How To Live Your Music Dreams

The World’s #1 Ranked Music Coach – Mark Desvaux. Dream bigger than you could ever imagine about your potential in music. My name is Mark Desvaux and I’ve am privileged to be living the dream in music as a bestselling recording artist, songwriter (publishing deal with Warner), producer of Top 30 artists and record label owner. Just as exciting is I get to coach and mentor some of the most amazing musicians, songwriters and producers in the world today.

Please take time to enjoy the articles, download my free ebooks, take an online music course, learn about my premium 1-2-1 coaching and group coaching (Music Ignite Teams) and genre specialised academies (the EDM Academy).

It is my strong belief that if music is a central part of your life, it will be with you for life. It is your honour and duty to let the world hear what you have inside of you. You have a special gift and talent and my role is to help you unlock the magic and share it with the world.

Drop me a note and tell me about your dream in music. I read every message and you never know, we could end up working together.

Wishing you every success in music,
Mark

 

 

Get Professional Feedback on Your Music

Here’s a crazy thought that always amazes the artists and musicians I coach. Have you ever considered that, as you create your songs, you will listen to them more times than your number one fan?

This creates two phenomenons. Today I’ll focus on the first – “Ear Blindness” (look out for the second in a later article).

Have you ever written a document, proofread it three times and then someone points out a typo in the first line? Don’t you hate that! There is a reason it happens (for anyone interested in psychology it is due to something called “Generalisation”).

The same thing happens to us all in music. You become so intimate with each track you create, knowing every inner detail, that you can never listen to it the same way someone who will hear it for the first time. It’s crazy to think, but as artists we can never truly judge our song’s first impression as we have never experienced it ourselves.

What amazes me even more is that aspiring artists spend many years learning their craft, hundreds of hours writing, recording and producing their track, and then fifty meters before the finish line of the marathon, they put it out to the world without getting professional feedback. I hear it time and time again in many of the 30+ demos I received each week at my record label, TRL Music.

I don’t want this to happen to you. That’s why I’ve launched my new Professional Song Feedback service. Send me your track, no matter what stage of the process it is, and you’ll get a personal and detailed response (an audio recording in MP3) within 7 days.

  • Want to know if you’ve got a truly catchy hook to hit the charts?
  • Want an honest opinion on the levels on your track?
  • Are the vocals too loud?
  • Are the lyrics impactful enough?
  • Could the intro be stronger? Is it too long?
  • Does the quality of your sound really cut it?
  • Is the arrangement working?

Whatever stage your track is at, I will let you know how you can make it even better, even stronger.

Depending on your objectives with the track, I’ll give you the feedback you really need. Think of me as the executive producer you can check-in with.

To submit your track right now, click here.

Are you the next EDM Superstar?

EDM Academy launches to find the next Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Guetta, Skrillex, Deadmau5, Avicii, Afrojack, Daft Punk, Garrix, Van Buuren?

https://www.musiclifecoach.com/edm-academy/

Think you suck? Watch possibly the most inspiring video ever (Ed Sheeran)

One thing I know for sure is most artist I coach, no matter how successful, have hang-ups about their music ability… Typically I hear:

  1. I can’t sing (or “I don’t have a natural singing voice”)
  2. I don’t like the quality of my voice
  3. I listen to [insert Artist name] and my [insert instrument] playing sucks compared to them.
  4. My songwriting is rubbish.
  5. The audience are not feeling my live shows.
  6. I have massive stage-fright.

When you look at the most successful artists in the world, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking they were born talented with the confidence you see today. The reality is quite different. Did you know Adele still struggles with stage-fright? How about Ozzy Osbourne, Luciano Pavarotti, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Rod Stewart, and Barbra Streisand? And Ed Sheeran once could not sing like he does today.

Check out this incredible video of Ed revealing one of his earlier tracks which never made the top of the charts:

And how is this for a thought? Every great musician once never knew how to play their instrument.

Music is an incredible lifelong journey and there is one guarantee I want to give you – if you keep practicing you are only going to get better and better. There really is no substitute for hard work, but if ever anyone tells you that don’t play well enough, your live show sucks or you can’t sing, let it motivate you to prove them wrong.

Feeling inspired? Try a coaching session with Mark to get more inspired than you ever imagined.

5 Ways To Make The Next 12 Months YOUR Year in Music

gold discHere are my 5 tips to making the next 12 months your best year yet for music.

1) DON’T QUESTION –  JUST EMBRACE YOUR PASSION

If music is core part of your life, it’s going to be that way for the rest of your life.

Sometimes you may feel inspired, other days frustrated, but deep down you know that it’s your mission to create and spread your gift, your talent with the world.

It’s time to stop the questioning. It’s time to stop that inner voice that doesn’t support your highest self. Yes, you are good enough. Yes, you will get better the more you explore your talents. Just do it!

 

2) MAKE  YOUR MUSIC GOALS SPECIFIC

Often the reason people don’t make progress with their music goals is they can’t be quantified.

“Success in the Music Industry” can’t be measured. How do you (and not anyone else) define success?

“Make a living from music full-time” doesn’t have a figure attached to it. What is “a living” to you?

Win a Grammy.” Great! Which one?

It is time to get specific. When I start coaching a new client, one of the first things I start with is helping them make their general goals specific and actionable.

 

3) GIVE YOUR MUSIC GOALS A DEADLINE

Deadlines are so crucial to success. If you haven’t finished that album, built your fan base, played those festivals you know will take you to the next level, or even played your first gig, the chances are you haven’t set yourself a deadline.

Here’s the secret. Don’t fret over dates, just pick one! It is easier to move a date once set. No date however is a 100% guarantee it will never happen!

 

4) GET MOTIVATED TO HIT YOUR DEADLINE

For independent recording artists, the hardest challenge is not the music itself. It is getting motivated. When you don’t have a major label cracking a whip over your album delivery, there are no consequences if you don’t deliver (apart from beating yourself up, which doesn’t help). That’s why I have had work with coaches for 15 years. A coach acts as an accountability partner and they the No.1 secret team member behind every successful artist (and every professional at the top of their game such as Olympians, Tennis Pros and CEOs)

 

5) THE 15 MINUTES DAILY MUSIC CHALLENGE

Think you have no time? Try my 15 Minute Daily Music Challenge. Every morning, get up 15 minutes earlier and do one thing EVERY DAY that moves your music career forward (weekends included!) I’m not talking about writing another song, or tweaking a mix for the 100th time or learning a new scale. I am talking about something that will be a direct step to getting you and your music One Step Closer (OSC) out into the world.

  • Send that email
  • Do that research
  • Review your goals
  • Research open mic nights
  • Write that press release
  • Contact that blog
  • Find the right coach
  • Book that gig

Before you know it, you will have huge momentum. Don’t check your smart phone. Make this the first thing you do when you get up.

Wishing you every success with your music!

The Dream: Getting Your Music In The Charts

A few months ago I was approached by an artist who dared to dream. At the time, chart success seemed like a crazy and distant concept, but I planted the idea in her head and with a strategy and plan in place, the dream has become a reality.

Congratulations to Sam – one of the amazing group of artists I coach and part of the Mother/Son duo Sol y Momma – for breaking into the iTunes charts with her DEBUT single ‘Sober Up’.

As a coach, one of the most rewarding aspects is seeing your client grow and achieve something which seemed impossible. In my own career, I recognized that every dream has to first start with a thought. The thought turns into a belief, followed by dedication and daily action.

Too many people reach the cloud level climbing Mount Everest and can’t see the peak. If they choose to give up and turn back to base camp they might be only meters from the summit. No matter how hard it might seem at times, if you keep putting one step in front of the other, you will always reach where you are heading. It’s how every successful artist got to where they are today. Sam, like many of my clients, has proved this.

If you have a dream to chart on iTunes, or have a best selling album, and are willing to believe it could happen, get in touch.

Have a listen to Sam and her son on the wonderful ‘Sober Up’ here http://solymomma.com/available-now-itunes-sober/

Break Free from the Cubicle

Mark-Desvaux-infographic

I’m honored to be interviewed this Monday – Apr 25th – at the Break Free From the Cubicle Global Summit. You can register for free here:

Break Free From the Cubicle Global Summit

Here’s the lowdown…

What if you could wake up every day and get paid to do what you love?

How would your life change if your job was actually an expression of what are you passionate about?

When we are lit up by what we do every day, and when we love our work, our whole life improves: relationships thrive, we are less stressed, body pain disappears, health improves, our sex life is better! We are actually happy at the end of the day.

If you are done with your daily grind, tired of being in pain all the time from stress at work, and ready to step into work that is fulfilling and that makes a difference in this world, then I invite you to an exciting and powerful virtual event.

This is an opportunity for you to take your destiny into your own hands, and start to make a difference for yourself right now.

It’s Break Free From the Cubicle Global Summit – a free, virtual event where 18 experts give you our gold in tools, tips, and strategies to bust out of the job you hate and create the job of your dreams. Break Free From the Cubicle Global Summit

Invited by my colleague, Samantha Ibarguen, I am excited to be a part of this awesome event, launching April 25th.

During this summit, you’ll learn how to clarify your passion and purpose, move through the kind of fear that stops you in your tracks, uncover blind spots that keep you from living your full potential, create plans and structures to take you to the next level, and so much more.

Take advantage of this event and get the advice and tested strategies from our panel of experts; we are all a stand that you are thriving in work and play, and making the difference you were born to make.

Sign up today to reserve your spot!

It’s time for you to live every day lit up and fully self-expressed, and it’s time for you to be playing at the level you were always meant to. The Break Free From the Cubicle Global Summit is the place to start. Break Free From the Cubicle Global Summit

I look forward to connecting with you at the summit!

Mark Interview on Stock Joker TV & Radio

I was honoured to be invited as the first guest on the amazing new Stock Joker Radio & Podcast.  Stock Joker Radio broadcasts from iconic recording studios across North America. The recording below was at The Armoury Studio in Vancouver, Canada where the likes of Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Yes and INXS recorded legendary albums.

Hope you enjoy it! You can subscribe to the Podcast of Stock Joker Radio on iTunes here. If you are a different kind of fruit (not an Apple) you can subscribe here:

PART A

https://youtu.be/5y_Wpbpu9tk

PART B

https://youtu.be/cgF-L0RYtwc

What Musicians Can Learn From the Genius of #Banksy #Dismaland

dismaland“I’ve created great music, I just can’t seem to get anyone interested. What am I doing wrong?”

It’s one of the most common questions I hear from people as a Music Coach.

Today I saw #Banksy’s “bemusement park” spectacle #Dismaland. It’s amazing and comical. It’s impossible to buy tickets on the web site (satirizing the crashing web servers of major events) and almost as impossible find the exit once you are in. The result? One of the top trending words on social media, friends sharing articles and images of the anti-theme park and newspaper articles in almost every major newspaper in the world. Not bad for someone who doesn’t like to expose himself in public.

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

So what is it about the genius of Banksy that makes him the most talked about contemporary artist in the world, and what can you learn from him to springboard your music career?

The first lesson is… It’s not just about the art. Banksy uses his artwork as a vehicle to make social statements and the media have become fascinated with his enigma. Yes, his artwork is brilliant, but #Dismaland is a beautiful play to use the leverage of the media to get across his statement on the absurdity of modern day living. He has a message and he stands for something. As a result, he stands at the pinnacle of the world of art with a small number of others whilst 99% of other artists sit around wondering why no-one is turning up to their latest local gallery failure. Banksy breaks all the rules.

IT’S NOT YOUR MUSIC THAT BECOMES VIRAL… IT’S YOU

If you want your music to be heard, you’ve got to stand for something. How do you want your music to change the world? What statement are you going to make with your music that journalists will want to write about? How can your videos become talking points rather than another YouTube gloss-over? Ninety-nine percent of musicians with recording artist potential are 100% relying on their music to become viral. It’s not your music that becomes viral, it’s you and your message.

The recent social media blitz with #TaylorSwift removing her catalogue from #Spotify might be viewed by many as trite for a major pop star, but Taylor Swift and her PR company know exactly what they are doing. She is standing for a cause and keeps the media headlines focused on her. We now see #CalvinHarris has got in on the act to defend his new partner’s cause to speak up for every musician on the state of streaming royalties. #Deadmau5 also realises this, but often focuses on individual attacks. Every troll is another headline. If you can entice someone to play Social Media Tweet tennis with you, it maximises the longevity of the media coverage.

Personally I encourage people to focus and stand for positive causes and messages. These create useful debate and can often leave legacies. In one hundred years from now no-one is going to be reminiscing a put-down. Banksy is challenging the status quo, shaking us out of our habitual actions and getting us to think about some of the bigger issues which face society.

PLAY WITH THE 1%

As I tell all my coaching clients, if you want success in music, be different, do the opposite, follow the road less traveled. When you compete with the 99%, you are missing the opportunity to play with the 1%.

 

 

 

How Do I Kickstart My Music Career?

Today I got the following email which simply asked:

“How do I kickstart my music career without money?”

My answer:

“Determination. Passion. A Written Goal. A Vision. Hard Work.

..and belief in yourself.

All are free…

Follow your passion and money will follow you.”

Remember that every one of your music icons once had nothing. Zero fans. It’s not what is in your bank account that matters, but what is in you.

To ask me a question, with the chance to get featured in my new Podcast and get free coaching, click here.

 

Check out my latest article just published in EDM World Magazine

cover
Check out my latest article just published in EDM World Magazine

Your Brand New Track – That Sinking Feeling

So you’ve just finished your latest track. Hours of blood, sweats, tears and EQ’ing have gone into it.

You put the MP3 on your iPod ready to unleash your potential million-selling track onto the world and start with your family or close friends.

After ten seconds they start to tap their foot for encouragement. At one minutes the glazed expression comes over their face and 90 seconds in, they start talking over the track about how awful the weather is.

WHAT! Inside you are dying! If they only know how much time I’d spent. They could at least give me the dignity of listening to the whole thing. You end up feeling flat, and maybe even question whether your track is actually any good.

The fact is that, just like a prophet is never recognised in their home town, neither is an artist. As a Brit, my first radio airplay and big break came in Canada. It was only then that the UK started to take interest.

Firstly, don’t take it personally. If you are looking for feedback get a professional critique.

Secondly. if you are looking for a boost, don’t expect your Gran or Great Aunt to provide it. They’ll tell you what you want to hear and are probably not your target market.

Don’t believe me? Try this test. Pick a recent no.1 hit and play it to them as if it is yours… See what happens.

 

 

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