By Mitch Rice
A common problem for many musicians is building the confidence to produce and perform. Many times, the need to compare ourselves to others takes over our minds and keeps us further and further away from focusing on what matters – making quality music and performing as if we owned the stage.
The truth is that the music industry is very competitive, and all the pressure artists face can lead them to self-doubt and self-sabotage. Typical advice such as not caring about what others think is easier said than done because an artist realizes that their success depends on the public’s reception of their music. Nevertheless, serious musicians who want to make it in this business need to develop a special skill set to persevere when times get tough.
It’s easy to look at an artist like Kanye and envy his confidence. He may give off an arrogant vibe, but there is no doubting that he has consistently made amazing works and continues to push the boundaries of music to this day. Some might even say to “fake it until you make it”, but for many, the self is always shining through, and a weak inner foundation tends to crumble any facade at a certain point.
So, what’s the secret? Do we adopt alter egos like Sasha Fierce or Slim Shady and completely transform our personality? Surprisingly, a dating coach named Todd V might have some insight. He teaches men how to overcome their approach anxiety with inner game, which is the set of mindsets, beliefs, principles and perspectives through which one looks at and engages with the world. Having a strong inner game can have massively positive effects on productivity and performance.
Think of it this way. If our confidence stems from our own inner values and morals, there is nothing from the outside world that can shake us. That’s exactly what musicians need to do when it comes to navigating these high-pressure seas. Letting go of the fear of failure and stop caring about what others think gets easier when we start to derive our self-esteem from our own inner judgment system. We need to personally define what’s acceptable and unacceptable and strictly adhere to these principles.
For example, if we know that taking too many days off is preventing us from finishing a project, then we need to quickly identify that behavior and categorize it negatively. Therefore, we start to associate our behaviors as good or bad instead of letting others determine whether we’re good or bad. If we consistently work hard, have an open mind, continue to learn, finish projects, and constantly improve ourselves, then there’s no reason in the world to consider ourselves failures. We are doing the right thing, and these positive behaviors should only heighten our self-esteem.
If we slack off, get too scared of taking risks and sit on the chair procrastinating, we are ultimately doing the wrong thing. Such behaviors should lower our self-esteem as they are actively working against us. Now this is a practical approach to achieving unstoppable confidence. We now have an inner locus of control, and our confidence stems from how productive we are and how good we are to ourselves. This kind of true confidence has to be worked for, but the benefits are priceless and endless. Having the right principles in life prevents us from doing the wrong things and aligns us with always taking the right action.
Feel lazy? Start somewhere. Go write the lyrics first.
Anxious? Just focus on getting the right notes one by one.
Trapped in your head? Play something you’re already good at and let it inspire you.
The idea is to move in the right direction one step at a time. To sit idly is to let yourself decline. As musicians we need to have a mental fortitude similar to that of athletes. When the pressure gets rough, blocking out the noise becomes easier when we focus on taking the next best action. And as we continue through this process over and over, we start to build a level of competence. We start to feel in control of our lives, and success is just around the corner. This is the skill set we need to strive for. This is real confidence.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.
