by John Storie
A common statement I heard from my fellow students as we neared the end of our time at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, was that “there’s not enough gigs anymore around Los Angeles, its too hard to be a working musician”. Even at our school’s graduation commencement, one of our most important administrators said in their speech that “we’re not sure how you guys are going to make a living anymore as musicians, but we know you’ll find a way – good luck!”.
The truth is that there are more ways than ever to book a gig and the competition has never been higher. Both of these create the effect that it is hard to book a gig, and the illusion that opportunities are shrinking.
In today’s smartphone-centered economy, I can have my students find five venues which feature a particular genre of music in a specifically named city in under a minute. Within another two minutes, I can have them find the contact information for one of these venues. And lastly, with a few extra minutes to spare, the students can draft an email pitching their group’s performance to one of their researched venues. Sounds fairly simple, right?
In truth, the simplicity comes from organization, communication, strategy, and persistence. Most musicians, especially upon recently graduating from college, are missing one of these four ingredients to booking a gig. Of course, the music itself must be well-thought, rehearsed, and have a clear concept. But besides the obvious that we all need to “sound good”, there are elements to bringing your music into the real world which are derived from basic common sense and a general understanding of doing business in a free market.
Many questions are good to ask yourself and your band mates before you start searching for gigs. What elements of a business do you have in place to book the gig? Is there a leader and sidemen, or two partners both sharing in leading the group? Do you have a social media presence? What photos, videos, recordings, and other media do you have to show the presenter the gig can be easily promoted? Do you have a simplistic, one sentence description of what your music sounds like? If not, best to first put the horse before the cart and prepare yourself to compete in the free market to find a gig. Take a weekend, go on a retreat with your band, and get your bases covered by creating your media and strategizing how to market your band.
Organization comes easy for some, and can be a major hurdle for others. Regardless of how organized a person you consider yourself to be, it’s always good to use some old fashioned teamwork. Work with your bandmates and get them as excited about fishing for gigs as you are. If they’re not enthusiastic, find other musicians to collaborate with. Remember your friends who majored in music industry? Collaborate with them to form an agent-artist relationship. They’re trying just as hard as your are to find their place in the world of music commerce. Make a list of goals you have for the band, and start by looking for gigs in areas which you may have history such as your hometown or home state. Set deadlines to get work done such as next week’s rehearsal, or have daily check-ins with your bandmates.
Learning to communicate clearly via phone and email is essential, as this is how business is generally conducted in the music industry. Take writing courses in college, and seek advice from the career counseling department at your university on how to draft more effective emails using standard business formats. Always have the information in the email that is essential – Who’s the artist or what is the name of the band? When are you attempting to book a gig? Where are other dates booked similar to this one? Why are you contacting this venue? How will you promote the show?
Lastly, it’s important to have realistic expectations. You may have a good response to your searches, and you may send a hundred emails and receive no replies. Can you stay persistent in both of those times? As a self-employed musician, it is essential you stay persistent while strategizing your most effective leads on performance opportunities. If you can’t find a gig in an area where you need to find one for a particular tour, create one by offering your band to play for students, a retirement home, or a house concert. Use your entrepreneurial sprit to enrich the communities you’ll be visiting rather than complain that no gigs exist for you and the ‘industry’ is collapsing.
I often wish I could follow up with the professor who spoke at graduation about the uncertainty of finding work in music. I would be happy to inform him that we did find a way to make a living as a musician. Gigs come and go, but persistence will last a lifetime for something you love.