Industry & Career Advice
“The Modern Tejano Music Industry: What Artists Are Really Navigating”
By Veronique Medrano · 8 min read
In 2019, I put out a video that was a rather good overview of my experiences in the Tejano music industry. At the time there were many things I left out because I couldn’t comfortably contextualize what I wanted to say — or just didn’t fully understand without more experience in other professional settings. So we embark now on some of those untouched topics, as well as discussing the current state of the Tejano Music Industry and being a female solo recording artist.
Is Tejano Fan Fair Worth Performing At?
If you are under the impression that 150+ bands over a few days will garner you national success, I’ll give you a definitive answer: both yes and no. The positives: it’s a free arena to perform for a high volume of people, it helps hone your performing skills, and puts you in front of fans hungry for your music. It also gives you multiple chances to network during the week at off-site events and mixers.
On the flip side, artists don’t get paid to showcase at Fan Fair. You’ll have to cover lodging, practice rooms, parking, and band costs — easily mounting to over $2,000. Time slots are a roll of the dice, and evening slots go to award winners from the prior year or legacy acts. From all the networking I’d done, I was eventually able to create my own off-site event — and by not going, I opened myself up to bigger opportunities.
Can I Start My Career Covering Selena or Other Artists?
Yeah. You can. But the truth of the matter is that Selena is, well, Selena. Covers are great for growing as a vocalist, but fans of Selena only want to hear it as close to her. My best advice: either pick a deep-cut catalogue song you can make your own, or risk putting out a song you will get critiqued on. Use covers as a primer for your songwriting, learn the structure and form of your favorite songs, then start writing your own.
Should I Do Playback or Live Band for Shows?
Do both — because they are both valid and important. Playback is not Karaoke. Anyone who claims it isn’t valid has never studied large open-space shows like Coachella or SXSW where playback is vital to making sure people can hear the music. Playback solves real accessibility issues: when the venue doesn’t have a budget for your live band, when you need a quick plug-in, when your band isn’t available for a certain date.
A live band creates a different energy and rhythm — it’s uniqueness you can’t achieve with playback alone. It isn’t cheap, so know your costs, include rehearsal fees, and communicate your band rate to promoters/booking agents from the start.
Should I Get a Label Deal or Be Independent?
I learned from both. A label taught me the back end of the industry: contracts, bookkeeping, the minute details of running a music career like a business. Being on a label means you’re beholden to a contract and the things stipulated in it — always ask for a second opinion before signing, and know that a label often reserves the right to decide how you sound and look.
“Being Independent means everything is on you — the marketing, the production, everything. I’ve personally enjoyed it because of my own musical experimentation within Tejano/TexMex Country.”
Which Award Organizations Matter?
Join organizations that align with the type of community you want to foster and what will help you grow as an artist — not just for an award. The ones that give back to their artistic community. The ones that fight for equity and respect their members.
Many of these scenarios have dual answers with pros and cons, and while that may seem frustrating, it’s because many times both happened to me. With time I’ve been able to discern the positives and negatives from those experiences, to now share them with you. No one has the right answer, and that’s what makes this journey unique to you.
Written By
Veronique Medrano
Singer-songwriter, writer, and archivist out of Brownsville, Texas.