I grew up as a musician during a fascinating time. I’ve been playing in bands since I was 13, growing up in Memphis, TN — a city with deep musical roots. But I believe Millennial-era musicians have the most unique perspective of all when it comes to working in today’s music industry.
We’re the generation that pre-dates social media — the ones who had to drive around town hanging up physical flyers we printed out to promote our live shows. Now, we use social media for everything we do. These days, the internet often brings in more income than the physical act of performing in front of people. Our generation has had to adapt to more change than arguably any other group of musicians.
Physical album sales have all but vanished, and even the digital equivalent provides little to no income for most artists. In the past, you picked one lane and stayed in it. Now, as a musician, you need a dozen baskets — each with many eggs — just to make a decent living.
We used to rewind takes and reverse CDs just to figure out a guitar lick. Buying an album was an experience — from the artwork to the listening process. Nobody cared about singles; albums were complete works of art meant to be experienced as a whole. CD liners had lyrics, photos, and insight into the artist’s mind.
Aside from MTV, there weren’t many reference points for discovering new artists, so every local act was truly original — shaped by the influences of the city they came from. Now, everyone has access to what everyone else is creating all at once, and as a result, we often end up copying each other’s sound and look just to stay relevant.
Which brings me to my main point: it’s more important than ever that we obsess over originality as artists. Even if your work isn’t “perfect,” it’s far better for someone to say, “Well, shit — I haven’t heard anything like that before.”
Stop chasing trends. Stop buying the same snare samples everyone else uses. Stop writing film cues or pop songs that sound like your heroes. It’s all been done. Instead, think outside the box. In every writing session, ask yourself: What can I do here that would make people stop and actually listen? Something that makes them say, “Damn, that’s a cool idea.”
Put the bridge at the beginning. Skip the chorus entirely. Create that death-metal polka band — whatever feels authentic. I’m not saying to be different just for the sake of it. Always stay true to yourself, but strive to create something no one else has heard before.
Years ago, I entered a scoring competition for a short trailer of a combat-pilot video game. Everyone went with the same epic orchestral trailer sound. I thought, screw it, and took a completely different direction — a metal-industrial track with just a splash of orchestra and electronic elements. It stood out.
A few days later, I got an email from the judges saying they moved my track to the finals because everyone in the room agreed: “Well, shit — this is cool and doesn’t sound like anything we’ve heard all day.”
Be yourself. Be different. Let your identity shine. Everyone has something that makes them unique — lean into that. And above all, keep writing, my friends. We’re all carving out our own voice, and that’s what truly matters — your journey.
