May 26, 2023Howard L
What do business models have to do with being a composer? Much of the time, nothing at all, which is why most composers do not have their works heard. Original works are imperative but where and how they are to be heard, has to be articulated in an emotionally relevant manner to target stakeholder including audiences. What’s that, you say? What do you mean by communicating in an emotionally relevant manner?
It is fairly straightforward. If your communication is not emotionally relevant to the people you speak to, they can not become emotionally engaged. If they do not become emotionally engaged, they will not have much reason to listen to you or your work and to take you seriously. If they do not take you seriously, they will never pay the opportunity cost to become stakeholders for new risky endeavors. It is easier and safer for people to stick with what they were doing, then try something new unless they are failing, Then your messages can be very emotionally relevant.
To articulate your message in an emotionally relevant manner, you need to know who you are talking to, for clearly, one size does not fit all. I mean, even websites responsively adapt to at least the circumstances of screen real estate. They do not send the same information to phones, tablets, laptops and desktops. And I mean, you are smarter and much more aware than a website, right?
Adapt your messaging to your desired audience and it would help if you imagine some sort of business model that might work for both them and for you. If you can not imagine a business model for a particular audience, why are you talking to them? Remember, as any creative outlier, you must act entrepreneurially to get your ideas and pieces adopted. In other words, you have to sell yourself and your stuff. This means unless you have already made it big, someone has to champion what you have to offer.
And do not come back with, well, there is a music market. Markets do not pay for tickets or come and perform, people do. Imagine who you could shake hands with to know who you are trying to communicate with. It might even be worth writing a paragraph or two called A Day in the Life about this person you would like to be a stakeholder for your works and ideas.
Just saying Business Models are on the critical path to being heard.