Music Business Lessons (Courtesy
Berklee Press)
Maximizing the Gig
By George Howard
Utilize the gig as a way to begin building your
community. Much of what you must do to build this community does not show
immediate direct results, but it does play an important long-term role in
your career. For instance, while the chances are slim that any large scale
newspaper is going to write about an upcoming gig for a relatively unknown
artist, you should still identify which writers in town seem to have an
affinity for your type of music. Send them a package including your CD,
photo, bio, and brief letter letting them know when and where you are
playing. The package should be similar to your demo to labels and to the
venues. Send something similar to any appropriate radio stations. Again, the
chances of these actions resulting in big-time publicity for your gig are
slim at the early stages. What you are doing is introducing your music to
some of the key people in your area who you want to be in the community of
your music.
The gig gives you a rationale (and in fact, a responsibility) to send your
materials to writers and others. Use your energy in this manner, rather
than, say, putting fliers up around town. You will have much more to show
for the effort it takes. In this manner, the gig is not a one-time event
that occurs in a vacuum, with no relation to growing your career. Rather,
the gig is just one piece of an overall community-building effort.
A few words about fliers, because I know you want to put them up. Most
artists, for some reason, love making fliers. Resist the temptation, until
you have a following. Putting fliers up around town is usually an
ineffective way to get people to your gigs. If you're into the whole velvet
Elvis-anonymous art-sold-on-the-highway-thing, and you want to be a part of
that rather strange movement; then by all means, post some fliers. But if no
one knows who you are yet, it ain't going to get anyone to your gigs.
Additionally, in many places, it is illegal. Wait until people might know
who you are, before you put fliers up. Even then, make sure you check with
the club to make sure fliering is legal. The clubs are the ones that get
fined for illegal fliering, and they will not be pleased with you if it
happens.
Excerpt from Getting Signed! An Insider's Guide to the Record Industry
©2004
Berklee Press Used by Permission
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