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Monthly Archives: December 2011
Should Our Band Incorporate?
The simple answer is probably not. The more complex answer is, again like many things, depends on your situation. Let me run through some scenarios that are most likely and you can find which fits you best. Continue reading
Merry Christmas
From all of us here at Just For Bands…to all of you who go out there and bust your butts to make music of all kinds for all kinds of people… MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Go have a great Christmas with your … Continue reading
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Being in a Band is Worse Than Being Married
In a marriage, there is 1 person to deal with and try to see eye to eye on things. What makes the band worse is most likely there are 3 or more other people in your band that you have to interact with, care about, compromise with, become friends with, etc. All under the guise of using your creative talents to bring about some type of mission that you’ve previously agreed on. As if artists aren’t cranky enough as it is (I know, I am one). Continue reading
A Checklist Can Save Your Life
The best way to get your checklist going is to sit down and think of all the things you can that you’ve ever brought to a show that you’ve used. Then when you have some spare time between now and the next show, use your pre-made checklist and do a mock packup. Pretend you have a show and pack for that. When you see you’ve forgotten something, write it down so it will be on your checklist. Continue reading
Your Mission if You Choose to Accept It
I like to read and one of the books I read most recently was “Entreleadership” by Dave Ramsey. Great read if you want to really understand how to start and run a small business. And let’s face it, if you’re trying to make money with your music, you’re running a small business. Continue reading
Use the Click
As a person who lives and breathes the mechanics of music, I found some principles that I tried to apply to all the groups I played with. The first is that the lead singer leads the group. They are the rudder to the ship that is your live show. You watch your lead singer for changes and interaction with the crowds. The 2nd is that the drummer is the engine. He determines the speed at which you play. A good drummer can keep it in the pocket, get a nice groove and make sure the rest of the band has the foundation to sit upon. Continue reading
How Much Should I Charge for a Show?
The break-even analysis is a simple formula for figuring out at which point you will be making as much as you spend. This can vary by gig so you can figure it out per gig, but I like to try to do it for each year and then refine it as the months go by just to be sure we’re on target for making our music career profitable. Continue reading
Don’t Ever Write a Song for Radio
When you write a song for radio and start performing it live on stage, you don’t have anything other than the radio song you wrote. What happens when that song isn’t accepted at radio? What happens if that song IS accepted at radio and becomes a huge mass radio hit? Yeah, people come to your show, hear the same song and wonder why they paid $10 to hear what they could hear on the radio for free or pay $0.99 to download it and listen whenever they want. Continue reading
Where does the money come from?
You’re in a band…and we’re assuming that somewhere deep down inside, there is part of you that is doing this for the money. You want to get paid to do what you love most. Continue reading
