Beginning Musician's Gig Equipment List

So you've got a gig!

But now you're wondering what equipment you're gonna need to bring...


Well, it's not too complicated for musicians who are small-time and just starting out.

First, what instruments are you looking to play? For most spotlight-name artists, there will be keys and/or a guitar as the main instrument(s) played by the artists. If you want to play an instrument, you should have an electronic (acoustic guitars can be equipped with readers) version of what you play. Many venues will have a nice piano tuned for you, but it can't make all the different sounds a keyboard can, and it's always best to be prepared.

What instruments are in your band? A typical band has at least a bass player, electric and rhythm guitarists, and a drummer. Drum kits are expensive, but if your drummer is good, he/she probably owns one that he/she can take down and put up. If you want (and can afford) sound-boards with pedals for the guitars, go for it.

How many members are singing? If your band has four members, you probably only need two microphones, but I'd have three to be safe. If your band has seven or more members, you likely still won't need more than five microphones.

You want stands and cases! Mic stands, music stands, guitar stands, and cases for EVERYTHING. Trust me.

You need amps, at least two, for the bass and the electric guitar.

Quarter-inch and XLR cables, one of each per instrument at least. Better to have more than enough.

DI (Direct Input) boxes are necessary for the guitars, bass, and some drum mics to avoid blowing amps or (worse) the soundboard.


Although the venue will try to accommodate you, it's always best to have what you know you need on hand and ready to go!

Free Audio Software!

Audio editing software can be incredibly expensive. For example, ProTools is one of the higher quality audio softwares available...but it costs a good bit to learn how to use it properly, then it costs a lot to buy and install the actual program (on a mac, which is in no way the cheapest of computers), and finally, you have to buy a 'key' (a small registered USB) that has to be plugged in to your machine to let it know that your name has been paid for and you are a registered user of the ProTools Program.

To be fair, for all the hassle ProTools updates constantly and produces some fantastic results.

But when it comes to being a musician who's just starting out, you've got to look at your options: buy an exorbitantly priced recording program or eat something other than Ramen for two years.

The good news is that there are a number of good sound editing programs out there that are either free or cheaply priced. I'm going to list just a few that have had excellent user reviews.


Audacity:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/mac

Acoustica:
http://www.acoustica.com/

AudioTool:
http://www.audiotool.com/

Reaper:
http://www.reaper.fm/

Fission:
http://rogueamoeba.com/fission/

Kristal:
http://kristal-audio-engine.en.softonic.com/



The last lovely thing to note is that after you've made yourself several singles and demos and EPs and started to garner an audience, you can pick the couple of tracks that are doing the best and go buy time in a studio!

The studio has the recording quality you need, and you have mixers and professional producers who will (should) leave you with a much better overall quality track that you would have had if you tried to mix your music is a program like ProTools yourself.

Promote Your Art: TuneCore

So, while browsing media promotion options the other days, I stumbled across a new site I'd never heard of: TuneCore.

I decided to do a little research. One of the articles I read actually stated that TuneCore was "...a household name in the music business".

I really just wanted to confirm that the site was definitely not a scam before sharing it here, but it turns out that I simply managed to miss one of the bigger site for artists that make a living. TuneCore is dedicated to insuring fairness for artists when it comes to their music royalties.

The pricing is not terribly expensive:  a  one-time $75 admin publishing fee,  $30-50 a year for an album, etc.

The main thing for me, though, is this: in all cases, TuneCore makes sure that the artist retains 100% of the rights to their music.

When it comes to the three big PRO(Publishing Rights Company)s, that is, SESAC, ASCAP, and BMI, there tends to be complications with using your music after you've registered, because suddenly you've got complications with which rights you have and how you can perform your own songs.

For me, I'd think long and hard about what it means to make bigger money but double-check every year after about how legal your performances are.

I like the idea of publishing/distributing your music well, but also retaining 100% of your music rights. I'm willing to pay extra money for that, so TuneCore has definitely caught my attention.

GUEST AUTHOR: Connor Ferrell, photographer

Today I have a guest section written by Connor Ferrell, author of the Peintre de Lumiere photography blog!

I asked that he give some insight into the relationship between photography and the artist, and he has quite graciously provided the following:

Photography and the Musician

The photographer is the painter of light, and the musician is the master of sound. Music is not exactly something I have much skill in creating. I have always had a passion and ear for music but never so much on the skill side of things. But I have on the other hand had some success in photography, both as a passion and a skill. I have had a passion and desire for many years to do photography for musicians, both in portraiture as well as conceptual album cover art. I want to capture visually what the musician is telling me. A picture is worth a thousand words? I want to place a thousand words to a song or artist. But, what do I try and aim for? Photography is tricky and creativity is trickier still. However there are some things that remain constant.

What makes a good photo for a musician? Well, capturing their sounds and personality. That is the first step. But secondly is good lighting. Matching the light to your subject is key. Someone with a harsher sound might want an edgier photo; this could relate to very harsh light such has having an image where everything but one small part of the subject is black. For a softer sound having a softer light would work well, with a nice even lighting leading to that smooth skin complexion. There is no need to go and do something cliché with portraits, so DON’T pose musicians with there instrument. The people seeing these headshots often know that this person in the photo plays something. Keep it clean and professional. A few quick tips for quick simple and classy portraits.

 1. Don’t stand parallel to the camera lens. Tilt/turn your shoulder into the camera lens a little bit.

 2. Bring your chin out and your forehead toward the camera slightly. 

3. Place subject at a solid background for ease. But do not place them right up against the background because it will make the subject look flat. Also for professional purposes a smile isn’t exactly the best choice for everything. A pleasant expression usually means I don’t want to see you frowning.

4. Band and group photos are a lot harder but these basic rules apply.

Although I said no instruments, it is occasionally important to get the instrument for the musicians themselves, as well as for fans who want to see it with their favorite musicians. Just make sure to capture the sound of the artist in some manner. Bands often pose with their instruments for at least one or two photos so that the audience will know who they are in relation to their position. To all you musicians out there. Be kind to your photographer, work well with them, and bring various outfits and makeup weather you are a guy or a girl.

A few examples of some good music photos:

 Being creative for musician photos means find new angles as well as using color to light the scene the way you want it. This was an image for a custom guitarist.

This image is lovely in that it really shows the soft light that I mentioned, also it is important to get the eyes in focus as well as the ability to capture emotion.

When capturing someone, it is important to get a good light on him or her and a good moment. Also when there is no studio mind your backgrounds. Compose the image and wait for the light if you cannot modify it.

Find a Patron!

One way to support your or your band's touring and recording endeavors is through a patron.

Patrons were a common concept in Europe in the 1800's, when it would be impossible for a musician to support himself by paid shows. Instead, the artist's patron provided for all of his supplies and lodging, and the musician/composer would write and perform solely for his patron and his patron's guests.

 As royalty became more confused, noblemen had less funds and the patronage system began to crumble. Artists began to move to specific locations and charge admission for shows, and these measures evolved into the common audience system we use today.

However, if you've gone to a ballet or theatre production recently, you've probably seen the portion of the playbill where the names of large donors are listed. 

Musicians and bands do this too!

Patrons are people with extra funds and a love for the arts and for philanthropy. 

They understand that artists may struggle to make ends meet. They also see potential in an artist or group, and believe that with a little extra funding, a group could make a huge leap in their artistic production. Patrons are willing to give a good bit more than the average fan; their funds are intended as support for the artist/band, rather than payment for a service.

My friends of the band Life Size actually were able to find a patron willing to fund their album release and some beautiful recording sessions. 

The relationship between the artist and the patron is closer and a little more in-depth than the relationship between the artist and the fans. There's common times when the patron will ask how the artist/band is doing, and the artist may produce some examples of his music for the patron that is never published to the rest of the world. 

The relationship actually strongly resembles the relationship a child has with an aunt or uncle that has bought him a paint-set or model kit for his birthday. In this case, though, the art produced and growth stimulated is intended to help spread the beauty of art further around the world than just within the small sphere of the artist and patron.

How To Host Your Album Release!

The album release is a celebration. You've put many months, perhaps even years into crafting this sound-based piece of art, and you've finally decided that it is ready to share with the world.

((This is one of the better photos I caught during my friends' 

album release party for their Mockingbird Alarmclock EP.

 The band's called Life Size, go check 'em out!))

The album release is a big deal. A huge deal, really.

 For touring artists, the album release show marks the first performance of the tour...the tour that is intended to promote your new album and get your fans used to the new sound you've been crafting.

For non-touring artists, the album release may be the only large-scale promotion the album gets, so it is doubly important.

Hosting Your Album Release:

Start planning early! As early as possible, really.

The first step is to set a date. Most tours kick off in the late spring/early summer and run from there. For a smaller indie act, you're looking at a 3-5 month tour at most, and you want to pick warmer weather (that's when people show for concerts; also, well, if something happens and you're broken down, warm-ish weather's a lot easier to deal with.

Next, select a location. You're going to have a long-ish show that you will be headlining, so you need to choose a location that you are sure of at least reasonably filling. You also are most likely going to host in in your band's town of origin; for my friends in the band Life Size, that meant Salsibury, NC. Many bands try to pick a venue that has some sort of deeper meaning to the band or the fans, like an old record-shop in the area or a venue where the band was a opener long ago when it was still 'small-time'.

You're going to think carefully about your opener. First, your opener is helping to set your audience up for your arrival. Don't pick a band that will exhaust your audience energy before you've even made it onstage, but also take care not to pick a set of amateurs. Letting a band open at your album release is almost like referring a friend to a boss you really, really respect. They are directly reflecting you and your taste.

A good idea for promotion is to boost our audience's involvement. You'll be spamming their different social media feeds leading up to the day of the album drop, but you want a little participation. Two great ways to do this: host either a smaller acoustic set at a different location before the show or host a big party hang-out after the show. Often, bands will determine which fans are invited by posting contests to their social media page that fans can enter (to win party-time invites, of course!). However, these mean extra planning and budgeting for location and funding.

On the day of,  set everything up as early as you can. You really don't want anything to go wrong. Make sure you've had your rehearsal and the members have the show locked down tight. Plan what you will say and do beforehand. Your setlist should open with a song the fans all love, transition into another song most of them love, and then dive into some new material(about three songs)  from the album you're releasing. From there, you can pretty much do whatever you like. If you are basically guaranteed a call for an encore, a good idea is to build the audience up really well, end on a song they all know and love, and have a very involved encore rehearsed that is from the new album and requires playing/singing that makes for a good show(shredding guitar solos, ridiculously complex or times harmony that the singers have to hit, that sort of thing). This leaves the audience with a song from the new album in their heads and tags that 'show-high' emotional association with your new track that will be triggered the next time they hear it.

Play your best. I know in a previous blog I said to play your hardest every night, but really, play your best tonight.

Afterwards, thank the audience well for coming out. You should have recordings and videos taken, but wait for about three or fours days at least before putting them on your social media. The exception to this would perhaps be a short clip on Instagram or Vine, but for both of those, clip of the band members laughing together while they work (during loading, or during soundchecks) is better and will have more effect on your fans.

It's scary to plan such a momentous, important show, but don't be daunted. You're showing off your art to the people who actually are invested in it-your fans! Like I said, it's a celebration!

Stage Presence

Stage presence is a huge part of the audience experience at a show.. especially for artists who are supporting their own names.

((I'm going to shamelessly use this photo of me playing bass my freshman year of college)) 

Sadly, many artists either ignore their stage presence factor, or (perhaps worse), assume their presence is already excellent and needs no improvement!

The latter of these is never the case; there is always room for improvement!

While there are a few artists who have been able to pull off the shy-ish, quieter, my-art-is-the-only-reason-I'm-here type of stage persona, most of the time the audience wants to see you completely LOSING yourself in your music. Since the audience-to-stage-members ratio is heavily tipped, you have to utilize all of the space that stage gives you while skillfully producing the music. This is difficult, and if you're doing it right, you should be leaving that stage sweaty and exhausted, but high and happy as a kite.

Here are just a few tips for the artist who doesn't know how to start tearing up the stage:

Play the music that you love. It should mostly be your own, but covers(well-done covers) are good; people love what they know.
 If you're not producing the type of music that you enjoying singing and playing, you either need to get to work on a new album or find a new career( unless you want to wind up playing someone else's music for a manger who's sold you out to Disney. That works for some people. I can say that it's a good way to make money).

Sleep well beforehand. If you're touring, it's easy to get caught up going out for drinks late after the show, but you owe it to your fans and to yourself to be rocking that stage when you're on it. Not only will you have more fun, but this 'sleeping' method actually helps prevent the misuse of energy aids (drugs). You know.

Go big. If you want to want, wave huge, with your whole arm. If you're gonna jump, jump high or leap far. Own your space and make your existence within it tangible to the fan in the very last row. It's just like when you were a little kid trying to be what you wanted instead of what you were-make yourself known. The people are there to see you loving your life in the magical sphere of sounds, and going big is not too much, however grandiose it may feel to you.

Thank the audience after the first or the second song. It never ceases to amaze me that bands either leave this til the second-to-last song or forget it altogether. You're there to share with the audience, so address them as soon as you can, Bring them in to your circle. Furthermore, you're there because they paid (or because you're hoping that that later, they will pay) to be on that stage sharing your art. So thank them.

Don't insult the sound guy, and don't have that one band member who's the butt of all the onstage jokes. Even if that's your band's dynamic while you're hanging out in the cramped tour van (let's be honest, there's usually that one person who's just so easy to laugh at), you don't need to show that side to your audience. Not during a show. It make the audience feel like you're one of 'those people', the ones who are cool because they're "in" and they get to choose who's not. Good-natured ribbing is alright, but overall, the audience is buying into a magical world for a few hours, a world where the music makes you feel and makes your neighbor feel and everyone's feeling and that sort of atmosphere requires a safe environment.
You're onstage, you're the one who sets the tone.
Make the environment.

If you're playing a festival or opening, don't forget to mention you or your band's name a few different times. Make 'em remember you.

Obviously, the whole point is to enjoy yourself and enjoy sharing what you've made with your fans while you're making it.

10,000 Hours?

In 2008, Malcolm Gladwell published a book titled Outliers: The Story of Success.

This book presented studies that indicated that a professional required at least 10,00 hours of practice/study before he/she reached beyond the 'amateur' level.

The book is a bestseller, being widely regarded as a breakthrough guideline for many artists and sports athletes.

However, recently, there has been some controversy regarding the '10,000 hour claim'.

Several arguments have been presented against the claims, stating that it does not allow for factors like natural talent and intelligence, to come into play.

Other arguments center themselves around the question of what kind of practice (focused vs. rote) that a musician may be employing during those 10,000 hours.

A favorite of article of mine stresses that less practicing, coupled with more sleep and more focused practice, actually yields better results.

Another excellent study published through the New York Times outlines the importance of practicing better( rather than more) a little more scientifically.

What Does a Smartphone Do for the Modern Musician?

Answer: plenty.

It's all in how you choose to use it. I know in my case, I'm a little tech-shy, so it's taken me several months to get adjusted to the incredible power of the little device I carry around all day.

When it comes to you and your band, though, the smartphone's top uses are as follows:
 
    -Communication
    -Organization
    -Study


Communication:

Obviously, your smartphone is used as a phone. You call band members, your manager, and the owner of the new venue that just opened up in town within seconds(especially with the convenience of google-powered phone-number search).

In addition, though, you can use your and your bandmates' smartphones to all access the bandgroup's Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, ReverbNation, SoundCloud, whatever-you-may-use for increased publicity and PR.

Organization:

I highly recommend linking everyone's smartphones to one main Google account. Google Calendar lets several different users view, edit, and cancel/postpone events within one account. Updating this way makes scheduling gigs a lot easier, and also lets band members double-check whether they really have an extra hour to catch a drink before load-in time.

Evernote is another constant for me when I'm on the road. It's a note-taking app that synchs with an online account pretty regularly, so I know that if my phone is lost or stolen, the info or song ideas I've saved to that app with be retrievable.

A GPS program will be your lifesaver on the road. Most smartphones come standard with these.

Study:

There are so, so many good apps out there for music study. I personally love Tenuto for theory study. I also use Perfect Ear Pro on a daily basis to keep up my aural skills. I use a basic Android Flash Study app to make flash cards on my phone that I can flip through during downtime.

Also, my Spotify app is one of my favorite time-passers. I have the paid version, so I have content downloaded to my phone even if there's no 4G data access. Spotify and new music are one of the ways I keep my mind and music-sense fresh-it helps keep my creativity churning.

Finally, there are a plethora of news-based apps that let you keep abreast of what's going on in the world you're working through. It's always good to have a handle on the world and local news, since your position requires the ability to make small-talk and seem reasonably intelligent and 'linked-in' to the art networks.





These are by no means an exhaustive listing of the applications and opportunities your smartphone offers. I just figured I could list the abilities that I found the most useful to this crazy new millennial lifestyle we all are learning to adjust with.

Taxes for Musicians

I know, it's not the most cheery of subjects.

Many musicians forget (or never even realize) that they have a different taxing process than many other citizens.

For example, if you've ever had a waitressing job, you know how to keep track of your cash tips and report them every year on your tax forms. Musicians have to keep track of tips and how much they're paid by different venues where they've performed.

Other things to keep in mind:

      -Double-check  whether you or anyone in your bands owes taxes in another state.

     -If you're touring outside the United States, you need to check regulations for the other countries you've passed through.

       -If you are making most of your living off your shows, your band is considered to have a 'Profit Motive' according to the IRS. This means it cannot be considered a hobby, and makes you liable for taxation.

      -W-2 forms have to be issued to band members if the band is considered a business by the IRS. The band members file taxes these with the typical 1040 individual tax-return form.

    -Along with the W-2s, musicians can use form  2106 to report business-related expenses (and reimbursements given from the band money-pot). Several purchases, ranging from travel expenses to instrument repair and even performance clothing are tax-deductible.




You can use either a logbook with a receipt-holder to keep track, or you can go electronic with bookkeeping software and scanned receipts. Just be certain that you do keep good records, because it is fairly likely that your music business will be audited at some point!



For some more detailed instruction, please check out this in-depth article published by Allegro.

Promoting Your Art: Soundcloud

Most musicians have, at the very least, heard of Soundcloud.

Soundcloud is based in Berlin, Germany, At last count(which was this time last year, July 2013) it had 40 million registered users and 200 million listeners.

Similar to ReverbNation, Soundcloud allows you to create an account as a listener or an artist. Users are encouraged to browse and favorite music, compiling a playlist of what they like.

Tracks can be uploaded for users to listen to or even download.
Users can also set comments on a specific part of the song, say at the one-minute-thirty-two-second mark.

 Further, each user has a specific URL, so Soundcloud can be used with/shared across other social media sites. Soundcloud has groups that users can join to share the accounts they're been browsing.


While Soundcloud is initially free, you can only upload about two hours of content. After that point, there are paid subscriptions availible for more space and more hosting ability. Paid subscriptions also make statistics visible to the user.


Soundcloud may not immediately feel like a "supercool", jazzy, or hip website, but almost every serious growing-from-the-ground-up artist now has one, and it's the site that most listeners check out if you hand them your card late at night after a good gig.

Promoting Your Art: YouTube!

YouTube is a HUGE  and (relatively) new resource for younger, DIY musicians.

The site can boast over one billion users, and the average number of video views per day is four billion.

Since the site is free, you have the potential to get your music, your shows, and your personality out to billions of possible fans.

But.

Since the site is free, you also have to rise above the incredible amount of muck that those billion users are contributing to.

So, here are some quick, important tips on how to nail a good YouTube music-based video:

-Incorporate your personality. Just like in 'real life' it is important to focus on your art, but getting someone to truly look at your art requires catching and holding their attention. For many, this mean the personality catches the fan first.

-Watch your backgrounds. Busy, moving, or otherwise unclean backgrounds look just a smidge too unprofessional.

-Spend the extra time and money to use (borrow or buy) as high-quality a camera as you can. People take seven seconds to decide if they're sticking with your video, and the quality has a huge effect.

-Keep the video brief; also, get straight to the point.

- Understand and expect that your audience, fans, and pageviews will not dramatically increase overnight(unless there's huge discovery and you go viral. That does happen).

Here are some additional resources:

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2010/05/5-tips-to-make-your-youtube-videos-work-for-you/

http://mashable.com/2010/11/28/viral-music-video-how-to/

http://mashable.com/2011/03/11/improve-youtube-channel/

http://evolver.fm/2011/02/08/how-to-get-better-sound-on-youtube/

TOURING, Hooray!

So, 'touring' for a band is just like 'taking a vacation' is for most Americans....

As in, you are really excited and pumped to go, but it often turns out to require much more planning than you expected and the end result is that you are emotionally drained by the time you get home.

So, here's the Millennial Musician touring post!

There are so many, many resources online for you, so I've just compiled some of them and picked out the most important aspects to keep in mind.

While planning:

Plan well, plan thoroughly, and plan for the unexpected/unlikely, because this is your job. This is your fan-base opportunity, this is your networking opportunity, this is your art on the line! Here's a pretty straight-forward how-to on planning.

Budget every expense possible, and then add another 10% on top for the 'emergency fund'. If you don't use it, great, you've got that extra cash for another time. If you do need it, it's saving your tail.

Check the transportation well before you depart. If something needs fixing, better to find out a good six weeks before you hit the road.

It seems like this should go without saying, but have your showdates all planned and confirmed, and keep the communication lines with the venues open. Also, make sure you know beforehand what kind of payment you're looking at for each venue.

Staying healthy (and mentally sane):

First of all, make sure you've planned your days off. These are not 'oh, well, we're driving all day so that's free time'. No. Book a few different days where you are stopped in a location, and you can explore, curl up in bed with a book, or visit a museum. Many bands do five days of show, three days of travel, and every eighth day is an off-day. However, there's a lot of variation depending on the length of tour and the destination paths.

Eat well, get your sleep. Obviously.
Take walks and help with the equipment on-site to keep your blood moving.

Here's an article from The Strad on mental heath while touring.

Here's another good one on keeping yourself healthy.

When you're on the road:

Have a pre-planned driving schedule.

Bring some sort of entertainment; half the tour is working like mad, and the other half is waiting around until you start working like mad.

Be a good person. I've spoken to many professionals in the industry, and one of the tips that comes up very, very regularly is this: people will remember you simply for being that nice, professional person who was respectful to those around him/her, and was on time. Sounds crazy, but I've heard it enough to this point that I wholeheartedly believe it.

Always, always play your best. Even if the venue looks like it's full of hobos and drunks, you never know who's just around the corner, coming in for the next set, or wandering past outside the venue and might decide to step in.

Here're just some extra tips for anyone looking at touring in Europe:

Here's a nice article from a traveling site, written from Europe(firsthand, always good).

And one more on traveling in Europe.





Here's a list of articles written by touring musicians:

http://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/artist-interviews/on-the-road-again-tips-while-touring

http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/nov/02/indie-professor-touring-rules

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/15/travel-tips-from-touring-musicians/

http://bandzoogle.com/blog/advice-for-touring-musicians-nycas-on-how-not-to-travel

Here's some useful compiled tips on touring:

http://blog.musicinsidermagazine.com/2012/11/tips-for-the-touring-musician/

http://blog.discmakers.com/2012/01/tips-for-surviving-and-thriving-on-tour/

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/5-big-tips-that-will-save-your-bands-tour.html

http://www.ourstage.com/blog/tag/top-ten-tips-for-touring-musicians

http://www.sanctuarylane.com/articles/touring-tips-for-musicians-on-the-road.html




Last two resources:

TourSmart is a site with a regularly updated blog on touring, while IndieOnTheMove lets you set up an account and will help you out with specifically what you need to start touring.

Let's Touch on Copyrights for Songs

I'm not going to pretend to know everything about copyrighting music, but I can at least get you on the right track.

First things first, you should know that your work is your work, copyrighted, as soon as you put it into some kind of physical form (written, recorded, etc).

The reason we still go through with the paperwork of registering that copyright is that you want definitive proof of the date of your copyright. This way, if someone else write something that is specifically ripping off your work, you can prove that you're the one who came up with it first.

It's not a very complicated process. http://www.copyright.gov/ is the official site to which you submit your paperwork. There are two different forms, which are covered quite beautifully in this DIY Musician article.

There is a small fee, but it is worth it to know that you have the right type of legal proof in your possession. The last thing you need is an actual case where you're not in the wrong and you still wind up paying.

This copyright is your protection against that terrible situation- say another person were to hear that something you've been playing at shows for years, decide that it sounds remarkably similar to something he/she just wrote. Say he/she decided to insist that you either cease playing (or worse, pay them for) "their work". If they have the correct paperwork and you don't, you lose.

You Want the Sound-Person to be Your Friend.

I mean, the title says it all. I've only been sitting in on shows from the soundboard location for about five or six years total, but I have seen quite enough sound-guy abuse to last me 'til the end of my career.

"Hey, turn me up out there"

"Hey, folks, so glad to be here tonight. If the set sounds bad, just blame *insert sound guy's name here* hahahaha."

"You really don't know how to do this, do you?"

"Can't you just....."

"What do you mean you don't have _________"

These are all fairly valid reasons why there was a sudden abrupt short in the mic sound when you stepped up to sing on your first song.

And your last one.


There aren't really that many rules, to be honest. I am not a professional sound-person, but I've run a good couple shows.

1) Please, please send us a stage plot. If you care how it's set up at all, SEND US A STAGE PLOT. Also, don't forget the input list, because if you need something and we don't have it, it's better ya'll find out now rather than scrambling to re-arrange two hours before the show starts.

2) Don't tell the audience sound issues are our fault. Don't make a joke about technical difficulties. Don't call us out by name while you're onstage and live in front of an audience.

3) Be on time. I was unintentionally roped in to setting up a soundstage for a gig at my job this past week, and the soundcheck was set for three o'clock. Guess who showed up at four? Sweethearts, the whole lot, but I had to be somewhere else at four, and I don't know if they ever even got an actual soundcheck.

Facebook's New Changes for Artist Pages

There have been some changes to FaceBook's algorithm that determines how many fans see your band's posts.




The general indie artist population is not pleased.





Towards the end of last year (December 2nd), there was a quiet announcement from FaceBook about changes to EdgeRank (the algorithm that determines what is shown in Facebook users' NewsFeeds). Several sites republished the info immediately partially to spread the word, partially to spread their opinions, because, really, for businesses large and small, Facebook is HUGE.


For smaller music groups, though, the ramifications of those changes are just now being recognized.

The main fire-starter has been the new option to pay to boost a post in your fans' newsfeeds.
The EdgeRank algorithms decide if your post should be seen or not based on how 'interesting' the posts' content will be to your fans. This is determined by how many fans have clicked on past posts from your band that contained similar content.

As you can imagine, several artists are quite unhappy. It's been brought up that with the amount of time an energy a band has to spend just to garner those FaceBook fans, attempting to capitalize on their need for fan-reach is unfair.


 A few artists have started explaining their reasons for switching back to band-name websites and old-skool email lists.

And, of course, there will always be a few souls who just want to help as best they can.

What do you think? Facebook has to filter the NewsFeeds for each user somehow, but does charging a fee to get posts to all fans take things just a little too far?

Good PR (Bombadil Case Study)

So, tonight, I'm going to talk about an absolutely lovely night out with some friends!

((Well, evening, really, since I'm working at a summer arts intensive right now that requires me to be back by the 10:00 curfew to check my hall of students in))


There's this band, see. And they're not super-duper-like-of-monsters-and-men-type well-known, but they're growing a following, and they're signed with Ramseur Records, who has also signed bands like the Avett Brothers and Carolina Chocolate Drops (*fangirl happy sounds*).

The name?

Bombadil (yes, after the LOTR character).

Here's what they look like:

That's my photo. If you want to see a more clear image (and to get the biography), please feel free to head over to their website!

Anyway, good-looking-ness aside, I'm gonna take a minute to talk about good PR(Public Relations, in case you were unsure of the acronym's meaning).

See, I've seen Bombadil play a number of times, mainly in my school's town, but once in my current city and once elsewhere. Bombadil sees thousands of concert-goers on even short tours.

Bombadil took care to let my city know they were coming. Flyers were up over two months ago in a few locations(particularly the venue where the show would be hosted). I saw articles mentioning the re-release of an old album on vinyl several months ago. And finally, at a record-store nearby, they posted a warm-up party show, and invited their FaceBook followers to show up at their leisure and enjoy some pre-concert jams.

And you know what? That's all great. That's all fine and dandy, and it's definitely helping get their name out. I love their music, but the reason I took the time to check out their album is because the band members made me want it.

I have never once been to a Bombadil concert without speaking to at least one of the members. And I'm not that flashy, I'm not particularly easy to remember unless I try.

 But Daniel Michalak, vaguely seeming to recognize my face, waved at me as I went in, and came up and said hi while I was waiting for a drink at the coffee-bar as the opener (River Whyless, in case you were wondering. Another band I'm rather fond of) was leaving the stage.

He smiled when I told him where I was from, asked if I knew _______(I did, thank you for asking!) and asked what I did for University.

He did not ask "how did you hear about us?" or "What do you think of our music?" or any other questions that would have provided him with useful information. Nope. He asked me about me, smiled, and waited for me to answer. Listening. I know I didn't say much that was interesting. But he listened and waited politely, and that's what sticks with me every time I see them.

Every one of the members has at some point made sure to be at the exits as audience members are filing out, holding the doors and thanking them all for coming to show their support for the band.

And that's really the kind of PR you can't buy.

I don't care about who thinks she's cheesy or young and googly. Taylor Swift has made it in the music business, and she recently released a well-written article about how the future of artists lies in their 'love affairs' with their fans. I think that statement is so, so true, particularly in a growing technological age where it is possible to make personalized connections over long distances.


So, Bombadil. Hats off to you. I love your music- I do truly consider it art.

I will freely admit, however, that your showmanship and interaction with your public are what compelled me to give your art a good fighting chance of a listen in the first place.

Booking Agents

Now that I've taught you how to book a gig on your own, it's time for some notes about booking agents!

Early on in the game, booking agents are really not necessary. In fact, unless you are regularly selling out shows you've booked yourself, it will be almost impossible for your band to even acquire a booking agent.

Why?

Well, first, booking agents usually work for a percentage of the earnings, so unless you look like a good investment, they won't spend their time on your band.

Secondly, booking agents are not working solely for the benefit of the bands they book(that's more of a promotion manager's type). Booking agents are also working with the venue managers they are sending artists to. A booking agent is only as good as his or her word, because if he/she sends enough bad players to a venue, that venue will not longer accept that booking agent's recommendations and will let other venues know that the agent is pushing poor product. So, that agent is not going to take a risk on your band unless he/she knows you can deliver.

Finally, booking agents work by location, not by assigned band. So you will have one booking agent for one area of a state, another for a couple towns over, etc. This means that you really won't be working with booking agents until you've grown to the point of moving well out of your original state.

So, say you've gotten to this point, and you are ready to start working with a booking agent. Congrats!
If you have a manager, then the manager or the tour manger should be communicating with the booking agents for you. However, if you do not(which is becoming more and more common), it really comes down to networking.

You can start by reaching out to booking agents in your hometown and asking if they know of other agents in the regions you want to reach out to, and you may get some good feedback. My advice, though, is to look at an area and plan out what venues you would like to play, and contact them, and ask if you can get the name of the booking agents they regularly correspond with.

When you've contacted the booking agent, communicate regularly and do your best to trust his/her's judgement. If he/she says not to play a venue you think is just perfect, you would do well to listen. It may just be the time of year, it may be another factor, but it's good to remember that the booking agents knows what to expect out of an area better than you do. If you recall, booking agents work for a percentage of your earnings, so it is in their best interest to have you playing often as possible in their area; they want you to succeed!

Alternate Payment: Try a Square Reader!

It's a quick response, used both as a sigh of disappointment and as an excuse to not buy your band's merchandise:

"Sorry, I don't have cash; all I've got is a card!"

Well, here to solve that pesky little sentence forever is...

Square is a portable card-reader that you link to your business' name and can use without monthly fees or extra charges. The device itself costs ten dollars to buy at a store, and is free if you ask the Square website to mail it to you. The only 'cost' is the percentage that Square takes of your card-based transactions, which is a little less than 3%.


You've probably seen a Square in action by now,  either conspicuously plugged into a vendor's smartphone at a downtown festival or cleverly hidden in the wooden Ipad stands that many hip coffeeshops and mom-and-pop stores are using instead of cash registers.



My first experience using Square was in March, when I agreed to run the merch table for a friend's band at their album release show. I was a little nervous at first, but it was easy.

Easy to register under the band's name.
Easy to set up with the Ipad.
Easy to arrange a menu of items. Easy to apply discounts.

And, best of all, easy to 'settle' at the end of the night (Square tallied everything up, showed how much of which items I sold, and even had a function to help me tally how many items had been sold with cash instead of a card-swipe)!

The good experience I had with Square is what compelled me to buy one for myself this past week.

My experience this second time was exactly the same: easy all-around and so very convenient. I highly recommend this useful device!

Promoting Your Art: ReverbNation!

The website ReverbNation is one of the first useful sites my college suggests to our Popular Music majors.

ReverbNation is a social media site that is designed to help indie and unsigned artists get gigs, share music, garner fans, and gain exposure.

ReverbNation is free to users, and has two types of accounts: fans and artists(bands). 

The fan account is not particularly useful, but is linked to Facebook, so it will let your Facebook friends know what you've been listening to.

The artist account, however, gives you a profile with various pages for relevant information, including bio, tour dates and ticket info, photos, and comment sections. It also provides statistics on how high the artist ranks in his/her particular city of residence in his/her genre. There is a section for uploading tracks for your fans to stream or even download.

I've previously mentioned that ReverbNation will host your EPK for a small fee, which is also very useful.

Finally, the site posts contests and gigging opportunities regularly for its members. These range anywhere from small notices in your inbox that a festival near you is seeking entertainment to large contests that offer playing alongside the Dave Matthews Band as a final prize.

ReverbNation may not be as well-known as some other music-sharing sites. However, being free, it is certainly worth the time to set up and occasionally maintain your profile. 

Booking a Gig

For many bands and artists, booking a gig is the scariest need-to-do on the list. It can sound really daunting, but after you've managed to go through with it once or twice, it just gets easier and easier, I promise.

Thing is, lots of venues want good music. They want good music and they want it supplied regularly. And, contrary to popular belief, many venues are willing to do their best to ensue that their acts are properly reimbursed for putting on a good show.

That being said, make good music. Your fans should love you for your art, and playing one bad concert can have a long-lasting effect. Rehearse often and plan for extra time and extra problems. Be prepared.

Getting Started: 

It's best to start with a list of venues you want to try out. When you're a small act, you can book multiple shows in the some county/town area without too much issue; it may even be the best plan, as you're going to need that time to build a fanbase and continuously saturate the area with your sound and name.

Set up a google calendar for the band. It sounds like an unnecessary step that you can skip, but really, it will make life much easier for everyone involved. It helps with scheduling, and it helps members think about how their personal lives affect (and are affected by) this band's work.

Start contacting your venues. If their local and it's at all an option, drive there and ask in person. It's more difficult to say 'no' to someone's face. Often what you will be given is the contact information for the individual in charge of booking for that venue/restaurant/what-have-you. Remain engaged during the interaction, and take notes as soon as you leave the venue. This also sounds like extra work- and it is. However, knowing the name of the person you just spoke to, the little details about what type of music they typically accept, and the name/contact info of the booking manager is a huge advantage.

Usually the contact info you are given for the booking manager will be an email. Occasionally, you will get a phone number, or be asked to call on certain days of the week "..and ask for So-And-So". This is where your EPK(Electronic Press Kit) comes in handy, because it allows the booking manager to view your goods at his/her leisure.

It seems to go without saying, but build relationships. Make friends with the waitress who shows you to the back for your meeting, visit the venue when another band is performing and introduce yourself to the managers who's running the entertainment that night, have your card and cheeriest attitude at the ready for anyone.

When you do finally book a gig, 

             Ask About Your Perimeters:

-How long of a set do you need prepared?

-What music do they want for the night(style, genre, do they want covers vs. originals)?

-How many of your band members do they want? Do they want a full band, or do they have a smaller space, quieter crowd, and need you to rock a three-person acoustic set?

-What equipment do they provide? What do you need to supply yourself? How much power do they have, what type of stage will you be working with, and how many instrument changes can you do?

-What type of sound system are they working with?

-What time do they want you there for load-in?

-How soon will you be able to leave?

When It Comes to Payment:

Early gigs may pay in nothing but exposure. However, there will definitely be a time where you will have to be able to put your foot down and explain that you're good enough to receive compensation for your work.

There are three main, viable payment options for gigs: split, guarantee, and donation. A third option is pay-to-play, but this is rarely going to be an advantage for your band.

A guarantee is nice, but harder to get. With a guarantee, the venue pays you a set amount no matter who shows up. If no one comes, the venue still pays you. If the venues is packed, you still receive the same set amount. 

A split gives your band a percentage of the total earned by the venue. It means that you get a certain amount for each person who comes through the door to hear you play.

A donation payment style can either be really great, or a waste of time. Obviously, it's based around the money that your audience is willing to give you. If you're at a big event or a radio station, donations can work out really well.

This article by Radio-Media.com goes into a lot more detail about the advantages and disadvantages of these different payment types.

What's an EPK???

"An EPK? What is that for? Do I need one?? How do I get it??"

An EPK is an electronic press kit. It contains items like your bio, your performance resume, and tracks of your music, all stored electronically in a web-location. You then can give the link to that web adress to interested parties, so they can peruse it at their leisure (much like an online resume).

It is for promoting yourself/your band to the people who can potentially help you take off with your music.

So yes, you definitely need one.

And now I'll show you how to get it.

Obtaining An EPK

You have two options. You can buy an EPK, or you can make one yourself.

You can hire a professional to design, upload, and even maintain your EPK. However, that method is very pricey, often unnecessarily so. ReverbNation actually runs a service where they will store your EPK and allow you to reference it on your music sites for a very low rate-per-month. 

If you're like me, and you're just getting started building yourself into the music scene, you probably want to opt for the create-your-own option. This will allow you to tailor your EPK around your band's strengths and accomplishments. Hiring someone to create an EPK for your group will usually involve a pre-designed template, and if your content isn't strong enough to fill it properly, the EPK may actually make your band look worse!

So, How do I make an EPK?

It's actually very simple, you just have to make sure you take the time to ensure that your EPK really shows off the best of the best of your band(and more).

The typical EPK includes:

-Contact information for booking/interviews
-Description of genre/style
-Bios
-Tracks of your best songs
-At least one live performance video
-A music video(but only if you have a good one)
-Photos
-Discography


Here are a few great resources for building your own EPK:

Plugged-In's great article: How To Put Together A Knockout EPK

Sonicbids also has a great how-to: How to Create An EPK

Just in case you missed it the first time, here's ReverbNation's option: Electronic Press Kit

Finally, Music Think Tank has this spectacular article, including little industry-known details (like removing the shrinkwrap from your CD before submitting it with a physical press kit). The article addresses a few aspects of the press kit, both electronic and physical, and gives you more of a feel of the receivers are looking for!

Promoting Your Art: Do You Spotify?

What is Spotify?

Spotify is a music streaming service/program that has a social twist. Much like Pandora, Spotify users have accounts and can stream music for free. Spotify, however, has made sure to integrate social media platforms like Facebook to ensure that users can easily send and receive music tracks and albums from friends. I say 'receive', but really, since Spotify is a streaming service, users are actually just sending an automatically-opening link to their friends' inboxes. Users create playlists, and then can follow each others' accounts to see what their friends are listening to.

Spotify does have a mobile program that works well on both Android and Iphone. It also asks musicians to create playlists that their fans can follow.

One difference between Spotify and a typical streaming service (like Pandora) is that the free users have to listen to commercials, but can build unlimited playlists and skip songs as often as they like.

Additionally, there is an option to pay for a monthly Spotify subscription called Spotify Premium. Spotify Premium removes commercials from your account and allows you to 'download' tracks to your laptop or other mobile device by storing spliced sections of the music files to your device. The Spotify program then re-assembles the song when you click to play it.

Although this sounds complicated, it is Spotify's way of assuring that users cannot simply download the actual song file in, say, mp3 format, and then sell or share it with whomever they like for free. This is part of the method that Spotify uses to continue operating legally with artists' licensed work.



Spotify and Musicians

Spotify obviously cannot list any songs in its library for which they do not have license rights. Some artists' work, like the Beatles, are not on Spotify for this reason.

If you are doing well as a popular artist, Spotify may contact you to ask if you would be interesting in being listed in their library. If you are less known, you can send in music to Spotify and ask to have you tracks added to the library (for exposure). Spotify will then consider your work and go through a paperwork process if the track is approved.


While Spotify is completely legal, there is some debate as to whether it is 'good' for rising artists, budding artists, or established artists to allow Spotify to stream their music.

File-Sharing Sites

So, how do you feel about file-sharing sites?

 What about programs that allow others to download, re-record, or otherwise steal your digital goods (in this case, your music)?

For most musicians and record companies, we hear complaints of how the internet is taking music out of business. While this statement is a bit extreme, the claim seems reasonable. How can one make money selling a product that is so cheap and easy to illegally reproduce and distribute?

In all honestly, though, many musicians are aware that the internet has actually opened up an entire new world of opportunity. One of the most obvious of these is the ability to reach fans without regard to location. We can now market our music to the people who want to hear it even if they live on the other side of the world. This still blows my mind on a regular basis. Not only that, but we can also hire the best managers, booking agents, or what-have-you's that tailor-fit our bands, instead of picking out of the possibly limited number of option in our band's area.

But enough on the internet, we all can agree it helps the music industry. The debate at this point rests with individuals with a reasonable web connection and the inclination to enjoy and share music without paying for it.

The angry musicians and record companies are correct; the music is intellectual property, and as such, it does not belong to anyone whose name is not on the license. If everyone that listened to each song and paid for that access, record companies would be rolling in dough (and perhaps musicians would find themselves better off-I'm not so sure about that).

But take a second and think about the are we're moving into.

In today's world, social media and networking are THE THING.

So, when you stop to consider just how many artists there are out there, and just how much you can easily spend on advertising and pushing your music into perspective fans' ears, think about file-sharing. Most people do not decide they love a song after one listen. Or two, or three, or even five. They may like it, but chances are they're not willing to drop even $1.50 on downloading from Itunes, not after just one listen. Now, imagine if they've downloaded the song, it's started to crop up on their ipod a lot, and they're really starting to feel it. This leads to two things: artist re-check and sharing.

Artist re-check is when they've listened to your song so many times, they've found themselves getting attached to you personal 'sound', and now they're wanted to see what else you've got. In addition, they already like your sound, and they're begun to get familiar with it, so they are a good deal more receptive and likely to like other works you've created.

Sharing is when the song is just so good they're stuck constantly singing it, or it fit a certain situation just so well that they had to share it, or they had it playing in the car during Spring Break in Cancun and now every single person on the trip wants a copy of your record.

You could mutter and grumble about how that's your intellectual property they're sharing and how you want your $9.99 for that album.

Or you could think about the incredible advertising opportunity you have. I'll talk about branding in a little more detail another day. For now, suffice it to say, you are not actually in the business of selling that song or that album, not really. You are in the business of selling tickets. You are selling your name and the experience of seeing yourself perform live. All the YouTube videos in the world cannot reproduce the pleasure of seeing a favorite artist do something beautifully well, live, and in front of you. There's really nothing like it, and our generation certainly has learned that.

But without fans, your brand name, you, your art, is not bringing in the cash. And without social media, now, you have to be truly exceptional to gain and keep fans without regular interactions on social media of some kind and constant advertising.

And if your music is good enough to steal and share, you should be flattered. Maybe you can be unhappy with it,  and justifiably so. But don't discount that it is the new normal, and it is also helping you, possibly more than actually being paid per song would.

Choosing A Genre: Yes, You "Have Too"

Hello, music-lovers!

Today we're going to talk about your music!

Why put your music in a genre? Most budding artists want to insist on 'staying free', complaining that the music should not be labelled. Unfortunately, the statement "I don't conform to a genre; I want to write music for everyone to enjoy" is much more harmful than helpful.

On the first note, terrible as it may sound, when a record company or a professional in the music industry hears you say those few words, they instantly know you're an amateur. Even if your music is fantastic, they still will choose not to work with you because they have deduced your lack of experience from that one simple slip. So, sadly, in a hipster-esque twist, your refusal to commit to a genre still labels you.

Secondly, choosing a genre actually expands your audience. While it seems that avoiding genre would make others more open to hearing you, the reality is that you are keeping your music from cashing in on one of the most effective marketing techniques of this digital era: branding.

See, whatever 'genre' you're choosing isn't that specifically defined. You can do (almost) anything you want with it. Saying your music is funk is much like saying a painting is purple. The whole painting is (likely) not entirely purple. If it's a good painting, it's got a lot of the other colors mixed in. It just overall provides a lot of purple.


What you're choosing, then, is the type of audience you want. The lifestyle that is associated with that particular genre, the kind of crazy fans you want screaming at your concerts or paying $240.00 flat to sit demurely and wait for all the movements to be over before applauding.

Genre helps those fans find you. With search engines, through file-sharing programs, through YouTube recommendations, through word-of-mouth, the genre of music you choose helps you. Trying to stay label-free only makes you nonspecific, which usually results in perusers choosing not to even waste a second listening. If they know they hate country and you know you have a lot of country sound to your music, just say it's country. People like what they know, and you have a lot more of a chance of winning over a fan who knows they like bluegrass to your 'country' song. However, if you haven't chosen a genre, with how much music is available, most people simply won't 'waste' their time listening when they don't know what to expect.

Welcome to The Millennial Musician

Welcome!

Let's take a second to talk about music and change. More specifically, let's take a second to talk about music, change, and you.

Music is one of those indelible facets of humanity; it has been a staple of every culture on the planet, and it will be around until the human races loses the need for expression.

The music industry, on the other hand, is constantly in flux. We hear testimonies of conflict, missed opportunities, broke record companies, and burnt-out artists who finally gave in and got a "real job". 

As with all art-based disciplines, the musician's ability to create does not immediately beget paying fans, country-wide tour deals, or even well-deserved recognition. 

Amidst the wails of woe and tales of sleeping in a bus by the highway, though, we see many, many successful artists working their way down the middle road. 

I'm not talking about Ed Sheeran-style success, or even Macklemore's fight to the top.

 I'm talking about the musician living immersed in music, who imitates, then creates, and has worked a second job on the side to keep going. Maybe it's a dual-style career, but, however it's managed, it's music, and it's life.

I'm here to help you along as best I can. 

It's tough to figure out the music industry's business models when they're so different day-by-day.When you look at how quickly technology is morphing, at how the media adapts by the second, at the pace of our new world, it's easy to see that you have two choices: ride the change or be buried beneath it. I always prefer to thrive on change, and I'm happy to share what I learn with you.

If you want your music to be anything more than a love you keep to yourself, you have to ride the change. Just by breathing and logging on the 'The Great Interwebs', you are the change. You've been born during this incredible period of 'DIY', Reddit, and nearly infinite social-media-based networking capabilities.

So OWN it.