For most people, finding the time to make music isn’t easy. Whether you go to work, school or have other commitments, it seems like there’s always something standing in your way… Is this you? Today, I’d like to share 5 tips with you that will help you to start to make more music going forward.
Make more music by defining your music making goal
The first tip is to set your self a goal. It’s not enough to simply decide that you’d like to make more music. You need to get really specific about exactly what you want to do. Perhaps you’d like to make your first album. Or maybe you’d like to record a single. What ever it is, get absolutely clear about what you want to create.
If you want to make more music, it’s time to be realistic
The next tip is to be very realistic about what you can actually achieve. As I’ve already mentioned, you’re probably pretty busy. So my advice is not to try and achieve the impossible. The mistake that many make is trying to commit to an unrealistic goal, such as writing, recording and releasing one song a day for the next year. In my experience, these types of goals almost always lead to you burning out a few weeks in.
It’s perfectly fine to decide that this year, you will release a 5 track EP. This is an attainable goal, and is something that you’re far more likely to be able to achieve. So have a think about what you can realistically do. Is the aim to record just one single in the next six months? Could you write and record an album over the next year? Find the balance between what you want to achieve and what is actually possible.
Schedule your time properly if you want to make more music
This tip is often overlooked. Once you’ve set your self a goal which you think is realistic and achievable, don’t stop there. Now you need to schedule the time to make it happen. Unfortunately, if you don’t do this, you’re not likely to get your new musical project off the ground. Even if you do get started, without a schedule, you’ll soon lose momentum. So decide on exactly when you are going to be working on your music.
The way that you do this will depend on your life style. Some people like to create a simple rule for themselves to follow, such as working on their music every Saturday from 9am till 1pm. For others, it may be more beneficial to go through your diary and find suitable gaps in your schedule where you can fit in your music making. Regardless of which method works best for you, if you skip this step, you’ll notice weeks and months passing by without you making a start on that single, EP or album.
Set your self a deadline to complete your new music
I’ve talked about this before here, but when it comes to making your own music, you have to set deadlines. It’s not enough to simply define your goal and make a schedule. You have to set a deadline for when your project will be complete. Otherwise, it’s too easy to skip your scheduled music making time. So set a deadline so that you have a completion date to work towards.
If you fall short, don’t give up
Lastly, if you defined a goal, scheduled your time and set a deadline, but you still fell short, don’t give up. Perhaps you planned to make a 12 track album by the end of the year, but you only made 8 songs. Well, you still made 8 songs! That’s still a big achievement. Simply revise the deadline for finishing the album, schedule your self some more time and carry on working towards finishing.
As we all know, making music isn’t always easy. But by following these tips, you should be on your way to making more music from here on out. What’s your goal, when will you be working on it and what’s your deadline? Share your plan in the comment section below.