Provided by www.stevestrax.com
Finding Work
Once you
have purchased the necessary equipment, and have enough material to
provide approximately 2 hours entertainment (most spots are usually 2 x
45 minutes in length or 3 x 30 minutes - the extra 30 minutes of tracks
are necessary for times when you may be expected to sing a few extra
numbers at the end of your performance), the next step will be to find
enough work to either earn a sustainable income or use as additional
income. There are numerous ways to increase your booking potential -
some are surprisingly inexpensive and others require a substantial
amount of time and effort, for which there may be no guarantee. We shall
cover the possibilities as follows :-
Entertainment Agencies
One of
the most common methods for finding work is to use an Entertainment
Agency. These can be considered similar to an Employment Agency. The
agency will try to find work for you, for which there is usually a
commission fee payable. There are many agencies to choose from, each
having their own criteria. Varying commission rates are charged amongst
different agencies, and also some are VAT Registered (meaning that you
may be required to pay commission plus VAT). A decision to use an agency
should not be based on these factors alone, but should be based on the
overall package. One agency may charge a higher rate of commission than
another, however if they are able to find you more work at better
venues, or with venues that pay a higher fee for the artistes, then this
can be beneficial.
An
important point to consider is the area in which an agency operates; are
the venues likely to be within a reasonable travelling distance from
your location? If not it is important to consider the additional fuel
expenses which may be incurred when travelling to the venue.
Contact
as many agencies as you think appropriate - many do not charge for
registration. Some may wish to see you perform at either an audition
show or a local venue before they will offer work. This can only be
deemed acceptable as the reputation of the agency is at stake - and it
will be the agency that is contacted by the venue if the entertainment
was unsatisfactory.
Audition Shows
A good
way to showcase your talents is to attend audition shows. These are held
by various agencies or concert secretaries - details of which can
usually be found in local music/entertainment brochures. It is quite
common for the artiste/s to perform a few tracks on a no-fee basis. This
may seem a little harsh, however this does give everyone a chance to
see a sample of your performance prior to a booking. There may be a
number of landlords and concert secretaries at your audition show,
therefore the few free numbers you have performed may turn out to be
extremely worthwhile. If you do not receive a booking do not worry,
there can be many reasons. Some people are especially looking for duos
as opposed to individual vocalists etc. Try to use the audition as a
learning experience - you will have gained some invaluable experience of
performing on stage, in front of a live audience.
Talent Competitions
Although
you are now looking for professional work, it can be important not to
overlook advertised talent competitions. These can be extremely useful
as there are usually music-related people attending these events. As an
example, I recently attended a talent competition whereby one of the
judges owned a vocal recording studio. The prize on offer was a studio
session to produce your own CD. Steve's Trax sponsored the event
providing free backing tracks, therefore the winners received quite a
lucrative prize. The venues which host these events usually are involved
in entertainment, therefore there is also a chance of receiving a
booking.
Promote Yourself
One of
the most overlooked methods, yet one of the easiest, is
self-promotion. The internet has opened up advertising opportunities
which were previously only available to large corporate companies. Have
you considered setting up a web page advertising your talents? This can
now be achieved in minutes with the many basic web editing packages that
are on offer. Your website could consist of a photograph, description
of your music style and details of equipment used. If you are
considering updating the site regularly you could even list your future
available dates. Start an online blog, this could have details of your forthcoming gigs, and be a good way for audience members to keep in touch. Perhaps consider advertising in a local pub/club
brochure, these can be surprisingly inexpensive.
