Jack Dorsett Level 3 Music Diploma
Industry Role - Artist (Singer/Rapper)
What is an artist?
Artists are the main focus of the music industry. They usually write lyrics, perform live songs, have at least a little bit of an education in music production, know how to record music, among many, many other things. It can also help a lot if you know how to play an instrument. Depending on how famous you become; you could become extremely rich, however a lot of people aren't able to get recognition in a wider community and often become only locally famous.
Health & safety concerns:
A lot of artists become pulled into the world of smoking, alcohol and drugs. These are all extreme hazards for an artist because, depending on how badly they're abusing a substance, it can seriously damage your body - your own musical instrument. If you start to drink too much or do a lot of drugs you can also become addicted, or maybe even die. Of course these things are possible in everyone's life, but money often tempts people to try a substance, and many, many famous singers and rappers do 1 to 3 of the things listed. In a local performers situation it's very much the same.
Another thing, once again depending on how famous you are, that may be needed is security. Artists tend to be fairly controversial, especially within social media, which could lead to them not being liked and put them in a bad position with a member of the public - some artists get physically abused by members of the public. A lot of rappers are also known for having beef with other rappers, and some take it further than diss tracks, which is why many rappers hire security.
What qualifications you need:
Much like many other jobs within the music industry; you don't need qualifications to become an artist. Studying music in education can give you a bit of a boost though. You learn things in education that you'd struggle to learn without it, things like; learning how to record live audio, how to use a DAW, how to play an instrument, and many other skills. Many artists have become famous just by uploading to YouTube or Soundcloud. If an upcoming artist is putting their music online, and gain recognition, they have a few different opportunities that could come there way. They could be found by a label and given a contract, they could become famous independently, moreover they could even move become famous enough to delve into other areas of music.
Why I want to pursue this career:
I don't exactly want to pursue a career as an artist, I just think I'd be good at it. I believe I have a fairly good singing voice and I think I can rap quite well. I've tried writing songs quite a few times but tend to throw away the idea because I stop liking it. I think I'd also love travelling and touring. I'd try to go into different areas of the music industry as well. I've always wanted to do as much as I can in life and I feel like either producing or possibly trying to become some sort of famous artist would be a perfect way for me to open doors to other regions of the music industry.