Unlocking the secrets to success in the dynamic world of the music industry is an ongoing pursuit, and one that often requires the wisdom and guidance of those who have experienced its ever-changing landscape. Throughout the years, Lakeside has had the privilege of sitting down with a myriad of talented music industry professionals, from renowned artists and producers to managers, and executives. In this comprehensive blog, we have gathered a treasure trove of valuable advice and insights shared by these industry professionals.
Give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There are so many. One quote is from my mom who used to say, “There is no can’t, only can.” She would always push us to do the best and was a big believer in the power of positive thinking. Below are a few others that I really identify with.
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” - Albert Einstein
“What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.” - Aristotle
“I became great by being good over a long period of time” - John Elway
-Dan Pearson
Lakeside Entertainment Group Founder
Both you and Ryan have been so successful in the television production and entertainment space respectively. Were there any signs early on that this is how it would all play out?
When we were young Ryan would count down the hits like Casey Kasem in his bedroom and we’d have the tapes to listen to on car trips where he’d count down the hits. We also had a lot of production equipment where we would make music videos and I'd be the lighting girl, we did interviews and we made news segments, you know all kinds of stuff. So that was really a lot of the play we did. He would interview me and I would pretend to be Madonna and my mom would help dress me up, so we were doing a lot of that. Then Ryan moved to LA when I was still living back in Atlanta and I was looking at internships and things to do in college, and then I’d visit him and really enjoyed it out there, and then next thing you know I was moving to LA and Ryan and I were roommates. I was out there for many years, and then recently made the move to Nashville where I am based now.
-Meredith Seacrest Leach
Executive Director and COO of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation
What advice would you give to a young person working to get into the business? Once they got their foot in the door what advice would you give a young executive starting out today?
It is important to pursue your passion and not someone else’s. If you really want to get into the game and advance, their will be many long hours and sacrifices invoked. These sacrifices are worth it, if you are pursuing your passion. Also, I would recommend to executives starting out to focus on your task at hand and to learn to focus on the things that you can control.
-Dave Dombrowski
President of Baseball Operations for the Philadelphia Phillies
What advice would you give to a young person wanting to get into the radio and music business today? What do you wish someone would have told you when you were starting out?
Hard work always pays off. Stay humble and be prepared to out hustle the pack. Take time to figure out what you want, then strive to accomplish it as if it was impossible to fall short. One trait I wish I would have developed sooner is embracing failure. I’ve learned much more from my mistakes than any victory or triumph.
-Dino Conard
Program Director & On-Air Personality, iHeart Birmingham & Tuscaloosa
What advice would you offer to passionate artists who are embarking on their journey in the industry?
Do something every day for your art. Keep it close to your soul and surround yourself with greatness. Block out the negative people. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Rejection and failure lead to success.
-John Roberts
EMMY Award-winning artist & voice of Linda Belcher on Bob’s Burgers.
What advice would you give to a young person starting out in radio today?
Learn everything, soak in the wisdom of those that have come before you, but don't be afraid to speak your mind and challenge norms. The only way we'll continue to move forward as an industry is to let voices be heard that don't have years of preconceived notions behind them.
-Jonathan Shuford
Program Director WRVW/Nashville
We love the message of persistence and optimism behind your newest release “Don’t Lose Sight”. Can you tell us why you wrote it and what advice you would give to others in pursuit of their dreams?
“Don’t Lose Sight” is an uplifting jam about perseverance and wading through setbacks. When we wrote it, we were in LA and I had just found out that I didn’t get an acting part that I really wanted...which is something I’m used to and therefore, I’m pretty unflappable when it comes to not getting jobs (this is the saddest brag). But something about being in LA rather than home in NYC felt like I was at the scene of the crime, and the feelings of failure and disappointment were drowning out all of the other possible song ideas we could write about. So when we had a writing session set for the next day, as Jorgen Odegard (one of the producers on the song) and Clyde were started to build out the chords and the groove, I asked if we could write about this experience. Luckily, everyone was really on board and even excited to incorporate the cynicism I was feeling into the verses, and the optimism I secretly felt into the choruses. I’m so glad the song has both of those viewpoints, because I think it invites everyone into the song rather than hitting the listener over the head with loads of optimism that can feel unrelatable. I hope that even the cynics (like me) can feel a smidgen more happy or relieved or hopeful after they listen to this song, even just for a moment.
- Gracie Lawrence
founding member of Lawrence an eight-piece soul-pop band led by sibling duo Clyde & Gracie
If you could go back to your first day in the industry and give yourself one piece of advice, what would that be?
Expect the highs and lows. But don't ever get off the ride. One day you just might get featured on the Lakeside blog. Everything is possible :)
-Chris Maltese
Director of Label & Artist Relations at Vydia
What advice would you give to young female musicians starting out in the business today?
My number 1 piece of advice for all artists, and really everyone overall, is to surround yourself with people who make you feel valid and have a similar vision as you. Finding good people to grow with should be the ultimate goal. I am where I am because of the people around me and without them I wouldn’t feel as proud of this project or as understood and seen in every aspect of my life without them.
-Charlotte Sands
Recording Artist & Songwriter
What is one piece of advice you could offer to an artist getting into the business today?
Be prolific-learn your history-post your talent-don’t be too self important-don’t be too precious with your music-let it flow
-Marc E Bassy
Platinum-selling multi-talented recording artist
What advice would you give to a young band starting out in middle school or high school today with the dream of touring, writing hits, and having a successful music career?
The advice is simple. Don’t accept “no” as an answer from friends who don’t think you have what it takes to make it, or from family members who think they know what’s best for you, or from people in the crowd who tell you that your music is the worst thing they’ve ever heard. We’ve heard it all. It didn’t matter. We knew who we were and that what we were doing was going to make a difference. Practice hard, study songs you love, write a new song every day even if you think it sucks, and most importantly, be patient. Success of others may have seemed that it came overnight, but it did not.
-Travis Clark (We the Kings)
Musician, Writer, Producer
Have you had any mentors along the way? What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself knowing what you know now?
I’ve had plenty of people take me under their wing, and I'm grateful for that. There are probably too many to name, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention YOU (Dan Pearson), and Erik Olesen (who ultimately brought me into Crush).
Advice for my younger self…..remember to manage laterally, as well as up. It’s important to have the respect and friendship of those senior to you, but your peers are ultimately the ones who will be with you when your time comes. The senior folks will be out of the business or dead by then….
-Will Tenney
Founder of SunPop Music
What advice would you have for anyone trying to break into the music industry?
I would say focus on your craft, and forget the other bullshit. Yea having major social media followers is nice and definitely a helpful part, but what’s really gonna separate you and give you the length for your career is your music. What makes you YOU. That’s what it always boils down to.
- Hariz
Musician, Songwriter
For all of your success was there a time that you failed to reach your goal and how did you learn from that experience?
Of course. In music there is a lot of luck and timing. There are a couple songs of mine that I feel could have been bigger with different circumstances. On the flip side, there were a couple I didn’t expect to be big that caught the right break. Work your ass off, create beautiful important things, and then let the chips fall.
-Andy Grammer
Multi-Platinum Artist, Singer & Songwriter
What advice would you offer to a young person starting out and wanting to get into the business today? Is there something you wish you had known in the early days of your career?
Be flexible with the starting point in your career. The current available position may not be the ideal situation or the area of the business in which you envisioned yourself, but you will learn valuable information no matter the role and that all helps you as you move from step to step. As an example, I’ve seen more people hired from intern to full-time position because people get hands-on experience that’s valuable for growth. Being an intern might not be the most glamorous but it can lead to a lot of possibilities.
-Marty Maidenberg
M Squared Entertainment, Founder
For someone as talented as yourself is there something personally or professionally that you’ve failed at? How did you overcome it and learn from it?
A long career in this industry is really made out of small failures—they pop all the time: that gig you wanted fell through; something other plan gets delayed; you feel your performance doesn’t connect with a particular audience member. All those things become fuel, and it’s important to let them be. It’s important to move on mentally and know there are better opportunities right around the corner. That mentality only comes from MANY failures—the vital thing to do is to keep doing.
-Paul Loren
Artist, Writer, Producer, Performer, & Connoisseur of food and drink
What advice would you offer another artist just starting out? Is there something you wish you had known in the early days of your career?
My advice would be to just do you....absolutely listen to advice but at the end of the day if something doesn’t rest well with you, go with your gut. Always be kind to folks even if they aren’t kind to you. Relationships are what this journey called life is about.
-Rayne Johnson
Musician, Songwriter
What would you say the three most important things are for a new developing artist to do early on to help grow their profile and be recognized by someone such as yourself?
1. Identify, define and showcase what’s unique about you as an artist.
2. Commit to growing your audience x community and genuinely engaged fanbase in any ways you can (socials, live shows, etc.).
3. Surround yourself with the best possible people and never give up
-Phil Guerini
Jonas Group Entertainment CEO
What advice would you give to yourselves just starting out knowing what you know now?
Malcolm: Well I would only need advice on how to navigate through the music industry it’s nothing like acting nothing to protect artist. So I just would have set things up a lot different.
Tony: Be humble. Sit down.
-MKTO
What advice have you gotten along the way that you found valuable? What advice would you give to a young artist starting out today?
The advice I received is the same advice that I would give to a young artist. Stay true to yourself. Keep people around you who knew and cared about you before your success. Don’t allow your gifts, talents and abilities to elevate you to a level at which your character cannot sustain you.
-Gloria Gaynor
The Queen of Disco, best known for “I Will Survive”
What advice would you give to a young musician or producer starting out today and wanting to get into the business?
Make sure it’s what you really love and keep doing it. You’ll get better naturally and then people will want what you do. Believe in yourself or no one else will. But also make sure WHAT you’re doing is something you believe in. Be unique and embrace your flaws. Don’t try to smooth out the rough edges and just keep going.
-Kevin Rudolf
Triple Platinum Recording Artist, Songwriter, Producer
If Jeff Timmons today could give Jeff Timmons one piece of advice as 98 Degrees were signing their first record deal, what would it be?
Surround yourself with a great team. That's the toughest thing to do in this business.
-Jeff Timmons
Founding member of the internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum, Grammy Nominated selling group 98 Degrees
What advice would you give to a person interested in photography starting out?
I'd say try not to get too hung up on the technicals or the equipment which I see happen pretty often. You need to learn the basics, of course, but once you know your camera well and understand the fundamentals of exposure, aperture, and shutter speed - really invest in exploring and developing your own style. This should come naturally but requires a lot of experimentation and sometimes hard work. Bring your camera everywhere and don't let up - even if family, friends, and others give you a hard time. They'll be begging for your services soon enough.
-Adam Bradley
Professional Photographer