onedopeassblogger

  We’ve already learned that Nike is commemorating the 40th birthday of the iconic  Air Force 1  with a special  “Anniversary Edition” colorway  coming soon. Now, we’re learning that the high-top version is joining in on the celebration. Official Nike product images have surfaced of the forthcoming  Nike Air Force 1 High  Vintage in an OG-styled sail makeup. This shoe appears to be a near  one-to-one reissue  of the shoe’s original ‘82 release as it features a mesh mid-panel paired with the predominantly sail leather upper to give the shoe a vintage aesthetic. Similar to the original iteration is the silver Swoosh branding on the sides, throwback Nike branding on the tongue and footbed, a pre-yellowed midsole and a grey outsole. Despite images of the shoe surfacing, Nike has not yet shared the release details for this “Sail” Air Force 1 High Vintage. Grab a closer look below as we await o...

  As an artist, you have a completely unique perspective to draw inspiration from whether you’ve just started making music or have been writing songs for years. But just because you have the ability to create music that comes from an authentic place doesn’t mean you always can or do. Some artists struggle to trust their own unique musical intuition and shape their music too closely around what other musicians are doing, and you may be doing this with your music without even knowing it. How do you know when you’re not creating authentically? What’s yours vs what’s someone else’s  It’s not always easy to recognize it when someone else’s ideas have started to crowd out your own original ones. You don’t have to copy and paste another artist’s exact chord progressions, beats, instrumentation, and production style to create inauthentically. It could be something as subtle as ditching one of your original ideas because you don’t think it’s what you “should” sound like. Or, without yo...

  Landing a big sync placement can give you much-needed financial support and exposure for your music as an artist, but it’s not easy. These opportunities are usually hard to come by because of the overwhelming amount of music that’s out there coupled with how many artists there are with the same goals as you. But this doesn’t mean all hope is lost when it comes to finding opportunities to get your music licensed.  Don’t forget about smaller placements, especially if you’re developing your experience  Not all sync placements are the same, especially in 2022. Getting a song picked up for a car commercial can be career-changing for an artist, but it’s an extremely rare occurrence. Smaller placements and micro-licensing opportunities won’t provide massive amounts of money or exposure, but they can help fund your career and bring your music attention in smaller ways. Also, making your songs available for small companies and independent content creators is helpful for showing ...

  Writing music is hard. Writing lots of music is much harder. But between how insatiable audiences are for new music and the fact that the more often we write the better chance we have at creating great songs, it pays to be prolific as a songwriter. Making music takes hard and often thankless work, but it takes even more sacrifice, planning, and energy to commit to writing as often as possible. Here are three helpful tips for being prolific and productive as a songwriter:  Create extremely specific and realistic goals Get signed, rack up millions of plays, and make boatloads of cash that are not specific or realistic goals. Dreams are essential in music, and good for you if you want to become a bonafide pop star or simply want to earn a living writing original music. But if you’re intent on writing as often as possible, you’ll need to zoom in and create short-term goals that are realistic, specific, and attainable. Here are a few examples: Write, produce, and record 10 songs ...

  When it comes to making it in the music biz, it’s a little bit of luck, a bit of hard work, and a whole lot of strategy. This, I’ve found, is where a lot of us get it wrong. We think the music will carry us into the arms of adoring fans and eager labels, and when that doesn’t happen on the merit of the music alone, it’s easy to feel like we’ve failed, or throw up our hands in defeat. If I’ve learned anything over the last decade that I’ve been doing this, it’s that there are a few habits that successful musicians have, and they’re not as complicated or complex as you might think. Ready to find out what they are? Always have a plan Trying to make it in the music industry and having no plan other than creating good music is like getting into a car with no idea where you’re going but thinking you’ll get there just because the car has gas. Odds are you’ll end up burning yourself (and the car) out by driving in circles endlessly trying to figure out why this turn or that turn didn’t w...

  Sometimes (okay, a lot of times) being an introvert is exhausting. Everything going on in the world around us drains us, and when we can’t get that alone time to regroup and recharge, it can cause us to shut down, making it impossible to be productive. And that’s kind of the last thing you want when you’re trying to create your next masterpiece, am I right? Listen, from one introvert to another, I want to let you in on a little secret—being an introvert is actually a huge advantage. It means we can intuitively tap into our audience, empathize, understand them, and create art that will help them feel less alone. And as a musician, that’s a huge advantage. But in order to reach them, you’ve got to be able to channel those strengths. So, if you’ve been struggling to find that sweet spot, check out these career-saving tips.  Practice, practice, practice You may love being on stage, but maybe you find it hard to connect with your audience in person. Maybe you overthink what you s...

  We’re all making music in a digitally-driven industry, but touring is still one of the most reliable ways to form meaningful connections with existing fans and earn new ones. Unfortunately, the act of unestablished artists bringing their shows on the road comes packed with challenges, risks, and costs. Plan, do your research, and tour in a smart, measured way, and you’ll be able to weather whatever troubles that come your way. But venture out without realistic goals and a plan, and you’ll likely experience disaster sooner than you think.  Start with reasonable goals and base your tours around them Without priorities and benchmarks, your touring efforts will be a huge waste of time. In other words, don’t tour unless you’ve got a good reason to. Are you trying to promote an album? Gain performance experience? Catch the attention of music industry tastemakers in a specific market? To make touring a positive, enriching, and career-propelling experience, you’ll need to shape it i...