Hello all, every now and again I get asked the question how I get gigs, shows, bands, work and all the other things that make up being in the performing music industry. Most of the time I simply smile and say I don’t really know but deep down I do know the answer and here is my spin on it.

The music industry unlike many other industries is a very social one, the participants enjoy the work and also the camaraderie that goes along with it and there is a lot of that to be enjoyed. It is very special industry and one that many people love to be in, it’s fun, exciting ego building and can be financially rewarding, no wonder everyone wants to be in it. There are also many different aspects to the industry from performance to sales to tutoring and in a way they are all intertwined into one as if you do decide to join it you will see.

Years ago once I got to a playing level that could sustain being in a competent or a working band I was lucky enough to be friends with a couple of other musos who I liked to spend time with outside the rehearsal, gig or work environment. This of course led me to meet other likeminded people and hey presto you are off and on your way. You see at that young time in your life all you really have or should have if you desire to make it is a driven goal or commitment to be what you want to be.

You live it, breathe it, sleep it so it is only naturally you will seek out others who share the same passion and in turn eventually help you on the way in your career as a musician. You have time on your side and not many responsibilities and can or should be able to move quickly and follow new opportunities that present themselves to you.

What I am alluding to here is the skill of networking through a large group of likeminded people who can help you get where you want to be and in turn you can help others achieve what they want, it is very simple really.

I was also lucky that at the time when starting my playing career there were many venues and clubs open that supported the style of music I was into and playing and consequently many hundreds of people to share this with. So much so that nearly every night of the week I was either gigging myself or out as seeing other colleagues playing and meeting their peers.

This was the grass roots base of my contacts over the years, many of these people I still see now and many I don’t but the information and opportunities that came from this social network were the key to me and no doubt many other musos doing anything at all with their love of playing and the desire to do it as a career.

As you get wiser and more diversified the same group of people also open up new paths to go down such as teaching or retail or recording and production industries, but it does all stem from the same thing, networking.

So there is my answer, start small and go out there and meet people and tell them what you do and listen to what they do it will be the start of the whole thing for you., because I still do get people saying to me “who do you know who can do this, fill in for this, play guitar for that, sing this, sell me that, teach me this, provide a PA for that. Whatever it is networking is the key – GET OUT THERE.

See Ya

Dean

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