Positioning yourself

Communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, whether it is personal or working. While there is a stigma around musicians for being egocentric and just plain old “rock stars”, there is a need for clear and succinct communication so that you are presented in the best light; henceforth being professional. 

When you are arranging gigs, you may be talking to venues directly, or your manager, or an agent. 

Take your rock star hat off, leave your ego at the door, and work on communicating with all parties involved so that everyone is on the same page, and so that everyone gets what they want. 

Being direct and to the point is generally the best way to communicate with someone, this way there is subjectivity or ambiguity in what is trying to be said. 

Use as much detail as possible, and be sure to address any issues that you have prior to committing to any gigs; this way, there will be no errors on the night of your event. 

It goes without saying that you need to include and proper intro to your email and sign off with something professional like ‘kind regards’ or ‘regards’. 

If you are communicating with your band members, the above applies as well. Be detail orientated and stick to the point you are trying to get across. This is to avoid confusion, double bookings etc. 

Don’t be afraid to follow up

Everyone is busy, including yourself, and it is quite possible that not everyone will respond to your emails immediately. 

If this is the case, wait a few days (5-7 days should be fine) to follow up the email you had initially sent. Go to your ‘sent’ box and hit reply and write something simple like “Just following this up”. Most of the time you’ll get a response. 

The reason to wait a few days before following up is that you don’t want to come across aggressive or too eager, in some cases it may come across as unprofessional. Remember, everyone is busy and has their own set of priorities; so be respectful of people’s time. 

If your follow up email was unsuccessful, find another means of communicating with that person, or find someone else who can get the job done. 

There are agents, venues and artist management companies out there who simply do not respond to emails. They are either busy or are just plain uninterested in what you have to say. 

There is always the option of calling someone direct if you have their number. A phone call is quick and easy and may save you time waiting around for days for a response. You’ll be able to get your answer or the info you need by calling the venue or relevant company. 

On stage

When you’re performing, your communication can relax a little, and you can be yourself as this is your time to shine. Depending on your target audience, give them what they want to hear. 

You will still need to verbally sell yourself on stage. This can be anything from introducing your bandmates, telling a story or joke. 

It would be ideal to fit in a call-to-action message too. Do you want people to buy your CD? Follow you on Spotify? Or get their phones out to film then post your set on Facebook? Whatever the case, be assertive in what you’re saying so your fans know you’re legit. 

While you may be enjoying your rock star moment, it is still polite to thank the venue, agent, manager and sound guys. You don’t have to name each person individually; a blanket thank you should suffice. 

This continues to show your professionalism and works a treat especially when you are invited back to the venue. If you treat those who have helped you get the gig with a lack of professionalism, they will minimize the work they give you. 

Conclusion 

It’s important to understand how you communicate to the various parties in your music journey. You must separate your rock star self and put that professional hat on. 

Position yourself as a business person when you are trying to coordinate other or work in with others. Allow feedback to be taken on board, be detailed, and remember that the basics of communication matters. 

Follow up with parties but do so in a respectable way. If someone isn’t responding, don’t spam their inbox. 

When you’re on stage, you still need to maintain a level of professionalism, whilst also being somewhat of a salesperson; give your audience an action to complete while watching your show. It’s up to you to decide what would be most beneficial for your band; from selling CD’s to getting free content to share on your social media channels.  

Good luck! 

Kind regards 

Brendan