Tips For Having a Band

Having a band is not easy, it’s actually easier to make music by yourself if you have all the tools and instruments to do it. Playing with others can result in great experiences and really interesting sounds, but it can also lead to a very disastrous relationship and failed commitment.

The thing that every musician has to remember is that having a band is very similar to a marriage, there are very important parts of each member that are being shared, there is a connection that has to be maintained and sometimes the differences of opinion will be an obstacle to overcome with patience and a certain amount of experience, but in the end, if it all works out, hearing different influences and ways to play can really be an interesting and exciting learning experience.

Homework

A lot of the work done in a band is done separately, it’s not always about being together, sometimes an idea can come to all but the development of that idea can come to the members individually. This can be similar to having homework at school, you have a specific assignment and you have to bring it to class in order to get it checked. The same way goes for a band, every member does their homework and then present it to the others, this is a big part of the commitment that a band represents.

Everyone Has a Job

It’s very easy to have a band where discussions arise due to wanting different directions for the music. Sometimes there is a hard lesson that has to be learned which is to remember your place in the band. How do you know your place? you have to remember your skills and your limits, then there has to be a very open dialogue and finally follow the trail the band has set up.

One of the hardest roles to accept or carry is the leader. While many bands work without leaders, sometimes the leader is the one with more experience, or the one behind most compositions. If this is the case, the rest of the band have to be ok with this and follow the leader. The good thing about this is that the band can work in a more organized manner because there is one big driving force of creation, while others tune and offer their knowledge from their perspective to reach a common place.

Social Media and Marketing

Now this is a topic not many musicians wants anything to do with, it involves hours of social media building, smart marketing, and getting a good number of people interested in what you do as a band.

The important thing about this is that many bands stay in the dark because of not giving the importance it deserves, or trying to avoid it, but the fact is that these days this is one of the most important aspects of being in a band, it’s not like the old days where big producers went to small gigs and got you a record deal, it may happen, but don’t bet on it. And before you, as the reader believe that music is not just a product, that may be true, but in the end, a band wants to be heard.

If you as a musician end up preferring a more solo oriented career and experience, it’s perfectly fine, but playing with others is something that should be a part of who you are as a musician, it helps us learn, and connect in ways other people can, so we need to make the most of it.

Tip: Did you know you can send mass email as well as the individual emails in the profiles? Please go to the people list and go to email and send email. You will have a list that can be all sent or just one or two.