What is exposure? The word “exposure” is defined as: “the publicizing of information or an event,” or just simply the act of being seen. When you put this in the context of a musician’s life, exposure comes in many ways. For example, we have social media platforms where we can stream music for others to hear, we can post videos of past and present performances to show progress, or we can post pictures showing what we are doing in our musical careers. As an independent/freelance artist, exposure is one of the most crucial aspects of my career, and it is also one of the most difficult.
Before the invention of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, if you wanted to promote concerts or music events, you had to create posters and walk around passing them out for others to see them. Because I live in a small town, I still do this, but I also have the advantage of using social media to help get me more exposure. However, with social media there is one small downfall. We talk a lot about algorithms on various platforms that help get eyes on our content; I personally do not understand how it works but I know that if I post a picture, video, or a reel to my social media to show others what I’m working on, the algorithm partially selects the audience. But if you do not have the views on your content, specifically if it’s not “trending” or “going viral,” not a lot of people will see what you are doing. And if you do not have a certain look—if the content on your social media is not “catchy”—people scroll on by.
Another downside to a lack of exposure when it comes to being an artist is the “green demon,” aka money. For artists who are backed by record labels or other high profile organizations, their marketing and PR are endless. From my personal experience as an independent artist, I can say that a freelancer’s path is different. Once, when I had a performance in NYC, I sent posters and had people shouting me out on social media. I spent upwards of $2000 on marketing alone. Add in venue fees, instrument cost, reception and other expenses, and even after all that I had a turnout of only 5 people. That day I wanted to cry, but I sucked those tears back in and I played one of the best performances I’ve ever had. It was a shame that others could not share that day with me. I sometimes hear people say that being a musician is not a hard job, and it requires little to no effort. If you are not an artist, then you only see what is on the surface. When you truly dive into the life of an artist you’ll find the preparation of a set list, the perfection of that material, the marketing/PR, rehearsals, coachings and so much more; you will see how as an artist you will do a lot of work but only see a small return on your investment both from a social and financial perspective.
One thing that I will stress with artists who are focused only on the monetary gain: DO NOT realistically expect to make a lot of money unless you are being backed by a sponsor. It takes years to see some real financial gain and there may be times when you will have to do shows for free or perform in places that you are not going to like. But in the end, someone is watching and it could be that one person who could change your life and career for the better. So always keep an open mind with your artistry.
As I stated previously, I work as an independent/freelance artist. I’m not backed by any companies; I don’t have a PR team or anyone who aids me with marketing for my upcoming performances. My marketing consists of me, my iPad and Canva. I am currently doing a 50-state tour, and I must create all marketing materials (paper and digital), book venues, contact media outlets, draw up contracts…and the list goes on. If you have never been a person who is organized, doing work like this will get you to the point where you are writing everything down and having your day planned out from top to bottom.
Another reason exposure is crucial is because in some cases it helps to change our perspective on what we see. As a male, a person of color and a member of the LGBTQIA community, the misconceptions I have experienced are downright baffling. “You don’t look like a classical musician,” “You don’t look gay,” and “I didn’t know black people play the flute,” are just a a few of the baffling things that I hear daily on my musical journey. Exposure brings things into the light, and it shows what we may not always see, good, bad, and unknown.
Bio:
Adrian McGrady‘s journey has helped him build his confidence and brought numerous friends into his life; even amid tragedies, music has been his safe space. Mr. McGrady began my musical endeavors in church and was involved in many school organizations where he performed on stage. When he started to learn the flute, there was a bit of a challenge, so progress was slow, but he stuck with it. He has had the opportunity to work with very prominent flutists and to be able to travel and perform with countless musicians in various states. Mr. McGrady’s musical endeavors were not limited to the flute; he has performed with the White Sabers Drum Corps for over ten seasons and is a two-time world champion. He has also performed with Emanon Winterguard and Magic of Scout House Winterguard. Mr. McGrady has always felt calm in an artistic headspace and believes there is no room for hate in the arts.