How To Cultivate Community In The Music Industry

In this piece, Janette Berrios highlights the importance of fostering community an in often cut-throat industry, and the value of establishing a strong support system between artists.

Guest post by Janette Berrios of the Symphonic Blog

In this fast-paced (oftentimes, cut-throat) industry, we want to be more than just the website where you upload your music. In a time where everything and everyone is online, we want to foster a deeper connection with our local music and creator scenes. Social media can only get you so far, and let’s face it. We’re in this together.

Fostering Community in the Music Industry

Why is this community so important to us?

The music industry is a relationship fueled industry. We all need contacts, referrals and creative influences to thrive in this business. We all need a reliable team that’ll have your back through thick and thin. What better way to do this than to connect face-to-face?

Music in almost all its forms is a collaborative process. When the music industry grows, other sectors of the economy grow with it. It fuels job creation, economic growth, tourism development, artistic growth and strengthens a city’s brand. A strong music community attracts highly skilled, young workers in all sectors of the community for whom quality of life is a priority. This, in turn, attracts business investment.

Aside from all this, a strong community provides many other things, such as:

A Strong Support System

Having a community of people who understand what you’re going through can be a major source of comfort when you need it.

When anything happens to you or one of your comrades, someone will be there to help you through it. Whether you need advice on managing your work/life balance, you’re looking for a gig in your area or your tour bus breaks down, members of your community will be there to guide you through whatever it is and offer support.

Infinite Resources

Everyone has to start somewhere. Nobody comes into this industry knowing absolutely everything about it, which makes networking in this industry that much more important. Your local community can be an amazing resource for learning from others’ mistakes, as well as triumphs.

Having strong connections within your community also provides you with personal accounts of things to try, places to avoid or anything else about the local scene that they’ve encountered before you. Absorb as much information as you can and learn from the mistakes of others.

Better Mental Health

In an industry full of rejection, random misfortune and even bullying, having a community of people who will support you throughout all the ups and downs promotes a sense of belonging that is extremely important for consistent self growth. Community involvement has been proven to provide a higher sense of self-worth, a healthier mindset and helps reduce the risk of mental illness.

As most of us have experienced, we wouldn’t be who we are without music. This love for music and its creative landscape has shaped our lives in ways we might not even realize, so why not share this grand experience with those who have the same appreciation for it as we do?

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