024: The Paths Forward

It has been a challenging few weeks, these are definitely unprecedented times for all of us. While everyone’s primary concern has been our collective health and safety - it’s natural that we are also thinking about how we will move forward from this. While I don’t want to minimize what anyone is going through, there are some very real, very immediate concerns many people are facing. I do think it’s important to look ahead in a positive way.

The effects on our industry hit pretty quickly and have left most of us in a very uncertain position. There is the immediate loss of income from months of cancelled performance, along with the unknown timeline on when things might return to ‘normal’ (if ever). It’s left people questioning what to focus on. Not only now, but in the long term. Is a career in music based on heavy touring viable? What other revenue streams are there? Where should I be putting my energy?

With this rapid change it has opened the door for innovations and new ways to engage and share your music. It has also provided a forced down time for many. People are choosing various ways to approach all of this. Some are streaming live concerts, some are sending out daily social media updates, some are focusing on songwriting or recording, others are choosing to completely step away and take this time to pursue other passions.

While I definitely don’t have the answer on which is the best path forward, I can offer this advice. It’s a mindset I’ve talked about prior to this, and I think it is just as important now. Trust your instincts and follow whatever direction that inspires you. It’s very easy to look at what others are doing and try to imitate or mimic what is working for them. But we don’t need more of the same, we need more diversity. We’ve been given an opportunity to really evaluate the paths we are on, to decide how we want to move forward. Now is the time to act and create the change you’ve been wanting to make.

-Steve