“Music is therapy. Music moves people. It connects people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls the heart strings. It acts as medicine.”
Mackelmore
Song: Devil On My Shoulder by Chelsea Cutler
Thought: Many of you know I’m a super fan of an artist named Chelsea Cutler. I’ve been to many of her shows and met her a couple times. I have her lyrics and signature tattooed on my arm. Her music hits me deep and I discovered it at a very vulnerable time in my life. This weekend I got to see her again in Spokane (Thanks Adri!) and it was so amazing. I even ran into her at a Starbucks and completely froze but managed to get out enough words to ask for a picture.
What makes Chelsea special? I’m an emo kid so her sad girl/heartbreak music hits me right in the feels. Her shows and crowds are fun and I always manage to make new friends around me. She is very vulnerable and authentic about her music, mental health, relationships and the difficulty being a smaller artist. Chelsea teaches me something about marketing too.
- It’s not for everyone. But it’s for enough people who matter. At every show, everyone knows every song and we all sing together. If you love Chelsea you are diehard for her. It’s enough audience to sell out the venue and remain intimate enough for connection. Her concerts create a community of people who go for everything she does from tiktoks to sweatshirts.
- Love what you do and who you serve. Artists have to tour now to make money so they go to dozens of cities a year. That’s an incredible amount of time loading, driving, unpacking, performing and doing it again. She clearly loves what she does and puts all her energy into the audience knowing why they are there. She puts on a impactful show whether it’s in Spokane or New York.
- Be authentic. Her music is incredibly vulnerable. Most of it is about rejections, breakups, and mental health. The lyrics are very personal. At her meet and greets, she answers every question regardless of how shy she is. I appreciate that its not an act – I connect with her music and approach because she is just her being herself. When I do my work is it this authentic?
I want to impact my audience the way she does. Have and show passion for my art/profession. Focus on small, meaningful engagement that impacts people.