Start a Band: How to Land Gigs and Build a Huge Fanbase (ePub)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Being at college should be among the best days of your life. You are finally away from home, mixing with new people, and you have the freedom to decide what you want to do and when you want to do it. New experiences and interests are bound to get your creative juices flowing, and starting a band is a fun diversion from your studies.

Starting a band may be an organic process; you and a couple of friends may have started learning to play at around the same time, and perhaps you've had a few impromptu jamming sessions in your bedroom. Maybe you're a bit more serious and would like to put some groundwork in, such as placing ads, sifting through replies and holding auditions, to get other musicians on board. In either case, decide at a very early point just what you want your band to be. At this stage, you don't really need to have a name, but what you will need is some idea of what sound you would like, what genre of music you want to play, and who you will need on board to achieve this.

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

Consider sound-proofing the space you find. Egg boxes and old carpet are the among the cheapest and best options, and they help substantially with reverb, meaning you should be able to hear any mistakes as you play, something which large, echoey spaces tend to disguise.

Recruiting Band Members

So, you've found somewhere to practice - now do you go about getting other musicians to join your band? You may already know one or two who you already practice with, and this may be the nucleus of a band. However, at some point, it is more than likely that you are going to have to advertise to get in other like-minded musicians.

This is where you will be need to be honest with yourself, and any prospective band members. You may be tempted to exaggerate your own musical experience in order to attract some good musicians. Don't. It is no good hiring someone whose playing is vastly superior to yours, as they probably won't stick around. Similarly, it is no good hiring someone who is less experienced. It will be frustrating trying to learn new songs if one member of the band is not up to the same level, as you will not progress as quickly as you should. Possessing limited skill and experience as a musician is not a detrimental factor when hiring other musicians. On the contrary, it can be looked on as a positive because you will have more musicians to choose from and, if you are all at the same level, you will learn and grow together.

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