Tips on Networking and Gaining Consistent Work

[Aaron]

Hello Janek,

I have started gaining a sense of the great importance of networking, being that the few fairly lucrative gigs I have landed arose primarily from knowing the right people.

I also feel that the networks I have developed were achieved due to luck more than anything else. The modest network I have developed was started by only a handful of people who happened to either be a friend from my hometown, related to me, or happened to be in the audience watching me play.

There are also geographical limitations, as for the past year I've lived in a fairly small city of 70,000-100,000 people. It has allowed me to know a lot of gigging musicians fairly quickly, but the city can't support musicians as bar gigs that pay well only come around about once a month (New Year's, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day...) and private party gigs are rare. I would really like to extend my network geographically without moving from my current location. It is difficult to justify playing many gigs in Seattle as it costs $30-35 in gas to get there and back.

Sorry for the long-windedness. But do you have any advice for a younger player trying to get consistent work- hopefully enough to live off of in the future. Are there any secrets to networking that make "luck" less of a factor? Could forming a career out of music become realistic considering my desire to stay in Bellingham, WA?

Thanks in advance.

[janekbass]

Aaron,

I'm not sure that making a serious living from music will come from staying where you are right now. I don't know much about the place, but i do know it's not on many tour schedules, and there are very few people going there to make records or to start bands. Networking comes from hanging out in the right places. At least successful networking does. And you're going to find that those places are more in large cities like, new york, los angeles, chicago, detroit, atlanta etc....

I'm in NYC, and it pretty much the center of music in this country for many different aspects of the industry. There are arguably more great players here than anywhere else in the world, and therefor a great standard of playing and innovation.

My advice would be to move somewhere with a bigger scene. That's where you're going to be able to network and meet like minded people who want to play music with you. There is a huge amount of luck in some people's careers, and quite often that luck is enhanced by being around more people and therfor giving yourself the chance to meet more people and get a break.

I hope it all works out.

Easy,

Janek

[Aaron]

Thanks-

I've found that for a town of its size, Bellingham does pick up some significant traffic from major artists touring, primarily those going from Seattle to Vancouver, or vice versa. There have been some major artists and groups from here- Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse come to mind, but like those groups, most bands and artists that start to achieve some "stardom" eventually move to a bigger city. I'm not sure if Bellingham is a "farm team" for music or what.