The Band : What Every Aspiring Artist Should Know
Chad Fincher
So u want to be in a band ...
There are many approaches to being in a band :
1 .) The serious artist 2 .) The slightly neglected introvert looking for a hot girlfriend .
3 .) The starving artist who refuses to work at Home Depot .
Regardless of which category comes closest to home , the main objective is to have your music played and heard by as many ears as possible . The world is full of talented people ; This is a fact . If every talented musician capitalized on opportunity and maximized their talent , the radios would be flooded and pro bands would get paid less than Wal- Mart greeters . Luckily for the less talented musicians , ( like me ) this isn ’ t the case . Succeeding in music , is a combination of timing , skill , and hard work . All the talent in the world can ’ t pry you out of your mom ’ s basement that is the player ’ s job . Our band is full of EXTREMELY talented musicians and singers , but what people don ’ t know is we practiced many hours before we played a public show . Individual talent does not promise a collective score . Taking time to make your songs bigger , better , and different will help you get on the fastest track as possible ... and being a tight band will amplifies those points ; 10 fold . A sloppy band shows a lack of hustle and pride . If your band does not have time to rehearse , get a new band . To me it ’ s that important in succeeding . Building a fan-base is not the easiest thing to accomplish , but there are tricks that can make this much easier .
1 . Discipline
Self-D ’ goes with success of any kind . Don ’ t expect to flourish by resting on your laurels ’ and getting wasted at every gig . Yes , you might get away with it and make do , but if you think you are maximizing your talent , you are fooling yourself and wasting your spot on this earth . Remember most of us only get one chance here . Don ’ t waste it on drugs and alcohol . Let music be your comfort or your escape . We all have problems , and no one will sympathize with a talented musician who is about to fall out his stool . Let me just say having a drink is not the end world . Overdoing it to the point of actually altering a performance or band chemistry is the line you have to watch .
2 . Covers
The point of a cover is to make people quit talking about their dog ’ s new collar , and watch your band so your originals have a chance ! Number 1 mistake : picking an obscure cover that 1 out of 200 people have ever heard . Regardless of how great the song is , if the people don ’ t know the song and can ’ t sing along they probably will continue their discussion on whether or not to buy a spiked on un-spiked collar for their poodle . I don ’ t believe in always doing a cover from your bands genre or wheelhouse . Doing a cover they would never expect is my favorite . Shock them into listening .
3 . Build a brand
With your band ; Commit to your style musically and personally . Remember most people look up to musicians for both their musical chops and their style / individuality . People go searching clubs to see or hear something different ( either one will get their attention most times ). Once you have their attention now you must impress ... [ Enter tight awesome band with a cool style ]. Practice / Rehearse / Keep a clear head / and Commit to the BAND ! Then and only then can you say , as a band we gave it an “ Honest ” try .
Acoustic Drive | 25