip-hop artists. I find the use of song samples and melody lines for rap/ hip-hop songs and copyright uses is a fascinating look at copyright law. I can go on and on.
Watch music live as much as you can. Get to every music event you can. Take notes.
Liam recommends the following next steps:
Dear Mr. Liam,
Thank you so much for such a detailed response! Nobody (before) ever warned me about how to protect the work I put out, and that was extremely helpful. Thank you!
Best Regards, Brandy
sholeh
Tommy (Buddha) Dudley
Performer
2
Answers
Peekskill, New York
Updated
Tommy (Buddha)’s Answer
Hi sholeh
I can identify with your passion, my advce to you is know that making a living singing and songwriting is challenging, A full time music career takes a lot of work, Practice your craft, fine tune your instrumemt and sing a lot, Look for guidance (Mentors/Teachers) that can help you. You also have to define what success means to you, Being succesful doesnt always mean famous, Define your audience. Singing should come first because that is where i believe you can florish under the right conditions,
Songwriting is a lot harder because of it is harder to scale, Does not mean it cant happen for you, but if you write(first) for you and you do it consistently and share it regularly miracles can happen because if you want to move a mountain you have to bring a shovel, I suggest finding ways to play music to pay the bills if you want to make music a way of life, Playing/Teaching etc
You are young so school is an option to learn more about the craft but not a requirement, Surround yourself with people that are like minded and have the same goals, Tell me who you are hanging with and I will tell you how you are living
I wish you great fortune in yor Journey
Music is a spirtual place and we are waiting to hear your gift
I can identify with your passion, my advce to you is know that making a living singing and songwriting is challenging, A full time music career takes a lot of work, Practice your craft, fine tune your instrumemt and sing a lot, Look for guidance (Mentors/Teachers) that can help you. You also have to define what success means to you, Being succesful doesnt always mean famous, Define your audience. Singing should come first because that is where i believe you can florish under the right conditions,
Songwriting is a lot harder because of it is harder to scale, Does not mean it cant happen for you, but if you write(first) for you and you do it consistently and share it regularly miracles can happen because if you want to move a mountain you have to bring a shovel, I suggest finding ways to play music to pay the bills if you want to make music a way of life, Playing/Teaching etc
You are young so school is an option to learn more about the craft but not a requirement, Surround yourself with people that are like minded and have the same goals, Tell me who you are hanging with and I will tell you how you are living
I wish you great fortune in yor Journey
Music is a spirtual place and we are waiting to hear your gift
Dear Mr. Tommy (Buddha) Dudley,
It´s very nice to hear from someone who has the same passion as you. It ´ s like the difference between hearing a first vs. second or third hand experience. (Not that all of these other responses weren´t helpful either!) Nobody at my school (currently) has the same of similar goals that I do, but maybe next year, at a new school, they will. But they really want me to be a singer, even before I told them I wanted to. I bet they noticed how I really like to sing!
Thank you very much!
Best Regards
--Sholeh
sholeh
Llorentte Alarcón Hernández
Music producer
3
Answers
Heroica Veracruz
Updated
Llorentte’s Answer
Chasing your dream is wonderful, but it does require some effort. To start, consider taking singing lessons, either online or in person. I prefer in-person lessons because your voice is your main tool, and it's important to practice and improve it. Recording yourself as you sing can help you track your progress and see where you need to improve. Try making up melodies with your voice, with or without music, to get creative.
Improving your writing is also important. Use interesting ways to describe things and find a theme to focus on. Once you have a theme, create melodies that match the feeling and write lyrics to go with them. This is one way to write, but there are many others. You can even use AI tools to spark new ideas.
Learning an instrument can also be helpful. It makes it easier to express your ideas and understand music theory, which is very useful. The piano is a great choice because it helps you grasp music theory easily.
If you want to go professional, treat it like a job. Practice regularly, not just when you feel inspired. Consistency is key to seeing real results. It can be a tough career, but with dedication, it's possible. If you’re serious about making a living from music, spend time on it every day. Remember, even the best artists started from scratch and improved over time.
As you get better, think about ways to earn money from your music, like teaching or selling your compositions. There are many ways to make an income beyond concerts.
Finally, explore music-related content like podcasts. They cover various topics, from music theory to copyright, and learning about artists' stories can be inspiring. Best of luck on your musical journey, and I hope to hear your work someday. Cheers!
Improving your writing is also important. Use interesting ways to describe things and find a theme to focus on. Once you have a theme, create melodies that match the feeling and write lyrics to go with them. This is one way to write, but there are many others. You can even use AI tools to spark new ideas.
Learning an instrument can also be helpful. It makes it easier to express your ideas and understand music theory, which is very useful. The piano is a great choice because it helps you grasp music theory easily.
If you want to go professional, treat it like a job. Practice regularly, not just when you feel inspired. Consistency is key to seeing real results. It can be a tough career, but with dedication, it's possible. If you’re serious about making a living from music, spend time on it every day. Remember, even the best artists started from scratch and improved over time.
As you get better, think about ways to earn money from your music, like teaching or selling your compositions. There are many ways to make an income beyond concerts.
Finally, explore music-related content like podcasts. They cover various topics, from music theory to copyright, and learning about artists' stories can be inspiring. Best of luck on your musical journey, and I hope to hear your work someday. Cheers!
Ranjan Kumar Swain
Field Support engineers
4
Answers
Thane, Maharashtra, India
Updated
Ranjan Kumar’s Answer
How can I become a professional singer-songwriter?
Becoming a professional singer-songwriter is all about building your skills, practicing regularly, and getting your music out there. Start by improving your singing and songwriting, create a collection of your own songs, and perform as much as you can to reach more people.
Is it really possible to succeed in this field?
Yes, you can definitely succeed as a professional singer-songwriter! Success takes talent, hard work, and smart planning. The music world is competitive, but many artists have made it by continually improving, expanding their audience, and making connections.
Becoming a professional singer-songwriter is all about building your skills, practicing regularly, and getting your music out there. Start by improving your singing and songwriting, create a collection of your own songs, and perform as much as you can to reach more people.
Is it really possible to succeed in this field?
Yes, you can definitely succeed as a professional singer-songwriter! Success takes talent, hard work, and smart planning. The music world is competitive, but many artists have made it by continually improving, expanding their audience, and making connections.