Music maybe art, but if you want to be successful its a business

 

Often people remind me about how great things were "in the good old days." Bands were constantly working, clubs of all sizes were booking musicians, and gigs were available for any musician who could play well. Nobody played for free, live music was every where, and there weren't enough musicians to go around. Well, I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but really there was never a time when the phone just rang off the hook constantly with people looking for a band of any size. It just didn't  happen. And it's not going to happen now.  True before the crack downs on drinking and  driving, bans on smoking, the increased number of fights and violence at live shows, 911, and so on things were better in the club scene, but even then if you wanted bookings, you needed to be organized, and promote yourself well.  

 

I remember when I first started out in the music business, I would do anything to get attention and to book our band. If there was a club we really wanted to play at and couldn't get the owner's attention or the booking agent to book us or even call us back, we would call the club posing as customers, seeing if our group was playing there. After a few dozen similar calls, I'd casually stop by the club a few days later and leave a card and press kit. Often the owner or manager would say, "I think I've heard of you guys." Of course they'd heard of us; we were the ones making the calls to the club.
Another little trick I used was mailing a brochure on our group to whoever was looking for a band, in a plain envelope with no return address. On the brochure was a little note that read, "Hi Bill (or whoever was making the decision), you should check these guys out, they're fantastic! and put on one hell of a show" Then we'd just sign the note with a generic first name. In any event, I guess when I was a lot younger, I would do any crazy thing I could to get someone to book my band. Wait I think I still use some old tricks to promote the bands I manage. lol.

If you're doing club dates or freelancing and people don't know about you or who you are, they  most likely won't hire you. But getting them just to know about you sometimes isn't enough. You need to get them to take action: listen to your CDs, look at your promo kit, maybe even check out your band at a current gig.

One booking agent jokingly said, "Maybe you could take off your clothes and run down Main Street naked. When they arrest you, you can tell the press your band's playing wherever, and you've got CDs available as well. At least you'll get noticed, and they might want to hear what you sound like." A bit extreme for me,  but I marvel at groups who have great moxie for getting work, and don't fear rejection. In fact, I like anybody who can come up with a great idea or unique way for getting noticed. Don't be afraid to be bold, interesting, different, be as creative in your marketing as you are your music.

If you want to work as a professional musician, you need to treat your music career like a business. That means networking, promo kits, demo CDs, your own PR program, business cards, brochures, voice mail (or a decent answering machine), e-mail, a Web site, lots of  creative marketing, and a good business plan.
You also need a good professional attitude and a solid business attitude. You can't blame things you can't control for not getting your band booked. By human nature, when things start going wrong, we like to come up with all kinds of excuses. Excuses like: "The economy is bad," "Clubs want bands to work for the door," "We're in a recession," or "Nobody wants to hire live musicians anymore." etc. On top of that, we blame the stock market, the President, the town where we live, the competition, or the customers themselves. However, all things taken into consideration, while some of this maybe a factor,  it is easier to just look in the mirror and see who is actually responsible for getting work, or the lack thereof. It's you. You are the prophet of your own destiny. To make it in the music business today, you need to let people know who you are as a musician and a band. You need to hone your craft, and you need to tweak your business skills as well. That means marketing, selling, publicizing, networking, and promoting as well as performing. It means being aggressive and making things happen for yourself and your band. Not waiting for the world to find you. 
Any roadblocks you may meet getting work as a band can be overcome. It won't be easy, at times and it will take some hard work. But if your not prepared to do what it takes, pay some dues, and hang in, no matter what, that overnight success you're trying to achieve may take just a little longer than overnight. But if you really want to make it as a musician, and if gigs are really important to you, why don't you just bite the bullet and start putting in the time, money, and effort you need to be a success? Start today--now.
A journey of a hundred miles begins with the first step. Your personal success as a professional musician is directly related to your belief in yourself and your music. Your success is in your own hands. What are you going to do with it? So, what's your answer? Do you want to go out and give it your best shot, or do you want to just sit back in your chair, sipping a beer and hoping things will get better. It's really your choice. There are plenty of opportunities out there. You need to be creative, aggressive organized, develop a plan and go after them breaks. If you don't someone else will, there are no missed opportunities, for the ones you don't take, someone else will.