Choosing a career path is one of the most difficult decisions someone can make in their life. But, for Sabrina Seidman, also known as producer and musical artist, SEIDS, pursuing music was a calling, a choice as easy as breathing. “It picked me, this is what I’m destined to do!” she exclaims. And that choice hasn’t always been easy; what it has been is fulfilling, allowing her to reach all kinds of new potential in her career. “There’s been times where I was like, oh, maybe I should do something different,” she explains, reflecting on the unpredictability of music as a career. But for Seidman, part of her self identity is music, and to let that go was never an option.
Originally majoring in vocal performance at Berklee College of Music, Seidman scored numerous singing gigs out of college. With the COVID outbreak in 2020, like many others in the performance industry, she was unable to work. However, Seidman did not let this setback deter her, instead choosing to learn more about other areas of the music industry: enter producing. “I always thought that producing was close to rocket science, that it was only for the elite thinkers,” Seids explains. “But it just takes time and energy to learn it and keep practicing.” Starting out with an online class, Seidman has come a long way. Determination has been key in this process. Learning to produce has been a journey, but the dedication to continue learning has carried her into producing and releasing her own songs, as well as using her platform to help out other aspiring musicians.
Entering the realm of music production has come with its challenges, mainly regarding gender, as sound engineering is a heavily male-dominated field. “It’s male over female always,” she adds. However, with her ever-growing platform, Seidman has been able to speak out about the sexism she has experienced in the industry. “I think I had a lot of uncomfortable experiences, like things that shouldn’t have been said, and things that shouldn’t have been done, just because I was a woman,” she explains while reflecting back on earlier points in her career. The most important thing for her is to speak out, to raise awareness. Seidman has built a large following of fellow musicians and she uses her platform to elevate female musicians: “I really try to make a point to hire female engineers or work with females.” The last two tracks she released have been worked on solely by females.
After releasing her latest single “Let’s Finish,” Seids opened up a remix competition to her 19.5k followers on Instagram, so that other musicians also had a platform to share their creativity. She is active on stories, opening up Q&As for people who want to know more about the industry. Seidman is also active on TikTok, where she has a following of 120k with whom she shares tips and short lessons on how to use Digital Audio Workstations and getting started in creating one’s own music. “Don’t just be a jack of one trade,” Seidman advises. “Don’t just be a really good guitar player. It’s actually better to be a good guitar player, but also a good singer, and mix engineer.” This advice does not only apply to music but every industry. The importance of versatility is what allows people to prosper in their respective fields, and learning to do a little bit of everything is what elevated Seidman to this level of success.
Social media has also been crucial for Seids in the growth of her platform. “The people that are doing the most successful now are the people that are posting.” In this day and age, social media is vital to growth and has rapidly changed how artists promote themselves and gain popularity. Seidman has translated her social media savvy into educating others on how to use it to their advantage. “I really want to build this online school where you can drop in and take a quick class like social media, vocal training classes,” she explains. “I want something that is more affordable for musicians.” Seidman recognizes that the music industry isn’t simply about making music; it also requires networking and promotion, something many beginners do not understand. Seidman aims to not only provide these resources, but also make them widely accessible, regardless of financial status – “I just want to do the little things that help people out, that’s something that’s important to me.”
*This story was originally published on Amanda Long’s blog, All in the Music (12/22/2021).
