20 Questions

Questions to Ask Music Artists

Essential questions to help you connect with music artists, understand their creative process, and build meaningful conversations about their art and career.

1

What inspired you to start making music and when did you begin?

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Why this works

Reveals personal motivation and helps you understand what drove them to music and when their journey began.

2

What's your creative process like and how do you approach songwriting?

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Why this works

Shows creative approach and helps you understand how they create music and what their songwriting process involves.

3

What genres or styles of music do you enjoy most and why?

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Why this works

Reveals musical preferences and helps you understand what types of music they enjoy and what draws them to those styles.

4

What artists or musicians have influenced you the most?

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Why this works

Shows musical influences and helps you understand what artists have shaped their sound and approach to music.

5

What's your favorite song you've written and what makes it special to you?

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Why this works

Reveals personal connection and helps you understand what songs they're most proud of and why they're meaningful.

6

What's the most challenging aspect of being a musician?

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Why this works

Shows industry challenges and helps you understand what difficulties they face in their musical career.

7

What's the most rewarding part of being a musician?

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Why this works

Reveals personal satisfaction and helps you understand what aspects of being a musician they find most fulfilling.

8

What's your favorite way to connect with your audience?

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Why this works

Shows audience engagement and helps you understand how they prefer to interact with their fans and listeners.

9

What's your dream collaboration and who would you love to work with?

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Why this works

Reveals collaboration goals and helps you understand what artists they'd love to work with and why.

10

What's your favorite venue or place to perform and why?

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Why this works

Shows performance preferences and helps you understand what venues or settings they enjoy most for performing.

11

What's your approach to handling criticism or negative feedback?

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Why this works

Reveals resilience and helps you understand how they deal with criticism and negative feedback in their career.

12

What's your favorite way to discover new music?

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Why this works

Shows music discovery and helps you understand how they find new music and what sources they trust.

13

What's your favorite memory from your musical journey?

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Why this works

Reveals meaningful experiences and helps you understand what moments have been most significant in their career.

14

What's your approach to balancing creativity with commercial success?

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Why this works

Shows business perspective and helps you understand how they balance artistic integrity with commercial considerations.

15

What's your favorite way to practice and improve your skills?

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Why this works

Reveals learning approach and helps you understand how they practice and continue to develop their musical abilities.

16

What's your favorite way to handle creative blocks or writer's block?

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Why this works

Shows problem-solving and helps you understand how they overcome creative challenges and maintain inspiration.

17

What's your favorite way to stay inspired and motivated?

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Why this works

Reveals motivation sources and helps you understand what keeps them inspired and motivated in their musical career.

18

What's your favorite way to give back to the music community?

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Why this works

Shows community involvement and helps you understand how they contribute to the music community and support other artists.

19

What's your favorite way to handle the business side of music?

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Why this works

Reveals business approach and helps you understand how they manage the business aspects of their musical career.

20

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

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Why this works

Shows mentorship and helps you understand what guidance they have for others who want to pursue music professionally.

Best Practices for Music Artist Conversations

Expert tips and techniques for getting the most out of these questions.

Best Practices

Focus on Their Creative Process

Ask questions that help you understand their creative process, inspiration, and approach to making music.

Explore Their Musical Journey

Ask about their musical influences, experiences, and what has shaped their sound and career.

Understand Their Challenges and Rewards

Ask about the challenges and rewards of being a musician to understand their perspective on the industry.

Question Sequences

The Creative Process Sequence

1
What inspired you to start making music and when did you begin?
2
What's your creative process like and how do you approach songwriting?
3
What genres or styles of music do you enjoy most and why?
4
What artists or musicians have influenced you the most?

The Career and Experience Sequence

1
What's the most challenging aspect of being a musician?
2
What's the most rewarding part of being a musician?
3
What's your favorite way to connect with your audience?
4
What's your dream collaboration and who would you love to work with?

Common Pitfalls

Don't Ask About Personal Finances

Avoid asking about money, earnings, or financial details. Focus on their music, creativity, and artistic process.

Don't Make Assumptions About Their Genre

Don't assume their musical style or genre. Ask about their influences and preferences to understand their sound.

Don't Forget to Share Your Own Musical Interests

Share your own musical interests and experiences to create a two-way conversation about music and creativity.

Conversation Templates

The Creative Process Template

1
Step 1: Start with: "What inspired you to start making music and when did you begin?"
2
Step 2: Follow with: "What's your creative process like and how do you approach songwriting?"
3
Step 3: Deepen with: "What genres or styles of music do you enjoy most and why?"
4
Step 4: Connect with: "What artists or musicians have influenced you the most?"

The Career and Experience Template

1
Step 1: Begin with: "What's the most challenging aspect of being a musician?"
2
Step 2: Explore with: "What's the most rewarding part of being a musician?"
3
Step 3: Understand with: "What's your favorite way to connect with your audience?"
4
Step 4: Learn with: "What's your dream collaboration and who would you love to work with?"

Further Reading

"Music Industry Guide" by music professionals
"Artist Development" by music industry experts
"Creative Process" by artistic professionals
"Music Community" by industry resources

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