1. Be passionate about your career. Without passion, you will easily get frustrated when you run into problems or when your business not doing well.
2. Education is not a scam! Have you tried ignorance?
Have at least a certificate in music, business, intellectual property law and project management.
Attend music workshops, conferences and seminars.
Buy books and courses related to music, business and management.
Education is what you need to read your music and work contracts.
Education is how you check your finances and manage your investments.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Education will make you wise.
3. Start early! Once you have decided on your career path, move on with it. Check out Michael Jackson, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and a host of music artists who started out early in life.
Even non-music professionals like Serena and Venus Williams should motivate you to start out early.
Starting out early has its pros and cons. I would rather focus on the pros.
4. Be humble. Humility pays all of the time. With humility, you will get to learn a lot from your superiors, juniors and mates in the music industry.
5. Dress Properly. You can be covered up and still be appealing to your audience. Check out Adele and Asa.
6. Be comfortable in your own skin. There is no need to have a stage name or pseudonym if you do not want it. Check out Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade. Those are their real names.
I did not want to have a pseudonym. I wanted to use my real name which is Oluwakemi Famugbode but whilst I was a student at PEFTI, a video editor convinced me to have a catchy name and I chose Irawo.
After my divorce, I legalized Irawo as my first name because the name has been working positively for me.
7. Be chaste. Avoid sexual escapades in the form of baby mamas and baby daddies. It could ruin your career or make you pay unnecessary expenses. Check out Wizkid, Davido, etc.
8. Be hardworking. Work hard, work smart.
9. You can combine one or more careers in this industry in order to stay afloat. For example, Wizkid is a music artist and he has his own record label. The same goes for Olamide, Davido, Burna Boy and a host of other music artists.
10. Be unique. Do not copy other music artists. You can copy their songs via sampling and covers which can be done legally but do not try to copy their style. You will get burnt out.
We do not need another Naira Marley or Tope Alabi. Be your unique self. However, you can get inspiration from another artist's style of music or sense of style.
In the music industry, everyone does not have to sing. Look for what you can do under 65 Careers in the Music Business in Nigeria. Surely, you must find one career that you are passionate about.
11. Be dedicated and tenacious. Give it your all.
12. Practice regularly. Take care of your musical instruments and your voice.
13. Take care of your physical and mental health always.
14. Be Timely. Go for your meetings, performances and work on time. Lateness to perform or carry out the terms of an agreement could earn you a lawsuit.
15. Be innovative. Create your own style of doing things. This is what I do at Drumline Entertainment.
See you in my next blog.
Musically yours,
DJ Irawo
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