On the radio this morning I heard Amy Chua talking about her new book, “The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America” (Amazon)
The three traits for success are:
- A feeling that you are, in some way, superior
- A feeling of insecurity – that what you have done is not enough
- Self-discipline and the ability to focus on long term goals
It got me thinking how these relate to musicians and artists?
Clearly the self-discipline is the many long hours required to learn an instrument and master the craft of songwriting.
The feeling of superiority, I think, manifests itself in the way an artist feels like they have something to say or perform a show that is worth seeing. Simply put, you can’t stand on stage and perform if you feel you don’t deserve to be there. You must be confident that people want to hear what you have to say, that your lyrics contain a meaning for the listener (even if they’re simply “Let’s party!”) or that your musicianship is worth experiencing.
Insecurity is the one that takes thinking about. Many artists can be insecure, both in terms of their personality and a feeling of whether they are worth the accolades. And yet it’s this very insecurity that often drives them to write or perform music that stands out. I’ve often wondered why so many artists seem to lose their vigour and their relevance as they grow older. Perhaps it’s this lack of insecurity that means their songs lack the flair and creativity of their earlier work. (And before anyone mentions David Bowie, “The Next Day” – SHUT UP. I had to turn it off half way through, it was so dull).
