WBW 30: Get a Goal to Push You

When things seem to be coasting off and your life feels like a drag, it's time to get off your ass and aspire for something new and greater. One way to push yourself to BE greater is to set goals - to achieve new boundaries within a finite amount of time. It may be scary and uncertain, yet whether or not you succeed, you would've become better, stronger, wiser. In this session, meet Miguel Escueta (ME), a musician hungry to achieve not only musical success, but also be able to inspire the youth to pursue their dreams with the example of achieving his in his life. Plus! ME releases his newest single, "Sleeping While the World's Awake" here on EntrepBuff.com!

Who Is Miguel Escueta?

Miguel Escueta graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Business Management, major in Communications Technology Management. He looked all set to go corporate upon leaving ADMU, like most graduates do, and seemingly to follow in his dad’s footsteps. But when things started not to work exactly as how he had planned them to be, he realized that it was also his golden opportunity to finally pursue another equally compelling dream – music.

Nominated in 2005 Awit Awards as the Best New Male Recording Artist, Miguel is now making a name for himself in the pop-rock genre, together with his band – Jeng Tria (bass), Juni Devecais (producer and lead guitar) and Roy Secillano (drums).

Today, on EntrepBuff.com, Miguel launches online his newest single, “Sleeping While The World’s Awake”. The full EP will be released by MCA Music within September.

When asked what's his greatest challenge?

When asked what's his greatest success?

Show notes:

Get A Goal To Push You

• It’s one of the major factors in what I’ve been doing and what I’ve achieved so far. Getting something to inspire you.
• Your goals change through time but it starts with having a vision of what you want to accomplish, and how you can realize that vision. Realizing a vision starts with having set goals for both long-term and short-term.
• When I decided to pursue music, my vision was to have my original songs heard around the country and have people sing them back to me while I perform my gigs. What do I need to do in order to achieve that?
• First, the goal was to write good songs. So I did. Record a demo to give out, so I get signed to a label. After that, we’ll come up with the best songs we have so far, and then we’ll produce the best possible album with the songs you have, and release it.
• I’m happy to say that I’ve experienced gigs wherein people have sung my song back to me while performing.

The Other Love: Music

• Music has always been a part of my life ever since I was a kid. I love listening and singing. And then I started loving it more in high school, when I started playing the guitar. I got in a couple of bands.
• In college, I continued, and I started writing songs. But it was always just for fun. I never set out to be a recording artist. It was something that crossed my mind only right before graduating from college.
• Come senior year, I was invited by a multinational company for an interview for a marketing job. My dad worked in marketing for most of his career. Growing up and seeing that, you think that’s the way to be successful. But later on I realized that there are other ways to be successful in life.
• If I got the job, I would’ve had to move to Singapore. But I had to be honest and told them that I wasn’t keen on moving yet. But if I get the job, I’ll take it because it was a good company. But if it didn’t work, then I’d pursue music and not entertain any more interviews from other companies.
• They contacted me and said it wasn’t the best fit. I felt bad for a day. But after that, I focused on my music.
• Eventually I was signed by MCA Music, the biggest label in the world. When I signed, it was a dream come true.

Getting Signed

• Bands and artists normally take years to get signed to a label. I was lucky I got signed in eight months after graduating. But I was going through a really, really tough time then.
• People think it was fast. But in reality, for me it was really a tough time. Because before you get signed, you’re hanging; you don’t know what’s gonna happen next.
• I chose this path over a possibly lucrative and stable job. Actually, before I signed with my current label, another label was talking to me. We already went through the whole process, they even had a gig for me. And then suddenly, they just never gave me a call anymore. It didn’t seem to be working out.

Losing My Voice, Gaining It Back

• I encountered a lot of doubt when I lost my voice for a while. After I released my album and had a few singles out, I suffered from laryngitis. I couldn’t sing. I thought maybe it was a sign from God to stop.
• Instead of sulking and just giving up, I told myself that maybe I could fix it. I went to a voice doctor, and I was slowly getting my voice back. I’m 110% recovered now, and I believe I sing even better.
• It’s important to recover from that setback, but it made me love what I’m doing now even more. It made me appreciate just being able to sing and perform, and knowing how much it means to me.
• Sometimes you do everything in your power to make things happen, but nothing really happens. But also sometimes, things just fall on your lap. And for me that’s a sign that maybe, that’s what you’re supposed to be doing.
• I take comfort and confidence in the fact that I’m meant to be doing music, writing songs and gigging. And that is enough to make me go all out.

Evolution of an Artist

• You write songs that come from inside, and you’re just thankful that people like your songs.
• Evolving is very important. I’m a very different songwriter then and know. You kinda learn on the fly. Like anything, you learn from experience.
• When we recorded the first album, I had just written the songs. Now it’s different because I’ll write the song, then I’ll change the verse and chorus if I find that I don’t like how it sounds. I pay more attention to detail now. My ear for melodies, my taste, have evolved. I’ve grown as an artist.
• More than evolving, it’s growing, and striving to be better at what you do. That’s what makes you evolve.

Artistry vs. Business

• The reality of being signed to a label means that you really have to write songs that should be nice to play and easy for people to play on the radio and like to keep on hearing. The label will have a say on the songs on your album.
• So you have to make songs that are good to be released as singles, but the rest of the songs, you’re free to write songs that you want.
• When you write songs, you want to write songs with hooks, to make it easy for people to remember.

Making a Statement

• When the album came out, a lot of people and artists said, I just came out of nowhere and I have an album. They said I didn’t write my own songs, that I just learned to play the guitar recently, and that I’m just using my good looks.
• But I do this for the music, it’s not a short-term thing. And just to prove my point, I started doing underground gigs, gigs where sometimes you only get beer as payment.
• For a time, I went through an angsty phase. But I’m past that. Despite music being something that I love, I always remind myself of the business side. There should always be a balance.
• Writing songs always comes from personal experience. Sometimes from others’ experiences. Writing songs now, you learn to get inspiration from different things, not just personal experiences.
• I want to perform abroad and get discovered. Now my songs are available on iTunes. I want to perform around Asia and hopefully the States.
• You can’t just sit there and leave everything to fate. Do everything you can. Don’t leave everything to fate without doing anything at all.
• Don’t just rely on your label or your management.

Who is M.E.

• I just wanna inspire the youth – not to be afraid to dream, and try and be the first to accomplish something. I kinda want that to be my contribution to the world.
• I wanna change lives through my music, but also with the way I live mine.
• If there’s one thing I want people to remember me by, it’s my going all out but keeping integrity no matter what.

Lessons

• Don’t let other people or negative situations put you down.
• Believe in yourself and your goals, no matter what people say.
• Never let go of your goals, but you may change the ways through which you feel you may achieve it.

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