The Artist’s Statement is a short piece of writing that encapsulates you and your work, reflecting your creative identity and purpose. It captures your personal creative process, style, motivation, and vision for your music.
Why an Artist's Statement?
Unlike an Artist’s Bio, the Artist’s Statement is less about externals like awards, achievements and development milestones, and more about internals like your creative process, practice, and philosophy.
This type of first-person text is a requirement on many school admission and grant applications like Berklee, The ASCAP Foundation, NYU, and the Hollywood Vocal Studios Conservatory. And for good reason; it paints a picture of who you are and what your work is all about. It gives your future booking agents, festival curators, and fans insight into who you are beyond your music.
Writing this statement can also help you solidify your artist’s identity for yourself, helping to direct your journey forward in an authentic way. And it makes for a great “elevator pitch”–the pitch you make when riding in an elevator for a couple of minutes with someone who asks, “So, what do you do?”
Examples of Artist's Statement
It sometimes helps to read the Artist’s Statement of other artists. Here are some examples to check out:
Aine Minogue, Irish Harpist: “My music is a journey into the unspoken, a search for meaning in the paradoxes of life. It exists in the liminal space between intention and accident, where music becomes a way of understanding grief, loss, and connection. Albums like Celtic Lamentations grew not from a desire to create, but from a deep need to feel and understand the rhythms of sorrow shared across generations.”
Nathan Koci, Music Director for the 1st National Tour of Hadestown: “Music has the wonderful ability to act as connective tissue – between people, between art-forms, between visual and emotional experiences, even between vast cultural differences. That connective tissue is where my musical practice most often resides…”
Nick Grondin, Guitarist, Composer, and Associate Professor of Ear Training at Berklee: “I see creating and experiencing music as a way to enhance a human connection in our lives. As we create music, it reveals so much about our human side — our loves, our dreams, our fears…”
Writing Your Own Artist's Statement
To begin, take some time to brainstorm. Set a timer for 20 minutes and freewrite without censorship or judgment. What gets you up in the morning ready to create? What inspired you to create your first song? What do you love about music? Who encouraged you to pursue music? Don’t go back and correct any spelling or grammar mistakes. Just keep putting your ideas to the page.
When the timer goes off, read what you wrote. Are there any themes that repeat? Any words or phrases that stand out as quintessentially you? Highlight them and use them as writing prompts for a future freewriting session.
Here’s an easy template you can use to craft your Artist’s Statement:
- The Hook (Opening Sentence). Start with a powerful opening line that captures the essence of you and your work. Make it as specific and meaningful to you as you can.
- The Work. Briefly talk about your preferred genres, instrumentation, and musical influences. When someone clicks “play” on one of your songs, what can they expect to hear? What’s your creative process like? How has it changed over time?
- The Why. What drives you as an artist? What are the themes and emotional goals of your work? Who is your target audience and how do you connect with them? What do you want your audience to feel when they listen to your music? How do you want to change and inform your audience with your work?
Take your time. Sleep on it. Share it with mentors and friends you trust and see if they see you in it the way you see yourself. And as you grow and change, change it! The Artist’s Statement will grow right along with you.
Once you have your Artist’s Statement, use it! Add it to your bio on Spotify, Bandcamp, and your socials. It can be featured on your website’s About page or in your Electronic Press Kit (EPK).
At HVS Conservatory, you can develop the necessary tools to succeed in the music industry. Based in Los Angeles, our faculty of music industry expert and mentors coach aspiring artists by passing on real-world training from their personal experiences alongside necessary musical training. Check out our schedule of masterclasses and free community events, including acoustic sessions, seasonal open house events, and artist showcases.