By: Michael S. Downing
Most people think that it is only about the music when it comes down to being an artist/musician. While that is essential, there is so much more to being an artist/musician these days than one might think. So how does one manage that? Let’s dive into a conversation I had with someone who knows!
I was able to spend some time talking to Justin Johnson, a producer in town that has found recent success earning a RIAA Gold record for his production on Priscilla Blocks, “Just Got Over You”. Seeing how quickly his life had changed from being a local DJ/producer to a sought-after nationwide producer, I was curious as to what lessons he had learned throughout his process.
Keep Up with Your Health!
One issue that goes incredibly overlooked in this industry is keeping up with your health. While that might seem like a surface-level-no-brainer, Justin emphasized the importance of keeping a healthy and realistic work schedule. When work opportunities are flooding through the door, it is crucial to create healthy work hours and a solid work-life balance. He mentioned how easy it is to get overwhelmed with everything going on resulting in non-stop work.
2. Stay Organized!
While keeping your health in check might seem like a quick solution, it does not set you up for success. Another nugget of wisdom I pulled from our conversation was the importance of being both organized and detailed with all your business documents. When you are signing contracts, dealing with money, or talking about projects, it is crucial to document everything. This is purely just to cover all the bases and to make sure that all that is agreed upon is delivered.
3. Document Everything!
Lastly, which I thought was the most interesting, was to have an ongoing document of problems you have run into and the solutions you have found. While that might seem pointless since you solved the problem, it will come in handy in the future. Say you run into the same problem in five years later, but you don’t quite remember how you solved it. Fortunately, you can look at your master document to find the answer. This goes back into documenting everything, but in this case, it is just a master cheat sheet.
In the end, after talking to Justin, these are just a few tips that he mentioned have helped him navigate his success while still living a healthy life. The musicianship is an essential piece of this industry, but the correct mindset is what will get you far!