Rejection can be seen as a failure, but sometimes it’s what will help you grow.
The song that I’m making that I’m most happy with came after a soul-crushing rejection of another track by a top label. It was a bit harsh, but the feedback made me try harder, and, in a way, I’m glad I was rejected… Here are a couple of thoughts:
3 THOUGHTS FROM ME
1. The more you fail, the more you grow. The strength you’ll get from shaking things up and starting again is one of the most important lessons you’ll learn from failing. The hard part is actually moving past it and the best way to move forward is to gather feedback and fix what went wrong. Send your track to the best label in the market since they could provide you with the most demanding feedback, which will give you a checklist of what you need to improve, which possibly won’t happen with a smaller label.
2. The faster you fail, the faster you’ll grow. Instead of working on one track for a long time, produce a lot of tracks, finish them and then start even more. The more tracks you finish, the more feedback you’ll have, which will make your next tracks better and better, which will then make you want to experiment even more. To think outside the box, you must know inside the box really well, and that doesn’t come without a lot of practice and failure.
3. If you fail, it doesn’t mean you’ve wasted time. First of all, the time spent improved your skills, bringing you closer to your ‘perfect song’ and your goals, and this is time really well spent. In addition, even if a project doesn’t work out, you might be able to use some elements or clips in other tracks down the line. In a way, every song you make is a roadmap to your own best work, and the more you do it, the better your ‘best work’ will be. Probably, your hit song will not arrive until you’ve trashed many songs you thought were ‘it’. It’s all part of a journey and a failed song is a step closer!
2 QUESTIONS FOR YOU
1. Have you ever avoided sending a track to a big label since it was ‘unlikely to be signed’? Well, If you’re not aiming for the top, I’m almost sure you’re not aiming for your fullest potential. In addition, you’re probably losing some valuable feedback.
2. Have you ever revisited a ‘trashed project’ looking for parts to use it? If not, go into a project you’ve trashed and check if you can grab elements like kick, hit hats, claps, etc. from it and reuse them on current projects.
“One man’s trash is another man’s come up” (Thrift Shop – Macklemore)
If you want to check more mindset tips, go to this post about 7 mindset shifts you need for the beginning of this year.
