Building a music career is hard work. Every day, month
and year you repeat the same grind: build the band,
write the songs, record the songs, rehearse the songs,
perform the songs, promote the band, advertise the
band, solicit industry, publicize to the press, build the
website, create the message boards, forums, and chat
rooms, assemble the street team…it goes on and on
until you think your head will surely explode from the
mountains of menial tasks that face you, the unsigned
artist, each day.
Still, after putting in all of that work a band will hit dry
spells, slow times and glass ceilings. Some days, your
already slow move forward, seems to retard even
further. Sometimes it feels as though you’ve peaked
and will never advance. There are even days you want
to blow off all of this tedious monotony, get a job in the
electronics department at Target, and call it a day!
But even as your face is smushed up against the glass
ceiling of a never-changing cycle of music business
grunt work, hope is just over the horizon. See, there's
something that you never stopped to think about all the
while you were chasing the elusive brass ring of music
stardom…all of this time, you were in control. If
opportunities have stopped coming your way, then
make your own. If you want to be a rock star, develop
a situation you can star in and rock. You have the
power and the ability to be anything and everything
you have ever wanted to be if you learn to simply
create your own buzz.
The following are a few tips that may help you to get
started creating your own buzz in order to push past
the obstacles and keeping moving down the Yellow
Brick Road of musical super-stardom:
1.) Create Your Own Gigs -Tired of whining that you
never get the gigs you want? You know: good clubs,
weekend shows, prime slots, longer sets, decent pay,
good bands on the bill, press attending, industry
confirming and most importantly, your band headlining.
It’s ridiculous to waste time complaining, when you could
be booking, planning, promoting and playing your
dreams gigs right now. Sure it will be a lot of time
invested and it may mean putting smaller gigs on hold
for awhile in order to promote one giant show, but the
payoffs will inevitably outweigh the work…and the best
part is, it’s all about you. You are the promoter. You
are the stars of the night. You pick the date, the times,
the bands. You invite the press and the industry. With-
in a month or two, you could be playing the types of gigs
you have always wanted, and all the while getting press,
making money, collecting names for your mailing list and
building hype for your band that even the stodgiest
industry can take notice of.
2.) Join The Ranks Of The Press and / or The
Industry. You know what they say…if you can’t beat
them, join them. If you want to get industry or press to
notice you and your band, what better way than to
become a member of the industry or press. Pick up a
gig writing for a local magazine and review your friends’
bands and the shows you promote. Intern at a record
label and meet friends in the industry to invite to your
gigs. Start a management / promotion company and
book your band and your friends’ bands to become
better acquainted with clubs and their booking agents.
You’ll find it will be much easier to deal with industry
people when they consider you more of a peer and
not just another band asking for help.
3.) Numbers, Numbers, Numbers - It may sound
ridiculous but in the entertainment industry (as in any
business), your perceived worth is tracked by your
numbers. Web posters, gig patrons and listeners of
your music all translate to numbers and the big ones
impress fans and industry alike. If you want club
bookers, managers, magazine editors and A&R to
notice you then make sure your numbers are up. Web
hits, fan group members, online community friends and
people on your personal mailing list all add up to your
bank-ability as a band so keep driving those numbers
up and watch the doors swing open wide for you.
4.) Teach, Volunteer, Take Classes, Join Groups -
If you want to meet new people, gain different
opportunities, and find fresh ways to obtain your goals,
then get out where people are doing what you seek and
mingle. If you play an instrument, start teaching and get
to know the bands of your students. If you see big
events happening in your town, volunteer to work them
and get to know the management, talent and audience.
Take classes and join music organizations, not only to
learn but to network. There is a whole world of
entertainment people out there. Get to know some of
them and make those folks a part of your band’s
promotional circle.
By following these tips, you will find that your band is
enjoying the opportunities and buzz you were only
dreaming of before. Best of all, you’re now in charge
of your own career and musical destiny. Create
profitable situations for yourself. You are playing good
shows and coming home with money in your pocket.
You are selling your own product to pay for band
expenses. You are filling your press kit with reviews,
interviews and mentions of your band. You are
meeting people and building your mailing list. You are
establishing your reputation as an important member of
the artistic community. No longer waiting to be thrown a
chance by some industry member, you have taken
command of your musical destiny and cast yourself as
the star of your own show. Now, don’t you feel better?
and year you repeat the same grind: build the band,
write the songs, record the songs, rehearse the songs,
perform the songs, promote the band, advertise the
band, solicit industry, publicize to the press, build the
website, create the message boards, forums, and chat
rooms, assemble the street team…it goes on and on
until you think your head will surely explode from the
mountains of menial tasks that face you, the unsigned
artist, each day.
Still, after putting in all of that work a band will hit dry
spells, slow times and glass ceilings. Some days, your
already slow move forward, seems to retard even
further. Sometimes it feels as though you’ve peaked
and will never advance. There are even days you want
to blow off all of this tedious monotony, get a job in the
electronics department at Target, and call it a day!
But even as your face is smushed up against the glass
ceiling of a never-changing cycle of music business
grunt work, hope is just over the horizon. See, there's
something that you never stopped to think about all the
while you were chasing the elusive brass ring of music
stardom…all of this time, you were in control. If
opportunities have stopped coming your way, then
make your own. If you want to be a rock star, develop
a situation you can star in and rock. You have the
power and the ability to be anything and everything
you have ever wanted to be if you learn to simply
create your own buzz.
The following are a few tips that may help you to get
started creating your own buzz in order to push past
the obstacles and keeping moving down the Yellow
Brick Road of musical super-stardom:
1.) Create Your Own Gigs -Tired of whining that you
never get the gigs you want? You know: good clubs,
weekend shows, prime slots, longer sets, decent pay,
good bands on the bill, press attending, industry
confirming and most importantly, your band headlining.
It’s ridiculous to waste time complaining, when you could
be booking, planning, promoting and playing your
dreams gigs right now. Sure it will be a lot of time
invested and it may mean putting smaller gigs on hold
for awhile in order to promote one giant show, but the
payoffs will inevitably outweigh the work…and the best
part is, it’s all about you. You are the promoter. You
are the stars of the night. You pick the date, the times,
the bands. You invite the press and the industry. With-
in a month or two, you could be playing the types of gigs
you have always wanted, and all the while getting press,
making money, collecting names for your mailing list and
building hype for your band that even the stodgiest
industry can take notice of.
2.) Join The Ranks Of The Press and / or The
Industry. You know what they say…if you can’t beat
them, join them. If you want to get industry or press to
notice you and your band, what better way than to
become a member of the industry or press. Pick up a
gig writing for a local magazine and review your friends’
bands and the shows you promote. Intern at a record
label and meet friends in the industry to invite to your
gigs. Start a management / promotion company and
book your band and your friends’ bands to become
better acquainted with clubs and their booking agents.
You’ll find it will be much easier to deal with industry
people when they consider you more of a peer and
not just another band asking for help.
3.) Numbers, Numbers, Numbers - It may sound
ridiculous but in the entertainment industry (as in any
business), your perceived worth is tracked by your
numbers. Web posters, gig patrons and listeners of
your music all translate to numbers and the big ones
impress fans and industry alike. If you want club
bookers, managers, magazine editors and A&R to
notice you then make sure your numbers are up. Web
hits, fan group members, online community friends and
people on your personal mailing list all add up to your
bank-ability as a band so keep driving those numbers
up and watch the doors swing open wide for you.
4.) Teach, Volunteer, Take Classes, Join Groups -
If you want to meet new people, gain different
opportunities, and find fresh ways to obtain your goals,
then get out where people are doing what you seek and
mingle. If you play an instrument, start teaching and get
to know the bands of your students. If you see big
events happening in your town, volunteer to work them
and get to know the management, talent and audience.
Take classes and join music organizations, not only to
learn but to network. There is a whole world of
entertainment people out there. Get to know some of
them and make those folks a part of your band’s
promotional circle.
By following these tips, you will find that your band is
enjoying the opportunities and buzz you were only
dreaming of before. Best of all, you’re now in charge
of your own career and musical destiny. Create
profitable situations for yourself. You are playing good
shows and coming home with money in your pocket.
You are selling your own product to pay for band
expenses. You are filling your press kit with reviews,
interviews and mentions of your band. You are
meeting people and building your mailing list. You are
establishing your reputation as an important member of
the artistic community. No longer waiting to be thrown a
chance by some industry member, you have taken
command of your musical destiny and cast yourself as
the star of your own show. Now, don’t you feel better?
| Create A Buzz If You Build It They Will Come ! By Sheena Metal |
Imagine this: you’re a huge rock star. You’re pool is
filled with hotties and your bathtub with champagne.
You have a coffee table made out of your signature
guitar and your Cadillac Escalade has beer on tap and
a flat screen high definition TV. Even with all of the
expensive toys and extravagant showpieces in your
crib, the thing that first draws the attention of press
and party-goers alike: the wall lined with your awards.
Admittedly, human being, are fascinated with awards.
We love to gawk at the shiny trophies, glossy plaques,
and framed certificates of any and every kind of
winner. And, as a species, we place a lot of stock in
the importance, abilities and general “coolness’ of
those who've come home “the winner.” So, it’s no
surprise that musicians are constantly submitting to
the many awards and entering the myriads of contests
offered to unsigned artists every year. After all, with a
couple of awards on the wall of your garage, can a hot
tub full of babes really be that far behind?
But what if you continue to enter and never win?
What if time and time again you have to send out the
newsletter announcing that you’re not the “Best Band
Of The Year” or the “Best Songwriter in the Nation” or
even the winner of the “Battle Of The Most Mediocre
Bands In The Midwest.” Will you be branded as a
loser? Will your fans abandon you, asked to be
removed from your mailing list, line their birdcages
with your CDs? It is really better to have entered and
lost than never to have entered at all?
The following are a few tips that may help you to fill up
your trophy room without becoming the laughing stock
of the indie music community:
1.) Enter Contests You Have A Chance Of Winning
Sounds like a given, but you’d be surprised how many
new bands enter Billboard’s contests for the first time
and are then amazed when they don’t walk off with a
room full of accolades. Building a resume of award
nominations and wins is very similar to building up your
reputation as a gigging band or filling up a folder full of
press. Start small, submitting to smaller local and
regional contests/ awards that you’re more likely to
get a nod for then the national and worldwide events.
Then you can submit to the bigger organizations with
a list of awards and wins on your resume. Everybody
loves a winner and seeing that you’ve already won
various awards may inspire the powers that be to
nominate you for their particular contest.
2.) Pick The Contest That Will Best Publicize Your
Band - We all love to win. But more important than
basking in the glory of becoming king or queen for a
day, awards are fantastic publicity tools for your band.
Nothing shines up a bio, website, email blast, or blog
like the words “nominated” and “won.” These
vocabulary heavyweights are certain to perk up the
eyes and ears of clubs, fans, press and the industry
alike. When deciding which awards / contests to submit
for, keep in mind that the organization’s event may well
be the flagship of your promotion for months. Sayings
like: “vote for us for…”, “we’re nominated for…” and
“we’re the winners of…” will top every mailer you send
out during the run of the competition, so make sure you
get something great out of it for your band, even if it’s
not the gold plated statue you’d hoped for.
3.) Promote A Nomination As A Win - Even though it
sounds like something your high school band instructor
would tell you, just being nominated is really a win for
you and your band. So, if you’re lucky enough to
garner a nomination for your awards de jour, make
sure your promo machine hails you as a winner. Start
your announcement with, “We’ve been honored with a
nomination for Best Pop Band” and not “We’re one of
six bands that may win this award if we get enough
votes.” The nomination itself is an accolade of its
own accord and should be included to any list of band
accomplishments. If, by chance, you happen to win the
award or contest, then promote that as another bigger
accomplishment. For example: “We’ve been honored
with nominations for the Best Music in the Universe
Awards in five categories including: Best Drummer,
Best Bass, Best Songwriting, and Best Female Vocals,
and were thrilled to take home the award for Best
Alternative Band.” To fans and industry alike, this
looks like five awards and not one.
4.) A Win For A Band Member Is A Win For The
Band - As creative people, we all have a need to be
recognized for our individual talents, and as such,
would all like to be nominated and hopefully win for
each of our respective specialties. But awards and
contests can be fickle and even though your fans
rave about your guitarist or your songwriting, it may
be your drummer who walks away with a nomination /
award. Always remember that a band is a unit...all for
one and one for all...and that without your killer vocals
and great songs, your drummer may never have been
noticed in the first place. Therefore, promote any
nominations and awards for your band’s team as a
win for the band. If your singer wins a writing award
for his/her lyrics, your band has won. If your bassist
gets a pick endorsement, your band has won. If your
guitar tech gets nominated for Best Tuning, your band
has won.
Awards and contests can be tricky when egos, pride,
and the eager anticipation to win, mix in with the
already delicate balance of the creative temperaments
that make-up a band. Keep this in mind and be careful
when entering contests. Sure, it’s fun to get awards
and prizes, but not if it means your band will break up
two weeks later. Enter into contests / award shows as
a way to publicize your music and further your career
as a band, but try not to get caught up in the manic
frenzy of seeking award wins like a crack addict in
rehab. So, head to the mall, get a plaque engraved
that says, “Best Band In The World” and stick it up in
your rehearsal room to remind yourself that you’re a
winner everyday just for: having the courage to write
songs, record them, get up in front of people and play
them, deal with critics reviewing your music, weathering
rejections from the industry and entering into a very
personal creative relationship with three or four other
artistic people without murder ensuing. Then, when
the time comes that your wall fills up with trophies and
accolades from the industry, get a keg of beer invite
the groupies and party like the rock-star you are.
filled with hotties and your bathtub with champagne.
You have a coffee table made out of your signature
guitar and your Cadillac Escalade has beer on tap and
a flat screen high definition TV. Even with all of the
expensive toys and extravagant showpieces in your
crib, the thing that first draws the attention of press
and party-goers alike: the wall lined with your awards.
Admittedly, human being, are fascinated with awards.
We love to gawk at the shiny trophies, glossy plaques,
and framed certificates of any and every kind of
winner. And, as a species, we place a lot of stock in
the importance, abilities and general “coolness’ of
those who've come home “the winner.” So, it’s no
surprise that musicians are constantly submitting to
the many awards and entering the myriads of contests
offered to unsigned artists every year. After all, with a
couple of awards on the wall of your garage, can a hot
tub full of babes really be that far behind?
But what if you continue to enter and never win?
What if time and time again you have to send out the
newsletter announcing that you’re not the “Best Band
Of The Year” or the “Best Songwriter in the Nation” or
even the winner of the “Battle Of The Most Mediocre
Bands In The Midwest.” Will you be branded as a
loser? Will your fans abandon you, asked to be
removed from your mailing list, line their birdcages
with your CDs? It is really better to have entered and
lost than never to have entered at all?
The following are a few tips that may help you to fill up
your trophy room without becoming the laughing stock
of the indie music community:
1.) Enter Contests You Have A Chance Of Winning
Sounds like a given, but you’d be surprised how many
new bands enter Billboard’s contests for the first time
and are then amazed when they don’t walk off with a
room full of accolades. Building a resume of award
nominations and wins is very similar to building up your
reputation as a gigging band or filling up a folder full of
press. Start small, submitting to smaller local and
regional contests/ awards that you’re more likely to
get a nod for then the national and worldwide events.
Then you can submit to the bigger organizations with
a list of awards and wins on your resume. Everybody
loves a winner and seeing that you’ve already won
various awards may inspire the powers that be to
nominate you for their particular contest.
2.) Pick The Contest That Will Best Publicize Your
Band - We all love to win. But more important than
basking in the glory of becoming king or queen for a
day, awards are fantastic publicity tools for your band.
Nothing shines up a bio, website, email blast, or blog
like the words “nominated” and “won.” These
vocabulary heavyweights are certain to perk up the
eyes and ears of clubs, fans, press and the industry
alike. When deciding which awards / contests to submit
for, keep in mind that the organization’s event may well
be the flagship of your promotion for months. Sayings
like: “vote for us for…”, “we’re nominated for…” and
“we’re the winners of…” will top every mailer you send
out during the run of the competition, so make sure you
get something great out of it for your band, even if it’s
not the gold plated statue you’d hoped for.
3.) Promote A Nomination As A Win - Even though it
sounds like something your high school band instructor
would tell you, just being nominated is really a win for
you and your band. So, if you’re lucky enough to
garner a nomination for your awards de jour, make
sure your promo machine hails you as a winner. Start
your announcement with, “We’ve been honored with a
nomination for Best Pop Band” and not “We’re one of
six bands that may win this award if we get enough
votes.” The nomination itself is an accolade of its
own accord and should be included to any list of band
accomplishments. If, by chance, you happen to win the
award or contest, then promote that as another bigger
accomplishment. For example: “We’ve been honored
with nominations for the Best Music in the Universe
Awards in five categories including: Best Drummer,
Best Bass, Best Songwriting, and Best Female Vocals,
and were thrilled to take home the award for Best
Alternative Band.” To fans and industry alike, this
looks like five awards and not one.
4.) A Win For A Band Member Is A Win For The
Band - As creative people, we all have a need to be
recognized for our individual talents, and as such,
would all like to be nominated and hopefully win for
each of our respective specialties. But awards and
contests can be fickle and even though your fans
rave about your guitarist or your songwriting, it may
be your drummer who walks away with a nomination /
award. Always remember that a band is a unit...all for
one and one for all...and that without your killer vocals
and great songs, your drummer may never have been
noticed in the first place. Therefore, promote any
nominations and awards for your band’s team as a
win for the band. If your singer wins a writing award
for his/her lyrics, your band has won. If your bassist
gets a pick endorsement, your band has won. If your
guitar tech gets nominated for Best Tuning, your band
has won.
Awards and contests can be tricky when egos, pride,
and the eager anticipation to win, mix in with the
already delicate balance of the creative temperaments
that make-up a band. Keep this in mind and be careful
when entering contests. Sure, it’s fun to get awards
and prizes, but not if it means your band will break up
two weeks later. Enter into contests / award shows as
a way to publicize your music and further your career
as a band, but try not to get caught up in the manic
frenzy of seeking award wins like a crack addict in
rehab. So, head to the mall, get a plaque engraved
that says, “Best Band In The World” and stick it up in
your rehearsal room to remind yourself that you’re a
winner everyday just for: having the courage to write
songs, record them, get up in front of people and play
them, deal with critics reviewing your music, weathering
rejections from the industry and entering into a very
personal creative relationship with three or four other
artistic people without murder ensuing. Then, when
the time comes that your wall fills up with trophies and
accolades from the industry, get a keg of beer invite
the groupies and party like the rock-star you are.
| And The Winner Is: Will Awards And Contests Lead To Bigger Things? By Sheena Metal |
| Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com. |
| ©Indietude.com 2010 |
