Creative endeavours are, at the same time, energising and draining. Gigging musicians thrive on stage, but once they get off, they are hit with the exhaustion of having given their all to their audience, their clients and their craft. If, on top of performing, they are in charge of logistics, finances and/or organisation, as it was the case for the women who put together the Time For My Music's evening showcase last October, this fatigue gets dialled up to eleven.
If you plan to become a professional gigging musician, it's essential that you come up with mechanisms to rejuvenate after shows. There's only so much your body and mind can endure with no support, and if you force yourself to move forward despite signs of alarm like pain, sleep issues, and anxiety, you're going to burn out.
On one hand, there's the physical side of things: take care of your health and cultivate your endurance with an appropriate diet, physical activity and good sleep. Allot time specifically to rest, both ...
Xdinary Heroes is a South Korean rock band that debuted in 2021. All six members are involved in writing, composing, and producing the music of the band, which might sound like a given, but isn't actually always the case with music groups. A good communication between the members of a team is always important, but it becomes even more so when everybody is involved in a creative process that goes beyond words.
Through their YouTube account, Xdinary Heroes give us charming insights of their life and work as musicians. In the topic of communication, this short humorously illustrates how the members of the band explain their ideas to Gun-il, the drummer:Â
This is, arguably, how all musicians convey their ideas to percussionists. It's just the most logical way to do it, both accessible and efficient. Of course, this doesn't negate the fact that the isolated sounds, out of context, become a tad alien and quite entertaining!
Kudos to Gun-il for interpreting his bandmates' ideas so faith...
Did you know that, without being clear on your motivation, you won’t achieve your music targets or complete your plans?
During lockdown I, like many, had my live music work restricted, postponed or cancelled. I was depressed for the first two weeks of our first lockdown. Although I was worrying about my income, I was mostly sad not to be able to meet people and do my thing. Why? Because I enjoy the fact that my music makes people feel better and it takes them to another place. It’s one of the reasons why I go on stage. Realising this helped me to adapt the way I work during lockdown so I could continue doing what I do.Â
 The other thing about motivation is that it can change. In the early days, I just wanted to play because I felt this is my talent and I must deliver. Later on, it was about earning through my music and making it my full-time career, which I did. Nowadays, it’s about making a difference by imparting my experience to help others to grow. Irrespective, there is always ...