One of the most frustrating aspects of the music business, and one that extends into show business in general, is the tendency to try to turn your friends into your fans.
Let me make this abundantly clear: YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT YOUR FANS! And your fans are not your friends. Do not confuse the two.
It is especially common in young artists who have yet to create a professional identity. They are forced to use their real-life identity to represent their art. But this is a mistake on many levels. While your art and real-life are closely related, they must also be kept separate. Otherwise we become confused and lose track of who we are as people.
Fans see (or hear) a miniscule part of us. They create their own perceptions of who we are as people based on the tiny snippets that they observe. But they do not know us. And usually, they do not really want to know us. Most fans prefer artists to be figments of their imaginations.
This is also why your friends are not your fans anymore than you are your own fan. They may come to hear you play in order to support you. As wonderful and necessary as that is, they will never love your work. And they will probably never understand it. And they will certainly never look to you as a brilliant artist.
Do not try to cultivate your friends as your fans. You will probably just lose your friends without gaining any fans.
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