All of the above comments are valid for starting out...but after you start working, it is the venue you play that brings work your way..Remember when you play a club, restaurant, party etc...Breaktime is not breaktime..This is the time to build re pore with your future employers....now is the time to schmooze..it is part of the business, a big part.

If you can be outward, friendly, personable, and honest[no fake..putting on the dog]..You will get more than enough work.

Our problems are too many people wanted us on the same dates..

What is wrong with having your wedding on a Tuesday afternoon...anyway..

Making your act UNIQUE is key to having the public want your services....dont be just "another cover or solo act" they are a dime a dozen....ask yourself what would make you stand out from all the other acts, bar bands, and dj's out there?
What could you do to stand out in a crowd and make perspective paying clients say "WOW" I have to have these guys!!!!

I say that if you want to work steady with
a good future, salary and great working conditions, then buy a club, restaurant or bar....then you don't have to worry about finding work and playing in nursing homes or
for free, built your own business while working for yourself, OH, BTW, if there is a problem, you only have yourself to blame.
TR

"Making your act UNIQUE is key to having the public want your services....dont be just "another cover or solo act" they are a dime a dozen....ask yourself what would make you stand out from all the other acts, bar bands, and dj's out there?"

Take this how its intended...

Sometimes "Unique" can come off "gimmicky or contrived". There's really not a whole lot left of novel approaches for OMB-ers. IMO, the nature of what we do is already unique enough. Everyone is different, of course, but I come at from the other end of the spectrum. I wear low-key attire when I perform...Other than at formal gigs-you'd have a really hard time picking me out as the musician where I perform. I always wear nice trousers, nice, shirt, sweater, tie, etc....whatever...Everything is usually dry-cleaned, but I don't wear anything that's flashy. Its just not my style. I look professional, clean and appropriate, I'm told...

I don't talk much either...They didn't hire me to tell stories or jokes or anything else. If the evening leads me to a naturally funny moment, sure, I'll play it up a tad...but not too much. I say good evening at the start of every set, remind them a few times a night of my website, when I'll be back, etc. I've found that forcing things, at least for me, doesn't work so well.

At nursing homes/retirement communities I will talk a little more in the way of some trivia, some games, use some techniques to engage the residents and get them more involved. AD's LOVE it when you can stimulate their residents in a variety of ways. Its got to be short and sweet, because most people in a NH have the attention span of my 11 year old, which isn't much.

I play, I sing....That's it. I keep the songs rapid fire, learn requests, take tight breaks and give the clients every reason in the world to keep hiring me. From my client feedback forms...I'm usually described as warm, flexible and professional. That works fine for me...

Donnie's point is well taken, but know your limits, I'd suggest...

Bill in Dayton
www.billcorfield.com

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 11-06-2006).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bill in Dayton:
[B]
Donny's point is well taken, but know your limits, I'd suggest...[b/]

Bill what I'm saying is BE UNIQUE not with flashy dress clothes, disco lights, &
Top Hat.... But with "YOUR MUSICICAL PERFORMANCE".......that will say it all ....the audiences ears will the deciding factor....a good repoire with the listeners or dancers is not a requirement its a MUST!
This is a people business, & must be treated as such at ALL Times......The way you sound when you play songs is the time to be different then every tom, dick & harry out here hitting the ivories.....people have heard most of these songs hundreds of times so when a musician just changes the arrangement not much or vocals just a bit to give it a hip sharper edge it makes ears perk up from the ordinary & that will give you a personal unique Signature all your own.....not some sparkle shirt or fancy flashing lights....you have to take your soul when you perfoprm & meld it with the crowd to become ONE night after night!!!
Repetitious success will follow for sure only if you do it right.

Good Luck

For once in his life, Fran is dead right. All, and I mean ALL, of the steady-working pro's will use break-time to shmooze visiting club owners, influential customers, etc. It truly is a word-of-mouth type of business.

Funny thing though, Tom. I left Hawaii two years ago and although I had pretty much retired from active playing and concentrated on jazz composition and arranging, I found that having introduced myself to (members of) the two hottest jazz groups on the island (Big Island), and sitting in on a couple of their gigs, I was suddenly on constant call. This led (somewhat reluctantly) to doing most of the resort circuit on the Kona side including solo piano bar gigs in the resort hotels. Obviously there is a shortage of KB players on the Big Island as I'm not that great a piano player (always wished I could play great "lounge" piano with the limitless repetoire (sp)). I know things are quite different on Oahu which I always thought of as NYC with a beach. Where are you located?

BTW, Hawaiian music gives me acute nasuea and on the Big Island, only a few tourist traps feature it. It's usually either jazz or rock. Maybe it's time to move, much cheaper to live over on the Big Island as well.

Aloha,

chas

Good Lord! I just found myself agreeing with Fran, and Donny hit the nail on the head as well. Additionally, dress for the occasion. I cannot count the number of times I've encountered OMB performers wearing ragged jeans and a T-shirt that looks like he just checked the oil of his car with it. If you look great, sound great and put on a hell of a show, you'll have all the work you can handle.

My 2007 calander is rapidly filling, and I already have a couple 2008 jobs booked because the folks that missed out in 2007 want to make sure they are not left out the following year. Yep, you have to be a business person as well. This means you must keep meticulous records, become a booking agent for yourself, be a good accountant, and every other person that a major company would normally employ. Use programs such as Quicken, Quick Books, Turbo-Tax, Photo Shop, Print Shop, MS Word, Nero-Burn, Acid Pro, and lots of others to make all these facets of business come together and you'll find that your computer is equally as important as your keyboard when it comes to running an OMB business. When my wife retires this spring, she will become my booking agent--at least I hope she does. If this is the case, maybe I'll get a few more free days for sailing.

Good Luck,

Gary

------------------
Travlin' Easy

Exactly Gary.....if Carol needs any tips let her talk to my booking secretary

I agree 200%.....SHMOOZING is the key to it all on gigs......breaks? what the heck is that?....get out there and mingle, work the crowd, shake hands, kiss the girls, give out cards, talk up your future gigs.....& when your done go right back on stage and give em hell to back up your hype!