So, you love Shankar Ehsaan Loy. You worship Indian Ocean. When you saw Porcupine Tree performing at Mood Indigo, your fingers itched to grab the mike and tune the crowd to your sound. Guess what? You can do that. And we can tell u how.

1. Before others, make yourself believe.

Most of us think we are not talented enough. Even JLo thought so.  In an interview, she was reported saying, “It wasn’t like it was with Marc, who opened his mouth at age three and was blessed with a voice from God. That wasn’t me. I had to work at it, but I knew that once I had achieved it, people would respond to me in a certain way.”

There is definitely no substitute for genuine talent, but there is nothing that cannot be achieved with determination, hard work and passion.

Your passion for music is reason enough to rebaptise you from a “freak bathroom singer” to a respected and remembered artist. All you have to do is to identify your USP.

2. USP- Your Unique Selling Proposition.

If you want someone to invest money in you- you must have something unique, unheard to offer.

Remember Shankar Mahadevan’s album Breathless. We all went ga-ga over it as it claimed to have been sung in just one breath. Another example is Guns and Roses bringing in and popularizing the concept of “Live Fast Die Young”. And let’s not forget John Scatman who sold millions of recordings worldwide and was named “Best New Artist” in the Echo Awards in both Japan and Germany. A stutterer, John liked to say scatting was a process of “turning my biggest problem into my biggest asset”.

Come on! Think deeper and find out what you have got to sell.

3. Broadcast Yourself.

Who says you don’t have media? Make your videos, put them on You Tube. Even better, make a blog for “your” music videos.  Initially blackmail your friends to watch your videos and comment on them; a tactic you used for getting testimonials in Orkut days. But this time your job doesn’t end here, market yourself. Tweet about your video on your Twitter account, post the links on Facebook and witness the transformation in process.

4. Don’t be a Shy Pod.

Can’t figure out your USP? Don’t get time to shoot your video? Ego clashes in Jamming sessions? Your boss sucks the creativity out of your head? Band buds have shipped to another country? Whatever your problem is, don’t hesitate, talk to us. You may find your queries silly, but we don’t and we won’t rest till we find a solution.

5. Watch this space.

When you find your USP, you need to nurture it into a brand. We promise to guide you with the help of the best in the business, next issue onwards. If you are lucky, you might even win an internship with your role model!

So write to us at myjourney@thebigm.co.in and together, let’s begin the journey towards your dreams!

Article by Kirti Tarang