I agree. It seems counterproductive that a band that has worked hard to perfect its sound – and harder still to get the gig – would risk it all on a complete unknown who walks up and says he can nail David Gilmour’s guitar solo on “Comfortably Numb.” It’s one thing if it’s an open mic, as not that many people who are there are expecting to hear rock history being made that night. But getting, playing, and keeping a gig is hard work, and the band needs to be mindful of that fact, even if a patron isn’t.

Here’s what someone who asks to sit in says to the band:

Hey, mind if I sit in?

And here’s what someone who asks to sit in actually says to the band:

Hey, mind if I sit in? I realize you’ve been playing for years and have developed a unique voice and style, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’m not concerned with your years of lessons, what you had to sacrifice or how long it took you to buy your gear, or the months and months of practice it took you guys to get to this point. I want you to back me up while I show off for my friends. And it won’t bother me at all if I mess up and you look like schmucks.

Such requests should be met with a gentle, tactful, yet firm no. Someone who wants to sit in might have the best intentions in the world and may also have an amazing amount of talent, though that’s never been my experience. And to be completely fair, there are venues that encourage musicians (usually jazz) to sit in with the band. But those who would sit in, as well as those who would let them, must realize that the band risks its reputation when it allows strangers to perform with them. And a band is only as good as its last gig.

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Image credit: culturebully

And suddenly, you realize you’re just not feeling it anymore.

It’s a sick feeling. Did I peak and not realize it? you ask yourself. Is this all there is? And in an attempt to break out of your writer’s block, you write more songs that start to sound a lot like what you’ve written before, which only adds to your frustration and deepens the rut.

We all get in ruts from time to time. The trick is recognizing them for what they are and knowing how to work through them. Fortunately the folks at Music Marketing [dot] com have listed over a dozen ways to get out of your comfort zone and feed your creative muse. Among them:

• Get out of the band you’re in if it stifles you. You may like everyone in it, but if you art suffers from it, what’s the point?
• Post videos of unfinished songs on Facebook. Ask for fan feedback. This deepens the relationship you have with them, which is another source of inspiration.
• Play in a venue that makes you nervous.
• Join a band that plays a different genre than what you’re used to. I got out of rock for well over a year and played jazz, and it was such an inspiring and liberating experience. It forever changed the way I compose music.
• Write a song with someone else. Fresh perspective is always good.

Daft Punk was able to avoid a creative rut by using some old-school techniques to record their latest album, Random Access Memories. Thomas Bangalter explained that the duo wanted to expand its creative horizons before their music became boilerplate. Musicians can’t thrive in a comfort zone, he said. “That’s not what artists are supposed to do.” You owe it to yourself as well as your fans to keep pushing your music to new heights.

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Image credit: Chris Yaw

While the cause of death was not immediately disclosed, Ramone was known to have been hospitalized with an aortic aneurysm in February. Ramone, a South African native, studied at the Julliard School in New York when he was a teenager and went on to earn 14 Grammy Awards.

Topspin Offers 5 Direct-to-Fan Lessons From SXSW Hypebot

South by Southwest is more than just a venue – it’s a place where artists can learn about the latest trends that affect their music and what lessons they can learn from those trends. The Hypebot article describes five of these lessons and strategies for musicians and those who work with them. Among them: the digital streaming experience must evolve to allow fans to dig deeper into the music and discover the artist completely. Also, artists must also go beyond the metrics, such as followers and likes, and focus on the authenticity of their messages.

Get Ready – Apple’s iRadio Is On the Way! Forbes

Slated to launch sometime this summer, iRadio is acknowledged to be the next logical step in the progression of iTunes, iPods, iPhones, and so on. So what took it so long? The sticking point seems to have been profitability: Pandora pays artists $0.12 per 100 spins, and Spotify pays a whopping $0.35 per 100 spins. Apple, however,  wants to pay only $0.06 per 100 spins. Whether or not they get that rate isn’t etched in stone, but if talk of a launch is buzzing about, you can be sure that Apple has the hammer and chisel ready.

House Concert Tips and Advice Music Music Marketing [dot] com

If you’re considering playing a house concert, take time to listen to this podcast first. The folks from Music Marketing [dot] com discuss topics ranging from which artists benefit from house concerts the most to whether house concerts should be streamed to getting Beyonce to play your house. And for more information about house concerts, click here.

Guitar Giant Gibson Takes Control of Teac Scotsman

The deal is worth a reported $52 million, and according to the guitar company, will help it expand into Asian markets.

Why Your Facebook Page Isn’t Growing Music Think Tank

Face it. You’re probably not going to get above 6 percent engagement on your band’s page, and that’s on a good day. In fact, most users have fewer than 256 followers. Some of that is your fault: you don’t post interesting content, you don’t use pictures or infographics, and you don’t engage with the community. But Facebook has stacked the deck against you. You can’t reach 100 percent of the people out there because the advertisers are paying for that privilege.

The Rise of the Musicpreneur Music Think Tank

Tommy Darker has written the first of three articles that provide “a well-organized overview of the tasks involved in being a modern do-it-yourself artist,” and it’s worth a read, especially if you’re just starting out on the indie artist road. What follows is a solid tutorial on music business terms and tasks, such as sustainable business model (what you do to stay in business), and growth/metrics (how you measure how well you’re staying in business). Then there’s stuff about web presence, branding, SEO, online platforms, and so on. If it seems intimidating, then you’d better read it twice and brace for parts 2 and 3.

Bob Moog Inducted Into Inventors Hall of Fame Music Industry Newswire

Dr. Robert Moog, inventor of the legendary Minimoog Synthesizer, earned his rightful place among his fellow peers recently when he was posthumously inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame. A statement from his company headquarters in Asheville, NC, explained Moog’s honor as one given to “individuals who conceived, patented, and advanced so many of the great technological achievements that have changed our world.”

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The Digest is a weekly feature of the Sketchbook blog that provides an annotated listing of links to relevant articles about events, trends, people, and things that have a direct impact on us as musicians. If you find The Digest useful, or if you want to suggest improvements, please let me know. Also, if you have content you’d like to see included, please send a message via Twitter or Facebook. And share the love by passing The Digest on via email or social media.

Image credits: Top – http://www.npr.org/blogs; Middle – http://www.joyike.com; Bottom – http://www.djproaudioinc.com

On February 26th, Amazon decided to offer several albums at the fire sale price of  just $1.99, including Bruno Mars’ latest album, Unorthodox Jukebox, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis‘ The Heist. As both albums had been out for more than four weeks, they promptly climbed up the Billboard 200 chart. But who will pay the artists’ royalties? Or will that change, too?

Emerging Trends in Social Media, and How They’ll Impact Music Music Think Tank

Obviously, mobile devices and apps will gain importance to musicians in 2013, with increased emphasis on email marketing to mobile users. Band websites that are not now optimized for mobile browsing will ultimately cost their owners fans and revenue. And thinking beyond the obvious ways we connect to the web needs to be part of a band’s marketing strategy.

Musicians Accused of Buying Virtual Fans on YouTube BBC Newsbeat

A US-based data monitoring company reports that artists are buying followers and comments in order to bolster their image with the music industry. Is such a practice ethical? Doesn’t it cheapen the music? That’s debatable, but apparently the scheme works well enough for Justin Bieber, who was outed after his YouTube video views surged into the millions.

Songwriters: Find Your Natural Audience Music Think Tank

What’s the difference between Taylor Swift and Nick Cave? Ms. Swift is a pop artist, while Mr. Cave is what the industry calls a niche artist. And you can use these two extremes to figure out where your music lies. Ask yourself who you are, and if your music is more mainstream or more indie. And remember, you’re the mirror of your audience. They’ll come to see themselves in your music.

Unwanted Electronic Gear Rising in Toxic Piles The New York Times

Old cathode ray tube monitors used to be an easily recyclable item. Not anymore. Since the arrival of the flat screen monitor, the CRTs have become fodder for warehouses, overseas waste shipments, or landfills here. And, as reported in another Times story, unwanted pianos are also finding permanent retirement at the dump. Maybe I should shop for gear there instead of the local music superstore.

Transitioning From Covers to Originals The Big Picture Music Production Blog

If your band has been playing out for a while, chances are one of the members has suggested writing and performing a few original tunes. Problem is, you’re known for being a great cover band. How do you make the transition? Bobby Owsinski offers four good suggestions as to how morph into an original act. One of the secrets? Don’t sound like the record.

Tips For a Great Recording Session Galaris Music Industry Directory

It should go without saying that you need to practice outside the studio. A well-rehearsed band not only saves more money on studio time, but also brings more energy to a session than one still trying to work out parts. Galaris also recommends bringing spares of everything, getting used to a click track, and not believing you can fix it in the mix.

Ten Ways to Unclutter Your Band’s Website Bandzoogle

Exactly how many social media feeds do you need on your website, anyway? Will 40 pictures of the lead singer taken at the same gig really add gravitas? And while you’re cleaning up your website, ditch the guestbooks and hit counters. An uncluttered web presence is your friend.

The Digest is a weekly feature of the Sketchbook blog that provides an annotated listing of links to relevant articles about events, trends, people, and things that have a direct impact on us as musicians. If you find The Digest useful, or if you want to suggest improvements, please let me know. Also, if you have content you’d like to see included, please send a message via Twitter or Facebook. And share the love by passing The Digest on via email or social media.

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Image credits: Top – http://www.sunriverrealestatenews.com; Middle – http://www.flatrock.org.nz; Bottom – http://www.tvphotogblog.blogspot.com

A rundown of the SXSW highlights, from Prince to Justin Timberlake, to Waxahatchee, to Death Grips, to Dave Grohl, it’s all here. Next year I’ll drop some more names.

How the Internet Is Changing Everything (feat. Amanda Palmer on Vocals) Sex, Genes, and Rock

Thirty years ago, says Rob Brooks, if you wanted to listen to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” you had to buy Thriller. Today, if you want to listen to “Gangnam Style.” you need only go to YouTube or download it from iTunes. Or a bit torrent site. Piracy abounds, which has dramatically affected royalty payments to artists and producers alike. Now the question has become “how do we make listeners pay?” Brooks says bands to tour more, and fans to pay to experience music live. And that, he says, completely inverts the way technology changed music in the 20th century.

Twitter Enters the Music Business  SFGate.com

Similar to Pandora, the new Twitter Music app suggests songs to listeners based on the bands they follow. Expect a launch date by the end of March.

So You Want to Play the Piano Available For Preorder Classical Mel’s Piano & Music Education Blog

Concert pianist and piano teacher Melanie Spanswick recently finished her new book, So You Want To Play The Piano?, and it is an excellent guide for anyone thinking about the piano as his or her instrument of choice. Within its pages the novice pianist can find advice on finding the perfect instrument (and teacher), supporting a child who is learning, practicing, and much more. Spanswick’s book is officially on sale April 1, but readers can order So You Want to Play the Piano? in advance from Amazon.

Music Business: Investments Are Not Expenses The Media Online

No one has to tell musicians these days that times are tough, and it really doesn’t matter if you’re a veteran or just starting out. And labels aren’t doing any better, despite the mythology of  them having hoards of cash in their secret underground vaults. So it’s no surprise that artists wince at ponying up mega bucks for things like production, live sound, and branding. But what musicians must realize is that these things aren’t expenses – they’re investments in the artist, his career, and the success of the label.

New Study Finds That Music Piracy Doesn’t Negatively Affect Sales WebProNews Technology

According to the music industry, music piracy will be the death of it. But a new study shows that such is not the case. In fact, most users who are interested in music visited both pirated sites and online music stores. The study went on to claim that pirate sites actually contributed to an increase in clicks on online music stores’ links by up to  2 percent.

The Disconnect Between Musicians and Promoters The Lowry Agency Blog

Opening acts should spend less time whining about a low turnout and more time getting out on the street and promoting the show, says artist management guru David Lowry. In Part 1 he goes on to describe the costs, wheeling, and dealing involved in putting on a show, and offers sage advice to openers: get out and help put butts in seats. Part 2 involves landing a gig as an opening act, and doing that is all about developing a relationship with a promoter. “Business people are looking for persistence, reliability, creativity and hard work,” Lowry explains. “This is a very speculative business, and so promoters are looking for artists that will make sure they deliver and help make sure the show doesn’t operate at a loss.”

Seven Music Career Myths The Musician’s Way Blog

Being technically proficient with your instrument helps, but it’s not going to make your career all by itself. Nor do managers handle everything for you. (Nor should they. It’s your career!) And rather than rely on winning the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, students can better serve their careers by “performing innovative programs for diverse audiences, [and] growing their fan bases in the process.”

The Digest is a weekly feature of the Sketchbook blog that provides an annotated listing of links to relevant articles about events, trends, people, and things that have a direct impact on us as musicians. If you find The Digest useful, or if you want to suggest improvements, please let me know. Also, if you have content you’d like to see included, please send a message via Twitter or Facebook. And share the love by passing The Digest on via email or social media.

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Image credits: Top – http://www.time.com; Middle – http://www.maketrance.com; Bottom – http://www.cocc.com

From the album Double Helix. “Snowfall” composed and recorded by Robert W. Oliver. Music copyright (c) 2011 by Robert W. Oliver. All rights reserved. Stock photographs via http://www.dreamstime.com.

Technical stuff: Recorded on a Zoom H4n handheld recorder, because it was new at the time, and I just had to try it out. Mixed on a Yamaha AW4416 DAW. Mastered on an Alesis Masterlink.

Booking Gigs? Some Magic Tips to Help You Out!

Your band has been playing in front of your friends and they love your music….

You are a solo singer/songwriter now comfortable enough to sing in front of a crowd, play your guitar and put on a show without knocking the mic-stand over……

You’ve been taking your beats to the streets and now you’re ready to take your rap game to a whole new level……

In every situation, you are ready to start booking shows,  but where do you begin?

Know your niche market

Your niche market = who you are selling your music to.

“Wait a minute, what does selling my music have to do with booking a gig?”

Everything.

You need to have a venue that supports the atmosphere of your music (What’s the stage set up like?) and has a demographic of listeners that like what you do. For instance: If you are an acoustic artist,  is it a smart decision to play a venue that has a huge  heavy metal following? Probably not. In everything you do, you should be asking yourself, “How is my time being spent here? Is this going to be a valuable experience for me?”

I can’t count how many times music artists have come up to me and complained that the venue took advantage of them. When I ask, “Well, what did you want from the venue?” Their response is,  “We wanted to play.”

“Didn’t you play?”

“Well yeah, but there wasn’t any one there and then they had us get off after three songs.”

Your time is expensive. Make every moment count!

You have to want and get something out of every show you play. This is the necessary mind-frame you have to be in to run your  successful music business. If you spend time practicing and promoting your show, shouldn’t this time be worth something? For instance, either you receive x number of e-mails on your list, you get booked for another show with a better time-slot, you get the booker to refer you to another venue, etc. Get something out of every show you play! You should never walk off any stage without a plan. Every venue you play should be advancing your music career. Why?

When you do this you will start taking your music business to the next level.

In business, time is money. Same with your music business. Time is money. Why are you going to waste time rehearsing a show, promoting a show and then playing a show and not get anything out of it? Give yourself a game-plan. Don’t just go into a venue and say, “I’m going to entertain and everyone is going to love me and buy my music.” It’s not going to happen. You need to be prepared and do the work ahead of time to get the results you want. You have 3 specific jobs.

1. Entertain and sell your live performance.

2. Sell your CD/Merchandise and make some money to invest in your next gig opportunity.

3. Connect with fans (e-mail list, promote your website and social networks) and find new music opportunities.

Do one of each of these things before you leave that venue. Teach yourself to think with an objective and goal in mind. You might not reach it, but get used to doing these three things every time.

I want to interject here: CD’s are not out of date. A CD is still very relevant when it comes to selling music in a venue. The reason for this is: “Box in hand mentality.” People are a lot more excited about what they can see, feel and touch. And to get an autograph?! That’s exciting. That’s Rock Star  Remember, you’re not only an entertainer, you also need to sell them the experience of playing live.

This does not mean, selling your digital music online is out the window.  It’s a 2 step process. If they can’t buy the CD, get their e-mail and offer them a free download in return. Then add an extra incentive, and make it about what is happening right then.

“If you download our album tonight, you get into our next show free of charge.”

Do you see what you are doing here? You are attacking the live music experience moment and being selective. Only those who have attended your show get these special privileges. But you’re also giving them a time-frame. One of the key elements of any sale is to let them know, there is something to lose here. Do it now and you get all of these extra benefits.

If you have ever shopped at Costco you know exactly what I’m talking about. Use these tools and increase your music sales!

You can sell a digital file the same as you would a CD. I recommend just having a table with your lap-top or use your phone. You should, if you can, have someone else gathering e-mails for you. You can usually find one of your fans to do this for you and their energy and enthusiasm for your music will have everyone signing up. Your job as a band/artist is to meet and greet everyone in the venue. It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember their name, do your best. The goal here is to show you appreciate their time. It’s just human courtesy. You have no idea how much this little meet-and-greet means to them.  This is someone who truly loves what you do.and they deserve to have a piece of your time.

Don’t mistake kindness with Free. This does not mean give them a Free CD. Value your Art. Your music is not Free. Make them see that and you win their respect. If you’d like to read more about why music should not be Free, here’s that article:  Free is for the Bees!

Which brings me to my next main point:

Know your venue

In other words, you need to know your product and what you are offering to your venue. Do not just go into a venue and ask for a gig.  Why? Because you haven’t done your homework. Are you going to go apply for a job you know nothing about? Do your research.

Knowledge is Power and it’s impressive. You are a lot more likely to get a job if you know a little bit about the company you would like to work for. The same goes for booking a venue. Know what type of music this venue books, familiarize yourself with some of the acts, go scout a show and get the “vibe” of the place before you make a commitment. Know your venue.

After you have researched your venue, you’re ready to book it.

Now what?

Know your booker

You need to find your main point of contact. More often than not, you will be searching for either the booker, music-manager or host of the night. On a rare occasion, you may have to deal with the owner directly. Always have at least 15 venues that you have researched and want to play.

How do you find your main point of contact? Do you just drive out to the venue you researched and hope in good faith your main contact will magically appear before you and give you a gig?

No. Remember Time is expensive. Both for you and for the venue you’re looking at booking.  If you are just starting out or have been doing this for years, save yourself some time and money. Call the Venue.  Do not Tweet. Do not Facebook. Call. Use the phone and make a call. When someone picks up the phone, relax and breathe, this is your opportunity to state what you want and get some information. Very simply ask, “Hi my name is _______ and I’m interested in booking. Who would I talk to about playing a show at your venue?”

Be quick here. You don’t need to tell your life-story. More then likely you have a waitress on the phone that has customers to attend to, be diligent and get what you want.

Don’t say, “Who is your booker?” Because they might not have a booker, it might just be the bartender. Your goal here is to get a name, then get the person’s name you are talking to. Why? Because when you call back up you sound like you actually have a friend in the joint. Remember that whole “trust” thing?  People want to work with people they trust.

After you get their name ask, “What time is convenient to give ________ a ring or do you think it would more convenient to e-mail him/her?”

Do you see what you just did? You received a name and now are mining for more information.  By asking these questions, without even meeting the booker, you are already putting together how he/she manages their events. Does he/she prefer e-mail over phone-calls? What’s his/her work routine? Just as you learned how to “know your venue”  it’s just as important to “know your booker.”

More often than not, you will get someone who says, “Oh, well the guy who books isn’t here right now.” or “I don’t know who it is who books the music acts.” Follow up. Get this person’s name you talked to and repeat the steps. You need to look at yourself as an information miner. Your time on the phone is getting all the information you need to find your main point of contact.

If you get a “No, no one is here to help you do that. We only work with people we know.” That’s fantastic. You’re running a business, you can’t yield successful results without getting a lot of “no’s” in the process. It’s just a given. Don’t take it personally, be consistent. More importantly: Follow up with these venues. I would say 90% of the time “No” means “not right now.” With this in mind, be persistent, but humble.  This could be a great gig opportunity for you down the road. Follow through with getting to know thy venue. Go to their shows, get to know the people there, build trust and you will get yourself in the door.

Many times these venues will have a website with  the best information to get a hold of them. Getting the main contact on the phone will be some work.  That’s the brilliance of the Internet, it can be an opportunity and a mean gate-keeper. My advice is to call. It’s harder to ignore a voice than an e-mail. Talk to someone on the phone. Get a name. Get a time to call. Get an e-mail.

If you do find a venue with a booking contact e-mail, contact them. But use your phone as your main source of communication until you are told otherwise. When you write the e-mail,  your goal is to be succinct. Do not give your life bio. Everyone is busy, it’s part of running abusiness. It’s so obvious it’s in the word itself.

Example:

Hello John,
My name is ______ and I talked to ________ earlier today. ____________ mentioned I should get in touch with you about booking my acoustic act. Please let me know when a good time would be to follow up with you.

Like writing an essay, get in and get out. Remember, you are busy. In fact, you have another 15 venues to contact.  By staying busy, having a plan and executing you are learning the language of business. Know your booker and understand how the venues you’d like to perform in operate.  While having great material is nice, most venues care about the bottom line: Results. Bring them customers and they will be your best friend, bring them nothing, you’ve lost a venue to play and your reputation could be on the line. Businesses like to talk. Referrals is the way of the world. If you are continuing to play venues and not having any one show up, you’re making your business look bad. On the flip side, if you are bringing in new fans every time you play and making this venue a profit, you just found yourself the talk of the town and everyone will want you to play their venue. Value your time and make every opportunity you have an extreme success.

“Show me the money!”

The booker is depending on you. If you don’t bring your people, he looks bad. There’s a lot riding on your shoulders and theirs. Work together. A good way to contribute is to ask about flyers. “Hey, I was going to print out this many flyers, you think you’d be willing to post this on your venue’s website?”

Or, “Hey I’m doing a cool Facebook promotion on my page, I was thinking every one that “Likes” my band page gets a $1 off the cover charge. 1 Like, $1 off.

This shows initiative. This shows you actually are thinking about the venue making money.  Start thinking this way. You should always be asking yourself, “How can my act make this venue a lot of money?”

“But wait a minute, I’m entertaining the crowd. I write songs. I’m working practically for Free and the venue should be bringing these people in, not me. I should be getting paid to play my songs!”

No.

You get paid, when the venue gets paid. More importantly, you get paid when you bring in results. Do you know how many times venues lose money by supporting artists because they can’t bring a few people in the door?

Following along these lines: I met this guy who was a fantastic guitarist and whose fingers moved around the guitar like bolts of lightning. He put on a great show, entertained the crowd and even had the rock-star long hair with the mysterious black shades to give him a great look. But despite all of this,  the Rock God had only one fan show up to support his show.  Do you think the venue cared that this guy might be the next Jimi Hendrix? No. Why? He didn’t bring them results. His no-fans weren’t around to buy anything and this is how these venues stay open. Do you think this Jimi Hendrix protegé got another gig at this venue? Absolutely not. You can be talented and great, but just being great does not yield great  results. You need to be great as both a performer and businessman.

When you book a venue you should always be thinking: How can I help out? How can I make money for this venue?  Start thinking of yourself as a band/artist with a great product to sell. Why is this venue going to “take a chance” or “buy” what you are selling?

1. You have a lot of fans
2. You have an established social network presence on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
3. You have ideas. In fact, you want to offer incentives to your fans based around the venue’s business model.  What are they selling? How can you help them make a profit. If you are helping the venue turn a profit, they will return the favor.

“Wait a minute. Why am I helping them? Shouldn’t I be the one getting paid here, instead of working for free?”

You are not working for Free. You are building a relationship with a potential client who will, if he sees value in you, pay you. This is a business. Learn the rules and you will succeed. So many Artists, think they can fly by with talent, good looks and skill. The real ones that make it, have either a huge marketing team working for them every second of every day, or they are committed to making every one of their shows a win-win situation for both the venue and themselves.  If you are bringing in people to the venue’s  establishment and helping the owner pay their bills and get the vacation on the calendar they have been staring at for months, they will keep you around. Will you get paid? Yes, but I encourage you to think outside the box. Money is important, so is building a relationship with a venue that supports your music and gives you a place to build your fan-base. What else can you ask for besides money? Perhaps a better time-slot? Perhaps free drinks at the bar and a meal? Again, you will get to the point where you will be negotiating a pay-check, but there are steps to this process. Patience is a virtue, be patient and you will get paid. Build your relationship, the rest will follow. When it comes to booking a gig, most bookers will say something along the lines of, “Bring in 20 people and you get the full cover after 20.” I usually don’t play for places like this. I prefer the number 10. “Bring in 10 people and then we’ll split the cover.” After you prove yourself and are bringing in consistent numbers, you can talk about getting a % of the bar, instead of just the cover, or you may just want to settle on a number that you’d like to get paid. A percentage of the bar is not an easy feat, but if you do pull this off, your hard work will pay off in dividends.

Don’t sell yourself short.

Do not get taken advantage of!

If you can’t bring enough fans to a specific venue:

Say No.

If you aren’t happy with the venue and you feel like you’re being pressured:

Say No

If you just feel intuitively, for whatever reason, that this isn’t the best opportunity for you:

Say No

No is a great word. It means you are selective. It means you value your business and not every opportunity that comes your way is an opportunity. I’ve turned down hundreds of showcases.

I’ve been told, “Look, you just have to bring 35+ people, there are going to be A&R Reps and Music Licensing Supervisors there.”

Do you think there were? No. Why? Because they are doing the same thing you are trying to do: Selling their story. Every one of us has the dream of being  seen by someone who will launch our career. Many venues will prey on this weakness. Don’t fall for it.  I encourage you to say No.

There’s that saying, “Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way.”

Well, decide first, if it’s even an opportunity. Then ask yourself, if it’s worth your time, money and emotional investment. Spin it on the ones offering the opportunity to you. Ask yourself, why are they offering me this opportunity? What am I getting out of it? Don’t ever say “yes” right away or sign any contracts without stepping away from the situation. Take your time. Weigh your options. You have a long life to live full of music and making these decisions, pace yourself and don’t just jump at every opportunity because some guy is promising the world to you. He has an agenda. Everyone has an agenda. It’s business.

The good news here is, if you are good at what you do, know how to run your business correctly and have a great product to sell, you will be found, don’t worry about it.  Concentrate on being Great at running your business/booking your venues and take some pressure off yourself by saying no. You did not lose that specific opportunity, just gained another one.

To Succeed is to Fail

When you start booking gigs for yourself, take everything you do as a learning experience. People are not very nice in this industry. Like you, they are extremely busy, have deadlines to meet and they are always pushing to be more successful. Understand this. When you meet someone who is not very nice to you, that’s alright. They don’t “owe” you anything. Appreciate any one that offers you a hand and give them the respect they deserve. You do not make it in this industry alone. You make it by being respectful and understanding how the game is played, who is playing it and offering to jump in and play a round.

My point is, things are not going to always run smoothly, that’s fine. Some of the most successful people are the ones that failed thousands of times. One of my favorite quotes is by Benjamin Franklin, “It’s not that I failed. It’s just that I found 10,000 things that do not work.” The key here is to stay persistent and keep going. Do not give up and enjoy the learning experience.  When you go into the ring as a boxer, you may know your opponent is a lot stronger in certain areas, but weaker in others. Preparation is what will take you over the top. Know your opponent, get into the ring and show them you can fight just as long and hard as them.

What’s your story?

Think about it. Everywhere we go, we are being sold stories. Stories about computers (iPad), stories about e-books, (the Nook) – The world revolves around creating, building and selling products with stories. Know your story, know their story, sell the product.  Be smart, effective and masterful in your craft.

You don’t need to be great at sales. Selling is talking to people. That’s it. Talk and get your foot in the door and then move to the next step. It’s not a race, if you truly love what you do, you will be doing this forever. Relax. Enjoy the adventure and the journey. When you mess up, congratulate yourself. You just learned a very valuable lesson, now don’t mess up the same thing again. The only way to succeed is to fail. You have to know the face of failure to be able to succeed on any level. Every time you hear “No!” you are that much closer to hearing the word, “Yes!” Be patience, be consistent, be diligent, know your story and theirs inside and out and you will be successful at booking shows and making a live-performance career for yourself.

Ask yourself these 5 questions, before you start booking venues:

1. What are you selling?

2. Why are you selling it?

3. Who is buying what I’m selling?

4. How are those that are buying what I’m selling benefiting from it?

5. How can I help them benefit even more?

One of the great actors of our time Al Pacino said it perfectly when he was asked, “What is it about you that makes you a great actor?” With a laugh, he responded, “When I’m acting, I’m not thinking about myself at all.  It’s about being honest to the story and making the other person I’m with look good.”

Make whoever you are working with look great and more often than not, they will make you look great in return.

An excellent piano buying guide can be found on Kent Moore’s blog. Published as a series of nine articles,  the  guide walks the customer through the entire process, from establishing a budget to taking lessons.

Then, after you’re all loaded out and you start the car, you realize you need gas. Another $40.

Of course, if you’re gigging and don’t care about the money, that scenario might not seem like a big deal to you. But if you are an independent musician or a serious cover band, then it’s not much fun driving home in the wee hours of the morning while fuming that you’re only netting $30 from the night. Fortunately there are a few things we musicians can do to wind up keeping more of what we earn.

• Pack a cooler. Just because you’re playing for a club doesn’t mean you have to eat there. A cheeseburger, fries, and drink can run about $10 – $12 before tip, and that’s excluding any alcohol you order. Add in a mixed drink or a couple of beers and you can count on spending about $30 on food alone. Getting fast food on the way might save a little, but you’ll come out way ahead here by packing sandwiches, snacks, and drinks in a cooler. Savings: $20 – $30*.
• Drive slower. You can’t get around using gas to get to the gig, but you do have some control over how little you can use to get there. It’s no myth that you can increase your gas mileage by up to 25 percent just by driving slower. Trade for a more fuel-efficient car if possible. (About a month ago I went from a minivan to a Saturn. I now get 35 miles per gallon, and I can still fit in 3 keyboards, two powered speakers, stands, and gig bags!) You can also try leaving about fifteen minutes earlier for the gig and driving 5 – 10 miles an hour slower. Finally, download an app like Gas Buddy, which is useful for finding the best gas price. Savings: variable (though I realized a 25 percent savings at the pump).
• Charge more for gigs that are farther away. Sometimes good gigs are farther away than those you usually play, and you’ll need to adjust the cost of doing business if you want to take them. Likewise, club owners should expect to pay more if they want you. If you normally charge $500 for a five-piece, get at least an extra hundred to help cover costs. I put the extra $20 into my tank and consider it money saved. Savings: $20 – $35.
• Know where the cheap hotels are along the way. A couple of the gigs my band plays are nearly 2 hours away from my home, which makes for a rough drive back at 3 AM. I’m able to stay the night with our drummer most of the time, but not everyone has that luxury. For those occasions when you’re just too tired to drive, or when you shouldn’t, an inexpensive hotel makes the best sense. It’s a smarter idea still to research them beforehand to avoid wasting time looking for one at 3 AM that fits your budget. You’re not really saving money here, unless by doing so you wind up avoiding a ticket or driving into a ditch. 
• Keep spares in your gig bag. We all keep spares of the obvious things: strings, picks, drumsticks, batteries, and so on. But it’s usually the want of that odd accessory that can ruin a gig. Once I left the house without packing the wall-wart power supply for my Yamaha CP 33 stage piano. I had about an hour before the gig, so I drove (okay, I raced) 15 miles to the nearest Radio Shack, bought a replacement, and got back with about 10 minutes to spare before downbeat. Alas, it was the wrong size! I got through, but I bought a backup power supply at the music store the next day. Savings: variable (but $20 over a year is probably realistic).

To find out just how quickly these savings add up, try this for a month or two: take out the money you would have spent at each night’s gig and set it aside. (Assume you earn $100 per gig.) Carrying food and drink each time will probably save about $60 per month ($15/meal * 4 gigs), and driving slower could net you a $10 savings over the same month. And if you get an extra $20 in a month in tips, sock that away as gas money.

Congratulations! You’ve just saved $90 – nearly a night’s pay!

Now go celebrate at the next gig with a chicken finger plate and a couple of beers.

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*Savings are estimates only. Your mileage may vary, depending on location.

Image credits: Top photo – patuniverse.com Bottom photo – prozacblues.com

The fact is, the concept of giving one’s music away for free is a concept that has only surfaced in the last two or three years, and I’d say its nativity was in 2007 when Radiohead announced that they would let their fans pay whatever they wanted to for their new album, In Rainbows. I mean, how can you compete with that kind of a pricing structure?

Fast forward to today where Jamie Leger is telling musicians that they should give their music away because it’s not like people are buying it anyway – they’re listening on YouTube or downloading it from a bit torrent site. And if nobody is buying, then what good is having the attitude that you must be fairly compensated for your work? The world, Leger says, doesn’t owe you a living. You’ve got to figure out how to make one, and it’s a good bet you can’t make it on the paltry royalties paid out by Pandora or Spotify.

The music industry paradigm has shifted. People had bands in the sixties, and their music was about peace and love. Today people have brands, and music is just a tool to promote that brand. Bands are businesses now (they always were), and businesses have to make profits. Free music, it seems, has become the new method for getting people in the door.

Think of it this way: would you rather have the revenue from one customer shelling out $0.99 for a download on iTunes, or would you rather have that one customer coming to your shows on a regular basis and buying your merchandise? Doesn’t it make sense, Leger asks, to build relationships with your fans so that you have a sustainable income? And if you can get that relationship by giving your music away, isn’t it worth it?

Recently I got the chance to talk with some teenagers who had been to various concerts over the weekend. One of them proudly pointed to a necklace she was wearing that day. “Look! I got it at the show for $40!” she gushed. It looked like it might have been worth about $5. She said she’d found out about the band from a friend, who had sent her some MP3s from their first CD. She liked them enough to buy tickets to the show ($10) and buy their merchandise. It would have taken 5 people buying CDs at $10 a pop to realize the same revenue from one girl who paid $50 at the show because she’d heard free music.

So is it worth it? You tell me. Join the conversation and say whether you think artists should give music away in order to get fans. Vote in the poll below and add your comments.

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Image: real.com