I was throwing away old paperwork and found this pamphlet from Mark Northam from around 20 years ago. I didn’t bother scanning the whole thing but even just the table contents is a trove of timeless advice that every composer should heed.
- Fail to market themselves properly and effectively
- Fail to realize the critical importance of people and relationship
- Fail due to narrow-minded musical view
- Fail to compete effectively in the composer marketplace
- Fail to realize that talent alone is not enough – not nearly enough
- Failure to keep up with musical tastes
- Fail to stay current with gear, sounds and computer technology
- Fail to plan financially; expect big money too soon
- Fail to make preparations for the “ramp-up” period
- Fail because of a lack of social skills
- Fail to obtain education to make smart decisions about the business
- Fail because of a belief that years spent in the business means success is “owed”
- Fail to realize that success in related fields doesn’t necessarily mean success in film & television music
- Fail to effectively deal with geographic limitations
- Fail to realize how your music really stacks up to competition
- Fail to realize their role in the filmmaking process and how it relates to others
- Fail to be able to deal with constant rejection
- Fail to focus on making music; too much attention on studio, gear, and technical considerations
- Fail to be unique and stand out from the crowd
- Fail to properly plan for success
