#ArtistAdvice: Presentation is Almost Everything

I am proud to announce the first edition of #ArtistAdvice. From time to time I will be sharing a little bit of knowledge that I have gained in the music industry in hopes of helping the budding talent of tomorrow. I hope you share this information and use it to take your music and career to the next level.

Ever since I entered the music industry as the manager of a Hip-Hop act in high school, I have been approached by many artists looking to further their careers. A common mistake for aspiring artists is that they are so busy focusing on their craft, they do not take time to make sure the things that compliment the music are in tact. Artists, please don’t forget, “Presentation is Almost Everything”!

Presentations are not just official meetings in a record label’s office. A presentation is anything that is going to be seen by another person that represents you and your art. Many times our first introduction to an artist is not just their music. It may be a promo image, an article written, or a music video that gives us our first glimpse at a newcomer.

Before I ever heard one Mike Posner song I noticed his artwork, and before I knew who Jay-Z’s newest protogé J. Cole was, I watched this video. Both of these artist’s first impression on me had the same elements; 1. Attention Grabbing, 2. Professional, 3. I noticed that time and effort was put into the presentation (most importantly). Below is some #ArtistAdvice for all of you upcoming artists looking to make that great first impression, every time.

1. Choose your best work to showcase

As an artist it is hard to choose what best represents you. Usually an artist’s newest work is the best in their eyes, but what is really best might differ. You must keep people whose opinions you value as well as those who have good judgement to assist you in deciding what is in fact “the best” you have to offer.

Deciding what’s best to present may be the hardest part of developing your great presentation. You should not completely take what others say as the final word but give a fair gauge on what most people are saying is your strongest work. If the majority of people are saying that one of your records particular is great, then you have found what it is you need to let the world hear. Again, ultimately you should have the final say in what’s best but value the opinions of the people you trust.

Once you have the music that you are going to present and believe in, you have to show others that you believe in it. This does not mean boast or brag about how great you are but there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. When you can get someone to believe that you are what you say you are it will result in them giving you their ear for a short while.

A big mistake that artists make early and sometimes late in their careers is claiming the title prematurely. You should never have to say you are better than ANYBODY! Leave that for the people to decide. Music is relative, if you ask ten people who the best ten artists are you are going to get ten different answers.

3. Know what you are trying to receive

It is always the artists who say, “I don’t want you to do anything in return, I just want you to listen to my music” that always get me to give them my time. Your presentation should be tailored to whatever you want accomplished. If it is to get the attention of somebody who knows nothing about you, keep it short and sweet. Email them with a link to your best work, info on how to contact you, spell check, your done.

If you are trying to obtain some type of press or media attention you should include a few more examples of your work (they should be streaming somewhere so people won’t have to download), a well done short bio, and a list of previous accomplishments (press clippings, venues you have performed at, etc.). Any credible media outlet wants to be able to validate why they are covering your story so you should provide them with valid reasons on why they should speak with you.

4. If your presentation fails, it’s ok

You are not going to sell your pitch every time, in fact most times you probably won’t, nobody does. Every opportunity that seems like a failed mission is still a chance to practice and fine tune your presentation. There are so many reasons why you might not have gotten that interview or received an email back from someone so don’t stress yourself worrying about that. As long as you have created the best presentation of your best work, you are ahead of the game.

Please ReTweet this post on twitter if you enjoyed it and found it helpful. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or leave any requests for future #ArtistAdvice posts.

-Jabari