Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I live in LA, music is my passion... I've been playing for about 6 years now and I have live and studio experience. I know iit's hard to break in the scene but can you give me some advice on networking who I could present my playing to and finding good gigs?

Thanks
Justin

The boys with the most experience will tell you to go to every open mic and show in your area so you can meet and greet other working musicians face to face.
I am not all that experienced but it all makes perfect sense.
If you want to rodeo you shouldnt hang at the mall.

Seems so...I'm lucky to have met some great musicians to play with but to have it as a steady gig it's hard...

JustDrumIn,

Sanshouheil basically told you the truth. EVERY open mic, local, lowlife gig you can get, do it. Get a good list of every place you worked, no matter how small.

Sanshouheil happens to be on the right track! Knows that you must kiss your own ass before you can get others to kiss yours.

I am just starting in the 'Agent' area, but people think they are good enough to get a stadium concert on their first time out.

Then you should go home and suckle! Music is as tough as pro-wrestling. It is a show, are you good enough? You may get your ass whipped!

Do as sanshouheil says, get a resume.

Best of luck, Ron.

Hello JustDrummIn,

Anything good in this life is hard, I mean real hard, It's a very cruel world out there and I am not so sure being a life long musician is a good thing.
It takes a lot of effort, very thick skin, and one heck of a lot of patience.
Set your sites on what it is that you want and go for it, if you want it bad enough you will succeed.

Good luck to you!

Well, imho, if you want to be a "working drummer," you're gonna need a band to play with. I haven't seen any drummer soloists making money, myself.











As far as networking is concerned, you need to be where the music is, as often as possible. Pass out business cards, CD's, get #'s & names & referrals at every opportunity. Music stores, churches, festivals, open mics (even those w/out drums or electric guitars!), coffee shops & houses, local theaters, music studios, if you happen to hear ppl jamming down the street, go & talk to them! As I keep seeing on NBC - "the more you know." More ppl you know, more material you know, more venues you know - it all adds up to help you achieve your goals of getting together with others. Don't just talk to musicians, either. You'd be amazed at how many regular ppl know this guy or that who could lead you to getting where you want to be.

Your chances are much slimmer o/l, from what I've seen, than they are by being out there & being an active participant in the music world. Don't give this o/l stuff up, cuz it could pay up for you, but don't depend on it exclusvely, either.

JustDrumIn wrote:I live in LA, music is my passion... I've been playing for about 6 years now and I have live and studio experience. I know iit's hard to break in the scene but can you give me some advice on networking who I could present my playing to and finding good gigs?

Thanks
Justin

I would say bandmix is a perfect starting point for you. You can post some more of your work on ur profile. Keep chat'n, and look in other areas as well as close to home. These days you can actually have a band on line to work a few tunes out. Then get together when it becomes profitable for the gigs. Most of all keep at the practice'n chops and write'n.

HELLO, I AM A FEMALE CONGO PLAYER WHO HAS BEEN BLESSED I FEEL THAT YOUR ENERGY CAN BE A TOOL TO DRAW THE RIGHT CONNECT
SO I SAY STAY FOCUSED STRONG AND BELIEVE THAT THE BUISNESS IS A JOURNEY AND ENJOY THE RIDE . GODLUCK

J-HALEY wrote:Anything good in this life is hard, I mean real hard!

That's what my wife used to say.

philbymon wrote:Well, imho, if you want to be a "working drummer," you're gonna need a band to play with. I haven't seen any drummer soloists making money, myself.

I grew up around Memphis and in the early 70's, there was a new club called the Expo. It had a huge stage and killer PA. Projector screens on either side of the stage where they played really old black and white cartoons (no sound). Instead of a band, they had one drummer with a killer kit all mic'd up and he played along with all the songs, all good rock n roll. It was a great place to go.

As far as the topic of this thread...if you have the ability, learn to sing while you play. If I had to make a choice between 2 drummers that were equal in all other things but only one sang, I would go with the singing drummer. Everybody else on here seems to have covered the rest. Good luck!

LOL I can see it now..


THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE>.


A solo drummer, beating his brain out to cartoons while they serve booze..

Oh and I bet he'll rap.. LOL

I highly suggest "The Business of Music" available at www.interskillmedia.com in audio book form. It is consice, informative, and entertaining and will assist you in avoiding people and projects which will only waste your valuable time.

what everyone said..

Not just open mics... go to shows, meet other bands, network with EVERYONE, weed out the bullshitters, posers, flakes, etc...

Knowing who is who and what bands are hot, etc.. (but NOT having the know-it-all attitude) in your area is an extremely rewarding enterprise.

I've been seeing as many local bands as possible for the last few months, and the contacts I've made have led to gigs, upwards networking, and valuable experiences.

Other than that, never ever ever talk down about someone - even if you know they are a flake, jerk, whatever. You never know when someone you dissed finds themselves in a position to kick you to the curb in the industry.

yep, what Kramer said..

Think what you like and say significantly less, unless positive.

You will meet alot of people on this journey, make lifetime friends and colleagues, and meet many who are here today and gone tomorrow. While you must make yourselve available, you must also demand professional respect and represent yourself in a professional manner at all times. I would highly recommend "The Business of Music" available in audio form from wwwinterskillmedia.com . It not only offers valuable insights, but warns of "traps" to be leary.

4p - did you write that book or sumpin? You seem to REALLY like it!

Must be a good 'un...I'll look for it at my local bookstores.

Thanks.