How I Can Become A One Man Band For ( a little) Fun and Profit
Sep 08 '05 (Updated Sep 16 '05)
The Bottom Line Pre-record your backgrounds, make space for your solos, and you, too, can be a cost-effective alternative for small to medium sized groups, particularly for seniors.
Like many people here have observed, musical performance as a lucrative moneymaking proposition has declined, at least in my local area. There are plenty of reasons: more players, more competition (especially from DJs), agencies putting on festivals have less money, etc.
So what's a player to do? Specifically, what could I do?
Well, first, I do all the things to get as many band gigs as possible, as I listed in my other epinion on the subject.
Get the Gig and Then Find the Players
But, at the end of the day, there are potential gigs out there than can pay something but not enough to justify my typical minimum of $100 per person for a band gig. So, I got to thinking about what my alternatives were:
1. Do the short money gigs with players who will take them regularly. Sure, I can get good pros to take an occasional short money gig if there are better paying gigs in the mix. However, good pros won’t take a stream of short money gigs. This would mean playing with a lower quality of player in the band, since I would be playing with good amateurs or semi-pros or not so hot full-timers.
2. Don’t do the gigs. Let the DJs and amateurs do them.
3. Find a way to compete.
I was inclined to explore #3, since I don’t mind a little competition. I also heard other acts, particularly guitarists and vocalists with pre-recorded backgrounds and so, I decided to explore performing solos with backgrounds.
I already was making backgrounds using PG Music’s software, Band In A Box (BIAB), to learn tunes and with my students, so that was a possibility, plus I had plenty of Jamey Aebersold play-along CDs.
So, when a band client said that her budget was cut in half and asked what I could do for $200, I told her I could come in with pre-recorded backgrounds. She was fine with that, since it was basically a background music gig.
Preparation time took a while, as I had to burn CDs for myself from BIAB, develop set lists, and determine whether I needed a boom box or a sound system with mikes for the gig. But that job went well, and I’ve since expanded it to
Senior Groups (and others)
As the AARP radio commercial says, mature audiences are making up increasing buying power. Well, there are plenty of opportunities to perform for senior groups, but park districts and municipalities are squeezed financially. I can come in at a cost-effective rate (I’ll quote around $250 and discount depending on whether or not I need to cancel students to perform and also whether or not the client will provide a sound system) and the crowd loves it. They see me playing, hear songs they know and they don’t care about the backgrounds as long as they are entertained.
I’ve learned a few things, too, along the way:
1. Target your market
I’ve defined it as senior groups funded by Park Districts and municipalities, non governmental groups with festivals who do not pay for bands (in other words if there’s enough bucks for at least 1 band, there is enough for mine), and private parties, but only after they have rejected my lowest cost band, a drummerless trio.
2. Don’t compete with yourself
In other words, don’t let the solo gigs take away band possibilities. As far as municipalities and park districts are concerned, the solo act is only offered to senior groups. For anything else with those organizations, it’s band or nothing.
3. Pacing is important
I don’t know how rhythm section players can play great continuously. I am used to playing the head, doing my solo and then laying out until we do fours or it's time for the out chorus with maybe some light background sequences during the other solos. Providing melody, solo and out chorus continuously is a WORKOUT. Fortunately, I’ve learned to sometimes have BIAB do the melodies using their instrument samples (vibes and muted trumpet are my favorites) and BIAB can also do decent sounding computer-generated solos, using any number of embedded styles. I can also configure it to trade fours. That has worked very well.
4. Plan, Plan PLAN
This also is essential on band gigs. I develop the set lists and backgrounds well in advance. Now that I have a library of CD-ready tunes, it does not take as long as I used to, even though I make backup copies of each CD for performing. I practice several times with each CD beforehand. If I am providing sound equipment, I do a run through with it at least once and usually more. I scope out the venue beforehand or get there REAL early and allow myself time to set up things the way I like and get comfortable.
5. Be Flexible
This skill is also useful on band gigs. Performing music is important to me and I regard it as a special activity, almost like worship. I understand that my clients and the audiences want to be entertained and dealt with respectfully. While certainly I negotiate my needs, I absolutely refuse to be difficult. With this attitude, I am able to complete gigs professionally even when there are problems. For example, on the last senior gig, the client was providing a sound system (always nice) but it by default muted the mike channels when a CD was playing. So, I put my mikes away, lowered the volume on the CD slightly, increased my own volume on the saxes more than slightly and it worked great. This was a senior group and they were getting tired, so the booker/coordinator asked me if I could shorten my break. Well, between 45 minute solo sets I need at least 20 minutes and prefer 30. I could see that she was right about the audience, though, so I went back on after 10 and gutted my way through an exhausting second set. I thought it wasn’t all that tremendous, but one of my students attended (not a senior but not that far away) and said he thought I was as fresh in the second set as I was in the first.
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While certainly it’s not as fun as playing a relaxed set with a quartet, I’ve still managed a decent number of jobs as a solo act, and I find them interesting and rewarding.
Please check out some of my other epinions in this category:
How to start a jazz band
What music has helped me learn about myself
My worst gig
I learned about a lot more than music from my music teachers
The value of creativity
How I developed my business as a private music teacher
How to get your child started on an instrument
I compose the way I play
Thanks for reading. God bless!
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