September 13, 2019 When it comes to being in a band, it isn’t uncommon for one person to feel as though they are doing the majority of the work. While band leaders often spearhead most projects and communique, this role can take its toll on the band and lead to issues down the road. With the help of the following four tools, every band member can better organize their group.
September 10, 2019 Whether you’re a festival organizer or simply cobbling together a basement show at the last minute (but please don’t) there are certain practices when working with mid-level or less well known acts that will help build goodwill and make sure the performance goes off smoothly.
September 4, 2019 Performing can be an incredibly strenuous task. Though touring musicians might think that all they have to do is simply get up on stage each night, performing night after night is actually a great way to seriously hurt your voice and body in the long run. Even if you’re not on tour, it is important to have warm up and cool down exercises for before and after the show so you can stay focused and consistent in the days after. Since you’re likely already familiar with many different ways to warm up, here are four tips on how to relax after a big show:
August 23, 2019 You’ve got your sticks, picks, and kicks, and it’s time to get on the road to show the world your tricks. Your drummer is jazzed, your guitarist is electrified, and the passion is through the roof. But before you step out your door with your gear in hand, make sure you’ve thought about some key ingredients for tour success.
August 21, 2019 Life on the road sounds like a dream come true. For all of the romantic overtones, though, the cold, hard truth is traveling on a regular basis can be downright exhausting. That’s why it’s important to head out on tour with a plan in place.
There are many basic things you can do in order to keep yourself up and running — like sleeping well, eating healthy, and so on. However, sometimes a bit of focused self-care is required in order to truly thrive while cooped up in a vehicle and sleeping in strange places for days on end.
If you’re on the road (or soon will be) and are looking for some ways to help keep your health strong and your spirits up, look no further. Here are some tips and tricks to keep yourself in tip-top condition while on the road.
Advice, Going on Tour, Safety, Touring tagged lifestyle, self care, self improvement, touring August 8, 2019 For most musicians, heading out on the road comes with the territory. You get the chance to spread your sound far and wide and hopefully pick up some new fans along the way. But touring isn’t all fun and games; long stretches on the road can take a significant toll on your mental and physical health.
Advice, DIY, Touring tagged health, health care, healthy lifestyle, musician health July 17, 2019 When you’re getting paid to travel the country (or the world!) to play music, you might think the “rockstar” lifestyle is the way to go. But even the most successful professional musicians are quick to say how important it is to stay healthy on tour. Ultimately, performing every night is the easy part. Getting enough rest, sustaining your energy, and staying healthy while you’re cramped inside a tour bus on long drives is harder.
Advice, Live Music, Touring tagged band tour, eating healthy, exercise, high energy July 9, 2019 For many musicians, the ability to go on tour is the dream. It means seeing and sharing your music with the world. It represents a level of commitment to success and adventure that can lead to stardom.
Unfortunately, touring also means spending incredibly long hours cramped into a small space with a handful of other people. It can lead to a caged-up feeling that drives some artists crazy and saps their creative potential. Further, it can lead to quite a bit of potential illness, which can have a serious impact on your ability to perform well.
June 13, 2019 With income related to live performances accounting for 60-80% of most musicians incomes, it has never been more important to build and sustain a touring career. Grassroots Touring, a new course authored by music industry veteran Bruce Houghton, is designed to teach just that.
Houghton is the editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and the president of the Skyline Artists Agency and a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown.
During the 12 week college level course, which debuts with the July summer semester, the students will explore how to launch a touring career from scratch. They’ll learn how to create a memorable live performance; book, negotiate, and market only the right shows; capture a loyal fan base; tour regionally and nationally and build a success story that helps expand their entire career.
There’s more info online here.
http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/berklee-online-adds-grassroots-touring-course.html
June 3, 2019 Guest post by Gideon Waxman. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper
Being an independent touring musician might seem like a dream job for many. But the truth is that it’s not quite as glamorous as it’s made out to be, and the early stages of touring for an artist or band can be tough and grueling.
The fees aren’t great, and if you’re lucky to sell out of merchandise while on the road, that might just be your biggest source of income for the tour. In order to maximize your earnings you will need to minimize your spending. As the old English proverb says: “look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves.” Instilling good spending habits will allow a band to continue to grow while being financially sustainable.
May 13, 2019 Guest post by Patrick McGuire of Soundfly’s Flypaper
When musicians set out to dominate the world with their music, they usually envision playing to sold-out stadiums and amphitheaters of screaming fans, not living rooms in front of only a handful of attentive listeners. But believe it or not, for lots of artists, house shows end up being more beneficial and sustainable than ones played at traditional venues, and organizations like Sofa Concerts are trying to connect more artists with even more opportunities to everyone’s benefit.
If you’re an indie touring musician who’s used to a certain type of environment, and you still need some convincing, here are six great reasons why you should play more house shows.
April 24, 2019 Hitting the road and taking your band on tour is exciting. Whether this is your first tour and you’re still getting your feet wet or you’re veterans of the road, it’s important to make sure you stick to a budget so you can get to your designated performance locations with ease (and have a little fun along the way).
Playing music professionally is actually more of an investment than people tend to think. Until you reach “rockstar status” or you have a record label paying for your travel expenses, most of the money spent on a tour will come out of your own pocket.
April 1, 2019 Guest post by Willa B.
Recently, my band, Storm the Palace, did a weekend tour in England, in the London area. The whole thing offered some good general takeaways for getting the most out of a short space of time when you don’t have much money, being your own PR machine, and utilising the differences inherent to every venue.
March 29, 2019 Remember: the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a final rule to implement section 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-95, 49 U.S.C. §41724) regarding the carriage of musical instruments as carry-on baggage or checked baggage on commercial passenger flights operated by air carriers. The final rule does not change the earlier provisions of the Act, but mercifully puts a period at the end of the sentence: “Section 403 of the Act and this final rule provide that “carriers are required to allow passengers to stow their musical instruments in an approved stowage area in the cabin only if at the time the passenger boards the aircraft such stowage space is available.”
