Many of us are familiar with the saying “If you’re not a part of the solution you’re part of the problem.” After 40 years of trying to get a “leg up” (not over) in the Jazz Business, I couldn’t agree more with this philosophy.
Below are some of observations and advice in helping the cause of the music as well as getting oneself “on the map.”
Musical Marketing
In these internet obsessed days that we live in, musicians have more and more opportunities to promote their wares and make contacts with influential folk than ever before. These includes other musicians, bandleaders, gig fixers and contractors, etc. When I began my “journey” in the early 1980s there were few means of contacting people outside of the telephone, post or meeting them in person. If someone wasn’t “discovered” or sought out by a record company, there were few other ways to get a decent recording off the ground. Forming one’s own record company was not the done thing in those days, largely due to the costs and limited access to the technology to do so.
I clearly remember the 1980’s/90’s when the only option of letting people know of your gigs was the costly and time taking task of posting flyers. This practice has pretty much been rendered extinct with email, websites, Facebook and other social media so readily available. I suppose though, that when one receives a letter in the post they are much more likely to actually open and read it, as opposed to seeing a gig announcement in their inbox, which can often lead to them letting it sink down into the depths of inbox no man’s land or just deleting it before reading it. Fair enough.
Social Schmoozing
One of the advantages of the internet is that one can “set out his/her stall” to practically anyone via email, Facebook or other social media before trying to meet up with them. Most musicians know the difficulty and awkwardness of approaching someone at a club or public place and giving them your spiel on what you have to offer in that setting. They most likely, will have other matters on their mind (the gig, other people waiting to chat to them, etc.) and it’s possible that they won’t be best pleased with that approach. I’ve had punters come up to me ten minutes before the gig starts and expect to meet with me about some proposal about a gig or project that they have in mind. Note to opportunists- if you insist on chatting to a performer (especially someone that you don’t know) you’ll get much a better reaction if you wait until after the gig and even then, it should just be a matter of exchanging contact information and save the heroic speech until a later date, if that should emerge.
Getting the gig out there
There are a number of agencies for gigs listings these days, both hard copy and online publications. Gone are the days though, of Time Out in London and The Village Voice in New York City- both of which included extensive listings often accompanied with brief blurbs of the performer, band etc. While many of them will publish your listing free or charge, there are often difficulties in making contact with them and having your information published regularly. The same applies to press releases as many of the jazz magazines in the UK (Jazzwise, particularly) are very discerning and agenda driven about which press releases that they will run. The BBC and other leading UK jazz publications seem to champion the same jazz names over and over again to the detriment of the many others who deserve more exposure. Yeah, a bit of a personal hobby horse of mine, I suppose, but just sayin…
That’s enough for now and stay tuned for my next blog which will address some handy tips and advice on mastering one’s instrument.
Stay tuned, Frank