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After attending countless artist showcases through the years as a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, I've decided to touch on some practical ideas that will help promote your artist career and give you an increased chance at a possible record deal. After exploring much of the information available online, I determined to stay with easily grasped concepts and ideas that would help artists avoid some of the common mistakes.
First let's make it clear that not every act deserves an artist showcase, at least not in the light of pandering to record labels in an ongoing campaign to secure a record deal. If you've read any of my articles, you know I try to tell it like it is and so once again, I will not shy away from the truth that not every artist deserves an outlet to showcase their “talent.” The reason is not simply because the band is no good, but because maybe there is not a maturity or serious quality from the members or a definitive goal in place that everyone is rallying around. Other reasons may include lack of a unique playing quality or an act that is simply playing cover tunes. Let's talk about cover tunes for a minute.
Don't play cover tunes unless they are specifically asked for, or unless you are a cover band playing wedding gigs, etc. If you are truly looking to get a record deal, then showcase your own music. This notion that your audience can relate to you and your band simply because you are playing music that everyone knows is false and misguided logic. Would you have cared, the first time you heard one of your favorite groups, that you knew any of the material – I bet not. You were so into the music and groove you wanted to hear more and buy the record. You think of big groups today that at one point were nobody, and just imagine hearing them for the first time, would it have mattered? – I bet I'm right again. Moral of the story, play your own music.
Before you begin to look at the possibility of a showcase, look at your objectives. Each showcase doesn't necessarily have to be about the record deal, but that should certainly be your ultimate objective and therefore, everything that you bring to the table ought to encompass and revolve around that goal. For example, you might showcase a particular groove and set of songs, which you would like to take out on the track and test. Is the audience really digging it or is it not you. Likewise, you can showcase for a lesser goal, but yet an important stepping stone to a record deal signing like pushing upcoming events or visibility to obtain additional bookings, etc.
As you start planning a showcase, who will attend? – Friends or will music industry personnel be present? Each artist showcase ought to be driven by a marketing approach. Do you have an artist logo, professional bios, pictures and press kits made? These can not be a “friend of the group did it for us,” looking press kits. They have to shine and look pro like music industry individuals are already in play and are looking at your act. Don't overlook these elements. You might check out artist press kits, bios and press blurb writing at ReelMusician.com.
How will you go about promoting your showcase? You have to look beyond stapling flyers to telephone polls, etc. Have you thought about creating a jingle or station ID or local radio personality piece for free in hopes that you will get some radio and TV exposure? You ought to look at local radio stations and write a mix according to the style of the station and your band – see if you can't get some promotion that way. Cable TV advertising is fairly inexpensive. You might consider going in with everyone in the band and buying some advertising from cable or local TV stations.
If you don't already have it, and I'm sure most do, get your web site up and going and make sure that you have a page for upcoming events along with pictures, bio, contact page. Websites do not have to be expensive. You can get your website hosted for $5 - $10 a month. You most likely won't get a lot of traffic, but you will get credibility with the public and within the music industry crowd – This will prove to be invaluable later on down the road.
What will your showcase consist of and what can you do to stand out from the crowd? Your act needs to look like they've been at this for years with a comfort level exuding from who the band is. How long is the showcase? You've heard the old expression, always leave the crowd wanting to hear more. Far better to do a rather short showcase with knock out tunes then a lengthy, drawn out, can't wait to get out of there, gig. Work with your song lineup and tweak the number and length of your set at rehearsal until it feels right. Have everything figured right up front. Who's going to speak when and try to hit all of the “what ifs,” as much as you can. You want this showcase to “wow” the listeners and create some momentum and energy.
Re-think your image and make sure that it matches who you are. People are not that stupid and can almost immediately recognize when an image is forced and manipulated and not natural to the group. Better to have a natural image, true to who you are, than an image that you think just has to go with your style of music.
In closing, make each and every showcase count, with calculated marketing and a thought through line-up so when the music industry execs start showing up, they have something to go back to the office with!
Have you ever wondered what exactly artist development is, what it's not and why acts need it? With all of the artist press kits, new artist showcases and cd,s that I've either attended, listened to, or was asked to evaluate, I can tell you that not many young artists understand what artist development is. You would think with the age of the internet and instant access to vital information for artists to chew on and utilize, that there would be a better understanding out there, but there really isn't. It's unfortunate for so many and I guess fortunate for a few, that so many really don't know the ins and outs to even get their foot in the door, but let's face it, not everyone's a go getter or even minimally motivated for that matter. So what does it take to get your music listened to and then further looked at for a possible management deal or record contract? In this short article, I will attempt to look at a few concepts that should give you some insight and serve to move you in the right direction.
The first concept is fairly easy to grasp, but few do so. And that is, don't follow the road most traveled. Most who make it in the business certainly have their story to tell, but each individual will more than likely give you a completely different background to their attainment of success. If you travel with the crowd where you have to communicate with a certain “vibe” or role that you must uphold, then you're in the wrong crowd following the wrong definition of what will get you to your artist deal. If you look at multiple individuals who have made it in their perspective careers you will hear stories that don't sound anything like the crowd you might be running with. Think about that the next time you are reading some biography of some famous individual and see if that idea doesn't hold true.
Your role in the artist development showdown is going to have to be one of being prepared. You know how many artist press kits, bios, and cd,s that I have sorted through and wondered and still do, if people are just not putting any effort into it or are they just clueless or just plain some of both? In order to gain access to the heavyweights in the music business, you will have to have a genuine look of already obtained success. This comes from demos that are “knock your socks off” good, from press kits that really create an image, that specifically being yours, and a marketing approach that says “We have arrived.” How do you do all of that? Well at ReelMusician.com we always make it our priority to make sure that any press kit or master quality song demo is top notch – no excuses, just top notch. We do that by simply using the best and so should you. We have partnered with Chris Huston on master quality song demos. Chris Huston, and you probably already know the name has engineered and/or produced War, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Blood, Sweat & Tears, James Brown, Van Morrison, Eric Burden, Mitch Ryder, The Rascals, Wilson Pickett, and we haven't even mentioned probably another 40 -50 top name acts. Get the picture? If you want to gain attention from music business insiders, than you will have to look like you have already arrived. If you are genuinely trying to put your best foot forward in regards to your press kit or song demos, don't hesitate to contact us at ReelMusician.com for any questions. We will be glad to look at what you are doing and see how you can get there.
So while on the surface it might look like that artist development is a company taking a potential artist and working with them throughout the artist development process, it's really you taking control of your career by implementing key artist development processes and connecting the dots on the front end. Who else do you think is going to do this – some magical and powerful music exec who knows nothing about you is just all of a sudden going to notice that you haven't really been doing a darn thing about your career, but he or she is just going to say the word and bam you're a star? Let's get real. You are the key to artist development from the start and throughout. Nobody knows your styles, your look, your comfort levels with certain styles of music, stage image than you. Anybody can be an expert in this field, but nobody knows you like you – So get involved in your own artist development.
Start by taking inventory of who you are as a person, what you like and don't like. Does your image on stage measure up and convey who you are or is it a fake front where many can see through the forced imaging? I don't know I'm just asking questions. What does your music and image look like together. Are they a match or do you need to fine tune a few areas. Is your press kit conveying who you are? Is your press kit professional? You can't afford to let two areas of your artist career take second place and that is your artist demo and press kit. To be honest, it's been our experience at ReelMusician.com, that most don't really know how to put together an artist press kit. Most artists try to emulate and recycle what's already out there and don't really have the first clue to an effective artist press kit. Artist press kits are really marketing tools and just like there are marketing experts within any given company, you really should go to the experts for this piece of artist development. Don't hesitate to contact us at ReelMusician.com should you have any questions on artist press kits or anything else for that matter. We just want to see you succeed.
In closing, and I know that this is a difficult area for many young artists, but look at your strengths and weaknesses, devise a plan, make the needed corrections, call us if you need to with any questions, and fine tune and implement the needed changes to secure the attention that you will need from music business insiders.