college life, family & relationships

Four Things Every Budding Musician Needs

Whether you dream of playing for crowds of thousands of adoring fans or are content with living-room concerts for your pets, there are many benefits associated with music-based hobbies. 

For example, in addition to being a great way to express your creativity, it can also provide many mental health benefits, helping you to overcome struggles. As a result, the more time you can dedicate to this hobby, the better. 

Photo by De an Sun on Unsplash

With that in mind, here are four things every budding musician needs to succeed!

An understanding of music theory. 

Music theory may not seem as enticing as actually playing your instrument and trying out new songs, but it’s a great way to develop new skills and improve the quality of your work.

This is because understanding music theory can “help players break away from what has been done before. Helping you to come up with new ideas, different melodies, new chords, and progressions.” 

Soundproofing. 

While you may enjoy listening to the same song over and over again as you rehearse or perfect it, your neighbors, roommates, or family likely do not. However, this does not mean you have to put down your instrument. It just means you need to invest in some soundproofing.

This way, you can play to your heart’s content – day and night without worrying about interrupting somebody as they try to sleep. Soundproofing your room could also encourage you to experiment more and boost your confidence as you are not worried about being overheard when trying something new or making a mistake. 

Organization tools. 

When putting together a ‘musicians shopping list’, it’s easy to focus on things such as instruments, speakers, and loop pedals. However, the truth is, organizational tools and equipment, such as a Cable Storage Organizer are just as important. This is because you’ll no longer have to deal with tangled wires when on the road or packing for a gig, saving you a great deal of time, energy, and frustration.

Whatsmore, tangled wires can damage your instruments as they could cause the cables to wear out over time. Finally, using organization tools can help you to maximize space in your home and ensure that your space is as clutter-free as possible. 

Drive. 

Whether music is your hobby or something you’d like to make a career out of moving forward, you need drive in order to succeed. This is because each instrument is challenging in its own way, and there’s always something new to learn or a way to get better.

As a result, you should always be open to new learning opportunities, whether that means you sign up for lessons or ask for some harsh feedback from those around you.

If you are pursuing a career or side hustle in music, this drive will also serve you well in the face of rejection. To put it simply, you need to be prepared to hear the word ‘no’ a lot more than you’ll hear the word ‘yes’, without this encouraging you to turn your back on the hobby.