Stand In What You Believe

Could Your Plan B Help You Build Your Music Career?

Have you ever taken a job to support your music, then found that music gets whatever time and energy you have left?

That was part of the conversation Landon Thomas and I had in Season 1, Episode 4 of Do Music Differently, Let Your Plan B Support Plan A. We questioned a rule many of us have heard: music means struggle, it isn't a real or dependable career, and you need a Plan B because success is nearly impossible.

I shared that I feel like I lost some good music years listening to that rule. When I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I really didn't want to accept it. But I let it shape what I thought was possible.

So this conversation is personal for me. And if you've been trying to fit your music around a life that leaves very little room for it, there may be something here for you too.

The music career was already happening

Landon, also known as Luvsong Lan, is an R&B artist, songwriter, audio engineer, and creative entrepreneur. He kept writing, recording, and performing while working in customer service, communications, operations, and corporate environments.

His catalog is approaching 2 million streams. His work has been featured by VIBE, Apple Music, Pandora, and Audiomack. His music appeared in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, a film that won an award at Sundance, and he has performed alongside Jagged Edge, Ginuwine, and RL of Next.

But those accomplishments didn't arrive in a life with nothing else going on.

In our conversation, Landon described working forty hours a week at a call center, taking care of his daughter, and making time for the studio and shows. He also shared how performing locally in Pittsburgh led to a music placement through someone who knew the people making a film.

There were real connections between the things he was doing. Music was already becoming work, even while people around him questioned whether it could be a career.

A new skill can change what your next step looks like

When Landon moved to Jacksonville, he wanted to be able to record his own music. He earned a degree in Audio Engineering from Full Sail University, and in the episode he explained how learning that craft helped him become more independent in his recording process.

It also opened up work managing a studio and opportunities to help other people create.

I pointed out that this was Plan B supporting Plan A. A skill that helped him make his own music also gave him another way to work in music.

Maybe you've picked up skills in the work you do to pay the bills. Where could those skills connect with the music life you want? What might you enjoy doing that you haven't considered part of your plan yet?

How do you actually meet the people?

We also talked about something that can sound simple until you're the person trying to do it: building connections.

Landon described looking up local studios, making calls, and putting together a portfolio. One response didn't lead where he hoped, so he kept looking. Eventually, a conversation became an opportunity to help build a studio.

He showed up. Sometimes that meant helping put up boards and panels. Those relationships led to more conversations and more opportunities to create together.

If you've ever heard that it's all about who you know and wondered how you're supposed to know those people, watch this part of the conversation. Landon gives you a look at the steps between wanting a connection and building one.

Let your plan support the music you want to make

The rewrite we brought into the episode was about standing in what you believe and taking action toward the music career you want. By the end, we had a more specific way to look at that action: let your Plan B help you build Plan A.

As I said in our closing conversation, Landon kept doing small things consistently, with a strategy. His work has expanded into recording, songwriting, engineering, artist development, web development, distribution, live events, and creative technology. Some of those possibilities grew out of discovering other things he liked creating.

Your plan will have its own shape. We talked about building over time, considering smaller changes in your work schedule, and making family part of the strategy. What makes sense for Landon may look different for you.

What is one small step that could help your Plan B support the music career you want, while making room for the other parts of your life?

Watch the full episode of Do Music Differently, Season 1, Episode 4, Let Your Plan B Support Plan A. You'll hear more about how Landon kept creating alongside work and family, found connections in a new city, and turned curiosity about tools and technology into more ways to make music and help other artists.

You can also explore Landon's music, creative work, and current projects at Luvsong Lan https://www.luvsonglan.com.

#StandInWhatYouBelieve #RewriteTheRules #DoMusicDifferently

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