Red Hook Jazz Festival in June

Posted on May 7, 2012 at 6:23 am

Dates have been announced for the 5th Annual Red Hook Jazz Festival 2012: Sunday, June 10 and Sunday June 17.

The line-up includes

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

Max Johnson Trio
Max Johnson, bass
Kirk Knuffke, trumpet
Jeff Davis, drums

The Flail
Dan Blankinship, trumpet
Stephan Moutot, saxophone
Brian Marsella, piano
Reid Taylor, bass
Matt Zebroski, drums

Nick Gianni’s Evolution
Nick Gianni, saxophones, flute
Rick Bottari, keyboards
On Ka’a Davis, guitar
John Trent, bass
Dalius Naujo, drums

Hot Cup Chili Pepper 7 (aka: Mostly Other People Do the Killing + 3)
Peter Evans, trumpet
Jon Irabagon, saxophones
Dave Taylor, trombone
Brandon Seabrook, banjo
Ron Stabinsky, piano
Moppa Elliott, bass
Kevin Shea, drums

Travis Sullivan’s BJORKESTRA
Travis Sullivan, saxophones
Shayna Steele, vocals
Ian Cook, laptop
Sean Nowell, tenor sax
Lauren Sevian, baritone sax
Ravi Best, trumpet
Eli Asher, trumpet
Alan Ferber, trombone
Andy Hunter, trombone
Art Hirahara, piano
Yoshi Waki, bass
Joe Abbatantuono, drums

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Rick Parker Collective
Rick Parker, trombone
Yayoi Ikawa, keyboards
John O’Gallagher, saxophone
Sean Conly, bass
Ziv Ravitz, drums

Harris Eisenstadt’s Canada Day Octet
Nate Wooley, trumpet
Matt Bauder, saxophone
Chris Dingman, vibraphone
Garth Stevenson, bass
Ray Anderson, trombone
Jason Mears, alto saxophone
Joe Daley, tuba

SPOKE
Andy Hunter, trombone
Dan Loomis, bass
Justin Wood, saxophone
Danny Fischer, drums

Nate Wooley Quintet
Nate Wooley, trumpet
Matt Moran, vibes
Eivind Opsvik, bass
Harris Eisenstadt, drums

Mike Baggetta Quartet
Mike Baggetta, guitar
Jason Rigby, saxophone
Eivind Opsvik, bass
George Schuller, drums

The team at the festival have also started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to fund the festival.  Here is some more information about that:

Modern & Experimental Jazz, Trad, Post bop, Funk & Beyond… We have been organizing the the Red Hook Jazz Festival in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY for the past four years.  We have had some of the greatest upcoming jazz musicians to perform at the festival which has an audience of around 300 per show;  Thus far we have organized this festival without any funding.   Because of this we always fall short in resources to pay these great musicians what they really truly deserve.  We have additional expenses like the sound system, the stage, equipment and flyers that we also need to raise money to pay for.  Additional revenue is needed to enhance our outreach efforts, professionalize this two day festival which brings together many families and exposes children (who attend for free accompanied by an adult) to one of the greatest American inventions– Jazz.

Past performers at the Red Hook Jazz Festival have included: Oscar Noriega, Kirk Knuffke, Jonathan Goldberger, Jeff Davis, Michael Atias, James Carney, Stephane Wremble, Tom Rainey, Ingrid Laubrock,Tony Malaby, Chris Lightcap, Dan Weiss,  Chris Lightcap, Chris Cheek, Craig Taborn, Gerald Cleaver, Todd Sickafoose, Mike Gamble, John Ellis, Ralph Alessi, Dan Loomis, Alan Ferber, Ches Smith, Marco Cappelli, Ben Perwosky, Paul Kogut, Sheryl Bailey, Nick Gianni, On Davis, Dave Sewelson and many, many others…

In the setting of the beautiful Urban Meadow on President Street – all our efforts and any money raised go to directly to the musicians who donate their time and talent and ongoing improvements and beautification of the cooperatively run Meadow. (The Urban Meadow is located at the intersection of VanBrunt and President Streets in Red Hook)

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/150612466/red-hook-jazz-festival-2012-brooklyn-ny

Java Jazz Festival Announces Line-Up

Posted on January 30, 2012 at 2:46 am

Make sure that Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012, scheduled for this upcoming 2, 3, 4 March, is a fixture in your event calendar for 2012.

Pat Metheny, David Sanborn, Al Jarreau, George Duke Trio, Bobby McFerrin, Medesky Martin & Wood, Robert Randolph, Ron Carter, Carl Allen, Quincy Jones Presents: Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Mamas Gun, Manhattan Transfer, Dave Koz, Sheila E. & Family, Poncho Sanches Latin Jazz Band, Duwende, Joey DeFranscesco, Barry White Show & the Pleasure Unlimited Orchestra, Juilliard Jazz Quartet, Chris Standring, Depapepe, Swing Out Sister, Laura Fygi, Rodney Whitaker and Soil and Pimp Session are few international names confirmed to perform. Coming soon are an array of other names presently under the process of being confirmed to attend Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012.

This coming 2012 will be the eighth edition of Djarum Super Mild Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival. From year to year, Java Festival Production (JFP) continues in its endeavors to bring forth world jazz figures. After a number of past proposals, for the festival’s eighth year, names such as Pat Metheny, David Sanborn and Bobby McFerrin are confirmed to greet and wow JJF goers. Pat Metheny is due to perform with his trio.

Bobby McFerrin, known for the song “Don’t Worry Be Happy” is one of the most legendary vocalists. His vocal prowess is astounding, ranging from the common, vocalese, scatting to impersonating the instruments and sound like an orchestra. Moreover, for his upcoming visit to the festival, Bobby McFerrin will be accompanied by his son Taylor McFerrin, who happens to be a beatboxer.

Ron Carter, Carl Allen, Rodney Whitaker, Joey DeFrancesco and Juilliard Jazz Quartet are due to intensify the jazz concoction of the festival. A tinge of Latin will be presented by Sheila E. & Family and Poncho Sanches Latin Jazz Band. For those who prefer a stronger groove on a foundation of potent soul-funk, be prepared to feast upon Medesky Martin & Wood, Soul and Pimp Session, Mamas Gun, and Robert Randolph.

The Best of Indonesian Musicians Still taking place at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012 will be an opportunity for Indonesian musicians to showcase their prowess to their individual enthusiasts, in addition to the international musicians. As proven from the previous editions of the festival, international musicians interest in catching the performances of Indonesian musicians continue to escalate. It is not rare for the Indonesian musicians to receive compliments. As the previous editions, JFP will also prepare a special collaboration between Indonesian and international musicians.

Since Indonesian musicians nowadays are becoming more frequent in performing at various local jazz festivals and also collaborating in jam sessions, in addition to launching their albums, an event of caliber such Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012 will be the pinnacle opportunity for them to give the best of their creativity. Undoubtedly, each group will compete to attract festival goers to fill the area in which they are performing. Aside from being the largest jazz festival in Indonesia, and one of the largest in the world, Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012 is the venue for Indonesian groups to steal the attention of the world.

As of early this month, an array of names are already included in the wish list of the Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012′s program team, who are working hard to filter groups who are ready to give their best. Special projects are also being formulated, including a tribute to pay respect to Indonesian musicians who have passed.

Eight Years of Java Jazz As a tradition, this year Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012 with Universal Music Indonesia will launch its own special CD as a compilation of some of the world’s most soothing sounds from international musicians. The launching of ‘Eight Years of Java Jazz’ compilation CD will also mark the eight years history of Java Jazz Festival. This most-awaited CD will be released to public during and after the event Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012.

Jazzin’ up Your Life The world won’t stop revolving. It is impossible to pause from daily routines. Please bear in mind, Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz Festival 2012 is happening at JIExpo Kemayoran on 2, 3, 4 March 2012. Revel in the wonders of jazz. Nothing is more delightful than being gratified to treat oneself with the beauty of man-made art.

If you want to be booked for this festival and are a member of GetJazzGigs.com go to http://www.getjazzgigs.com/2010/09/jakarta-int-java-jazz-festival-2/

Detroit Jazz Festival

Posted on August 10, 2011 at 10:59 pm

Festival organizers have announced the lineup for the 32nd annual Detroit Jazz Festival, Friday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 5, in downtown Detroit.

Subtitled “We Bring You the World,” the Detroit Jazz Festival will celebrate jazz’s influence on the world and the world’s influence on jazz.

“Jazz is America’s most significant artistic export to the world, and it’s fun and interesting to hear the spin that other cultures take on it,” said Terri Pontremoli, executive and artistic director, Detroit Jazz Festival. “While it can be argued that the festival literally brings the world to Detroit year after year, there is a definite international flair in 2011.” Slated are: Amina Figarova from the Netherlands, Luciana Souza, Ivan Lins and Vinicius Cantuária from Brazil, Toots Thielemans from Belgium, Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Anat Cohen from Israel, Paquito D’Rivera from Cuba, Vertical Engine from Japan and first-generation Indian Americans Vijay Iyer and Sachal Vasandani. The premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force, the U.S. Air Force Airmen of Note, will make their first Detroit Jazz Festival appearance since 1997, the Sun Ra Arkestra will take us off the planet momentarily, and some of the best in jazz – Dave Holland Octet, Joe Lovano Us 5, the New Gary Burton Quartet with Julian Lage, Scott Colley & Antonio Sanchez, Steve Wilson and Wilsonian’s Grain, Helen Sung – “Sung with Words” with Carolyn Leonhardt, Tony Monaco Trio, Warren Wolf & WOLFPAC, Sean Jones Quintet, Kevin Eubanks, Anthony Wilson Trio, and Jason Moran & the Bandwagon – will thrill the perennially-hip Detroit jazz audience.

CONTACT THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THIS FESTIVAL THROUGH GETJAZZGIGS.COM BY CLICKING HERE

Opening night, Sept. 2, will be a true extravaganza, with “Sing the Truth” featuring Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright honoring the legacies of Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln and Odetta. This amazing group of vocalists will be joined by Detroit pianist Geri Allen, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist James Genus and Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. “Sing the Truth” – a special production that honors great women in jazz, folk, r&b, gospel and the blues, is making just three appearances in North America, and only one of those performances, the one in Detroit, is free.

As has been the tradition over the past several years, Detroit’s storied jazz legacy will remain front and center, with violinist Regina Carter’s West African project featuring Malian kora player, Yacouba Sissoko. Trombonist Curtis Fuller will come home with a young and exciting band, and tributes to Detroit’s Goldkette Orchestra (by Josh Dufee & his Orchestra) and J.C. Heard (by a group of Heard alumni led by Walt Symanski) will celebrate Detroit big bands from the 20’s to the 60’s. The Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra will perform the big band music of renowned bassist/composer Christian McBride with special guests. While a few 90-year old legends such as Dave Brubeck and Toots Thielemans will perform their timeless material, new voices such as Champion Fulton and 11-year old blues guitarist Ray Goren, (aka Guitar Ray) will make Detroit Jazz Festival debuts.

As the drum is the original instrument in most cultures, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts was appointed 2011 Detroit Jazz Festival artist in residence. The dynamic drummer will heat things up on opening night with a star-studded “Drum Club” featuring Joe Locke, Susie Ibarra, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez and Pedro Martinez. Throughout the weekend, “Tain” will be seen on several stages – with his own band, with Michigan State University’s Jazz Orchestra, and in the Jazz Talk Tent presented by St. John Providence Health System, telling stories and being in the hot seat for DownBeat’s Blindfold Test.

But its not ALL jazz! Come Monday Gospel programming on Labor Day will feature The Steeles, Lowell Pye, and Detroit’s own award-winning gospel choirs S.O.G. and the Second Ebenezer Majestic Voices. The “Ambassador of the Blues,” Deacon Jones, will bring his Blues Revue to Detroit for a festival first. A performance by vocalist Chuck Jackson is a nod to Motown and its fans, and festival-goers will be out of their seats dancing to the Caribbean and urban American blend of one of the world’s pioneering funk groups, Mandrill. Rahsaan Patterson will bring out the R&B crowd, and Richie Goods and Nuclear Fusion will rock it out. Latin night, Sunday, Sept. 4, will feature Sammy Figueroa’s Latin Jazz Explosion and Brazil’s Ivan Lins – music that is sure to bring the crowd to its feet. And via New Orleans, the festival will enjoy a second-line and performance by the Soul Rebels Brass Band. Nightly after-hour jam sessions will be held at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, the official festival hotel. Last but not least, there will be fireworks on Saturday night.

The Detroit Jazz Festival stays true to its mission of encouraging young talent not only by inviting college and high school ensembles to showcase on the Education Stage, but by giving them opportunities to perform with jazz veterans. This year, the Wayne State University Big Band will perform with Joe Lovano, the Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra with Jeff “Tain” Watts, Northern Illinois Jazz Orchestra with Paquito D’Rivera, Eastern Michigan University Jazz Ensemble with Gary Smulyan, and Oakland University Jazz Ensemble with OU alum Regina Carter. Outstanding Michigan high school jazz ensembles will be showcased, and an expanded KidBop Stage for wee-boppers will include tap, percussion, stories and other fun activities.

The Jazz Talk Tent presented by St. John Providence Health System will be full of laughs and stories, with national artists and writers. There will be instrumental workshops, the DownBeat Blindfold Test, meet-the-artist sessions, Rhythm, Roots and Rhyme poetry slam finals, and explorations on world music and Detroit jazz history.

DJF’s Jazz Planet – a web-based television show featuring interviews with artists and by artists, performances and backstage scoop – will be streamed live from the festival to the world throughout the weekend. The “Planet,” which was funded by a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 2010, will be located on Hart Plaza, where fans can join the fun as a live studio audience.

Through Detroit Jazz Festival 365, the festival collaborates throughout the year with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Wayne State University, Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan State University, The Arts League of Michigan, Cliff Bell’s and area jazz clubs, pleasing Detroit music lovers, showcasing Detroit musicians, and building momentum toward Labor Day weekend. The PNC Foundation has become the official corporate partner of the year-round education and community outreach activities. Information on upcoming events can be found at www.detroitjazzfest.com.

The Detroit Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in North America. It has become a major tourist attraction, with 23 percent of its audience coming from out of state. It has a significant economic impact on Detroit and showcases the city in its most positive light. The festival receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Erb Family Foundation, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Kresge Foundation. Major corporate partners include Carhartt, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Fiat, and Mack Avenue Records. Additional partners include Absopure Water Company, Ambassador Magazine, AmTech International, Budweiser, Charter One, CJAM 99.1, Comcast Corp., Compuware Corp., Dickinson Wright PLLC, Dirty Dog Jazz Café, Downbeat Magazine, Fathead®, Fox 2, Great Lakes Fireworks, Hour Detroit Magazine, JazzTimes Magazine, Jazziz Magazine, Metro Times, MGM Grand Detroit, Plante & Moran, Quicken Loans Inc., Telemus Capital Partners, WDET 101.9, WEMU 89.1, WRCJ 90.9 and Yelp. The festival is entering Phase III of its Greening Program made possible by a generous grant from the DTE Energy Foundation. In addition, there is a growing base of individual support. Fans are encouraged to become Rhythm Section members by making donations of any size online in support of the festival’s “KEEP IT FREE” campaign. “We are extremely grateful to have the support of these institutions and individuals,” adds Pontremoli. “They are our life blood.”

Because the Detroit Jazz Festival continues to evolve and grow, it also is adopting a new look this year – from merchandise to signage and the website – everything will have a fresh look and a new logo. Responsible for developing the new brand is Skidmore studios, a Royal Oak, Mich. based creative services studio.

The 3rd Annual Detroit Jazz Festival Cruise aboard the Ovation Yacht is scheduled for June 15, 2011. In keeping with the festival’s world theme, it will feature Latin jazz with Descarga-Ranga.

Additional information, including festival updates and details on ways to support can be found at www.detroitjazzfest.com.

About Detroit Jazz Festival

The Detroit Jazz Festival is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and educational workshops throughout the year. Recently voted one of the top three jazz festivals in North America in a Jazz Times Critics’ Poll, the Detroit Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in North America and a major tourist attraction for the City of Detroit, with 23 percent of its audience coming from out of state. It is supported through foundation grants, individual donations, and customized sponsorships for businesses that benefit from exposure to the Detroit Jazz Festival’s large, diverse and educated audience. For more information visit www.detroitjazzfest.com.

CONTACT THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THIS FESTIVAL THROUGH GETJAZZGIGS.COM BY CLICKING HERE

The 21st Century Jazz Musician

Posted on April 18, 2011 at 7:39 pm

Jazz artist John wakes up early at his well-proportioned apartment in Rome and heads out to his favourite cafe for his morning espresso and a ridiculously sweet pastry. As he sits at a table outside the cafe he fires up his laptop to do his daily hour of email. Rome was now John’s base since he moved over from his native New York a year ago. He had always wanted to live in a foreign country at least for a while and what with 70% of his touring now taking place in Europe it seemed a logical move. The first email is from his personal assistant Tara based in India outlining the show offers that came in overnight. The first is from a festival in France that was responding to an email Tara sent to French jazz festivals last week. The festival director has already filled in all the details of the event on the booking enquiry page of John’s website so John tells Tara to quote the usual trio fee and also look for another show in France they can do on the same weekend.

The next on Tara’s list is a promoter in Asia that has booked John before and who wants to put together six shows across the region later in the year. Tara has helpfully noted what the promoter paid John the last time and what the ticket sales were on the previous tour so John tells her to ask for a 10% higher guaranteed fee. Next is a list of UK theatres that have booked John’s solo tour in May with details of those that have been sent contracts, posters and flyers. The next ten minutes is spent checking weekly sales from his online store and how many new fans have joined his fan-club within the past 24hrs. Finally there is the itinerary for this weekend’s club gig in Milan which has been put together by an outsourcing company in the Philippines who provide a similar service for other artists. They have already sent the itinerary to the other band members, booked the flights and taxi and emailed the promoter the invoice for payment on the night. John closed his laptop, finished off his pastry and headed off for his 2hr Italian lesson followed by a long lunch and an afternoon of writing new tunes for his next album.

The little story above John gives us an insight into what life for a jazz musician in the 21st Century can be like. I personally know a dozen musicians whose life is not dissimilar to John’s. They use a proven system, intelligent outsourcing and a little technology to make it possible. Before I tell you how jazz artists like John do it I should first give you some historical context.
The 20th Century saw the birth of jazz in the USA, its early adopters in speakeasy’s and clubs, its entrance into the mainstream as the pop music of its time, its first reinvention in the 50’s as a soundtrack to the beat generation and its professionalisation in the 80’s & 90’s. During this time jazz spread around the World where it took on different forms. The jazz of Scandinavia is different from that of South Africa which is different from that of the USA. Jazz is now ‘respectable’ and through the pioneering work of everyone from Miles Davis to Jan Garbarek you are as likely to hear jazz in a concert hall as a jazz club. Meanwhile brands such as Rolex, BMW and Bang & Olufsen use the sounds of jazz as shorthand for everything that is cool and stylish in the 21st Century. On a recent visit to Shanghai I was told by advertising executives that Chinese companies are using jazz to sell products to the newly aspirational and wealthy middle class.
In addition to this digitisation and the tools that are available online, this means that it is easier than ever before to book tours around the World. The playing field has also been levelled in terms of marketing. During the 80’s and 90’s the artists that performed at the big jazz festivals were usually supported by their major record labels with equally large marketing spends. Now a jazz artist can record a live gig in the evening on his PC and by the next morning be selling it to fans around the World.
In addition to this the 21st Century Jazz musician can also benefit from two other major trends, glocalisation and outsourcing.
One of the unexpected affects of globalisation is what is referred to as ‘glocalisation’, in other words ‘think globally, act locally’. Typically when an artist signs to a major label they have to deliver one album of twelve of so songs which then gets distributed Worldwide. However jazz fans in Germany have different tastes from jazz fans in Brazil so one size does not fit all today. Many of the larger European jazz festivals were dominated by a programme that was heavily weighted with US artists. Nowadays if a festival in Italy has an American artist it is in the form of a collaboration with a local artist. One of the best ways to build a profile in a foreign territory is to collaborate with a local artist that already has the kind of fan base that suits your music. Recently one of our artists British jazz guitarist Martin Taylor recorded an album called ‘Double Standards’ which allowed him to tour in Sweden with Swedish guitarist Andreas Oberg and then reciprocate that with duo shows in the UK. It’s a win-win situation because both artists get access to new fans that are likely to share the same tastes in jazz music.
Another aspect of globalisation is outsourcing. Major corporations have been doing this for years but it is only recently that smaller companies and individuals have started using the power of outsourcing to achieve better results and save time in the process. I know musicians who use personal assistants based in India to find festival opportunities, promoters who use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) companies in Eastern Europe to market their shows online and one friend of mine even uses a virtual personal assistant in Canada to research the cheapest place to buy items on his Christmas list.
Appointing a remote personal assistant is a huge step for an artist and marks the point when he learns to give orders and be the commander instead of the commanded. It also allows him to learn the key skills in being successful in getting gigs: remote management and communicating. You will also be surprised at how cost effective it is to have someone else doing all those annoying tasks that stop you being able to do the things you really enjoy, like playing jazz. Being paid in dollars but paying others in rupees can be seriously good for your bank balance.
This free ebook will show you how you can use glocalisation and outsourcing to supercharge your live career.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2011

Posted on April 1, 2011 at 6:36 am

April 29-May 1 and May 5-8, 2011

One of the greatest living legends of one of the greatest jazz eras, 80 year old tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, headlines a 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival lineup that covers more than a century of jazz history: from its earliest roots to present day smooth jazz, starring multi-platinum-selling soprano saxophonist Kenny G. Also appearing this year, as they do every year, is the Preservation Hall Jazz Band celebrating 50 years of keeping the old-style New Orleans jazz alive.

Other internationally renowned jazz greats appearing during the seven-day festival (stretched out over two weekends) are pianist Ahmad Jamal, bassist Ron Carter and best-selling modern jazz quartet Fourplay featuring pianist Bob James and guitarist Chuck Loeb. And, as icing on the cake, nearly all of New Orleans’ top jazz musicians – from trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield and clarinetist Pete Fountain to numerous brass and ragtime bands to modern Latin jazz combos — will be performing this year

Check out more information on the festival here.

Free iPad ebook for jazz musicians

Posted on February 1, 2011 at 6:59 pm

www.getjazzgigs.com have just published a 56 page e-book, compatible with iPad and iPhone, aimed at helping jazz musicians get gigs. It covers everything from marketing and finding gigs to useful checklists and top tips. It’s absolutely free and is packed full of useful information to help jazz musicians take their touring career to the next level. To receive a copy just click on the ‘Get It Now’ button, fill in your email and it will be delivered straight to your inbox. Hope you enjoy it.

Start filling your 2011 gig diary

Posted on December 2, 2010 at 4:28 pm

Don’t be left behind in getting your 2011 gigs and tours booked. Now is the time to contact those festival directors, clubs, agents and promoters to start filling your diary with gigs and make sure 2011 is the year that your live career takes a step up.

Join the increasing number of jazz musicians, managers and agents that are now using the contacts available at www.getjazzgigs.com . You could be spending the Holiday period securing gigs in the Far East, USA and Europe. For the price of a cup of coffee a week you’ll get access to over 8,000 contacts who are looking to book artists like you.

So get to www.getjazzgigs.com and start filling your 2011 diary.

Have a great Holiday season.

The team at www.getjazzgigs.com

HERE ARE SOME TESTIMONIALS FROM HAPPY GETJAZZGIGS.COM SUBSCRIBERS

“www.getjazzgigs.com helped me triple the number of jazz gigs I am doing through the method it teaches and the valuable jazz festival, promoter & agent contacts you get from it. Highly Recommended.” – Mr M Ritchie, Jazz Guitarist

“Getting gigs is one of the hardest things for a jazz musician. Through www.getjazzgigs.com I increased my live income by 400% and it has allowed me to tour Australia, China, Thailand, UK, France, Italy, Spain, USA & Canada.” – Alison Burns, Top 10 selling jazz singer

Panama Jazz Festival

Posted on November 1, 2010 at 2:46 pm

One of Panama’s most significant cultural events, the Eighth Annual Panama Jazz Festival will be held on January 10-15, 2011. Already a reference in the global jazz calendar and attracting more than an estimated 100,000 people since its inception, this year’s edition is dedicated to Victor “Vitín” Paz, one of the most remarkable musicians in the history of Panamanian popular music.

Festival founder Danilo Pérez said “When we started in 2003, very humbly, it was ‘madness’ as some told us, and we wondered if we’d have a second edition. Now, we are in our eighth. Thanks to the vision and work of many, the Panama Jazz Festival is becoming an event that is a cultural reference in Latin America. For a week in January, Panama is the capital of jazz in Latin America and that is an achievement of all of us, for all of us.”

To contact the Panama Jazz Festival about programming you or your band into their festival just go to http://www.getjazzgigs.com/2010/09/panama-jazz-festival-2/ .  You’ll have to be a GetJazzGigs.com subscriber to access the contact information and you can sign-up here.

Jazzuv International Festival 2010

Posted on October 4, 2010 at 12:06 pm

2010 JAZZUV INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL BRINGS HEADLINERS
McCOY TYNER, JACK DEJOHNETTE, RAY DRUMMOND,

JANE BUNNETT AND GRACE KELLY TO XALAPA

The 2010 Jazzuv International Festival comes to Xalapa (Veracruz, Mexico) November 8 through 14 mixing performances from some of the world’s best jazz artists with educational opportunities.  This year’s headliners include McCoy Tyner, Jack DeJohnette, Ray Drummond, Jane Bunnett and Grace Kelly.

Performances at this year’s festival include multi-talented headliners such as pianist McCoy Tyner who has often been credited as an influence on younger jazz musicians and is known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet. Jack DeJohnette‘s wide-ranging style of jazz has made him one of the most requested and renowned drummers of our time.  Bassist Ray Drummond has worn many hats over his 30 year career including, composer, arranger, band leader, educator and producer.  Canadian Jane Bunnett, saxophonist, flutist and pianist, has gained worldwide recognition for her talent in improvisation, execution and technical skills as a leader and composer.  And, at just 17 years old, saxophonist, singer, composer and arranger, Grace Kelly has already recorded five albums as a leader and won numerous awards.

The  educational mission of the Jazzuv International Festival is evident by it’s schedule which offers an interactive opportunity for every participant.  The festival holds public forums with discussions by musicians, writers and educators, free masters classes taught by guest artists, and performances where young artists share the stage with international artists.  Jazzuv is a festival you don’t want to miss.

To contact the festivals artistic director and enquire about booking your artist or band for the 2011 festival just signup to the getjazzgigs.com premium service by clicking here.

Portland Jazz Festival 2011

Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:52 pm

PORTLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES
BRIDGES AND BOUNDARIES:
JEWISH & AFRICAN AMERICANS PLAYING JAZZ TOGETHER

FESTIVAL HEADLINERS INCLUDE: ESPERANZA SPALDING,
SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE, REGINA CARTER, AND JOSHUA REDMAN

To get a gig at the Portland Jazz Festival check out the contact details here.

A Jazz Musicians Plan

Posted on September 16, 2010 at 9:36 am

An artist without a vision is directionless.  He or she lacks purpose.  They lack the essential idea from which commitment, growth, and a sense of personal achievement arise and flourish.  But a vision without a plan is only a hope.  A vision needs a plan to make it come alive, to make it a reality.  I’ve seen far, far too many jazz musicians with great vision but who fall down on either not having a plan to make it reality or engaging in bad implementation of that plan.

So you need to get a plan for yourself as a jazz musician.  If you did the previous exercise I set you then you will already have objectives for your live career.  First a word of caution.  Do not think that of a plan as something that is rigid.  It must be allowed to accommodate change and should be thought of as a series of guideposts of key targets and areas of focus.  As such you must treat your plan as a living, growing thing.  If you suddenly find that Spain and not Germany is the territory where you are making inroads then perhaps your plan needs to accommodate that as long as it still aims towards your objectives.

First you need to choose a time horizon for your plan.  My recommendation would be that you break it down into a 3year, 1 year and 6 month plan.  Ten years is too far away and one month is too short.

Secondly identify what you want to produce at the end of it.  I would suggest you want to be in a position that by the end of the first month you have a pretty good plan of how you are going to achieve your objectives, including what targets need to be met, who needs to be spoken with, etc and I would gather these all into one folder.  Next you’ve got to go into research mode and get as much information about artists that are already at the level where you want to be.  Read press cuttings, look at what venues they have played over the past couple of years, which promoters and agents they are working with.  Put all of this research into the file as well.

Your plan should contain these five sections:

PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES

We’ve already discussed these but actually put them in writing so you know what you’re aiming for and why.

GOALS & TARGETS

Break down your objective into small chunks.  If your objective is to be playing 100 shows a year within three years then perhaps your first goal should be to have played 40 shows by the end of the year and you set yourself a target of contacting 200 promoters a month and booking 3 shows a week.

PEOPLE

Who else is going to need to be involved?  What other musicians are needed?  Will you need an agent in a territory and if so what kind and by when?  What are the functions that you are going to outsource?

MARKETING

Check out this blog post about marketing for jazz musicians.

FINANCES

What are your financial goals?  How much do you need to make on each show and is this realistic?  What do other band members need to be paid?  What are the costs for putting a tour together or sending our promo packs?

CLIENT FULFILMENT

How are your concerts going to come across to the audience?  Is there a dress code for the band?  How will you capture fans details at the shows?  How can you leave a good impression on the promoter?  I’ll come to this in one of the next blog posts.

LEAD GENERATION & CONVERSION

How will you get new leads for getting gigs and how are you going to turn them into bookings?  Read about it here.

Click here to get premium access to over 9,000 jazz festival, promoter, club and agent contacts NOW.

Free 56page E-Book for Jazz Musicians

Posted on September 10, 2010 at 12:16 pm

I’ve just published a new 56 page e-book aimed at helping jazz musicians get gigs.  It covers everything from marketing and finding gigs to useful checklists and top tips.  It’s absolutely free and is packed full of useful information to help jazz musicians take their touring career to the next level.  To receive a copy just click on the ‘Get It Now’ button, fill in your email and it will be delivered straight to your inbox.  Hope you enjoy it.

Example Performance Contract for Jazz Musicians

Posted on September 6, 2010 at 8:53 pm

ARTIST PERFORMANCE CONTRACT

CONTRACT NUMBER: <xxxx>

THIS AGREEMENT made the <TODAY’S DATE>:

(1) <NAME OF ARTIST> (hereinafter referred to as “the Artist”)

<ARTIST ADDRESS>

(hereinafter referred to as “the Agent”)

And

(2) <NAME OF PROMOTER> (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Promoter’)

<CONTACT NAME OF PROMOTER>

<STREET ADDRESS OF THE PROMOTER>

<TOWN OF THE PROMOTER>

<ZIP/POST CODE OF THE PROMOTER>

<COUNTRY OF THE PROMOTER>

It is hereby agreed that the Promoter engages the Artist and the Artist agrees to appear on the date(s) and at the venue(s) and for the fee(s) specified below hereto and on the terms and conditions contained in the attached rider which forms an integral part of this agreement:

DATE(s)                                                                                <DATE OF CONCERT>

VENUE(s)                                                                           <VENUE NAME>

<STREET ADDRESS OF THE VENUE>

<TOWN OF THE VENUE>

<ZIP/POST CODE OF THE VENUE>

<STATE OF THE VENUE>

<COUNTRY OF THE VENUE>

ONSTAGE TIME                                                                <CONCERT TIME>

THE ARTIST SHALL PLAY FOR APPROX <SETS>

SALEABLE CAPACITY OF THE VENUE IS <CAPACITY>

TICKET PRICES <TICKET PRICE>

FIXED GUARANTEE (net) <FEE><CURRENCY>

PLUS WITHOLDING/VAT/IVA      <TAX><CURRENCY>

PERCENTAGE ON TICKET SALES <PERCENTAGE>

PLUS FIXED AMOUNT (net) FOR

TRAVEL, AIRFARES, TRANSPORTATION <TRAVEL><CURRENCY>

PLUS PRODUCTION COSTS <PRODUCTION><CURRENCY>

TOTAL GUARANTEED AMOUNT <TOTAL><CURRENCY>

TOTAL IN WORDS            <TOTAL  IN WORDS>

<DEPOSIT AMOUNT><CURRENCY> must be paid as a deposit by <DUE> to P3 Music Ltd

<BANK DETAILS>

The remainding balance must be paid in cash or bankers draft depending on the instructions of the Agent at soundcheck to the artist or his representative in the above mentioned currency. All bank charges to be paid by the promoter.  In the event that the Artist does not receive the above amounts on time then the Promoter shall forthwith pay the same to the Artist together with interest on it from the date first due at a rate of 8% above the LIBOR base rate.

SPECIAL AGREEMENTS                <COMMENTS><RECORDING>

HOTEL REQUIREMENTS <NUMBER OF ROOMS> rooms for <NUMBER OF NIGHTS> night/s

This contract must be signed and returned to the Agent by <DUE DATE>

The Promoter will ensure that all publicity and billing of the Artist will state  <NAME OF PROJECT>

SIGNED BY   ____________________________________                  SIGNED BY _________________________________________

For and on behalf of the Promoter                                                  For and on behalf of Artist

100 Important Links for the gigging Jazz Musician

Posted on September 6, 2010 at 8:48 pm 1 comment

There are a ton of amazing tools out there and the list grows longer every day.  However these are tools that I either use or value.

Part 1 – The Basics

WordPress – WordPress is the best platform for creating great websites.  The content management side of the software is so easy to use and with all the plug ins you can essentially put anything on you can think of on your site from Twitter to Flickr to SEO optimizing with the click on a button.

GoDaddy – The place where you can host your website from just $4.99 a month.

Free Website Themes – You can search online for tons of WordPress themes, but this list will get you started with some of the best out there.

Part 2 – Email Marketing

Constant Contact – This is the email marketing system we use.  It may not be the most technically advanced but it delivers the results every time.

Mailchimp – For musicians and online businesses, you need a dedicated email service to send out your emails, give you analysis of open rates and click through and also give you ways to create forms that match your site.

FanBridge – Created to handle email marketing for musicians, they are dedicated to creating an environment that is user friendly and music-centric.

Reverbnation – Their Fanreach tools is still the one I recommend to most artists, especially those that want a quick and easy solution.

Part 3 – Band Management

PulseAmp – Having backstage access to this software, there are some great features to get your band organized from contacts to inventory to keeping track of your press.

Bandize – Bandize helps bands take control of their careers by giving them an intuitive, simple way to get organized. At $15 a month it will keep even the most scatterbrained musicians in line.

Indie Band Manager – Indie Band Manager is software that sits on your desktop and helps to manage your promotion, booking, merch, pitches and so much more.

Music Arsenal – Use Music Arsenal to manage and schedule your upcoming projects, plan your tours, find new places to promote your music and more. The service is free to try and offer an upgrade for $16 / mo that includes a complete music industry directory and contact list.

Part 3 – SEO & PPC

Google Adwords – The best online advertising platform.  Helped deliver a 150% increase in gigs for one artist I know.

Site Visibility – Great blog about SEO.  They also have a free podcast.

SEO Moz – Excellent blog about online marketing.  Very good section on link building.

Part 4 – Social Networks and Communities

Myspace – Still the only place in the world where you can find every band on the planet although it is a little old looking now. Create a strong profile filled with information and your best music. Do NOT make this your main website, but rather a tool for people to find your music because it is familiar to them.

Facebook – The leading social network on the planet is still not the most user-friendly for musicians, but is still a place to set up shop. Setup an artist page and not a group. Look for applications to add your music from Reverbnation, Topspin or iLike.

Twitter – It can be a really powerful tool for an artist.  If you are tweeting something make sure if is of value to your fans such a link to a new track, show date or video.

Part 5 – Streaming Sites and Communities

Last.FM – Last.fm is a music service that learns what you love… Every track you play will tell your Last.fm profile something about what you like. It can connect you to other people who like what you like – and recommend songs from their music collections and yours too.

Pandora – The online streaming radio giant continues to grow, gaining new users in all genres and allowing any indie musician with a physical CD available on Amazon to be in their rotation. Not to mention their iPhone app that is still the most popular music app.

Spotify – Although this isn’t available everywhere it is the streaming site I use most because of the ability to choose exact tracks/albums you want to listen to.

Blip.FM – A place to create your own radio station and share it over Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, Friend Feed and others. Also discover music based on other DJ’s and tastemakers.

Jango – Internet Radio that plays what you want. Also comes equipped with Jango Airplay, a pay-per-play music advertising platform. Great way to share your music with their 1.2 million

Part 6 – Pro Agency Tools

Aiasuna – This is the online tool we use for managing our artists diaries and bookings.

Part 7 – Music Industry Blogs

OTMG – Great blog from online marketer Jason Feinberg.

The Urban Plug – Urban Plug is for musicians & entrepreneurs who want marketing, promotion and PR tips for navigating the new music business.

Berklee College – Excellent blog from the folks at Berklee Music School.

Hypebot – Best and most up to the minute coverage of the entire digital music industry, written by booking superstar Bruce Houghton.

Derek Sivers – Insightful thoughts from the founder of CDBaby.

Indie Music Tech – Tech music news by Duncan Freeman (founder of BandMetrics).

Music Think Tank – Collective of music industry thought leaders. Allows for indies to write articles as well.

New Rock Star Philosophy – Great site written by two indie music veterans. They also have a free eBook that is golden reading material.

Eleet Music – Music industry blog written by Kevin English. The guy has crazy experience and writes some great stuff.

Hype Machine – The largest collective of MP3 blogs anywhere. Target these bloggers to get some good airplay.

MusicAlly – Blog from the leading digital music business information and strategy company.

Ariel Publicity – Learn how to use social media and online tactics to attract more PR, build your fan base, and earn more money with your music.

Part 8 – Social Media, Marketing and Tech Blogs + Resources

Mashable – Top social media news.

TechCrunch – Excellent social media and start-up tech news.

Seth Godin – The top guy in marketing, bar none.

Chris Brogan – How to do social media right.

ProBlogger – How to blog.

AllTop – Top blog directory

Part 9 – Artist Tools

Next Big Sound – My favourite in giving artists the analytics on fans from music sites.

BandCamp – One of the main direct-to-fan merchandising sites.

Artist Data – ArtistData provides solutions to automate the monotonous updating of artist websites, social network profiles, concert databases, Twitter, official news feeds, iCal, local press, fan newsletters, and even tour books. When an artist updates on ArtistData site, ArtistData updates all their sites.

TubeMogul – Upload your videos to TubeMogul and they will do the rest to ensure your video gets posted to YouTube, Blip, Facebook, Myspace and tons of other video sites.

ReverbNation – The best complete package for online marketing tools for musicians. From gig finders to video widgets to email services.

Band Metrics – The leader in giving you analytics on your fans from music sites and related information.

Rock Dex – analyzes and presents the information from 1000’s of music websites and collects data on any artist, such as blog posts, tweets, plays, and much more to you in one convenient dashboard that gives you a high level view of what is happening online with the artists that are important to you.

SoundCloud – We use this all the time to send tracks to press and radio rather than send physical CDs or email mp3s.

SoundOps – If you need your tracks mastered, this is the coolest site to get it done. Send over your tracks online and within a few days you will have 3 different mastered versions of your music to choose from.

Part 10 – Google Tools

Google Alerts – Have Google send you an email every time your name is mentioned online. Add other keywords and monitor everything important that is happening online.

Google Analytics – The ultimate free statistics for your website. Learn every detail of what is happening on your site, from where fans came from, what keywords they use in search engines, how long they hung out and so much more. Highly recommended.

Google Reader – All those blogs can be managed using Google Reader. Learn about RSS Feeds.

GMail – The best email tool.  Try the more professional Google Apps if you can.

Google Keyword Tool – See how many times people search certain words and key phrases on Google.

Part 11 – Video & Pictures

YouTube – world’s largest video sharing community, a Google property that streams over a billion videos a day.

Viddler – video sharing community that allows for in-video comments.

Blip.TV – distribute your videos as podcasts to iTunes for free. Also has publicity and monetization features as well as custom players with a Pro account.

Revver – video sharing site that allows you to take in ad revenue from your videos.

UStream – live streaming video site with real time chat.

Vimeo – Great high quality video sharing site with both free and pro accounts. Best site to upload HD videos.

Animoto – Music videos from your pictures and images. They format your pictures to match the intensity of your music. Free accounts give you a 30 second video. Upgrade for longer songs and more features.

Justin TV – Life streaming site. Create your own channel and start communicating with your fans via video and chat in real time. Stream your shows live as well. They have also introduced pay per view channels as well.

Flickr – This is the premiere photo sharing site. These index in Google very well and they also allow you to use and let others use your images with creative commons licenses. Also allows for video upload.

Screentoaster – Record your screen for free. Great for giving tours of your website or showing fans how they can support you or buy your music.

Camtasia – Screen recording software with effects, zoom, editing and sharing capabilities.

Flip Video Camera –This little camera packs a punch, recording HD video and popping right into your computer to upload to YouTube. If you are not doing video in 2010, you are not going to do anything in the music business.

Part 12 – Mobile Resources

Mofuse – Create mobile websites, track your stats and get iPhone optimized. Works best if you have blog and RSS feeds running into it. Can be put on custom domain for free and host AdSense to make a few cents on advertising.

Mobile Roadie – Bands create their own custom iPhone applications which can include content like photo galleries, streaming music files, YouTube videos, upcoming concert listings, lyrics, news, Twitter and RSS feeds, and even interactive features like a “wall” where fans can post comments and photos. The app can also link to Ticketmaster and LiveNation ticket sales information and to the band’s album(s) on iTunes.

iLike iPhone App Creator – iLike will build your iPhone app, syndicating your content form iLike, Facebook, Myspace and more. One time $195.00 activation fee.

Mob Base – iPhone app creation for musicians to build their mobile fanbase. Cheaper option than Mobile Roadie and iLike.

Kyte – Create mobile apps for the iPhone, Blackberry, Nokia and Android.

Part 13 – Shopping Carts and Selling Your Music

PayPal – The original is still the best. Take payments, subscriptions, donations and more.

WaTunes – Another digital distribution service. Offer iTunes distribution for free!

TuneCore – Digital music distribution. Get your music on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody and so much more.

CD Baby – The front-runner in selling physical CD’s online and drop shipping them to your fans. They offer some great artist services as well as digital distribution. Now owned by DiscMakers, they have paid over $111 million to indie artists.

AudioLife – Drop ship CD’s and merchandise without ever ordering inventory. Need 1 shirt and 4 CD’s – just order what you need.  Create stores and sell your products and get the money directly into your PayPal account.

Nimbit – Direct to fan selling of digital as well as physical products. Grab your store and take it mobile on any website, blog or social network.

1Shopping Cart – The leader in setting up your own shopping cart. Also has the ability to manage affiliates and contacts via email. This is the complete solution to running an online business.

Topspin – The Rolls Royce of the direct to fan selling.  Highly recommended.

Part 14 – Twitter Tools

Twitter Search – The real power in Twitter lies in its real-time search ability. This means you can see what fans are saying at your shows – at your shows! You can also break down the searches into location, emotion and other features.

TweetDeck – The ultimate application to manage your Twitter account, Twitter searches, Facebook, LinkedIn and Myspace.

Hootsuite – Tool to manage your Twitter account as well as analyze stats of your Tweets, schedule messages in advance and manage multiple accounts from one platform.  This is what we use in our office

Ping.fm – One of the biggest challenges in the new social landscape is to update all your accounts when you have something new to say. Ping.fm will allow you to update all your status updates through one account. Highly recommended.

Su.pr and Bit.ly – URL shortening services. With an increased emphasis on short messages, you don’t want to post your URL with 150 characters anymore. These services will shorten them to let your messages fit as well as track the clicks and other stats.

Sponsored Tweets – Get paid to Tweet. For any musician with a fanbase on Twitter this is an easy way to make some good money by sending sponsored messages on Twitter.

Part 15 – Build Your Own Communities

Ning – The fastest way to create your own social network. They offer a free and paid version of the service.

Wishlist – Turn your WordPress site into a membership site easily with this plug-in. We have used this on many of our own sites as well as artist sites for fan clubs, exclusive content, password protected releases and more.

aMember – This is a membership script that can be used on any website that uses PhP code.

Part 15 – My Top 5 Suggested Books

Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss – If you want to learn about outsourcing and a bunch of other cool stuff then Tim is the man.

E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – One of the best books around about how to build a business.  Can be applied equally well to building your live music business.

All You Need To Know About The Music Business – A classic in learning about how the music business works.

Tribes by Seth Godin – Great jazz artists are leaders of their own tribes.  Seth Godin provides increadible insights in this book.

The Future of Music by David Kusek – Excellent book on where the music industry is heading.

Part 16 – My Top 5 Jazz Websites

Jazz Booking Guide – I had to put this down!

AllAboutJazz – The World’s top jazz website

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club – Still one of my favourite jazz clubs in the World.

Jazz Times – My preferred Jazz magazine.

Jazz Services – Directory and news resource on British Jazz.

_____

THREE MONTHS MEMBERSHIP IS JUST $29.97

To get started, just click on the subscribe button below and we”ll automatically bill $29.97 every 3 months.

There are no obligations and you may cancel your membership at anytime.

3 Month Recurring $29.97 Membership

___________

TESTIMONIALS

“www.getjazzgigs.com helped me triple the number of jazz gigs I am doing through the method it teaches and the valuable jazz festival, promoter & agent contacts you get from it. Highly Recommended.” – Mr M Ritchie, Jazz Guitarist

“Getting gigs is one of the hardest things for a jazz musician. Through www.getjazzgigs.com I increased my live income by 400% and it has allowed me to tour Australia, China, Thailand, UK, France, Italy, Spain, USA & Canada.” – Alison Burns, Top 10 selling jazz singer

“James has all the attributes of a successful music man – knowledge, passion, drive and integrity. As a manager the interests of his artists are always paramount. “ – Adam Sieff, Director, Jazz, UK and International , Sony Music
______

Marketing for Jazz Musicians

Posted on September 6, 2010 at 8:25 pm

Whether you are marketing an artist or a soap powder the process is similar even if the strategy and tactics are very different.

MARKET RESEARCH & ENVIROMENTAL ANALYSIS

If you’re reading this blog you are already starting the process of researching your market.  You need to take some time to research the market for jazz music, specifically the live jazz music scene.  Read everything you can that gives you a greater understanding of what the current trends are within the jazz music scene.  Who are the jazz artists that all the festivals want to book.  What sections of the live scene are growing and which are having a hard time?  For example in the past couple of years outdoor summer festivals in the UK that book some jazz artists are doing well whereas a lot of the smaller jazz clubs in that country have been struggling.  Buy copies of the leading jazz magazines to get a sense of who the hot acts are, read online interviews with jazz promoters and festival directors, subscribe to live jazz blogs.  In other words do your homework on the live jazz scene.

COMPETITOR CHECK

We next need to get an idea of who your competition is and how their fans access their music.  So which other artists would your target market be a fan of?  If you are a jazz singer then your fan might also listen to Diana Krall or Stacey Kent.  Try to also think of an artist who is at a level that you think you can attain within a three year time frame rather than just big named artists.  If I was a young jazz guitar player who specialised in playing gypsy jazz music I might aspire to be at the level of Bireli Lagrene but also recognise that I could perhaps get to a profile of say Andreas Oberg within three years.  Next thing to do is to visit a site called NextBigSound and enter your name plus the names of your competition.  You’ll then be able to see how many fans they have online, how many people plays they are getting on sites like MySpace and LastFM.  Importantly you can also see which sites are most important for these artists.  Perhaps most of their fans access them via their MySpace sites but they aren’t really doing anything on YouTube.

Armed with information you can now benchmark yourself against these other artists and work out how big the mountain is that you need to climb.  Don’t worry if seeing your numbers compared to other artists is at first disheartening.  The point here is to find out where you should be in terms of online plays and fans.  At the end of the process you should have an understanding of how many fans you need to build on your MySpace, Facebook, YouTube pages.

Another key indicator of success is how much traffic an artist’s website is getting.  If you haven’t done it already I would suggest you use Google Analytics for your own website which will show you where your traffic is coming from and who is linking to it.  If you want to find out how successful your competitors websites are then try Alexa .  One of the important things you should be looking for is how many sites are linking in to your site.  You need to increase the number of sites who link to your website.  So make sure that the website for that venue or festival you are playing has a link to your site.  The more links you get the higher up the Google rankings you will go.  In terms of benchmarking you need to find out how many sites are linking in to your competitors site and you then need to work to getting the same number and type of sites linking to your website.  The SEO Moz Blog provides tips on how to do this.

TARGETING & POSITIONING

So who do you want your fans to be?  At my company we spend a lot of time asking ourselves this question.  In fact we look to get to a point where we have a name each of our artist’s average fan.  One of our artists is a female jazz singer whose audience we affectionately call ‘Gin & Jag’.  This is because her audience tend to be composed of couples aged around fifty with higher disposable income.  We see these fans turning up at concerts because they arrive in nicer than average cars (Jaguar’s, AUDI’s, BMW’s) and invariably their pre-concert drink is a Gin and Tonic.

Why is it useful to give this artists fan a name like this?  Well when it comes to deciding how the artist should look, the repertoire they should perform, which media the concerts should be advertised in, which cities she should play, which companies we should approach for sponsorship then we only have to ask one set of questions.  What kind of songs would Gin & Jag like, what papers do they read, where do they live, what other products & services do they buy?  Suddenly you have built up a complete picture of your average fan.  Another trick we use is to go to the concerts of similar artists and notice the people in the audience.  How old are they, how affluent are they, what other brands do you think they would buy, what kind of venues would they feel comfortable going to, what papers do they read, which radio stations to they listen to.

So think about your average fan.  Sometimes you may have two or three different types of fan as is the case with one of our artists who attracts both ‘Gin & Jag’ and the 35+ male guitar playing audience.

I’ve been very fortunate to work with some of the World’s top jazz musicians and they are invariable leaders who inspire a tribe, a group of people connected to each other by the artist, their brand and their music.  The term Tribe in relation to marketing was created by Seth Godin in his book ‘Tribes’ and I highly recommend you get a copy.  If you really want to turn yourself from just a jobbing jazz musician to a jazz innovator you have got to create your own tribe.  Here are a few thoughts on how you go about that

• A Tribe needs a shared interest and a way to communicate.

• The marketplace embraces and rewards heretics “It’s clearly more fun to make the rules than to follow them, and for the first time, it’s also profitable, powerful, and productive to do just that.”
• Growth for most new artists comes from those who want to support change.
• Creating a tighter tribe and/or “transforming the shared interest into a passionate goal and desire for change” usually leads to much more impact than trying to make a tribe bigger. beyond public relations and awareness related benefits, measuring the breadth of spread of an idea is not as important as looking at the depth of commitment and interaction of true fans, who end up being the people who recruit most new members
• a movement consists of a story, a connection between the tribe and the leader, and something that needs to be done
• At first, the new thing is rarely as good as the old thing was. If you need the alternative to be better than the status quo from the very start, you’ll never begin.
• Being charismatic doesn’t make you a leader. Being a leader makes you charismatic.

Now I can hear you asking what all this Tribe stuff has to do with getting gigs?  Whether you like it or not artists are brands.  A fan buying a ticket for your concert is just one way that they connect with your brand.   First you’ve got to identify your fans and create a compelling marketing plan around you as the artist

COMMUNICATION & PROMOTION

Promoters & Jazz Festival directors receive communications and promotion from agents and artists in a number of different ways which put together build up a picture of the artists brand and its worth.  This picture they build up determines both whether they will book the artist and how much they will pay so it’s important that we spend some time looking at the elements that help form this picture in the promoters mind.

ADVERTISING

Do you currently advertise your act to promoters?  There are a number of routes open to you in using advertising to get your message.  The most obvious is online advertising because you can actually track how successful these ads are.  Look at taking out some banner ads on sites like allaboutjazz.com and the online versions of some of the jazz magazines.  You will be surprised at how cost effective these online ads can be.  Why not create a banner ad with a nice image and ‘Book Joe Bloggs for your festival or concert series’ text which that links to a booking page on your website.  You can also run a series of Google Ads which we do a lot and have them display anytime someone types in phrases like ‘book jazz artist’ into Google.

TRADE SHOWS

There are a couple of key trade shows that jazz promoters and agents attend.  They are:

Womex – European trade conference attended by many world & jazz music festival directors and agents

EJN General Assembly – Conference for European & Asian jazz promoters

APAP – Conference for North American promoters and festivals with over 1,000 showcases.

Why not try and get a showcase slot on one of them or even attend as a delegate and meet as many bookers as you can.

DIRECT MAIL

This is our major tool in marketing to promoters because of the low cost and speed of it.  The directory that comes with this guide has thousands of contacts on it but in general those that have the greatest success will focus on a small number of them rather than employ a scattergun effect.  I’ll talk in the Lead Conversion section about how to best approach these contacts but in the meantime I would advise you do two things:

• Open up an account with MailChimp or Constant Contact
• Put together a very nice promo pack which includes the following:

-          A high quality 15cmx21cm colour photo of you or your band

-          CD or DVD of you or your band

-          Biography,  Press Quotes & details of any festivals/venues already played

-          Contact Information & Website

• Create a Reverbnation Online Press Kit which will contain your music, videos, biography, social network links and pictures all on one page.

Normally I will only send out physical promo packs to promoters who I know are definitely interested.  95% of physical promo packs send to promoters and A&R people are either thrown in the trash can or sit disregarded in a pile in the office.  If you are going to send a physical promo pack to a promoter make sure they know they are going to receive it first and mark it is ‘INFORMATION REQUESTED BY <NAME OF PROMOTER> in red pen on the front of the envelope.  This little piece of advice will save you a small fortune in the long run.

SALES PROMOTION

I’ll cover this fully in another post but is essentially consists of two aspects; lead generation & lead conversion.

DISTRIBUTION

In your case this is whether you deal directly with a promoter or whether you use an agent.  In the initial stages of your career you are going to have to deal directly with a promoter.  While this will take up a lot of your time the experience will prove invaluable because you’ll learn to put yourself in the shoes of the promoter and get an understanding of what is important to them in deciding who to book for a show.  As time progresses you will probably want to use an agent or a series of agents in different territories to book shows for you.  There are some great jazz agents out there like Ted Kurland and International Music Network but there are also a fair number of useless ones so be careful.  If you do get interest from an agent I would suggest you give them a six month trial before formalising things.  This will allow you enough time to make sure they can actually bring in work and it also gives them a period in which they can do their job.

PRICING

You might be surprised that I’ve put the matter of pricing in with marketing but I actually see it as a component of the artist’s brand.  You always want to find a win-win situation when putting a value on what you will play for.  It needs to be at a level where you a properly recompensed, the promoter can make a profit and the fan feels they have had good value for money.  I’ll go into more depth as to how to get your pricing right later but what I would say is that you shouldn’t expect an audience to pay $15 to see you at theatre when they you are also doing free shows in the same city.  It’s also important to get a feel of what your target audience expects to pay.  We have one artist whose average ticket price is $10 because his audience is younger and he is still building his career in clubs while we have another artist whose average ticket price is $45 because his audience has a higher disposable income and prefer to see him in plush theatres.

Click here to get premium access to over 9,000 jazz festival, promoter, club and agent contacts NOW.

Lead Conversion for Jazz Musicians

Posted on August 29, 2010 at 4:43 pm

Lead conversion is the process of turning your qualified leads into sales, in your case gigs.  So let me take you through the process that I employ in turning leads into gigs.

STAGE 1 – SENDING

Choose 100 of your qualified contacts and send them an email using Constant Contact.  The email should contain around 100 words introducing yourself and perhaps listing festivals/venues you have played and two or three of your best press quotes.  It should also have a link to your Reverbnation EPK or website where they can listen to your music, watch your videos, read your full biog etc.  The email should end with a call to action line such as ‘Can you let me know when you will be making the decision on which artists you will be booking for your upcoming festival/season’.  The reason you end with a question is because you want to start a conversation with the person.  I don’t suggest you ask for a gig in the first email.

One tip is to play around with different wording and subject headings.  Why not initially send emails to ten contacts with one type of subject heading and ten with a different subject heading.  This way you can see which of the two subject headings get the best response before you start emailing the rest of your 100 qualified contacts.

STAGE 2 – SORTING

After you’ve send all 100 emails you’ll have one of four results:

• No reply
• They replied but aren’t interested
• They replied and showed interest
• They clicked through on a link in your email but didn’t reply to you

One of the cool things about systems like Constant Contact is that it tells you which of your contacts opened the email, which of them clicked through to a link on the email and who clicked through to which link.  Armed with this information you can draw up a list of those that clicked through to your EPK or website from the email because you know that they are at least a little interested.  To those people I would follow up with another email or call to ask if they need any more information, would like you to send a physical promo pack or would like to discuss a provisional date.

For those that don’t reply I would send a follow up email a few days later and ask if they received the first email.  If I still didn’t get a response I would follow it up with a call to gauge their level of interest.

Thank those that replied but weren’t interested in booking you should be replied to with a thank you email.  If their reason for not booking you was because the event was already booked then ask when they will be programming artists next and put this date in your reminder system so that you can follow up with them.  If they say they don’t book the style of jazz that you play then thank them and ask if they could suggest any other promoters in their area who might be interested.

For those that replied and showed interest you can go onto the next stage.
STAGE 3 – OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS

So you now have a list of promoters who are interested in booking you and/or getting more information.  My next email or call to them would look to cover the following points:

• Is there an ideal date or series of dates that you can put in the diary provisionally?
• What is the size of the venue they are looking at and what is the average ticket price?
• Which other artists do they have performing at the event?

Based on that information I now have a provisional date/dates, an idea of what kind of fee I should quote and the level of the event.  So how do you go about quoting the right fee?  As I mentioned earlier the goal with fees is making sure you get enough money, the promoter can make a profit and the audience gets a reasonably priced ticket.  There is no hard and fast rule in what fee levels should be because it depends on a mix of factors including capacity of venue, promoter’s costs, whether the artist is required to provide PA, backline and hotels, artist stature, event stature, ticket price, number of artists appearing.

As a general rule of thumb if you are going to be the main act at a theatre or club then I would be looking for a fee equivalent to 70% of the box office receipts.  So if a promoter of Joe Bloggs Jazz Club sells 400 seats in a venue for an average of $10 then you should be getting $2,800.  However if you are being booked to support another artist then you need to figure out how many fans you are able to bring to the show.  If a promoter is asking you to play support to a big name jazz artist in a 800 capacity venue with a $20 ticket price and you think that by having you appear at the festival you can attract 100 people then you should be asking for around $1400.

However there is a reason why 20% of the jazz musicians get 80% of the gigs.  It is because they are able to overcome objections from promoters better.

You are likely to hear four possible objections from the promoter before they’ll give you the gig.  Here is what they are likely to be and how you should respond to them.

Common Objections

FEE TOO HIGH

This is the most common one.  If this is an objection you get then you can offer to do a reduced guarantee fee but with a split of the door.  So in the case of our Joe Bloggs Jazz Club I might offer to do a guaranteed fee of $1,500 against a split of 80% of box office receipts.  This means I take on some of the promoters risk but get a higher stake in the upside should the show sell-out.  Here is how it could break down:

	100 tickets sold	250 tickets sold	400 tickets sold
Box Office Revenue	$1,000	$2,500	$4,000
80% of Box Office	$800	$2,000	$3,200
Guaranteed Fee	$1,500	$1,500	$1,500
Promoter GrossProfit/Loss	$500 loss	$500 profit	$800 profit
Artist Total Fee Received	$1,500	$2,000	$3,200

As a very last resort you can offer to do the show for no guarantee but a higher percentage of the box office receipts.  I almost never do this with one of our artists because I find it can make the promoter lazy if they do not have to risk any money.  However if it means the difference between a gig and no gig at all you might want to consider it.

PROFILE OF ARTIST TOO LOW

This is a very common objection most artists hear.  Promoters are naturally worried that if they programme an artist with a low profile then they will lose money.  I have found the best way of dealing with this objection is to make the promoter feel that they could be part of breaking a new artist.  Every promoter wants to be known as the person that helped promote the unknown artist into the big league.  You need to show the promoter how they are part of that bigger picture by presenting a clear narrative.  Here are some ways you can do this:

• Let them know about your forthcoming album, the marketing that is going to be done on it and how their show can benefit from that marketing.
• Tell them about the other promoters/festivals that are also booking you.  Promoters can sometimes act like herd animals and if they feel that other promoters/festival are also getting behind you then it can be a powerful motivator.
• Tell them how many people you have in their area on your email list and what you can do to promote their event to your fans.  This is why building your email list is so important.  The bigger your mailing list the more equity you have with a promoter.  If you are talking with a promoter in Chicago and know you have 200 fans within 100miles tell the promoter.  Perhaps together you could offer the chance to win two tickets to your show as a way of getting the fans involved and using them to help promote the show.
• Offer to play support for a bigger artist instead.  This is a great way to get your foot in the door.  It helps build your relationship with the promoter and your fan list at the same time.
• If you are able to why not offer to give a free jazz masterclass if the promoter books you.  Often promoters receive public funding for the educational elements of their events.

ARTIST NOT RIGHT FOR VENUE/FESTIVAL

Sometimes promoters will use this objection if they don’t like to tell you directly that they feel your fee is too high or you aren’t well known enough yet.  If I get this response then I tend to ask more questions to really find what the objection is.  Often my question to them will be something like ‘well if we reduced our fee a little then might this make a show possible and that could result in bringing in a new audience to your event’.  If it really does look like you aren’t the right artist for the venue of festival then ask the promoter if they could suggest two or three other promoters that might be more suitable for you to talk with.
DIARY/FESTIVAL LINE-UP BOOKED UP

This is a straight forward one to deal with.  I would tell them to consider you if any of the artists they have already booked cancel.  Offer to do a support slot on any of the shows they have already booked that make sense.  Finally ask them when they will be starting to programme again so you can put this date in your diary to follow up on later.

STAGE 4 – CONTRACTING & MATERIALS

So you’ve managed to get over any objections and you’ve got a confirmed gig.  The next thing you need to do is to send the promoter an email confirming what has been agreed and getting them to fill in a form so that you can issue contracts, invoices and send out any posters or flyers.  Here is an example of an email you could send:

____

To: joebloggs@festival.com

Subject: <ARTIST NAME> CONFIRMED DATE <DATE OF CONCERT>

Dear Joe

Thanks for confirming the show.  Please can I ask you to fill in the form below and email back to me so I can send you contracts etc.  In the form you can also let me know how many posters/flyers you need me to send to you.  If you go to my Reverbnation EPK <Add Link> you will find high quality images, a biography, tech spec, videos and audio tracks.

Thanks

<Artist Name>

CONFIRMATION FORM

Artist Name: <Artist Name>

Date of Performance: <DATE OF PERFORMANCE>

Name of Contracting Party:

Promoter Name:

Promoter Cell Number:

Venue Name:

Venue Address:

Venue Town:

Venue Zip/Postcode:

Venue Country:

Venue Capacity:

Venue Telephone:

Box Office Telephone:

Box Office Website:

Soundcheck Time:

Doors Open Time:

On Stage Time:

Fee Agreed: <DETAILS OF FEE AGREED>

Payment: <HOW YOU WANT TO BE PAID & IF DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED>

We provide A3 posters and A5 flyers with a white space at the bottom for you to overprint.  Please tell me what quantity you need of each:

Poster:

Flyers:

Contact Name of Marketing Person:

Telephone Number for Marketing Person:

Email for Marketing Person:

Name of Technical Contact:

Telephone Number of Technical Contact:

Email for Technical Contact:

If hotel is being provided please give details:

Hotel Name:

Hotel Address:

Hotel City:

Hotel Zip/Postcode:

Hotel Telephone:

Hotel Website:

IMPORTANT: Please email <EMAIL ADDRESS OF ARTIST> with travel directions to venue

_______________

STAGE 5: CONTRACTING & MARKETING MATERIALS

You must now send out the contract and your invoice based upon the confirmation form that the promoter has emailed back to you.  Along with the contract I would also send out the flyers and posters that have been requested.

Position Contract for Publicists

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:52 pm

Position:                      Publicist

Accountable To:          Artist’s Manager

Accountable For:         Promoting Artist in Print, Radio, TV and Online

Remuneration:                        $100 a month

Term:

Territory:                     Italy & Spain

Standards:

1. To promote Artists live engagements
2. To liaise with promoter/venue/festival marketing contacts to assist in promoting Artists live engagements
3. To increase traffic to Artists official website by 30% a month.
4. To increase size of fan email list by 10% a month.
5. All fans must be real accounts. NO Bots or any dirty tricks.
6. No Fake, Spam promotion methods (Make money joined this page, Sending Spam PM’s)
7. All fans must have an interest in either jazz music
8. All Facebook/MySpace/Twitter fans must be active accounts with 20 friends or more
9. You must not add fans in a way that will get the page banned or suspended — there will be no payment if the page is suspended within 14 days of delivery.  This is very important.

Signed ______________________________

Date ________________________________

Position:  Agent

Signed ______________________________

Date ________________________________

Position:  Artist’s Manager

Weekly Stats Action Plan

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:51 pm

Position:                                                              Artist Manager

Title:                                                                      Artist Weekly Stats Update

Result:                                                                  To evaluate artist’s online profile

Materials Needed:                                          Internet access, passwords, Google docs , Bandmetrics.com, Youtube.com, Google Analytics, Twitter, Reverbnation.com, SEO toolbar,

Position With Overall Accountability:       Artist Manager

Staff Positions:                                                  Artist Manager, Artist, Merchandise Manager

#	BENCHMARK	ACCOUNTABILITY	DUE BY
1	Check unique, pages per visit, bounce rate, average time on site and % new visits per week & in total for martintaylor.com on Google Analytics and enter it onto Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
2	Use SEO toolbar to check latest inbound links for that week and in total and enter it onto Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
3	Use SEO toolbar to check Google Pagerank and enter it onto Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
4	Go onto Bandmetrics.com to find out how many fans added this week to artists MySpace, iLike, Facebook LastFM & Youtube profiles and what total is.  Go to artists Twitter profile to see how many new followers there are and total followers.  Add all these fans/followers together and enter it onto Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
5	Go onto Bandmetrics.com to find out how many views happened this week on artists MySpace, iLike, Facebook, LastFM & Youtube profiles and what total is and enter it onto Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
6	Go onto artists MySpace, Facebook page and Twitter pages to find out how many new comments this week and what total is and enter it onto Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
7	Go to artists YouTube channel to find out how many new subscribers added this week and what total is and enter it onto Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
8	Go onto artists Reverbnation page to check how many new emails added this week and the total and add to Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
9	Go onto artists Reverbnation page and check on that weeks emails click through rate and add to Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
10	Use SEO toolbar to calculate total number of inbound links and Google pagerank and add to Google Docs spreadsheet	Artist Manager	Each Friday
11	Go to store system and get store sales for that week & total and add to Google Docs spreadsheet	Merchandise Manager	Each Friday
12	Email results that are listed in the Google Docs spreadsheet to Artist	Artist Manager	Each Friday

*	STANDARD

Action Plan for a Publicist

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:50 pm

Position:                                                              Publicist

Title:                                                                      Artist Online News Updates

Result:                                                                  To ensure that all artists’ sites have latest concert dates.

Materials Needed:                                          Internet access, passwords, Reverbnation.com, Tubemogul.com, Hootsuite, MySpace, Facebook, LastFM, iLike

Position With Overall Accountability:       Artist Manager

Staff Positions:                                                  Publicist, Artist Manager

#	BENCHMARK	ACCOUNTABILITY	DUE BY
1	Email publicist with details of confirmed concerts including box office number, website, venue details and marketing contact at festival/venue.	Agent	As date is confirmed
2	Create minimum of one news story about the artist latest concert dates added and email to Digital Publicist along with any photos .	Manager	Weekly
3	Update Blog with details of new shows.	Artist	Weekly
4	Update twitter & facebook with show details	Publicist	Daily
5	Put latest dates on official site	Publicist	Weekly
6	Update artists Reverbnation account with latest dates.	Publicist	Weekly
7	If it is a big show then send an update to fans of the artists Facebook page	Publicist	Monthly
8	On MySpace send out  event invitation for new show to friends.	Publicist	Weekly
9	Submit news story on latest shows to Digg.com, Stumbleupon & Delicious using Shareaholic Firefox add-in and keywords	Publicist	Weekly
10	Post details of new live dates to five related forums	Publicist	Weekly
11	Update artists LastFM page with latest events.	Publicist	Weekly
12	Update artist iLike page with latest events, post news story bulletin and add new pics and video if applicable.	Publicist	Weekly
13	Update artists Flickr page with latest photos from live shows.	Publicist	As Required
14	Put together email to fan list about new dates and send out.	Publicist	Monthly
15	Submit latest live shows using ArtistData.com	Publicist	Weekly

*	STANDARD
1	News stories should be SEO friendly
2	When posting details of new live shows direct people to tour dates page on artists site first.

An Agents Position Contract

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:50 pm

Position:                      Booking Agent

Accountable To:          Artist’s Manager

Accountable For:         Booking Live Engagements for Artist

Remunerations:                      15% of fee

Term:                          Three years from signature

Territory:                     Italy

Standards:

1. Agent to book primarily festivals or theatres although other types of engagements will be considered if artist’s manager is consulted.
2. Artist will only consider engagements if the fee is over $500.
3. Agent to book a minimum of 100 shows a year for Artist
4. Agent will ensure that Artist’s Manager will receive copies of all engagement contracts.
5. Agent to only confirm booking of engagements following confirmation email from artist’s manager.
6. Agent will only use publicity materials provided by artist or their manager.
7. Artist to received payment for engagements within seven days of engagement date.
8. Agent to provide artists manager with promoter contact details within two weeks of booking being confirmed.
9. Agent will only use engagement contracts supplied by artist’s manager.  Any changes to this contract must be agreed by the artist’s manager by email.

Signed ______________________________

Date ________________________________

Position:  Agent

Signed ______________________________

Date ________________________________

Position:  Artist’s Manager

How a Jazz musician measures success

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:46 pm

You might be feeling a little overwhelmed by all the ideas I’ve presented so far in this blog.  Building a successful and sustainable live career as a jazz artist requires a lot of work and its easy to lose focus as time goes on or spend time on something which doesn’t produce results.  In order to stop the feeling of being overwhelmed and also to make sure you are on the right track I suggest that you put together a simple little sheet that you can fill in at the end of each week to track your progress.  If you were training to run a marathon then you realise you’ve got to break things down into small steps and measure your success.

There are five key metrics that you can measure each week that will show if you a progressing or not.

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Month Total	Monthly Target
Gigs Confirmed
Value of Gigs
New Leads
Site Uniques
Email Adds

Gigs Booked – How many gigs have you confirmed this week?

Value of Gigs – What was the value of the gigs confirmed this week?

New Leads – How many new leads did you contact this week?

Site Uniques – How many unique visitors to your website did you get this week?

Email Adds – How many people joined your email list this week?

Put together your own monthly progress sheet and stick it on your fridge or next to your computer.

If you follow the guide you will find after a while you are doing a lot of gigs and it is at this point it can be useful to take a step back and really look at which gigs are generating the most money for you.  The principle of Pareto’s Law (commonly known as the 80/20 Law) is well known in business.  It is the law that states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the actions.  It is a useful exercise to look and see which gigs are generating the most profit for you because you might be suprised.  I recently did this with an artist friend of mine who was wanting to do less gigs but still make a good living.  After looking through his financial accounts I quickly worked out that his jazz festival shows in the summer months generated nearly 70% of his income for the year.  So we put together a plan to increase the numbers of summer shows he did by 20% and reduce substantially the number of shows he did outwith the summer period.  This allowed him to earn almost the same as before but gave him an extra couple of months where he wasn’t required to play gigs and when he could take time out to write new music.

Fulfilling the Gig

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:45 pm

So you’ve booked the show and you’ve now got to deliver.  You’ve now got to promote the show, get to the gig, give the audience a good time and make the promoter want to book you again.  All this combined is what we call client fulfilment.  Let’s break of the elements down.

MARKETING YOUR SHOWS

Many artists make the mistake of thinking that the marketing of their shows is down to the promoter or festival.  This view is a mistaken one because you should be looking to work with the promoter in order to make sure your show is a sell-out.  Obviously the promoter is going to pick up the majority of the costs in promoting the shows but there are a couple of things you can do to increase your chances of a sell-out show.

TELL YOUR EXISTING FANS ABOUT IT

You need to let your existing fanbase know about the show.  Appendix B gives you a checklist you or your publicist needs to work through.  It includes posting the date on your websites, Facebook page plus a host of other sites.  If you follow this checklist you will be doing what the Top 1% of jazz artists or their managers does and over time you will see results.  Doing it for just one show doesn’t work.  You need to do this for every single show.

COMMUNICATE WITH THE PROMOTERS MARKETING PERSON

In addition to this you need to make contact with the marketing person for the event providing them with your contact information, a link to your EPK and to asking them if they need anything from you in order to set up preview pieces or interviews in advance of the show.  Suggest doing a completion with the main local newspaper or jazz radio station where the prize is a pair of tickets for the show and a copy of your new album.  I would suggest you contact the marketing person once the show is initially confirmed and then again a month before the show date.

COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL MEDIA

It is also worth contacting the arts editor of the local newspapers and any local jazz radio stations directly and giving them details of the date.

THINK UP SOME INTERESTING ANGLES

Is there anything you can do to generate some extra attention for your show?  Could you offer to arrive in the city the day before the show and give a masterclass in a local school?   This kind of thing usually gets covered by the local papers and is a great way to promote your gig.

BUILD A STREET TEAM

Websites like Reverbnation allow you to build an online street team.  Street Teams are a cost-effective way to create the grassroots buzz that is necessary to move your career to the next level.  These superfans will help you gain exposure by talking about you on blogs, in message boards and posting your music, banners, tour dates, etc. all over the internet.  You tell the team what you want them to do, and they compete against each other for a reward. Reverbnation provides several mission templates to choose from, or you can make a custom mission:

• Spread Music
• Promote Shows
• Recruit New Fans
• Drive Traffic
• Offline
• Custom

We’ve used Street Teams to help us promote an artist’s live dates by offering a prize of free tickets to the show for fans that post up details of the show on ten or more websites.  Give it a shot.

ITINERARIES

Armed with the completed confirmation form from the promoter and the contract you can get on with putting together the itinerary for a show or tour.  Normally I will start putting together an itinerary for an artist around four weeks before a show in order to get the best prices on flights and hotels.

If you are a solo artist then the process of putting together itineraries is very simple.  However if you are part of a band things become more complicated and I suggest you use something like Bandize to help.  We use Aiasuna which is a top end system designed specifically for agents but this is probably overkill for most artists as it allows you to handle the diaries of multiple artists.

The essentials of an itinerary don’t really change and will normally include the following:

Venue:

Name:

Street:

City:

Country:

Contact:

Venue Type:

Capacity:

Technician Contact:

Promoter Contact:

Transport Contact:

Schedule:

Get In:

Soundcheck

Doors Open

Concert Start

Sets:

Other Acts:

Hotel:

Name:

Street:

City:

Country:

Tel.:

Fax.:

Website:

Info:

Travel Details:

Further Info:

I’ve booked tours that involve only one musician as well as tours that have had as many as fifty people in the band and crew and require multiple trucks, coaches and flights.  Putting together itineraries for each tour required the same attention to detail.  However putting together itineraries and booking of hotels/travel is something that you can delegate by outsourcing it to a personal assistant using sites like Elance or GetFriday .  Using a service like this will save you many, many hours in the long run and can actually save you money by making someone else find the best travel deals and allowing you to get on with booking more gigs.

Lead Generation for Jazz Musicians

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:28 pm

Lead generation is the process of creating or generating prospective interest or inquiry into a business’ products of services.  In your case it is the process by which you build up a list of jazz promoters, festivals, agents and bookers who you believe might be interested in giving you a gig.  A good way of thinking about how lead generation works is by thinking of it as a funnel.

SUSPECTS & UNQUALIFIED LEADS

You’ve made a great first step in generating leads by just buying this guide and accompanying directory because you now have a list of thousands of unqualified leads.  However the directory on its own isn’t good enough because they are unqualified leads.  Unqualified leads are those contacts that you know are generally interested in booking artists whereas a qualified lead is one that has expressed interest in booking you.

In generating leads you constantly need to be on the look-out for new jazz promoters, festivals and agents so you can add them to your unqualified leads.  Here are a couple of ways you can do this:

• Read the ‘what’s on’ guide section of jazz magazines and find
• Go to the websites of similar artists and make a list of all the venues/festivals/clubs they are playing.
• Google ‘jazz festivals’, ‘jazz clubs’, ‘jazz promoters’, jazz agents’ and add any new contacts to your list.
• Ask other jazz musician friends if they can give you any leads.  Offer them any of your leads in exchange.

Here are couple of other ideas for building your leads list:

• Why not contact similar artists who are at a similar level to you profile wise but live in other cities/countries and co-promote some events together.  You can promote a double bill show with you and them in your home town if they can do the same thing in their town.
• Type in ‘support tbc jazz’ in Google and you will get a list of festivals and dates where the support for the main artist hasn’t been confirmed yet.  This then gives you a list of possible leads.
• Look through your old gig diaries.  Are there any promoters/venues/festivals that you haven’t played in a while or have lost touch with?

A number of artists now hire virtual assistant through sites like Elance or GetFriday to generate leads.  It’s nice to think that while you sleep someone in another timezone can be researching possible new jazz gigs for you.

The point of generating unqualified leads is to not to be overly critical or think that a festival is too big for you to play.  You are simply collecting names of festivals, promoters, clubs and agents at this stage.

MARKET & PROSPECT INTELLIGENCE

Armed with a list of unqualified leads you now need to dig a little bit deeper.  At this stage you would be looking at your list of festivals or promoters and finding out which ones programme your style of jazz.  You also need to start attaching emails, phone numbers and addresses to your refined list along with details such as dates the festival takes place and who actually makes the decision in booking artists.  This will normally be the artistic director of a festival or theatre and the booking manager of a club.

QUALIFICATION PROSPECTS

The next stage involves calling or emailing your refined list and you should be asking three questions:

• What is the name, email, telephone and mailing address of the person that makes the decision on which artists are booked.
• How far ahead do they book (it’s not uncommon for some venues to book a year ahead)
• How do they prefer to receive submissions from artists (email, mail, fax, phone)

At this stage you can now note one of seven possible statuses for your contact.

1. No contact made – not yet contacted
2. Can’t be contacted – you have a prospect, but you can’t connect with the key decision-maker
3. Need already met – the prospect has already bought or otherwise solved their problem
4. Lacks financial authority – if a prospect doesn’t have the financial backing to make a purchase, you won’t be able to make the sale.
5. Lacks decision-making authority – the prospect may not be the person to approve the purchase. You may need to try moving up the chain of authority to get approval.
6. May not meet requirements to purchase – the prospect may be in the wrong industry, lack information for you to do your job, not have compatible products/tools, etc. This is very common in areas like IT consulting, where you can’t help a client because they use a Mac computer and you only deal with PCs.
7. Qualified Prospect – Contact Made & Information Received

QUALIFIED PROSPECTS

At the end of the last process you’ll now have a list of Qualified Prospects who have given you their contact information and have expressed interest in receiving information and/or a promo pack from you.

At this point I would suggest you use something like MailChimp or Constant Contact or some kind of database and way of recording all the information you’ve collected on your qualified prospects.

Now we move onto turning your Qualified Prospects into an actual booking with Lead Conversion

Delegating for Jazz Musicians

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:16 pm

So you have the Position Contract and Operations Manual for each of the functions.  You’ve actually spent time doing each these roles and refining your checklists and action plans.  Now it’s time to take it to the next level.  Now it’s time to replace you through delegation.

Some artists will employ people full time to fulfil each of these functions but what is more common is the outsourcing to self-employed individuals or specialist companies.  In the case of one artist we work with he has a manager who takes a percentage of all his income, he has a publicist on a monthly retainer to work on the marketing of his live shows and albums, my company acts as his agent and also look after his merchandise plus he has an attorney.  He is a solo artist with simple touring requirements so chose not to have a tour manager.

Let’s starts to outsource the first of these functions – the publicist.

The publicist is responsible for promoting the artist and their shows in print, radio, TV and online.  Often they will work alongside other publicists/marketing people hired by promoters and record labels.  Some artists will hire a publicist on a project basis to promote a new release or tour and these can cost between $500-$10,000.  Other artists will have publicists on a retainer, paying them a monthly amount and it is not uncommon to be paying $1000 a month.

While hiring an A-level publicist can help your career by getting more coverage for your tours which then result in greater ticket sales and revenue there is a more effective way.  In recent years I’ve looked on as more Fortune 500 companies have outsourced work that isn’t part of their core competence.  As a jazz musician your core competence is performing music so you need to look at outsourcing everything else that takes up your time that isn’t part of this core competence.

Getting a remote publicist is a huge departure point and marks the moment that you learn how to give orders and be the boss.  It isn’t time consuming.  Its low-risk and low-costs.  Whether or not you think you need a remote publicist is immaterial.  It’s an exercise.  So let’s begin.

By now you should have an operations manual for the function of ‘publicist’ which includes scripts, checklists and action plans for everything that role involves.  You’ll probably find that you will have around 10-25 of these lists, scripts and action plans but don’t feel bad if you have less or more than this.  Your first decision is whether you want to outsource all the jobs involved in being a publicist to one company of individual.  My suggestion would be that you divide the function of a publicist into two parts:

1. SEO, Pay Per Click (PPC) & Social Media
2. Press, Radio & TV

The first part is the easiest to outsource but let me first clarify what I mean by each of the terms.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION

The old axiom “If you build it, they will come,” doesn’t apply here. Search engine placement is critical to anyone with a website; even if you do build it, they won’t come if they can’t find you. Search engine optimization (SEO) specialists help your site gain high rankings. The algorithms change constantly so techniques naturally evolve – unless you’re in the web field you’re unlikely to have the necessary skills.

Search engine marketing (SEM) is also a specialized field. It can take days, months and years of expertise to write effective ads, place your banners on the right sites, set up effective affiliate programs, or manage your pay-per-click programs so you get the most visitors and more importantly conversions.

Skilled providers can do that for you – plus they can keep track of new developments and trends in the SEO and SEM fields.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media is interacting with online communities.  If you don’t already have them I suggest you get your own Facebook, MySpace, Flickr page and twitter account.  Posting, Blogging, podcasts, reacting to tweets, video content, Facebook groups or encouraging user-generated content; it can all complement your other marketing efforts, rather than take on a (potentially dangerous) life of its own.  Outsourcing posting to your social media sites and building fans on them is increadibly simple.

PAY PER CLICK (PPC)

PPC should form part of your marketing and when used correctly can deliver amazing results.  We mainly use PPC in terms of running Google Adwords campaigns to promote tours, individual concerts and new album releases.  The thing I really like about PPC is that unlike press and radio advertising you can actually track the success of your PPC advertising campaigns.

Recently a jazz pianist friend of mine approached me to say he had just got out of hospital and wouldn’t be able to do any gigs for a couple of weeks.  He was wondering what to do with his time.  I suggested he make some changes to his website and learn about PPC by running some Google Ads.  Most of his work was as a solo pianist doing corporate gigs but he really wanted to do more trio work so I suggested he put a series of Google Ads together along the lines of:

Jazz Piano Trio

Available for Weddings,

& Corporate Events

www.artistwebsite.com

He then had his adverts show every time someone typed a series of keywords and phrases into Google such as ‘piano trio for wedding’, ‘jazz for wedding’, ‘jazz band’ etc.  Within the space of a month he had increased the number of jazz trio gigs he was doing by 150% with a total cost of under $100.

You’ll find suggested links at the end of this book where you can find out more about how PPC works in detail.  There are also tens of thousands of companies and individuals offering SEO, PPC and Social Media services so how do you find the right one?

Firstly you need to find the marketplace where these people sell their wares and the three biggest are Elance, ODesk and Freelancer.  I recently used a provider on Elance who was based in India to build me a database of over 300 jazz radio station contacts.  Total cost $70!

In choosing an outsourcer I would keep these rules in mind:

1. Ask for references.
2. Check out their expertise and experience by checking their past results
3. Verify the infrastructure and manpower claim that the company makes
4. Verify their financial stability. Ask for credit report and audited financial statements.
5. Check out their social media presence. Are their top management accessible through social media?
6. Start small, get compatible, spend time in building relationship and then scale up
7. Avoid outsourcing ‘rush projects’ or ‘projects past their deadline’

8. Discuss (in detail) the process / procedure that they will be following (avoid black-hat)

There are many rules and techniques that help people to delegate. Good delegation saves money, time, builds people and team skills, grooms successors and motivates people. Poor delegation sucks! Ask any employee. It causes frustration, demotivates and confuses people and teams. It is important to develop good delegation skills. These twelve rules of delegation should help you out.

1. Delegation is a two-way street. That’s right! Delegation is meant to develop you and the people you work with. Consider what you are delegating and why you are delegating it. Are you delegating to build people, get rid of work you don’t like to do or to develop someone?
2. To be a good delegator you need to let go. You can’t control everything so let go and trust the people you work with. Hand over those tasks to other people that are stopping you from reaching your full potential.
3. Create a delegation plan. Use a delegation matrix that shows your people and the main task components and how you can develop your people and get the work done. This will help your people understand the expectations being set.
4. Define the tasks that must be done. Make sure that the task can be delegated and is suitable to be delegated. Some things you have to do and others can be done by someone else. Be clear on what the task is and is not. People like clarity when being delegated to. So ensure you are clear. If you are not clear your people will not be and you will be disappointed. Worst, your people will feel like failures. Not cool!
5. Select and assign the individual or team that should take on the task. Be clear on your reasons for delegating the task to that person or team. Be honest with yourself. Make sure you answer the question what are they going to get out of it and what you are going to get out of it? Think of it as listening to the radio station WII-FM (what’s in it for them). It’s a good motivator.
6. Make sure you consider ability and training needs. The importance of the task may need to be defined. Can the people or team do the task? Do they understand what needs to be done? If not, you can’t delegate it to them. If resources are an issue, sit your team down and move things around or develop a mentoring-support program that enables your people.
7. Clearly explain the reason for the task or work that must be done. Discuss why the job is being delegated and how it fits into the scheme of things. Don’t be afraid to negotiate points that are discussed when appropriate. Don’t say it is because we are told to do it. For your people to own the task you must own the task. Reframe and rephrase it so you have ownership.
8. State the required outcomes and results. Answer questions like what must be achieved, what the measurements will be, and clarify how you intend to decide that the job was successfully done.
9. Be prepared to discuss the required resources with the individual and team. Common challenges arise with every person and team including people, location, time, equipment, materials and money. These are important concerns and should be discussed and solved creatively. However, sometimes it is simply as it must be done. Be prepared.
10. Get agreement on timeline and deadlines. Include a status reporting feature to ensure things are getting done. When is the job to be done? What are the ongoing operational duties? What is the status report date and how is it due? Make sure you confirm an understanding of all the previous items. Ask for a summary in their words. Look for reassurance that the task can be done. Address any gaps and reinforce your belief in the individuals or teams work. They need to know you trust them.
11. Remember the two way street, well it is most likely a multi-directional intersection. Look around and support and communicate. Speak to those people who need to know what is going on. Check your stakeholders list and make sure you inform them what the individuals or teams responsibility is. Do not leave it up to the individual or team. Keep politics, the task profile and importance in mind.
12. Provide and get feedback for teams members and individuals. It is important that you let people know how they are doing and if they are achieving their aim. Don’t get into blame-storming. You must absorb the consequences of failure, create an environment where failure is an opportunity to learn and grow and pass on the credit for success. Pay it forward if you can.

So to end this section on delegation I want to give you some ideas of tasks that any jazz musician could start delegating:

• Creating a contact list of jazz press and radio stations.
• Writing a new biography to be used in the packs you send to festivals and promoters.
• Designing your new website
• Writing grant applications
• Finding opportunities for your music to be used on TV or film
• Album artwork design
• Creating viral campaigns
• Researching a new country you want to start touring in
• Transcribing your biography into other languages
• Booking flights for a show
• Researching the best price for that new microphone you’re interested in
• Creating and reviewing contracts
• Diary keeping

Documenting How Your Team Works

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 4:12 pm

Once you have Position Contracts you’ll have a better understanding of all the work involved in having a successful live career. Now it’s time to replace yourself so that you can focus on the actual process of making music. You need to replace yourself with a system that will create success for you as a performing jazz artist.

This you need to do from the bottom, not the top.

For each of the positions (Booking Agent, Manager, Publicist, etc) you need to create Operations Manuals. The Operations Manual for the Publicist will contain scripts, action plans and checklists for everything from ensuring that your concert dates are listed on your website and social networks to the process of contacting press and radio in each of the towns to get listings, previews and reviews of your shows.

Click here to see an action plan that the publicist should work through to publicise your live dates online.   Click here for an example of an action plan for measuring how your online profile is developing. Here is a list of some other suggested lists, scripts and action plans that should be in the Operations Manual for each of the Positions:

PUBLICIST

• Local Press & Radio Contact Checklist
• Poster & Show Flyer Checklist
• Script for calling local press & radio
• Script for calling venue/promoter/festival marketing person

AGENT

• Lead Generation Action Plan
• Lead Conversion Action Plan
• Invoicing Checklist
• Contracting Checklist

MERCHANDISE MANAGER

• Local Shows Checklist (to ensure local record stores are aware of artists show)
• Show Merchandise Checklist (for selling merchandise at live shows)

You can expect each position will have around 15-50 of these plans, scripts and checklists and they are different for each artist.

A Jazz Musicians Team

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 2:48 pm

Every jazz artist that has achieved any level of success has been supported by a great team. Each member of this team fulfils a different function.

The process of building your team has three steps:

1. Define Functions
2. Document How They Work
3. Delegate

The team for most of the artists we normally work with includes people carrying out the following functions:

FUNCTIONS

• Booking Agent
• Tour Manager
• Artist Manager
• Publicist
• Attorney
• Merchandise Manager

The Booking Agent books live engagements for the artist and the roles involved in this job are the focus of this e-book.

The Artist Manager is the single most important person in any successful artist’s career. He or she is the Chief Operating Officer of the artists business.

The Tour Manager can be responsible for the transportation of musicians, crew and equipment, they will book the hotels, collect money on the road, be the contact with promoters when on the road and sometimes they may double-up as the artist’s sound engineer and/or tech.

The Publicist is responsible for promoting the artist and their shows in print, radio, TV and online. Often they will work alongside other publicists/marketing people hired by promoters and record labels.

The Attorney is involved in structuring deals and shaping the artists business.

And finally, The Merchandising Manager who is in charge of those things that extend your brand such as cds, dvds and t-shirts including those sold at shows as well as your direct to fan products sold through your sites and online. In recent years as it has become more common for artists to be their own record labels and so the role of merchandising by the artist themselves has become more important. For more detailed explanations on each of these roles check out Donald Passman’s ‘All You Need To Know About The Music Business’.

I’m now going to ask you to do something which you may find a little strange and it certainly not something associated with being a jazz musician. I want you to draw up the organisational chart for ‘Your Music Company Inc’. Now I hear you saying ‘Why would I need an organisational chart?’ The reason is that most artists, as their careers build, organise their team around personalities and not around functions.

In the beginning your name will be in all the boxes as you will be your own booking agent, tour manager, marketing person and manager. As time goes on you may decide to continue to fulfil all the functions or outsource some or all of them.

Let us now put together the team for the Italian jazz guitar player Simone Raffaelli that I mentioned earlier. We know from his Live Objective that his focus will be on shows in Italy and Spain and that he is looking to play 100 concerts a year.
Initially Simone will fulfill all the positions in the organisational chart. He’ll be the artist, manager, booking agent, publicist, tour manager, attorney and product manager. He’ll book the show, co-ordinate the marketing of it, put together the itinerary, reserve the train tickets, review the contract for the show, make sure he has enough stock of his new album to sell at the venue and finally actually play the gig. If you are already doing any level of playing live you’ll recognise very well what I have just described.
However by assigning each of these roles (booking agent, manager, publicist etc) we can begin to define all the work involved in achieving Simone’s Live Objective. The next job is to write a Position Contract for each position on the Organisation Chart. A Position Contract is a summary of the results to be achieved by each position in the company, the work the occupant of that position is accountable for, a list of standards by which the results are to be evaluated, and a line for the signature of the person who agrees to fulfill those accountabilities. This is not just a job description but a contract. The Position Contract is the document that identifies what they are being counted on to produce.

As I’ve mentioned initially Simone will be fulfilling all the positions. The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly Simone like 95% of all jazz artists are currently not at a level where they will have either the profile or revenue to enable getting other people to do some of the jobs mentioned. However more importantly, Simone needs do develop an understanding of what each of the positions involves.

Your Live Objectives in Jazz

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 2:46 pm

Your Live Objective is a very clear statement of what the live part of your career, as a jazz musician, must do for you to achieve your purpose.

MONEY
How much do you need to earn to achieve your purpose this year, in five, ten and twenty five years time? (think about this in terms of monthly amount and how many monthly gigs you must play to achieve this)

COMMODITY V FEELING
What are people really buying from you? Often when I ask musicians this question they’ll answer that they are buying the CD, download or concert ticket. However they mistake the feeling for the commodity. When someone buys a Harley Davidson are they really buying a machine and method of transport to get them from A to B? No, they are buying the feelings of independence and being part of an heritage. Likewise with a James Bond movie, the audience is not buying a DVD, that is the commodity, rather they are buying feelings of glamour and living the high-life.
It is the same with music. The commodity is the Tony Bennett concert ticket but the feeling is being part of something stylish and cool. The commodity is the ticket for the Latin Jazz Festival but the feeling is one of excitement.

So when thinking of your own life ask yourself what feeling you want to give audiences? The commodity may be the concert ticket, download, t-shirt or CD but it is the feeling that people buy.

LOCAL, NATIONAL OR GLOBAL
Where do you want to play? Do you want to be the hottest jazz saxophonist in your town, your state or your country? Each has a price attached in terms of what you are willing to give up in return. I know jazz drummers who have made a very good living by just being the best in their town and never have to travel more than 20 miles for a gig. Meanwhile, there are jazz musicians who make a phenomenal living touring the World and who thrive on each day bringing a new city to play in. Many US jazz musicians who can only get paid $100 a show in their home town choose instead to play mostly European festivals where they can make ten times that amount.

WHAT KIND OF JAZZ

Jazz as you know is a very broad church. Unless you intend on only playing in your local town, in which case being a generalist is necessary, you’ve got to find your niche within jazz. If you are going to become a World-class international jazz artist then you’ve got to specialise and be known for being the best in your niche.  If you don’t know it already you’ve got to find the style of jazz that you enjoy most. One of the first artists I started booking gigs for was Martin Taylor. Martin didn’t focus on becoming the best jazz guitarist in the World. Instead his love was of the great solo jazz guitarists such as Joe Pass and so he decided to develop his talents as a ‘solo jazz guitarist’. With that decision he lost opportunities to join some prestigious jazz groups but what he gained was a worldwide reputation as the best solo jazz guitarist of his generation and a host of awards in the process.

Another friend had worked for years playing poorly paying bar gigs six nights a week. He was telling me about his unhappiness so I suggested he find his niche and gave him some advice. Six months later we met up and he was telling me how his career had completely changed in that time. Following our conversation he decided to put together a gypsy jazz trio aimed at the high-end corporate market in London. Through some targeted Google Ads, a great website and the targeting of corporate events companies he tripled his monthly income, halved the number of nights he worked and was able to spend more time with his family.

If everyone is your customer, no one is your customer. Whatever you do don’t try marketing to all the jazz festivals. It will waste your time and theirs. If you play trad jazz there is no point trying to get your band booked for a venue that only programmes jazz fusion. It is too expensive to target such a broad market, there is too much competition and you will get lost in the crowd.

So spend some time really thinking about what your Live Objective is and get it down in words. Here is the Live Objective of an Italian based jazz guitarist that we’ll call Simone Raffaelli:

“To do 100 concerts a year in Italy and Spain playing high energy jazz fusion at festivals and theatres and earning $5,000 a month.”

A Jazz Musician’s Purpose

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 2:42 pm

Whenever an artist first approaches us to book gigs for them I am very wary of racing headlong into discussing tour periods, fees and line-ups. The reason is I think people within the music industry have a habit of being focused on tactics and ignoring strategy. As a result musicians spend all their time on execution. This concert, that press release, this press pack but no one ever succeeded just because of execution tactics. Tactics tell you what to execute. Strategy determines what tactics might work. However what is the point in tactics and strategy if your goals are unclear or work against each other?
This leads me to the most important factors in determining the success of an artist; approach and attitude. Approach determines how you look at a project. Are you intuitive or analytic in your approach? Are you technical or do you go with your gut? In other words what is your style? However by far the most important factor is attitude. How do you treat other artists, promoters and audiences? What kind of musicians do you want to work with? What is it like being in a band with you?
Unless you are in that top 1% of jazz artists who can behave terribly to audiences, musicians and promoters simply because they are exceptionally talented, then you are going to have to develop a good attitude. Your fellow musicians will want you to be honest, pay on time and be enjoyable to play with. Promoters want you to keep your word, be flexible, and understand their position and to be willing to also help promote the show. Audiences want you to be generous, inspired and entertaining.
So before you even start thinking about executing online marketing strategies or booking tours you need to look into yourself. What kind of attitude do you have?
The best way to do this is to find five people you trust to give you honest feedback and ask them the following questions:

• How would you describe the attitude I have to life?
• How would you describe the attitude I have to playing jazz?
• Ask musicians you work with ‘What am I like to work with?’

The answers to these questions will give you an indication as to what aspects of your attitude you need to work on. For some it will be that they come across as being overly negative or snobbish while others may say that you sell yourself short or don’t have a high enough appreciation of your talent. It will be different for each artist. Now let’s move onto why you play jazz in the first place.
I want you to use your imagination now. I need you to imagine picking up a copy of your favourite newspaper or a copy of Jazz Times. You flick through the obituary section and there in cold black and white is your obituary. It talks about your life as a jazz musician, the big successes in your career, the albums you have made and the other artists you have worked with. So what would it say? Take 10minutes to do this just now.

Once you have carried out this little exercise you need to ask yourself a couple of follow-up questions:

• What do I wish my life to look like?
• How do I wish my life to be on a day to day basis?
• What would I like to be able to say I’ve learned in my life?
• How would I like to act with other people in my life – my family, friends, fellow musicians, business contacts and fans?
• How would I like people to think about me?
• What kind of concerts would I be doing in 2, 5, 10 and 25 years from now?
• What specifically do I need to learn to develop into the jazz musician in that obituary in terms of as a performer and musician?
• How much money will I need to do the things I wish to do?
• At what point in my career will I need that level of income?

The reflections you’ll gain from doing the obituary exercise and answering these questions will provide you with your purpose, the reason you are wanting to get all these gigs and tours in the first place.

The first blog post

Posted on August 16, 2010 at 12:08 am

the first blog post

© Get Jazz Gigs 2010