Many musicians aspire to pursue their love of music by attempting to find some sort of job in the "music industry". However, many times they end up doing something related to music but not actually involving live playing. In reality that is what they really want to do, but live performing has the reputation of not being the most lucrative career path in the world.
I had that same mindset before as well. I didn't think that I could actually make a living through gigging with my band. Therefore I opted to do things such as give guitar lessons, become a guitar technician, and even concert stage design.
I realized one day that what I REALLY wanted to be doing what to be performing live gigs several nights per week. It took a couple of years, but I am now doing exactly that. I make enough money from playing, and I gig often enough that I now consider it my full-time job!
As fun as it is to play live gigs several nights a week, it is still a business. I am constantly making new contacts, and getting my band into new venues. I do a little work with booking agents, but I mostly book all of my own gigs.
In this book I touch on all of the important business aspects of "playing as a job":
- Creating the right product
- Marketing techniques
- Negotiating techniques
- Building a following of fans
- Acquiring new gigs
- Maintaining ongoing relationships
- Weekly gigs (aka. "verticals")
- Monthly and bi-monthly gigs
- Expected payment
....and lots more!
I've been doing this for about 15 years now, and while I really do love playing, I still look at it from a strict business standpoint. Because of that mentality, I play 3 to 5 well-paying gigs per week on average. It's basically my full-time job, and I love it!
If you are looking to pursue the lifestyle of a gigging musician, this book may be just what you need!