The Snow Ball Effect For Music Contacts
Its the time of year for cheer, making new years resolutions and making snowmen. Why not combine all three by making a new years resolution to increase your personal music contacts by the snow ball effect! It a time for cheer indeed, the majority of the Music Industry takes a break from the time Hanukkah starts through Christmas and into the first week of the New Year. As people are getting back into their routine the second week of January they are in good moods, well rested and still have some of the Holiday spirit lingering inside them. Booking agents and venues are putting on ultimate NYE and Holiday shows making good money and ending the year off right! Everyone is home for the Holidays, venues, bars, and coffee shops are packed with people mingling! This is a wonderful time to increase your Music Contacts in your home town. Experiment with these three key ways to increase your music contacts and you can count on this being a New Years Resolution you keep to.1.) Start with what you know. Living in an area for a even year or two allows to get to know the area pretty well. If you are a musician you probably keep an eye on what venues you like, and would love to play at, venues get reputations for different things, and figure out what your style is. Take time while you have off work and go check them all out. See what the genres they tend to book are and if you match them. Notice if they seem to always have a packed house. Do they have a promoter for the venue and do you see fliers and promotion around town for them. Are they open to holding monthly residencies for local bands? Do they do weekly open mics or monthly showcases? Figure all of this stuff out and then ask around, who's the booker, who's the venue owner, when and where can you contact them? When you are able to first contact them, whether its in person, by email, or phone, be as personable as possible. Mention you were in their venue, things you like about it and why you'd love to play there. Say you do not want to take up a lot of their time so you would like to know when, how, and what details they would need to know to get you booked.
2.) Be organized! Musicians get a bad wrap for being flaky and unorganized. Prove this to be wrong. Compile an organized list whether it be in the form of an excel document or in a neat and orderly notebook, if you prefer the old school way. Organize it by contact name and info, company or venue, include the way they prefer to be contacted, tech specs of the venue, and what dates you have, if any, in mind to play. Realize that venues usually book at least 5-7 weeks in advance if not way more. Organize your portfolio. Anytime you contact someone again whether it be by email, fax or in person, have your stuff ready. One-sheets, songs, videos of your past performances, and your average draw number (be honest!). Do not give them any more information than they need, so no fluff, but make sure to supply them with what they need to know, draw number, backline info, and music samples are key!
3.) Start doing your research, there are hundreds of way online to get more information and increase your contacts. So you've went around town and have the contacts of a handful of promoters in town, some bookers, and some venue owners. Stay in touch with them and continue making an appearance around them. If you become a familiar face they will remember you, book you, and talk you up to their peers who then in return will book you! While your doing that, use tools online, research local radio contact info. Find out when a good time to contact them is. When you do again be personable, organized, and precise with your information and request. Ask the contacts you have, once you are comfortable enough with them for their contacts. Linked In is a great tool because if you know 6 people and each of those 6 people know 6 other people that can help you, you've just increased your contact list by 36!
2.) Be organized! Musicians get a bad wrap for being flaky and unorganized. Prove this to be wrong. Compile an organized list whether it be in the form of an excel document or in a neat and orderly notebook, if you prefer the old school way. Organize it by contact name and info, company or venue, include the way they prefer to be contacted, tech specs of the venue, and what dates you have, if any, in mind to play. Realize that venues usually book at least 5-7 weeks in advance if not way more. Organize your portfolio. Anytime you contact someone again whether it be by email, fax or in person, have your stuff ready. One-sheets, songs, videos of your past performances, and your average draw number (be honest!). Do not give them any more information than they need, so no fluff, but make sure to supply them with what they need to know, draw number, backline info, and music samples are key!
3.) Start doing your research, there are hundreds of way online to get more information and increase your contacts. So you've went around town and have the contacts of a handful of promoters in town, some bookers, and some venue owners. Stay in touch with them and continue making an appearance around them. If you become a familiar face they will remember you, book you, and talk you up to their peers who then in return will book you! While your doing that, use tools online, research local radio contact info. Find out when a good time to contact them is. When you do again be personable, organized, and precise with your information and request. Ask the contacts you have, once you are comfortable enough with them for their contacts. Linked In is a great tool because if you know 6 people and each of those 6 people know 6 other people that can help you, you've just increased your contact list by 36!