Top 5 Lessons I Learned For Artists At LAMC

As I mentioned in my previous reviews, the Latin Alternative Music Conference is as much a celebration of our culture and music as it is an open, advisory board in how to make it in business. Thus, here are the top 5 lessons I learned, for artists, at LAMC. 

1)Sorry, But You Have To Be A Brand 

Whether you like it or not, music and marketing are bound, but the key to finding peace with that bond lies in deciphering the difference between being vulnerable and being private. It is okay to standards, but make sure you always no the difference between having creative dignity and simply putting a limiting cap on yourself. How do you tell the difference? 

2) Intuition Is REAL!!!!!!

Whether it was in panels or in meeting “music people,” every artist agreed that, in the end, it was the feeling in their “gut” that guided them best: an inner frequency that revealed when something was wrong despite looking “right.” Moreover, their intuition felt tied to  the individual identity of their music. It was how their intuition moved that made their music transform into art. 

3)  Persistence And Patience Are Real Necessities 

It could take you 8 months or 8 years to break into the industry,  and the only thing you have to survive the inconsistency of “timing” is patience and perseverance. Nobody knows why some can flip a switch to “success” and other cannot. Whether it is networks or luck, the point is that it is always your journey. If there is one regret every artist mentioned in terms of their path, if they mentioned one, was not being smarter for and kinder to themselves. They did not realize that making your heart #1 is the same as making art #1. 

4) Managers And Publicists Are Vital A.K.A LOVE YOUR CREW

From discussing the machinations to getting an artist’s song on a tv show to checking the logistical and even cultural differences in mounting a tour in the US vs Latin America, managers, publicists, and having a team felt vital. Yet, one thing that was elaborated, especially for independent artists, was that you need a team that will fight for you. You need a “business family” of sorts; people that believe or know how to make what you believe in into a commercial/ cultural success. They do not need to “like you,” but they always need to be loyal to you. 

5) Social Media Is Your Best Frenemy 

Like it or not, Social Media is now necessary for an artist, and one of the biggest struggles mentioned was deciding when you were being vulnerable or too “giving.” The battle between honesty and privacy is what determines, in part, what makes a successful artist a happy person. From Residente to Juan Ingaramo, the conclusion was clear: you need to share with your fans, but you do not need a full, photo session in the middle of dinner with your family.

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