Music Conference -- What To Do
I realized that I probably won’t get a chance to post to Datamusicata tomorrow as I will be immersed in the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference in Kerhonksan, NY, so I’m going to post about it now.
At the Far West Conference in October, I overbooked myself in showcases on the one night that I had there and ended up not doing any of the networking, renewing old friendships or seeing the people that I wanted to see perform. I blasted thru four showcase in about three hours and then hit the sack as I had an 8 am flight to catch and a gig that night. So this time I am trying to be more effective (though I did get work thru emails from interested and, ahem, discerning people.
Here’s the plan this time. I am going up there today and joining the meet and greet dinner, followed by the invitational only DJ showcase. Unfortunately I am performing at 12:15 at night. Hopefully someone will be there to witness the amount of practice time I have put in. I am optimistic, but then I have to be or I would have abandoned this vocation when Johnson was president.
Friday I will network, volunteer and hear the folks I want to hear. I like listening to all kinds of music and meeting all kinds of people. It not only broadens your ears and your composing techniques, but you never know who you are going to really connect with on a friendship level and on a business level. Work comes from the most unexpected places.
I will also make certain that everyone I encounter knows that I am only doing two solo showcases, and one all wood and stones showcase (www.allwoodandstones.com) The reason for that is two fold.
- It guarantees that I will have time to make what ever scenes I want to make, meet who I want to meet, and connect with whatever DJ’s, venues and artists that I want to.
- It guarantees that I will have an audience for my showcases. If you are doing a dozen showcases over two nights, then people have a number of chances to see you, but you end up with two to six people at each showcase. If you do only one or two, then EVERYBODY that wants to see you has to come to those two shows. And they do, and a crowd creates a buzz and a buzz creates work.
I don’t usually give out CD’s at these events because everyone else does and people have to go home with tons of extra weight (and the airlines charge) and with so many CD’s they can’t give them the kind of listening that I am hoping for.
There is another benefit to not giving them a CD. You have their address from the program booklet. By sending them a CD later, you are considering their travel problems and you are reminding them of you after the fact.
And I always contact them to let them know that I am sending them the CD and then I contact them to make certain that they received it. And I only send the CD to people that are interested, as I have seen too many CD’s go out the window or into the circular filing cabinet. You want to plant your seeds in fertile soil.
So, don’t burden those folks you want to work with; follow up on everything at least twice (once before and once after you send them your work), and yes, let them know about your websites and downloads, but still SEND them the real thing; only do a few showcases and make certain that they will be well attended; and finally, network, see everyone you need to see perform, meet everyone you need to meet and have as much fun as you possibly can. That kind of stuff is infectious.
james lee stanley
in Promotion
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