Once upon a time, blogs were invented, and I thought to myself, "I have nothing to blog about... and most of these people blogging, don't really have anything worth saying either." But then I fell down the rabbit hole of music and self promotion. As I struggle to comprehend some of what is happening out there and what actually defines success, I feel the need to start some dialogue with my fellow musicians and fans.
I have always been a shy person without the construct of some form of art to hide behind. I love sharing music, art, writing and any form of expression that moves me, and so I put myself out there from time to time in order to do that. But I've never been the sort that wants everyone to "LOOK AT ME!!!" I would much rather hide in the character played by an actress or behind my instrument or the persona of hostess/mc running open mic, or fronting a band. None of that, is actually about me. It's about the art. But I am still human, and have ego and it struggles to find peace just like everyone else. So here I am, sharing a part of my journey, in hopes that we may start a conversation, a civil discourse. I will tell you about things that I am learning or struggling to understand, or maybe think we can all figure out a better way to do, and maybe together, we can help each other become better at this whole thing called life.
For the past few years I have played out as a professional musician at least a couple of times a week in addition to working a couple of serving jobs that gave me the flexibility to allow for music. In January of 2017, after staying in a job I hated for far too long, I tried to make a go of it full time with the music. With the help of friends and family and a VERY patient landlord, I was able to survive. Barely, & with so much pressure on every dollar earned fear began to kill all creativity and funneled all my energy into management/booking/promotion. (Because, what better way to feed your fear and insecurity than to stare at Facebook all day and call it "work"?)
After about 4 months of going solely on the music (4 months of feeling like a loser having to let my boyfriend and family pick up the slack & help keep me fed) I finally decided to get a serving job that promised daytime hours so there was no conflict with my music. Well this was some bullshit, and didn't last for more than a few weeks before they were just forgetting to schedule me at all because I had requested off 3 nights that week for music. When summer in Phoenix hit, I was drowning financially. The new serving job was not nearly as lucrative as the two others I had quit at the end of last year, so I have traded it for a call center right now. It is teaching me how to cold call, and that is likely the biggest reason I was not booking enough gigs. I hate picking up the phone and calling a stranger and trying to convince them to give me money. I am not a fan of that. But as my own booker and manager, I have no choice. It's a necessary evil. Depending on email alone has shown to keep me limited to a couple shows a week and I can't seem to break past that, so I hope this will be helpful.
But I learned a lot in the few months I got to focus solely on the music. I look forward to the next time my finances are in a place where I can do that again. At the time, I took the leap before I was ready. I did not yet have the infrastructure to really do any of it well. Most of all, I had no savings. But I also had no real product to sell at shows- especially solo shows -no cds, t-shirts etc. I had some band t-shirts for Ghost Cat Attack but it was rare we sold any, and I often gave them away to say thank you for other support fans have given us. I have no albums to sell, no solo merch, just some cards and a website with links to songs that I don't think are good enough recordings to sell. I only have them up online for booking gigs. I also don't have a very impressive set up. No lights, or fancy rugs or loopers/FX= I have a small little amp that gets the job done but it doesn't sound as good as a quality PA. I also have been without a car for longer than I'd like to admit, this also doesn't help expenses and also forces me to keep my set up small for convenience as I have to lyft or uber to every gig.
Now this might seem like a list of excuses, but as I started to notice how my friends who were getting paid the bigger $$ gigs were doing it, I realized I need to invest more $ into my project if I have any hope of a decent ROI. The fact is, being a quality musician is only half the battle. In order to really impress the bigger $ venues, quality tools are key. Quality product is not just getting a decent album to sell, it is also the sound, (and lights) that go a long way towards being "impressive" to the eye$ of a business owners looking to capitalize on your set up. The key in entertainment, is to be polished. I will probably always tend toward fewer toys and extravagances when it comes to gear, but I am really due for an upgrade if I want to take things to the next level. I have one friend who brings an oriental rug to every gig, and I think it is really a nice touch. Setting the stage and holding space for the vibrations you want to bring to the venue is key.
So for now I am pulling back and regrouping... Saving $$ and getting ready to record a solo album while I look for a new drummer for Ghost Cat Attack. While I focus on getting financial stability and prepare for recording. I am still available for gigs, but I'm taking a break from actively trying to book anything other than studio time and maybe some benefit shows.
In the meantime, let's chat....
If you are a (relatively) full time musician, how many hours a day, do you spend on booking? (calling, emailing, texting, etc)
How many gigs do you need per week to pay the bills and live comfortably?
Do you find it is easy to reach this number? Is it easy to sustain?
What are some of the obstacles you run into most commonly?
In your experience, what are the most common and/or easiest ways to find gigs?
What ratio of your income comes from merch sales vs. gig $ (venue's payment +tips)?
Since you went full time, has your writing and creativity increased or decreased?
Do you have any advice or encouragement for fellow musicians?
How do YOU define success?
I would love to hear from you. Either in comments below or you can email me personally at ghostcatattackaz@gmail.com
I have always been a shy person without the construct of some form of art to hide behind. I love sharing music, art, writing and any form of expression that moves me, and so I put myself out there from time to time in order to do that. But I've never been the sort that wants everyone to "LOOK AT ME!!!" I would much rather hide in the character played by an actress or behind my instrument or the persona of hostess/mc running open mic, or fronting a band. None of that, is actually about me. It's about the art. But I am still human, and have ego and it struggles to find peace just like everyone else. So here I am, sharing a part of my journey, in hopes that we may start a conversation, a civil discourse. I will tell you about things that I am learning or struggling to understand, or maybe think we can all figure out a better way to do, and maybe together, we can help each other become better at this whole thing called life.
For the past few years I have played out as a professional musician at least a couple of times a week in addition to working a couple of serving jobs that gave me the flexibility to allow for music. In January of 2017, after staying in a job I hated for far too long, I tried to make a go of it full time with the music. With the help of friends and family and a VERY patient landlord, I was able to survive. Barely, & with so much pressure on every dollar earned fear began to kill all creativity and funneled all my energy into management/booking/promotion. (Because, what better way to feed your fear and insecurity than to stare at Facebook all day and call it "work"?)
After about 4 months of going solely on the music (4 months of feeling like a loser having to let my boyfriend and family pick up the slack & help keep me fed) I finally decided to get a serving job that promised daytime hours so there was no conflict with my music. Well this was some bullshit, and didn't last for more than a few weeks before they were just forgetting to schedule me at all because I had requested off 3 nights that week for music. When summer in Phoenix hit, I was drowning financially. The new serving job was not nearly as lucrative as the two others I had quit at the end of last year, so I have traded it for a call center right now. It is teaching me how to cold call, and that is likely the biggest reason I was not booking enough gigs. I hate picking up the phone and calling a stranger and trying to convince them to give me money. I am not a fan of that. But as my own booker and manager, I have no choice. It's a necessary evil. Depending on email alone has shown to keep me limited to a couple shows a week and I can't seem to break past that, so I hope this will be helpful.
But I learned a lot in the few months I got to focus solely on the music. I look forward to the next time my finances are in a place where I can do that again. At the time, I took the leap before I was ready. I did not yet have the infrastructure to really do any of it well. Most of all, I had no savings. But I also had no real product to sell at shows- especially solo shows -no cds, t-shirts etc. I had some band t-shirts for Ghost Cat Attack but it was rare we sold any, and I often gave them away to say thank you for other support fans have given us. I have no albums to sell, no solo merch, just some cards and a website with links to songs that I don't think are good enough recordings to sell. I only have them up online for booking gigs. I also don't have a very impressive set up. No lights, or fancy rugs or loopers/FX= I have a small little amp that gets the job done but it doesn't sound as good as a quality PA. I also have been without a car for longer than I'd like to admit, this also doesn't help expenses and also forces me to keep my set up small for convenience as I have to lyft or uber to every gig.
Now this might seem like a list of excuses, but as I started to notice how my friends who were getting paid the bigger $$ gigs were doing it, I realized I need to invest more $ into my project if I have any hope of a decent ROI. The fact is, being a quality musician is only half the battle. In order to really impress the bigger $ venues, quality tools are key. Quality product is not just getting a decent album to sell, it is also the sound, (and lights) that go a long way towards being "impressive" to the eye$ of a business owners looking to capitalize on your set up. The key in entertainment, is to be polished. I will probably always tend toward fewer toys and extravagances when it comes to gear, but I am really due for an upgrade if I want to take things to the next level. I have one friend who brings an oriental rug to every gig, and I think it is really a nice touch. Setting the stage and holding space for the vibrations you want to bring to the venue is key.
So for now I am pulling back and regrouping... Saving $$ and getting ready to record a solo album while I look for a new drummer for Ghost Cat Attack. While I focus on getting financial stability and prepare for recording. I am still available for gigs, but I'm taking a break from actively trying to book anything other than studio time and maybe some benefit shows.
In the meantime, let's chat....
If you are a (relatively) full time musician, how many hours a day, do you spend on booking? (calling, emailing, texting, etc)
How many gigs do you need per week to pay the bills and live comfortably?
Do you find it is easy to reach this number? Is it easy to sustain?
What are some of the obstacles you run into most commonly?
In your experience, what are the most common and/or easiest ways to find gigs?
What ratio of your income comes from merch sales vs. gig $ (venue's payment +tips)?
Since you went full time, has your writing and creativity increased or decreased?
Do you have any advice or encouragement for fellow musicians?
How do YOU define success?
I would love to hear from you. Either in comments below or you can email me personally at ghostcatattackaz@gmail.com
I honor your raw vulnerability as you share your story and bare your soul. I feel your dedication to your music and purpose, knowing you are succeeding, even if it hasn't fit your pictures. I see your great strength of endurance and applaud your tenacity!! I want to say, simply, "THAT'S MY GIRL!!", but I cannot take the credit. The credit and work is all you, Baby!! I can only stand back, smiling, being proud of you, glad for you, believing in you and cheer. Love, Always your Fan, and more...Aunt Nee'
ReplyDeleteThanks Auntie!! Your support has helped keep me going in so many ways. I love you!
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