Guest Blog: How Austin Markham Uses His Life Outside of Music to Grow His Career

Nashville-based pop/R&B artist Austin Markham explores the ways life impacts his music career in his guest blog for Musical Notes Global.

I started dreaming of singing on stage at a young age, probably around the age of 6, and at 7 I got to live that dream. Whenever I think about chasing after my dreams, I don’t think of obstacles or requirements along the way. I have a visual of me and my dreams overlapping, creating something beautiful. I’m sure you have the same picture, you getting that dream car, or house, maybe even a dream of you kissing your hunky new husband or gorgeous wife on your wedding day. Whatever your dream is, I think we can all agree that when we envision that dream it’s very step A to step Z. Simple. We don’t dream about paying insurance on that new Ferrari or dream about how much a mortgage will be for that 6 bedroom new home in Beverly Hills. And no one is daydreaming about a ten thousand dollar invoice from that dream wedding venue. 

This is where I present an Enneagram 8, Type A, intuitive person like myself. I think about every single thing that might go wrong. Specifically with my music. I learned quickly that I needed to get a degree so that if, big emphasis on if, if I were to not be “successful” with my music, I could easily pursue another passion. This mindset has not only nearly given me a Bachelors degree in Communications, but it has also given me so much that has benefited not only my music career, but my knowledge as a whole. There are several industries I could go into from just one communications degree. I can run my own sound, take my own pictures, send emails without typos, make my resume, draft up my own bio, make my own graphics, and do all of these things  and more on a level that others would pay for. Because I have learned these specific tasks within my major. 

Classes like Media Production allow students to learn exactly what it takes to pitch a contract or write up a press release. As artists we cannot be dependent simply on the brains of others because this limits our ability to expand our creativity with first hand industry knowledge. Classes such a News Room, Strategic Communications Writing, Photography, Graphic Design, Building A Diverse Team, Intro To Business, Public Relations, and so much more have given me the knowledge I need as an artist to walk into meetings and know exactly what I want and how I want it done, and that is rare and so needed in today's world. Being an indie artist in Nashville is fun, but it’s rarely easy. I feel so fortunate to have the skills to do a spontaneous photoshoot in a hot location or to write up a press release on a surprise release party I need to host. Having these tools saves money and the headache of me being a perfectionist artist who always needs things done the way I envision them. 

If I could give some advice to my fellow musicians who are considering going to school, I would say do it. Go online, part time, do whatever you have to do, to learn the things that are going to be so useful to you, not only as a musician but as a creative person. I would recommend a communications degree or some type of marketing/PR degree that can aid in your knowledge of how to sell and present yourself. This knowledge is priceless and sets you apart as an artist, and it's not just something we can “fall back on” - it is something I personally take pride in and is something I use every single day.

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Instagram: @donebyaustin

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