What Does Basketball Have to Do with Music Production?

What Would Michael Jordan Do?

Michael Jordan has already passed the 60 year mark, and with that height comes plenty of wisdom. That he’s a legendary figure within basketball is undeniable, but his popularity stretches far beyond the court, and in the age of memes, Jordan has dropped some pretty inspiring one-liners. Can musicians and producers learn something from the GOAT of all GOATs? Definitely. Here, Guestblogger Rutger Steenbergen puts seven of Jordan’s best quotes in a more musical context.

#1. Accept & Try

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”

Michael Jordan

If you want to be good at something, you need to do it a lot – and then some more. The trick is not to be afraid of making mistakes or ever tell yourself that you can’t do something. Roll up your sleeves, step off the beaten path and experiment with the extremes. In short: continuously try stuff out without fear of failing. All of this applies to everything – whether it’s basketball, cooking or making music.

The more time you spend with your instrument or in your studio, the better you’ll get. As a producer, you have to wear a lot of different hats, so you probably take on the role of composer, arranger, mixer and you might even master all your tracks yourself. To do all of that, you need to come with the right knowledge and the right equipment, but even that’s only half the battle, because there is a big difference between knowing and doing. While it’s tempting to sit and watch endless YouTube tutorials, it’s not going to make your music any better. Your music is only going to get better when you actually sit down, make music and apply your knowledge.

#2. Join the Club

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

Michael Jordan

At the professional level, NBA basketball players will battle it out in 82 matches in the course of a year. After that, the play-offs begin and ultimately, one team will come away with the title. For a while now, winning the title doesn’t always mean that you’re the best team in the championship. How can that be? Put simply: the absence of teamwork. The fact is that, when it really matters, you can’t get what you want with talent alone. To win, your team needs an iron will and the ability to make the difference together. It doesn’t have to be beautiful, it can be ugly as well.

As a musician or producer, you can do everything on your own but by doing everything on your own, you’re constantly sitting in your own bubble and, these days, your talent will only take you so far. In the very least, marketing is essential and modern fans want constant updates from their heroes, otherwise you risk being forgotten. Have some serious ambition? Then gather some like minded people around you, make a team and push each other to greater heights. This could be as simple as setting up an Instagram group so you can help promote each other’s work and swap mixing and marketing tips. Having a team of driven and enthusiastic people around you will only keep you sharp and, together, you’ll go further.

#3. Positive Thinking

“I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.”

Michael Jordan

Human beings have a habit of expecting the worst, but dwelling on the possible negatives won’t get you very far. Try to avoid negative thought-spirals and, instead, trust yourself and your talent. In other words: just do what you’re good at and the ball is likely to fly into the basket.

Even if you’re a music maker, you’ll probably be all-too familiar with that nagging little voice in your head that keeps bleating: “But what if…?” Maybe it’s because you’ve just been requested to play a big gig or asked to take part in a big collab, that little voice pipes up with questions like: “What if I screw it up?” When this happens, try flipping it: “What will happen if I do something truly glorious?” Another tip is to keep a list of compliments handy so, if someone gives you some praise for your work or something has been a big success, add it to your list. If you’re having a really hard time and you’re on the edge of doom-thinking, then have a look at your list. It’ll immediately put things back in perspective.

#4. Talking About it Doesn’t Get it Done

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”

Michael Jordan

Some musicians can talk a lot. On any online music forum, you’ll quickly come across days of comments and endless discussions about the right gear, the right way of doing things – and the wrong way of doing things. The question is, while you’re busy sharing your wisdom online, is it really bringing you any closer to achieving your goals? The answer is in the question. No matter how badly you want to break through as an artist or producer, you need to put in the work. Invest the time and you’ll only get better at what you do. Make music, experiment in the studio and keep raising that bar a little higher every time. Make it happen!

#5. Never Quit

“If you quit once, it becomes a habit. Never quit!”

Michael Jordan

How many half-finished songs do you have gathering dust on your hard drive? A new and fresh idea is always nice, but you’re never going to score a hit with half a track. Let’s face it, if you never finish anything, then not finishing will become second nature. When it comes to writing, try to finish everything you start. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect and, if you get stuck, look elsewhere and steal ideas from existing work. You can learn so much from the process and when you write tracks later, things will flow faster and you’ll see yourself growing as an artist. Above all, you’ll increase your chances of making a hit. Hard work and constant improvement always pays off.

#6. Great Expectations

“You must expect great things from yourself before you can do them.”

Michael Jordan

If you want to grow as an artist, then your mindset is enormously important. This also applies when learning new skills. If you start (even subconsciously) with the idea that you can’t do it, then there’s a really big chance that you’re going to give up later. Just assume that you can do it, no matter how long it takes. Visualisation is a brilliant technique in this respect. Look online for some images that best describe where you want to be in 5 years time (maybe sitting at the helm of a stunning recording or production studio). Print it out and stick it in a prominent spot so you can always see it. Remember, that’s what you’re working towards – that’s what you want to achieve. Maybe it doesn’t work out quite as you’d imagined or you encounter someone who can do the thing you do, but better – then join forces, learn from them and see if you can work together.

#7. Make Your Own Luck

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.”

Michael Jordan

Luck never just falls from the sky. You can manoeuvre into a position where your chances of getting lucky are greater, though. And to do that – like Michael – you need to be prepared. Think about your preparation just like Michael Jordan would think about preparation – whether it’s the creative side of the things or the practical side of things. The greater the number of shots you have, the bigger chance you get of scoring. It’s that simple. Take more shots and aim for the right thing, sooner or later it’ll ‘seem’ like you’re getting more lucky.

Take your passion seriously and have a businesslike approach. If you invest thousands of pounds in your studio, you obviously want it to pay off. Read the user manual of the software and equipment you work with, practise your skills every day and go to fellow musicians, producers, colleagues and friends to get feedback. Hard work also involves consistency and the ability to meet deadlines and make appointments. Do things like force yourself to spend at least 10 minutes making music every day – even if you’re not in the mood. Set deadlines for every project – things like this will help you keep going.

The best bands and producers didn’t do it overnight and neither will you. The ones that get there are the ones that put in the work. Take things like social media seriously and show up on time to every meeting. Chances will always come from other people, so build a network, keep it going and always make sure you’re leaving them all with the best impression.

Be Inspired by the Words of Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is, according to many, the greatest basketball player of all time. That accolade is made possible by his talent, his insane work ethic and his insuppressible will to win. Take inspiration from the wise words of Air Jordan himself and grow your craft. Never fear failure (it’s part and parcel of growth), build a solid team around yourself and spend your precious time on the important things: progressing your career and getting better at what you do. Combine your hard work with the pure joy that is making music and seek a real connection with your fans and followers. Do all of that, and you’ll see that you start creating the chances for yourself and can push things to the next level.