“The best way to predict the future is to create it” ~ Peter Drucker
It’s crazy how true that can be. While you can’t predict variables or obstacles, I’ve found that you can definitely set yourself up for the best chance at success by being proactive with tasks that are within your control. One of the biggest things I tell musicians I meet just starting out, IF they ask for advice, is that if you want to be treated and paid like a professional, conduct yourself like one. Show up early, don’t be a creep, be a generous tipper to the staff that supports you, don’t get drunk, blah blah blah blah.
The reality is, the path to becoming a successful solo musician starts way before you get to the gig. It starts when you email the venue, or you meet the booker. It starts when you drop a business card on a counter or give a firm hand shake. When you understand that you’re a salesperson, and the product is you. There are some simple steps you can take TODAY to expand your marketability, justify a higher compensation, and give the venues all the reasons in the world to give you a shot at entertaining their guests.
In Episode 3 of the Solo Musician Podcast, I’ll identify some key building blocks for a solid base of professional appearance, no matter where you are in your music performing journey. These tips are the result of countless conversations with live music bookers concerning what they are, and are not, looking for. Some of these will illicit an eye roll or may feel reminiscent of a corporate powerpoint, and I would completely understand if someone revokes my street cred for treating all this fun music stuff like a business. Rock and roll is supposed to be cool, man. I get it, and it is cool, man. But I’ve found that by personally implementing the steps I’ll outline in this episode, I’ve been able to feel more fulfilled, play the music with more passion, and get the highest paying gigs I’ve ever had. And that’s pretty cool, man. So, strap in for a bit of a long one……
That’s what she said
Solo Musician Podcast Foundation to Succeed in 3……….2………..1
Learning to develop and grow things within your control is a key part of giving yourself the best chance at succeeding at anything you set out to do. The more time you spend working on the things you CAN control, the less time you’ll have left to work on things you CAN’T control. I realize that’s not rocket science, and it definitely felt very therapisty. But once you actually identify the things that are within your control, you can get a better feel of whether those areas are holding you back and need your attention, or if you’re crushing it in that area currently and can turn your attention elsewhere. It’s a valuable time and energy management tool that you can start using immediately to unclutter your life. Here’s some things that I’ve identified as being within our control when it comes to being a solo musician.
Our communication with bookers when getting a gig:
Professional Email: Your name MUSIC at Gmail, Your name BOOKING at Gmail, Your name ENTERTAINMENT at Gmail. Your email address is a simple, and free way to appear professional and set yourself apart from others.
Concise and to the point. This is my name, this is what I specialize in, here are some links to videos of me performing LIVE, here are links to my socials, here is my website. I hope to hear from you, have a great day. Don’t bore them with a million details. Give them just enough info so they have an idea of who you are, then show them what you do. Let your performance/professionalism sell you to the booker.
Don’t hound the booker. Send the email, then forget about them for at least 2 weeks. If you don’t hear back, send one follow up email. If you don’t hear back again, move on.
Utilize FB messenger, the venue website, and their email for the best chance at a reply.
When we arrive:
Get there EARLY. At least an hour before your gig. You’re allowing time for things to go wrong, and if they don’t, you have extra time to chill and decompress before getting on stage.
Introduce yourself to the staff when you arrive. Talk to the Manager on duty if needed. Find out where you set up and where you get electric from.
How we treat the staff:
Be courteous, don’t be creepy.
Tip the bartender who gets your food/drink, and tip heavily.
Pump up the service staff while performing. Make it fun.
Make sure to thank your point of contact for letting you perform. They didn’t have to book you. Be grateful.
Our sound:
If your sound sucks, people will leave, no matter how good you are.
Turn it down. Make them ask you to turn it up. The venue and patrons will appreciate that and they will DEFINITELY tell you if it’s too quiet.
Run pro gear. Don’t skimp on your production, it’s the first thing people notice about you. If you walk in carrying carpeted speakers, and your soundcheck sounds like whale flatulence, people will leave.
Turn off the reverb in naturally bouncing room. Most solo musicians are playing in corners of hard surface rooms, not in rooms designed to handle live music. The people up front may hear more of your pitchiness or mistakes, but the people in the back won’t just hear a garbled mess of notes.
Our cover song choices:
Read the room. Play what you feel like playing initially, and if the crowd responds well, continue doing exactly what you’re doing until they start requesting songs. If you feel the music, they will too. Don’t play music you don’t want to play without it being requested. Once music is requested, play those immediately to encourage more requests.
Devote time to learning different genres and heavily requested songs. Having a wide range of music in your repertoire, including current hits, can help you stand out among other acts, as well as give you a much larger group of venues you can perform at.
Know your range, and play the shit out of everything in it. If you can’t sing a C6, don’t. Performing inside your range, while working to expand it, can make you develop a really good base of songs you can nail every single time.
Our stage presence:
Act like you’re meant to be there. You were booked to perform, whether the patrons were aware or not. Confidence in your ability to entertain from the stage equates to confidence from the audience in your ability to entertain them.
Smile more, and don’t take it so seriously. You are making noise, no matter how beautiful it is. It’s literally vibrations in ear holes, and it’s not the end of the world if you miss a note. No one will notice, except the guy who is attending your performance instead of playing his own. How are people supposed to have a good time if you’re not? Have fun.
It is your job to dictate the mood of the performance. If you don’t think that is true, try playing 3 slow, boring songs back to back, and watch how the crowd reacts. You’ll have more control over the general vibe of the audience if you make it a point to actively dictate the mood. Slow = Melancholy and beautiful. Fast = High energy and Happy.
Our crowd interaction:
Engage the crowd. If there is no crowd, play for the people that booked you, so they book you again.
Take requests, and play them as soon as possible.
If you’re in a noisy or unforgiving room, keep the talking to a minimum.
Don’t bring down the vibe, man.
Our gratitude:
We are getting paid to make noise, be grateful for the opportunity.
Be grateful for the people who DON’T leave when they see you setting up. And for any person that shows up to see you play. Stop worrying about who isn’t there and be grateful for who is.
Be grateful to have one of the best jobs in the entire world, one where you can express yourself and connect others.
The types of venues we play:
Actively seek the types of venues you’d like to play. Whether that’s dive bars, restaurants, theaters, wineries, breweries, private parties. Each venue has a different atmosphere. Figure out which one you enjoy the most and target those venues first when booking gigs.
If you don’t get a good feeling during the booking process, bail.
If a venue is not a good fit, and you have more dates booked there, finish out your dates and then simply don’t go back. DO NOT cancel your remaining dates. Use them as an opportunity to work on your adaptability and resilience when playing in a challenging environment.
Our compensation:
Know your Worth. Reference Episode 2 of this podcast.
If you say YES to low paying or bad gigs, you will say NO to higher paying or great gigs.
DO NOT accept less than your baseline requirements when booking ANY GIG. Consider the money, comps, creative control, travel, and self fulfillment for each individual venue when determining what you will charge. It will not be the same for each venue, but you should have a general idea of what you require to feel compensated.
What are things not in your control as a musician?
THE AUDIENCE, OR LACK OF:
If no one shows up, that’s not on you. If you’ve done your part to advertise, and you have a professional sound and demeanor, you couldn’t have done more. Play for who is there.
If they are rude, learn to crack jokes and grow some thick skin. Pass them a note with an address down the street and hash it out after the show…. Just kidding, don’t fight the customers, you will not be asked back.
Most of the time in a restaurant environment, they ARE NOT there for you. Be okay with being background music. Use the time to get better at performing.
The venues advertisement of your gig:
DO NOT depend on the venue to advertise your gig. Do your part to advertise where you’ll be. Have a calendar of events on your website, facebook, bandsintown, and anywhere else where people can see it.
Send them a co-host request when hosting an event on facebook. Do the work for them.
The place where you set up inside the venue:
A lot of times, the venue choses WHERE you set up. If it is not in an ideal location, ask them if you can set up somewhere you find more suitable. If the answer is no, the answer is no. Set up where instructed and play your heart out.
Audio issues from in house sound:
Completely outside of your control. It would definitely benefit you to learn some basic audio troubleshooting, but the responsibility in this case falls on the venue.
If the in house sound is terrible, and the venue thinks it is terrible, ask if you can use your equipment. Furthermore, as a general rule, always bring your live sound setup to every gig, even if they have in house sound. Having your equipment there as a backup for unexpected in house issues is a way to show your professionalism and preparedness.
The parking/load in situation:
You can’t control where you have to park when arriving to a venue. Some venues have street parking and sometimes there are no spots available. You may have to park down the block or in a parking lot further away. Try to scout the parking situation prior to arriving to the venue, and leave ample time for more difficult parking situations.
You can’t control the distance from your vehicle to the stage. You can control your ability to haul your gear back and forth though. Farmers carry exercises are INCREDIBLE for grip and carry strength, work them into your weekly routine to be better prepared for long distance load ins.
Sometimes you will need to park in front of the venue, possibly blocking other cars or in a handicap space, to load in. This is a normal occurrence at most downtown venues I play in large cities. If this is the case, put on your 4-ways and be mindful of anyone trying to leave that you are blocking. Get your stuff in and move your vehicle to it’s gig resting place as quickly as possible.
Traffic or weather conditions:
You cannot control the traffic or weather. The only thing you can do is be prepared for it. Most gigs during the week at restaurants are 6-9 or 7-10. Depending on your location in relation to the venue, you may have to leave your house between 4-6pm to arrive an hour earlier than your start time. Utilize the Waze app or other traffic tracking apps to ensure you will be on time. Sometimes that means leaving MUCH earlier to arrive to your gig. Be a professional and you’ll be treated like one. Arriving on time (early) is just another part of conducting yourself professionally.
The owner or bookers attitude:
You can’t control who owns or books for a venue you’d like to perform at. They may not like you, or more likely, they have absolutely no clue who you are. Keep this in mind when talking to them, and remember you are always selling yourself to them.
Some owners/bookers are asshats and some are incredible human beings. Don’t do business with people you don’t want to do business with. A venue with a shitty owner is a Red Flag for me personally, I simply move on.
By identifying and understanding how to grow and nurture things that are within your control, you’ll be laying the Foundation to Succeed at anything you do in life. This reaches far beyond music. This is a time and energy management system you can implement in anything you’re trying to be the best at.
Thank you SO MUCH for reading this blog post or listening to the podcast. I hope you’ve learned some useful tools and identified some areas within your control that you can make progress in. We can always be better versions of ourselves, we can always adapt and learn new ways to be better at the things that mean so much to us. It’s never too late to succeed at anything you want to do. I’m always available to anyone who thinks I may be able to help them, my email is SoloMusicianPodcast@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing all your feedback from this episode.