7 REASONS TO SUPPORT YOUR TEEN TO PURSUE MUSIC

Let’s say your 15 year old kid told you that they wanted to be a neurosurgeon. Your response might be something like, “Whoa, alright kid, way to reach for the stars! Ok, that means you need to really hunker down and focus on your education so you can get into such and such pre-med program, etc.” Right? What if that same 15 year old came to you and said, “I want to be a professional musician”. You might want to grab them by the arm and throw them in the basement until they come to their senses, right? (Don’t ever do that, k.)

Kids are amazing and always have big dreams...until we tell them that their dreams are unrealistic or “too hard”. 

Having a “Music Career” is not exactly mapped out like a career in medicine, law or accounting or teaching or anything else that is viewed as a “mainstream” career. Why? Doesn’t music surround us? We listen to it in our cars on our way to work, in the morning during our run, in the evening as we watch our favorite shows, at night when we use an app that helps us sleep. It is all around us and there are hundreds of thousands of individuals who are involved in the creation of the very music that permeates our day to day lives. And those people earn money! So, why do we want to diss this career path? Perhaps it is the “one” career path that seems to be the most visible that scares us (the parents) to death; the “sex, drugs and rock n roll” one. The artists that O.D or create controversial videos or have explicit language warnings on their album art. Maybe you fear that your kid would not be able to support themselves with music since the “starving artist” seems to be a common tale. Maybe it’s the fear of being taken advantage of, losing money, signing bad deals...

Here’s the thing; you, the parent, are in a unique position to guide your child into a legitimate music career while helping them avoid the horror stories. Knowledge is your greatest asset. 

Here’s the other thing; there are many, many different ways to make a living with music. Not all of them make a person millions but many of them are sufficient to support a middle-class-USA lifestyle. There is even a chance that your child will stumble upon their true passion with music that takes them down a different path than the typical “pop star” path they desire right now. Still, finding the right path to take in music can be confusing, intimidating and expensive. As scary as that sounds, I still believe there are a lot of reasons why you should support your teen who wants to take this path.

And here’s why - your kid will learn SO MUCH as they pursue this career! I dare to say, they could learn more valuable skills and information than if they simply follow an education track that has already been figured out for them. There’s a chance that music may not pan out for them and that’s ok. Just like it’s ok if they decide to change their major in the middle of undergrad studies. The lessons learned pursuing music will benefit them throughout their lives. I’ve put together a few of the skills, knowledge and talents they will certainly develop as they begin this journey. Next month’s blog will feature some ideas for ways you can help get them started. 

Your teen will…

1. Develop communication skills:

A skill that will come in handy in the music business and ANY business...heck...as a living breathing human is how to communicate professionally and effectively. Learning how to make phone calls, answer emails, shake someone’s hand and look them in the eye; these are all important skills for adulthood. Wouldn’t you agree? My father used to force me to make certain “hard” phone calls, like setting up doctors appointments, canceling piano lessons, etc. I hated it so much and I thought he was just being mean at the time but he was actually preparing me for real life. Imagine your teen making the phone call to that producer or vocal coach to discuss their career goals and setting up that first appointment. They totally can do it and will be better for it. 

2. Learn how to set goals and how to follow through:

Encourage your kid to set some solid goals with steps necessary to accomplish them with specific checkpoints. For example;

6 month goal:  I will have finished writing my first song.

Steps necessary to accomplish this are: 

1. Read the songwriting book Grandma gave me for Christmas 

2. Work with a songwriting coach or co-writer who has some success 

3. Spend a few minutes each morning doing creative writing

Checkpoint: 3 months in, make adjustments to steps (still haven’t found a good coach? Finished grandma’s book but found another one you want to start reading? Haven’t kept up with the creative writing? Find a different time of day to do it perhaps? Or find a “creative writing prompt” app or website to give you ideas.

This is only an example of how goals and checkpoints can be mapped out but hand them the reins on this. Be sensitive to the boundary between being their parent and coaching them in this process. A lot of kids will react negatively to any suggestions or advice from their parents, simply because you are their parents! Don’t take it personally. Unburden yourself from that responsibility and encourage them to find a mentor or friend that knows the music industry well enough to help them along the way. Let them know you support them and be their cheerleader rather than their coach.

3. Learn some serious entrepreneurial skills:

A surprising fact about pursuing music today is that success is coming to many when they treat it as if they are building a business. Even the chance of “being discovered” is most likely to happen after a tremendous amount of work has already been done to be heard and seen above the noise online. Approaching the “musical dream” with building-a-business practically could require a total mind shift for both you and your kid. Here are some business basics they can research.

Putting together a business plan

Financing a business including creating a budget (see #4)

Market research (creating a fan profile - more on this later)

Public relations

Branding and brand awareness

Marketing vs. Advertising

Creating a marketing plan

Writing a press release

Being interviewed 

Creating the “elevator pitch” (a 30 second explanation of who they are as an artist and what their music sounds like - be creative!)

4. Learn all about budgeting, fundraising, lending and investing:

Most kids are painfully unaware of the actual cost of maintaining their lifestyle. So imagine the shock when they see how much money it costs for coaching, lessons, recording, production, photography, music videos, graphic art, marketing and PR for their music business. It’s a burden that you as the parent should not shoulder alone, whether you have the money or not. After they research the actual costs of creating the music they want to create, attending lessons, hiring photographers and videographers then the reality will begin to set in. Remind them that all businesses require start-up funding! Options for musicians and artists are sometimes more varied and accessible than a lot of business start-ups. There are crowdfunding options and sites like Patreon for monthly contributors and investors, streaming for tips, live performances and more. Most successful “earning” artists do not just have one income stream but many. Your kid can research the various ways that musicians make money in today’s world and then begin to make a budget and business plan for making their dream a reality.

5. Learn the value of teamwork:

Pretty much any artist you can think of has a team of people around them who contribute in ways that add value to that artist's content. Nobody can do it “all”, which includes you, the parent as well as your kid. It may start with finding just the right piano or guitar teacher, then perhaps the right vocal coach. Then finding the right mentor and/or producer to help your kid find their own sound and write their best songs. Finding a photographer that 100% gets them and their vibe or a graphic designer who zeros in on the right visual branding for their website. The value for your kid in this process of building and working with a team is learning to work with all kinds of people, appreciating other people’s talents as well as their time, and learning to voice their own opinions with respect and boldness. These are all incredibly valuable traits for your teen to develop early in life.

6. Harness their creative talents and use them with discipline:

Imagine your talented kid suddenly being asked to meet deadlines or co-write with others. Many kids spend hours creating, writing, playing, singing in their rooms with no one holding them accountable, no one pushing them to write better, play better or be better. Adding a coach or even an accountability partner to this process can teach them how to approach music with discipline instead of just emotion. The “I just don’t feel like writing today” or “I’m not feeling well, I’ll just cancel my gig that starts in 30 minutes” does not go over well in the music industry. Creating deadlines, timelines, goals and building processes are all helpful tools in other careers as well as real adult life but it is definitely the reality in the music business.

7. Learn humility and confidence:

While these are two different qualities on opposite ends of the spectrum, I feel they go hand in hand and are both essential in the music business. From my own observation, this is what I think that “it” factor is. Have you ever watched a performer that had that “something special”? There’s a confidence glowing from their entire being while performing and yet a kindness and humility that makes them loveable and “real”. The balance of these two opposing forces will come with maturity and time. Confidence comes as they develop their talents and work hard. Humility comes as they learn to work with others who elevate their music projects and career path.

Keep an eye out for the future post: 7 Ways to Support Your Teen Who Wants to Pursue a Music Career