Things On My Mind

So with social media and what seems like a million and one new web sites, apps, videos, on line what ever you can think of, a person could go mad.
You set up a site and get things rolling, then promote it on line spend more and more trying to get people to listen, like, share, watch, and hopefully buy your music.
You set goals, you plan, re plan, change plans, make phone calls, book shows, fliers fliers and more fliers.
When is too much too much? You know, The burn out you get trying to hustle you shows, web site, facebook, iTunes, youTube channel, and your music.
What about the T shirts and CD? Didn't even start on that ... what now?
Well one of the most effective things you can do is start out with a simple band logo. Something clean simple and that says every thing about your music as you can in one quick flash. Sadly that that seems to be our ever shrinking attention span in this digital world.
Old fashioned hard work, hands one, one to one, in person interactions are what will make things happen.
 Some times, like I am in now, no matter how many phone calls or emails you send you just can not catch a break and line up a gig.
So what do you do when you hit a wall like this?
Start planning your own shows in or at nontraditional locations. At different times, with other groups or artist.
Hey, why not even plan on on line web cast shows.

When you are looking at odd places to play the best bet is go out with a hand full of demo CD's, a business card, a one page sheet with a quick write up on your act and even throw that on the back of a band promo photo printed off on a 8 X 10 page.
With all of these in Tow for setting up shows the most important things you need are very simple.

1. Act or artist name on every thing.
2. Contact name and phone numbers, email
3. Web site addresses (keep it simple 3 should be more then enough)
4. A quick list of your last shows. A simple list of place, date, time and if you have how many people came out (draw).
5. Always smile and say thank you! no matter the out come.

When you can go out and meet face to face you will get better response from Booker's, bar owners, venue coordinators and any one else that is a gate keeper to a place you want to play. It shows a more professional attitude and you just handed over more information to get you the show then and phone call or email will get you. The person you deal with or talk to will have something to go over, listen to, and have in hand or site on their desk to remind them you are serious. 

Its just like looking for a job. Your promo kit is your resume. Make it look good. Get it in their hands. Smile and be thankful of every ones time. 

Also one thing to think about if you get that show right then and there do you ask right of way if they know of any other places that are looking for bands to play? That is a hard one you never know they may see it as taking business away from them down the road. 

At the end of your show make sure you thank the person who let you in to play, and ask if you can come back again in the near future. Always good to try and play the same place a few times, you start building regular fans easier if they know where you are on a regular basis.

Any How things to think about. Things to try.

you may have a better spin on some of these.

Drop a line if you have something you could add to this!

Keep on Rockin!

   

Another song on iTunes

So I have been tinkering and got one more of my songs up on iTunes.

I put the song "I Want A Change" up on iTunes. It hit the online store on the last day of 2012 I believe. It is up there, on amazon.com and at cdbaby.

What I am trying to do with this song is help out a local charity organization. They are running way behind what they need to keep youth going with shelter and the basics like food and clothing.
The group is YESS, you can check them out at www.yess.org

So what I have started is $0.50 of each down load of the song will go to them. I will be doing this for the whole year of 2013.

This is the store link https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/i-want-a-change-single/id591050217
This is the cdbaby link http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kevinfrey2

Think of it as helping someone who needs a chance. The song will last with you for a life time, and costs less then that cup of fancy coffee that will only last 10 or 15 minutes.

Hope you all have a great day.

And many many thanks for helping out!

Cheers!
Kevin

Tickets

So with a show coming up and a handfull of tickets, it got me thinking. As an indie artist what are the best ways to sell tickets?

I'm banging my head on the wall trying to move tickets for a show. I've Tweeted, I've set up an event on facebook, i've talked to friends, I have tried many things. Fliers, random chats, really anything I can think of.

I have not found a sure fire way to do it yet. I have even set up a free pair to give away for the first comment on one of my music pages. Nothing.

Why is this so?
Am I being a pest?
Not talking it up enough?
Talking too much?

Not really sure.

So, what are the best ways you use to move tickets.
How does one set up a sure fire plan to sell tickets like hot cakes?

I know one of the golden rules of Social media is to not over do the tweets and updates, or you will get filed to teh side as a spammer.
Is it time of day? or what you say that counts?

I would love some insite from other artists on what they do, what works for them, and what does not work.

So put on your thinking caps and drop me you thoughts.

Cheers!

Been A While

I know it has been a while since I last was through. Sorry about that. Been working, tinkering with some song writing, playing the odd show and battle of the bands. Played a quick one Down In Sundre Alberta in early October. That was a lot of fun. I think I did well. I didn't make it to the next round though it was a tough one that night a lot of good bands. That battle was for a spot to play at the birthday bash for Rock 106.5 in Olds Alberta. That would have been cool and fun.

I did get into the studio for a short bit of recording back in February. I went and seen James at 2 bodies of water productions in Edmonton Alberta. Got 2 songs recorded and one of them is now up on Cd baby and iTunes for sale. The song is My Way To You if you want to give it a listen.

In about 2 weeks I have another Battle of the bands coming up. I will be one of many on November 17th at The Nest in The(NAIT) Northern Alberta institute of Technology building. Should be a good night. Doors are at 6 pm and it is $15 at the door to get in. All Ages to boot.

I'll See if I can't get back here real soon with some more ideas and information to share.

Until Then Keep On Rockin!
Kevin

T-Shirts

So you've played a bunch of shows, have a CD to sell, and are slowly starting to build a draw of people to each show. Great! Now you're starting to think about T shirts to add to your merchandise table. Awesome, that's the next step right.
But what do you put on a T Shirt?
Lots of colour?
Fancy Designs?
Album art work?

So many options to go with that it can be overwhelming and confusing. If you go with album art work, cool, but how many can you sell and how many do you have to have printed right off the bat? This is where a lot of the risk comes in to play when planning your T shirts. Sure the more you Buy the better the price is you pay, but what if you don't sell hundreds of shirts for a long time? What if you end up with a stack of shirts with album art work from a CD you did 5 years ago?

So here is what I would suggest and what my thinking is. Start out with something simple. Do a classic one colour print with your band name and a a logo on it. No matter if it is your first CD or your 10th, That basic design will always sell. Look at the classic Ramones T shirts you see around at shows, simple, one colour, band name, and logo. Often you see a white T shirt with a black print or a black T shirt with a white print. They still sell that Type of Ramones Shirt on a regular basis. Its a simple and effective design that is basically timeless. The great thing is a simple design like that will transfer to stickers, web site, hats, coffee mugs, sexy underwear, or what ever you can think of.

Why risk having a tone of an album specific T shirt when you are starting out? Make and plan for something you can always sell. Once you get that going then you can easily down the road start adding small batches of more designs and special event type T shirts to your table, and right beside them all have a standard that anyone can add to their loot.

Now the next thing you start thinking about is what colour of T shirt do I go with?

It seems typical that all shows you see the basic black T shirt. It always looks great! This is a fine idea. The only draw back I can see with a black t shirt is that most screen printing shops charge a bit more for them. They usually have to add a layer of white under your design if your using a lot of colour to help the colours stand out and not look faded some. This is an added step in the printing process and usually you end up paying for it. This can cut into the packet some when getting them printed and adds a little more cost when you go to sell them at your shows. Now plain white T shirts are usually the best price, but not every one wants a white T shirt. The nice thing is you can get them quicker and for a better price.

So what one could do is go for a bit of a split on coloured shirts and your basic black, this way you can get an over all base price that's easier to handle and leaves you with a bit of profit at the end of the night.

The last thing you have to guess at is what sizes do you go with. That is a hard one to figure out. If you are working with a good company that does shirt printing, chances are they can help you out some if you ask them what the most popular or common sizes are. They can also help you with colours, and give design advice.

I am sure there are many more things that one can go over when it comes to T shirt designs and printing. But this is a basic look into it to help get you thinking about what you want to do. I could probably go on a long time on just designs and logos alone. Best bet there if your having a hard time thinking up something pop by a art school and you could find someone eager to do up a design for a reasonable price. Starving students and all.

Rock On!
Cheers

How to get started and noticed

Part 2

What are some more ways to gather a fan base and keep building a Buzz around your band?

Like I had mentioned before in part 1 of this adventure, there are are hundreds of ways to do this. Some will work like gold, some will get you one or two fans here and there, and some will not work at all. It is a trial and error system till you find just the right mix for you and your band.

I am going to quickly cover two ideas that will help you and your band. One idea is about one part of live gig's/shows and the other fits along with it some.

We will start with a bit about gig's/shows. Sometimes booking a show or getting into a hot club is the toughest thing to do. You want to start with you research on the venues, find out who to talk to ad what they need from you to help make their decision. One of those things might be a press kit sent in or dropped off, if you are close by. No matter what always offer to get a press or media kit to the Booker. This will show some professionalism and that you are serious about your music. It will help them in the long run to get to know your band and your sound so that they have an easier time matching you up with other acts to fill a night.

One thing too look at is other places to play. You might not be able to get in to that club right of way and you want to keep playing and sharing your music. look for basically anything to start with like open mic nights, hall parties, frat parties, BB Q's, and other things like contests and battle of the bands. You don't want to be too picky at first until you can prove you have a reasonable draw to your shows.

Now the other idea I have been working myself for getting in to different bars and clubs is teaming up with other bands. Get together with one or two other bands that you like that are close to you sound wise. It will work better as a package deal to a Booker when you talk to them. If you can talk to a band Booker and say I am with a group of three bands looking to put on a show one evening, you will have better chances of getting that show. This will take a bunch of work off the Booker by giving him a whole night with out having to try and match up bands. It also makes it easier to head right into making your posters and fliers. You can basically have a template and just change the dates, place, time and if there is a cover charge.

The next next thing that ties into all of your shows has to do with building your fan base. You want to build that base by building a email list of of fans. Here again you can do probably 50 different things to build that list.
A few ideas I can offer are:

• Sign up sheets at your merchandise table
• Offer free down load of one of your songs
• use a down load card to offer a song at your shows for email sign ups
• Or say a down load with a T shirt sale and email sign up

Sometimes it is all about being creative with the approach of getting those email addresses. I once herd of  a band that had a email sign up list on their table that was framed by a toilet seat. It made people stop and think, it also worked for them. Some times it is the things one would not expect to see that grabs attention and makes people think about signing up.

Sometimes Random give aways during the show helps make people remember your band and want to stay up to date and add their email to your list. There is a story of Coldplay in the early days, they would give out mini chocolate bars at the end of their shows. It was a thank you that they did for people that stuck around to listen to their music. It seemed to work well for them because word slowly spread that they did this at their shows and it made them more human and approachable. By doing this it gave them a chance to connect closer to the fans. And connecting with fans is where it all starts.

How To get started and noticed

Part One

So getting a band going and started. Where do we go from here. This can be a real big and broad topic that can cover hundreds of aspects of getting a band going and building BUZZ.
There is no magic Bullet, no secret pacts, or simple fixes these days, and most likely no one to hold your hand. There maybe a hundred sites and books that scream we will get you to the top quickly. The simple reality is that there is only one way to get to your goal of having a successful band, it boils down to a few key things and that's hard work and determination.
You thought this was going to be easy didn't you?
What i have started here is a simple basic out line to help you build your plan and try to remove some of the guess work out of building your band up.

The first this is simple:

• Practice your instrument
• Practice with your band (if you have one put together already)
• Start writing songs
• play your songs and practice a hand full of covers

Once you have your band together and every one sounds good together. You should sit down as a group and lay out your plan. Do you want to be an all covers band, write originals, do a bit of a mix at first, shoot for a CD, or how far do you want to go. Is it just a fun weekend warrior thing? You will have to decide for yourself what fits you best.
But a few of the things you should plan and out line are:

1. Set list
2. Who will do bookings
3. Who will make fliers and hand bills
4. where will you advertise your band
5. Web site - go for the free options or pay for a site to start with
6. Who will look after your on line campaign
7. Merchandise - designs and who will make arrangements to get it made

Now you don't always have to have all this set up right and in place out of the gate. It can't hurt but not a live or die kind of thing. I would suggest though going for any free band page sites first. Places like myspace, facebook band page, reverbnation, purevolume, bandcamp and so on. I think there are probably about 30 or so more out there you could find with a little digging. Shop around though each one has its own befits and beneficial options that will help you out in the long run.

These free sites are a great place to start for any band. I would suggest, once you have picked a few places, a few basic things to keep in mind. There are things your should try and keep consistent across all web sites, blogs, and pages that you set up so that you have a more professional look.

1. Band Photos
2. Band story, history, and bio
3. Band logo
4. Post a few songs for streaming and possible down loads
5. If you have one post a video

Its best to try and keep each page and web site the same with the information you put out there. This will give fans and causal lookers a uniform and consistent view of who you are and who your band is. It looks professional when you keep it simple and the same. This will also give a better source for the BUZZ around your band that you want.

So that's the first few things to go with. I will be adding to this as I go. There are too many things to cover in one short moment like this, but this should help you start getting a plan in place and thinking about what you want to do.

I would love to hear from anyone who has more ideas and what has worked so far for them.
Let me know and maybe we can look at expanding that idea into the one that pushes your band to the top.
Cheers for now!

Booking Gigs / Shows

So you want to start playing? You want to build a fan base? You want a few gigs / shows? You want to play live!
Guess what its one of those hard things to do. I should refine that, its the hardest thing to do the first time. Making that cold call to the cool club or pub up the street to see if you can get a gig can be a tough thing for some to do, the first time out.
There are so many bands around that have been at it maybe a bit longer then you or have connections.
So what!
You will to!
But, it takes a little bit of time and research.

Here are the basics you will need to do.

• Research the venue
• Find out band booker and when the best time to get a hold of him is.
• Call him (simple thing to do) and ask a few questions about the place and how to go about setting up to either meet or to play a show.
• Drop off a demo, photo of band and contact information
• Plan how you are going to promote a show
• Promote the show if you have it
• Call back the Booker in about a week on his time
• Go knock them dead with your music!

I know some of these sound easier then you would think and others maybe a bit daunting. Once you start doing this more often you will have a better idea what to ask and how to did up the information you need. Places like google, yelp, reverbnation, myspace, and a whole host of others can help find you phone numbers and some times names for each place.

If you have a web site make sure you give them the information they would need to find it if they ask. Also include this in your Press kit, you know the basic package you probably will need to drop of for the Booker so he knows what you sound and look like. It makes it easier for them to fit you into a spot with like sounding bands on any night at that venue. You don't want to be a country music act opening up for a metal band.

Don't forget to make plans to promote the show to get people in there. The more you can get in the door the more likely the band Booker is to get you back in for a busier night, or in a better slot the next time you call looking for a show. Get out and put your fliers up where ever you can think of. I cover this in a different article in a lot more detail with ideas of where, what kind of poster to make, what tools you will need to do it, and so on.

It also doesn't hurt to make a plan for online promotion. Hit up Facebook and make an event, just don't be a super pest bugging all your friends every day. Once or twice mention it well in advance ... say about 2 to 3 weeks ahead of it then say 2 to 3 days before. Do the same with your twitter, web site, blog, myspace page or where ever you have your band info posted. Most promoters in small clubs don't have a budget to do a lot of promoting. It sucks to think that a place that is in business is to cheep to try and promote themselves to get more people in. The reality is they rely on the bands to push it for them.

Once you have a gig / show lined up the next one will be easier and soon the next one will fall into place. It starts to snow ball a bit. Plus once you have a few shows done you can add that information to your press kit. You know The when and where of the show as well as how many people showed up to see you. These little bits help the Booker see you are starting to build a draw and that it might be a safe bet to line you up for a show. Plus if you can show that you have up coming shows they are more likely to book you as well. It proves to them in a small way that you are trying and serious about being a band.

One last thought on this I have. Ok you are trying for that saturday night but the booker is not too hot on the idea. Find 1 or 2 other bands that you know and try it again as a group. This makes it a lot easier for the booker to go "ok come in and play!". Why? Because the simple fact is you just saved him or her a bunch of time. You can put together a full show with a couple of acts and he just hast to sit back and let that night roll and be ahead of the game for the next weekend.

I took the chance and started making those calls and doing research just recently. It is paying off. I got 2 other bands that I know in on it and we have 2 shows lined up. I have never in my life just gone out and gave it a go as a solo artist. I will see soon how it will turn out and iff I can keep it up.

Don't Give up!
Keep trying!
Try different things!
Smile and say thank-you!
And most of all HAVE FUN!

I'll let you know soon how it works out for me. Plus I'll be back to add some more ideas to this in the near future.
Cheers!

Videos - Part 2

I've come back to this idea again with another take or angle on it.
My thought being that lots of people love seeing behind the senses. Why else would they put out takes, bloopers, and gag reels on movie DVDs and an extra? Everyone loves to see what happens when they are making that movie.

So this thought falls into that idea loosely. Why not video record a rehearsal and share some of it? why not share a little of your usual day to day with every fan of yours? Its easy enough to do now a days with all the gadgets and how connected everyone is with the Internet. You can easily set up a computer or a lap top or a digital camera or two for some interesting views. Just get ready in your rehearsal space and hit record.

Once you have a bunch of stuff caught on cam put it together as a few short videos and share. You would be very surprised at how many people will stop and watch. using a couple of cameras you can splice together back and forth to ad some interest as well. If your jam session runs real long your can easily make a few videos out of it.
This is one more way to connect with fans and friends. It give a great behind the sense look at what you do. Often it helps make your fans a little more passionate about your music. It also helps drive them to your live shows, because they have seen you putting in the time and they often can't wait to be standing stage side to see you first hand.

You could even kick this idea up a notch or two. There are many online streaming services now. Set up a time and a date and stream live for an hour or so. You can set it up as a free viewing for your fans. You could also offer the free viewing of a live stream to anyone who joins your mailing list or fan club. Or you could go even deeper into it and set up one of your live shows for streaming so the far away fans can get an idea of your live show as well. it could again be a free thing to your fans, or you could also set it up as a payed streaming event with one of the many web sites that are starting to offer this service.
Yo could end up making a few extra bucks from a live performance.

As far as streaming live, I have yet to try it out. I know there are a bunch of sites offering this now and they should be easy to find. I would look at the different options to find one that is going to work best. As well finding out what you might need to do this and what any costs might be.
I will be looking into this a little deeper to see what is offered on line for this and what costs there might be.
Let me know if you have tried this out. Did it work well? How was your experiance with setting it up? What would you recommend for doing a live stream? Tips and pointers?
Or have you watched your favorite band live on line either putting on a show or in rehearsal?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Keep on Rockin'!
Cheers

House Concerts

So, looking for a quick Show in between Big shows? Why not look into house concerts?

There is a growing community of grass root shows starting to make a comeback. The house concert. These use to be very popular in one point in time and are starting to make a come back. There are a few communities for this around the country now and a little digging could get you a few shows along the way.

What is a house concert?
House concerts are usually a bit smaller and a lot more informal. They take place in someones home or back yard. Some are out on acreages and tend to be a bit of a party.You can see on average about 20 to 30 people at each gathering. Quite often there is a pot luck of snacks, or a meal is put together something like a  BBQ. A few drinks maybe had depending on the host, and the musicians usually play an acoustic set or two for those gathered.

These can be great for filling in an afternoon or an evening and a lot of fun. You get to meet people that are truly interested and enjoy your music and entertainment. You get to pocket a few bucks, and have a great chance of selling a few Cd's and other items like T-shirts or what ever your bring. It's a great way to promote yourself, connect directly with a bunch of fans and pay for the gas to your next show.

Typically it is a simple acoustic show and does not have to be a big production or overly complicated. You, your acoustic guitar, and maybe a few hand instruments like a shakers, a tambourine or what ever you can think of. The hand instruments can be handed out and some of the people there can join in for some fun. Lots of smiles and laughs along the way can happen and makes it enjoyable for all.

You can check out one of the Canadian communities at www.acousticroof.ca where you can find places to play and what is expected for you and from your host at a typical house concert.

This is just one more idea to help a band connect directly with fans and help you grow.
If you have ever played one I would love to hear abut it and share your experiences.

Videos

Ok so, you have your band web site, maybe photos and a professionally done video. What happens when your in between shows and you have some good traffic to your site?

You want people to keep coming back to your site right?
Why not make a few home made acoustic versions of a few of your songs and put them up on your site over a week or two.
Cost? Ok, I know what your thinking that's a lot of money and time. Well it doesn't have to be.
All you really need is a camera on your computer or laptop and an acoustic guitar. Maybe a few other hand instruments if more then one of you are going to be in the quick video.

This is next to free to do. I don't like breaking the bank for simple things that I can share quickly with people. It also give people a bit more on your site to see and keep them on your pages a little bit longer.

He is a sample of a quick one I did at home one evening.

Quick and simple and if the sound is ok and looks ok put it up. It will give your fans a little extra to come back and look forward to when your not out playing live.

This will also help them feel a little more like you are right there playing that song just for them.

This is just one more simple idea and way your friends and fans can keep engaged with you and your music.

Keep on Rockin!

Cheers!

Live CD's

I had an idea for one way of promoting your music and upcoming shows. It is a bit of out there idea but, I think it is one that might work well.
So you've had the chance to play a bunch of shows and your are starting to build a bit of a bigger draw of people to your shows. You poster, and out fliers and give stickers away like mad. You have been working almost every angle you can think of.

Why not record a few live shows? Get a handful of your best songs live and make an EP. Put 3 or 4 of your songs on to disk and make a stack of them. You don't have to get super fancy with them. Go with a simple one colour print and a paper sleeve. Set a side a bunch of later. Now on the back of the paper sleeve you can add a print out label that you can do from home. Put your band name, web site and upcoming shows on there.

Think of this simple and low cost CD as a business card. You can easily get 50 or 100 printed up for about the same cost as having business cards made. And the beauty of this idea is make a few different ones over time each with different songs on each CD. Sort of like trading cards of bootlegs.

once you have 2 or 3 different live CD's you can put them together as a live pack and sell them at your shows. Put it in with your merch for about $5 or $6, the cost is going to be around a Buck a disk. So if you have say 3 together in a pack and sell for $6 you are doubling your investment and covering your cost on the copies you hand out.

People love getting stuff for free and what a better way to promote your music then a free sampler.

Giggs - Tool Kit For Guitar Players

There is nothing more embarrassing then being half way though a show and something goes wrong. This is one of those things all guitar players go through. A string breaks, an effects petal dies, a bad guitar cord, or a whole host of other things could and can pop up. It what you do next and what you have handy to get through it that counts.
There are a few basic things guitar players that hit the stage should have on hand. It is always a good idea to have a emergency kit with you for every show you play.

Here is a basic rundown of what you should have on hand:

• Extra Strings - 2 to 4 packs
• Guitar picks - you can never have enough
• Tuner
• String winder - for doing a quick change
• Wire cutters - for trimming fresh strings
• Multi head screwdriver
• Allen Key or hex wrench set
• 9 volt batteries - effects petals & tuners (keep 1 or 2 handy)
• Extra guitar cables
• 3 or 4 patch cables (the little ones for between your stomp boxes)
• DuctTape

A emergency kit with this basic stuff loaded up should get anyone through a show.

Other things to think about can be gear towards your amp. If you have an older amp that runs on Tubes you should have a few extras on hand. As well as fuses for new amps. Before you start playing shows you should also know were and how to change these if it happens. This will make things go a lot faster if yo have to do repairs on the fly.

In my tool kit I also carry a few other items with me:

• Contact cleaner - for switches and knobs
• a cleaning kit - polish and a cloth
• Extra guitar strap
• Extra strap locks

These basic items shoudl help cut down on the oops factor that can happen, and probably will happen.
Nothing wipes out momentum of a rocking show like not being able to do a quick fix. Your tool kit will help you get things turned around quickly and keep the show a rolling.

I might have missed a few items here, so If YOU have things you add to your kit let the rest of us know. It would be interesting to see what has saved you from a big blunder during a show.
I hope this gives you something to think about.
Keep on Rockin!
Cheers!

The Indie Band Bible

This next review is of a book I have read though a few time. The Indie Band Bible By Mark Makoway.

This is a great read. Mark Makoway is the lead guitarist for the Canadian band Moist. Though out the book he talks about how they toured from the start of the band to the great success they had. he covers all kinds of topics like playing live, to handing out stickers, making posters, to the troubles one can have in the middle of no place when the van breaks down on tour.

He covers lots of ground all based on personal experiences over the years in a working band. There are tones of helpful insights great little quotes from other artists and very solid ideas to try. Things like posters and postering to contracts with venues all have a real life story to them.

The personal stories of some of the things that didn't work so well for them really helps make the book. The things that happened to them along the way really make you think, and should make you plan and be prepared for anything that could happen.

I think this is just one of those books that not only Cnadaian musicians should have but all artist who want to get out there should read.

Open Mic

So if you are like me and find you have a bit of a gap between gigs why not hit an open mic night at the local pub.
open mic night can be a lot of fun to go to if you head out with the right attitude. Its not a big gig or a paying one, but sometimes it can lead to other things. there is always a lot of different music played at open mic nights and it can be very interesting to see what people respond to. I find its a great way to test drive a new song that I have written or practice a good cover song.
A lot of time you don't see massive crowds at the smaller places where an open mic night is. They usually fall on off nights when the venue is a bit slow. This is fine its a good place to get practice and help you feel a bit more comfortable on stage. you usually meet other musicians and can get some good feedback from them. Often times you can network and find different opportunities like and opening spot for this band or if the venue has an opening spot available. You never know.

When you do go play at an open mic night it helps expose different people to some of your own original material.
A few basic rules usually apply: wait your turn as there maybe other ahead of you. Be courteous to the other musicians. Be positive any way you can, some of the others participating maybe nervous or just starting out like you once did. Don't over stay your turn, there may be many waiting to get up and play there turn. Always thank everyone after you play before you get off stage. Smile and look like your having fun because you will get it back in turn.

I always look at an open mic as a chance to network with other artists, a testing ground for a new song, away to expose possible new fans to your music, and it is always good experience to play live no matter what.

So, take the chance and hit an open mic or two, smile and have fun.

The Complete Singer-Songwriter

My second Book review. This is another good read for anyone starting out in music.  The Complete Singer-Songwriter By Jeffery Pepper Rodgers.

This is a great book for new artists and artists with some miles on them. It is a fairly comprehensive guide that covers a lot of topics. it covers things like getting started, writing, to getting on stage, promoting yourself, what to expect when going into the recording studio. It also has a great list of resources one can tap into through out you life as an artist.

There are also lots of quotes from other artists and singers though out. Tell of there experiences and they give helpful advice. The list of artists that give advice is varied and very impressive, and I found inspiring.

This is one of those books I think every aspiring artist and musician should have on the book shelf. It is a great read and a very good referance as you travel along making music.

WebSite and Email

Advertising part 3

Web sites and email

The next step in advertising your music and shows is email, mailing lists, and web site. With web sites some hunting on line you can find fairly cheap web hosting and web site building programs. One thing I would suggest is to a program and the tools to collect email addresses so you can build a mailing list. Some will have templates and simple lay outs for you to follow to make it easy to start out. Mailing lists can be a very helpful and useful tool when trying to spread the word you have a show coming up in an area, or a new CD on the way.
You want to have some basic stuff always in these email messages to your fan base. Things like a band photo or logo, web site address, and simple basic things like up coming shows.
The information in your emails should always reflect what is on your web site. Write in a simple quick to read format or style. To much chit chat and the reader will move on. One or two paragraphs to get your information out there is all you need. Things like hey we have a show coming up, or a CD release party, a new T shirt design ready to go, are all you really need. Don't over load the ready with non critical information like Joey just changed his bass strings while Fred was painting his drum sticks. These extras take away from a professional feel and make you seem to the reader less of a up and coming band but more like a group of garage wanna Be's.
Secondary stuff can be further down in an email like an over all list of up coming shows, recent press quotes, or if your song has played on radio and a few fun things like a video shoot coming up.
With some templates you can try and mirror your web sites visual look. This helps make you look a little more professional and help show an over all band style.

For a web site there are lots of places advertising services and there are a lot of free sites you can also use. There are more and more features the free sites are offering these days. You may want to start out this way to save your budget at first. The free sites also have payed upgrades and premium services you can later buy into. Places like Reverbnation , Purevolume , New Artist Radio, Noisehead and about 100 more if you go hunting. Most of them have the basics to get you going and premium services for a price. You can also with a lot of these sites link them together so that updates can show up across the board. You can also link in things like Twitter and Face book. This will help you build a better on line look and presence.

Another simple and free way to go is building a blog. Places like Blogger.com and Word Press can have you up and running in no time. They have a few templates you can use as well for a look and other add on's you can place through each page.

Once you have a site set up the next part is getting the word out. So when your putting up fliers, handing out hand bills and stickers. make sure everything have your web site address on it. Think of all these things like  business cards, use them to get people to go to the web site for more information. once you get people logging on to your site make sure you keep the information and content up to date.

Postering

Advertising Part 2

The Art of postering can be fun and time consuming. But it is just one of the ways to let people know you have a show coming up. There are hundreds of posters going up each day, week, and month trying to get attention. The reality of posters is that they have a very short life. Often they get covered up quickly, or the weather damages them, or some one grabs it. It also takes people on average three to 10 viewings of a poster before your band name starts to sink in. Its that way with billboards and signs so don't feel to bad that it may take some time for people to catch on.

When out putting up your posters try not to cover over posters for other bands with up coming shows. You don't want to start any hard feelings before your even get started. Cover over older posters that have pasted there show dates. This way your not stepping on toes.

The typical poster size is 11X 14 inches, usually printed in one colour. You can use coloured paper to help get attention. The art work should be simple, information should be easy to read and simply to the point.
All you need on the posters to cover the basics are:

• Band name
• Location
• Date
• Time
• Other bands that are playing with you
• Ticket price or cover charge
• Your Web Site address

Simple and too the point is all you need. Adding your web site is always good incase some one wants to find out more information about the show or your band.

Now the tools you will need to have for this job:

• Staple Gun
• Staples
• Packing tape
• Small knife

Armed with a stack of posters and these tools is about all you need to get the job done and your posters up.
Look for places you can safely hang you art work. A lot of cities have spots for doing this in the trendy areas of town or around universities and collages. Always look for places that have postes already hanging, you dont want to end up getting a fine for postering where you shouldn't.
Also hit up places for window space. Places like book stores, coffee shops, record stores, maybe even the local liquor store. There are hundreds of places one can hang posters and drop off a stack of hand bills at. Always ask, the worst you can do is get told no. The shop next door might let you. So, think creatively and you might run out of posters faster then you can cover all the places on your list.

Advertising

So this will be the first look into some of the different areas a band or artist can use to get the word out. This will also be the fist part of your over all planning to a successful music career.

Advertising is one thing, no matter what, you and everyone in the band should be doing from the beginning. Start out simple and affordable to save the budget. Unless you have scads of cash sitting around for big budget promotions.

Once you have a band name, a logo, a hand full of songs, and a show you need to get the word out. The first things you need to think about to get people into the show are:

• Hand Bills
• Flyer's
• Word of mouth
• E-mail
• Web site updates
• Social Media networks

The first places to look at and hit are the free avenues like twitter, facebook, myspace and your own web site. Then make sure you have all your details in line. The show details should follow through on everything. Put all this information onto flyer's that you can post in windows, light posts, community bulletin boards, or where ever you can find a spot. Also make up a smaller version so you can have 4 to a page that gets cut into 4 and hand them out.
These hand bills are great because you can hand out 4 times as many for the cost of a flyer.
Where do you go with hand bills?
Some Ideas would Be:

• Local coffee shops
• Different local events
• Other shows
• Leave some on the tables at the library
• Record shops
• Book stores

Once you start thinking creatively you can come up with 100's of places people go in and out of daily.

With email and other media networks don't over do it. If you have lots of time in advance of a show send out a simple email or message with the basic information. You want to keep it simple and cover the basics like:

• Place
• Date
• Time
• Other bands playing that night
• Ticket price / cover charge

Do this one month a head of time if you can. Then two weeks before, then one week before, and then the day before and the day of your show. It usually takes people two or three reminders before things start to stick with them. Plus sending out emails and reminders daily is a lot of work that may turn people off before they even get to your show, you can use this energy on other things. Always be respectful and cheery announcing your shows. If your up beat and positive people will be more responsive. Its like smiles being contagious, positive out will return positive.