Indie artists are special people that “keep it real” with the fans and with the music they are creating. In any kind of business, project or situation in life, there are some things that you want to avoid if your want to have longevity in anything that you do. There are some basic angles that you have to observe, take care of and watch out for.

Following are the “five” sins that can destroy and indie artist which are listed below:

Lack of Humility – You get more doors open by being humble with what you are attempting to do and your music. Humility actually will protect you from the industry “sharks” that lurk in the background. They look for unbalanced artists and promise them the world and artists with the big head usually fall head over heels and get stung in the end. Why? It’s because the artist has no humility! All humility means is having a balanced perspective, a reserve-ness with confidence and being honorable.

Circle of Friends – You don’t need friends that hinder your progress or that’s going to introduce you to things that are detrimental to your career. You need honest feedback and for friends to tell you that you are going down the wrong road. You don’t need lackeys! When the money and the fame are gone, the so called lackey friends are gone too! Strive to have quality people on your team that are striving to be balanced and well-rounded!

Groupies – The universe is full of music and everyone on Earth carries a musical vibration which means that as a musician, you are going to have groupies that have higher vibration than other people! You cannot bed every groupie that comes to you! Many careers have died over the “groupie” syndrome and artists getting involved with several groupies. Keep things in perspective! Know that you are making a statement in what you are doing and many people just want a piece of you. Thank them, be kind but be very watchful. Don’t let this destroy your career!

No vision of musical growth -   You’re doing rock today but will you be able to do the same thing ten or even 20 years from now? Where you start is not where you will likely end. Do you have a career progression chart that states where you want to be at in the future? Your plans should read something like this:

“I am a rock singer that wants to write symphonic music ten years from now for films, symphonies and stage performances”.

Draw out where you want to go across your musical landscape. Embrace diversity in your musical career!

And finally….

Not Understanding the Music Business - This is 2006 so the indie artist has information at his/her fingertips about the music industry that they’ve never had before. It’s now the artist responsibility to understand publishing, mechanical licensing, performance rights and copyrights. Yes, you will probably need an entertainment lawyer but its nice know that when someone is talking about these things that you have a basic knowledge of what they are saying.

Keep your career out of hot water. Avoid the five sins of the indie artist!