Hey! If you’re new to my blog, I’m Nostalgia. I picked up guitar to pursue my childhood band dream in 2020, and by this year (2024) I’ve performed at a venue, a couple anime conventions, the biggest Japanese festival, released my first song, was hired for a music video, and I now play at a new church plant every week.
What’s funny is, I started all this just trying to cross a childhood dream off my bucket list, to play with a rock band on stage ONE time. I knew that promotion would help a lot when I was ready to pitch for a gig, so I started documenting my guitar journey on Instagram to build a fanbase in the meantime. I talked to quite a few guitarists on Insta who’ve been playing for 10+ years but have yet to do anything with their talent. I was a late learner, but as long as I could cover songs, I didn’t see why I would have to wait that long.
The following year (2021), I finally managed to put a band together which contained a bunch of other rookie musicians, either a true beginner like myself, or talented but no real band experience. I told them that we will get on stage within a year, and I asked if they wanted to do the casual path, where we’d just have social medias and play for fun, or the serious path, meaning professional photos, a website, business cards, and plans of making money as a real gigging band. They chose serious, thus this website was born.
It didn’t go exactly how I expected since no one else wanted to memorize and master their parts so we could progress as a band, learn more songs, and be worth any money, but I still managed to keep my promise to them. You can learn more about the details on my Rookie Band Project Page, and Rookie to Festival in 3 Years Article. In this article, I just wanted to focus on real actionable tips and advice for you.
The only additional thing I will say is that I only had a simple goal in mind when I started this. I didn’t care to become famous or make music my full-time career. I did actually dream of being a blogger, so once I realized this was my perfect niche, I ran hard with it. I’m certainly more passionate about writing and teaching others. Regardless, I have no doubt that if I went much harder with the tips below, I could have done much more and excelled as a guitarist, but my goal only required some promotion to get the gig and mastering the songs I intended to play on stage.
It’s actually pretty funny, cause after the dream was complete, I went on hiatus. I had no more drive to keep playing guitar as the childhood band dream was finally achieved, but my singer wanted to keep it going. I appreciated her efforts and commitment to my dream that I heeded her request. Thus, we became a duo, learned 20+ songs, did the convention again and the festival, all within 4 months. Neither of us care for the spotlight, we just wanted to get it off our chests, so I went on hiatus again.
I also had a drastic spiritual conversion that year (2023), so I told God that after the festival, I didn’t care to play again unless for Him. I know how much time and energy goes into preparing for gigs, and I’m aware I pursued selfish ambitions, but now my dreams were out of the way and I could focus fully on Him. I really thought that would be the end of my guitar journey, but thanks to the profiles and portfolio I had, a church recruited me, and the manager of the gospel music video reached out to me. They both had serious needs that I could fill, and I felt God wanted me to serve, so I said ‘yes’.
I really did not plan for this hobby to go so far. I was just trying to cross a dream off my bucket list so I wouldn’t die with regrets, but it just kept on going because I implemented the steps below and built a brand and portfolio. Now that I’m aware of the need for musicians in the Christian sphere, I’m re-motivated to keep improving at the instrument by doing more ear training, working on improvisation, and learning to jam.
So I am a living example that the below tips do in fact work even with minimal effort and short-term goals. I also strongly believe that if you’re willing to go much harder with these steps, you can no doubt get even farther much faster. And if you’re already an intermediate or advanced musician, you also got a huge leg up and won’t need as much time to learn and prepare as I did. My 3 year journey could be done in under a year to a skilled and driven musician.
So let’s get to it!
1. Write Down Your Goals
Goal setting is very vital for the musician. Whether you’re the leader of the group, or want to be a solo musician, you need to have some kind of vision or plan propelling you forward. There are just so many paths to take in this field that if you don’t focus on 1-3 things, you’ll either get overwhelmed and procrastinate, or you stretch yourself so thin that you can’t really progress in any thing. I knew I wanted to play with a band on stage, and that’s what I set out to do within a year or two.
Chances are, you’re an adult reading this and you may not have all the free time in the world that you did when you were in school, and neither will most bandmaters or songwriters or whoever else you work with in the field. With strong goals from the getgo, not only can you attract the right people off the bat and get places faster (I’ve seen bands be created and start gigging in 2 months for example), but you can avoid people who will just waste your time as well.
Once you have your ultimate goals in place, figuring out where to put your time should come naturally as well. If you’re looking for local gigs for passive income, you’ll spend more time attending vanues, performing open mics, and handing out business cards. If you want to be an online sensation, then getting the right equipment and building your online brand is more vital. Session musician? You better ensure your skills are tight and record samples asap.
2. Be On Social Media…AND Actually Post Something
I can’t express how many musicians I’ve spoken to over these few years that either don’t have social medias at all, or they may have an Instagram account with no content on it. Maybe they do have a post or two, but it’s their pet or some random scenery. And that’s made worse by the fact that they usually don’t have any bio or information about themselves either.
We are in the digital age. How is anyone going to find you if you’re not online? How is anyone supposed to get a vibe for you and figure out if they even want to reach out to you? Let alone, offer you a gig when they don’t even know what genres you play? Just like how employers will do background checks before calling you for an interview, consider that bands, hosts, and other big players in the industry will do the same. They need to get a sense of who you are ahead of time.
Instagram is a must, and it’s also the easiest way for others to find you thanks to hashtags, connections, and reels. When I got asked to be in the music video, they found me on Instagram by looking up Toronto guitarists. TikTok, while I don’t use it, is also great for going viral faster if you’re committed to posting. I’d also recommend Bandmix which is like a dating site for musicians and artists. While you have to pay to contact people, I’ve had at least 4 music groups reach out to me, and the pastor of my current church found me there and contacted me on Instagram.
In the past, you could easily ask a venue for a shot and a label recruiter may be in the crowd and you can get big without ever having to promote yourself, but times have changed. At one point, being mysterious may have been very cool, but now you just seem sketchy and unusual. Even if someone was interested in following you, they can’t because you don’t exist online or because you don’t have any content worth following. Fans desire to know people more about the people they admire, so being a ghost lets them know you don’t care about them.
You don’t have to post everyday (I certainly don’t), but if you are willing to, it can also be a great advantage. The more followers or subscribers you have, the more likely people will come to you first with opportunities. Music influencers can even partner with brands like Fender or BOSS to make passive income through affiliate marketing and sponsorships. And we’ve all seen Youtubers who aren’t even musicians put out a mediocre song but it starts trending thanks to their digital fanbase. Please don’t neglect this!
3. Get Professional/High Quality Photos
The second thing that holds a lot of people back is the lack of decent photos. A dark photo from 10th grade isn’t attracting anyone. You blending in with a group of friends at a party is even worse. And an unrelated photo is just…people will assume you’re either too insecure or you’re ugly. Chances are, you’re an average looking person, but people are going to assume something is wrong with you if you refuse to show your face.
All in all, it’s a bad first impression to not even have one clear photo of yourself on your profiles. People will instantly lose interest, if they even had any to begin with. It’s been proven time and time again that photos or reels with a human face automatically get more views. If I wanted to look at a tree or a cat or a cartoon character, I have various other places to look, but there’s only one you. People want to know who you are, and your face is your identity.
Part of being a professional musician is being seen by people. Whether you’re on stage or in a music video, you will be visible by others. And even if you plan to do session work only, they may still ask to record some behind the scenes shots. If your face isn’t visible, how would anyone know you’re even playing on your profiles? You could always steal content or have it faked by AI. So just having a few decent photos or videos can let everyone know you’re serious and you’re willing to be seen.
Even if you don’t plan to invest in a website or anything, professional photos tell the world that you care enough about yourself, your craft, and your brand to put your money where your mouth is. It tells everyone that you are serious about this and you’re willing to do what it takes. They can make the assumption that you’re not gonna show up with an old crappy amp, dirty clothes, and long greasy hair because you care about the small things, such as presenting yourself confidently in a photo.
Most musicians won’t bother with this, as you see above. They’ll choose the cheap, lazy route, so lazy they can’t even write a bio. No photo? No bio? What is there to learn!??! Some will defend it by saying ‘their music will speak for itself’, but why would anyone even listen to you. First impressions matter. Looks matter. Most guys won’t talk to an unattractive girl to know her personality before deciding not to date her, so use this same logic for your profiles. This is the real world. Don’t fool yourself.
And trust me, I always hated how shallow this world could be because I’m only attracted to people after getting to know them. People would call others ‘hot’ and I didn’t see it or comprehend it. Everyone looks average to me and I don’t idolize anybody. Sadly, most of the world doesn’t think like me so I gotta play by their rules. I wish music could be successful even if the artist is anonymous like I see in Japan, but here, your face is part of the package, and your personality is part of the pitch, so get on it!
4. Practice & Prepare A Set
What do musicians do? They play music! So as you prepare for any kind of musical opportunity, it should be a priority of yours to learn some songs and try to master them in the meantime. Cause once you are given an opportunity, you may be lucky and have weeks or months to prepare, but it may be next weekend. Are you ready to go? Or are you going to rush and do a ‘meh’ job? Whether it’s originals or covers, you need to have a set ready.
Most people’s first gigs are between 5 to 15 minutes, whether at an open mic or at a set with various other performers. If you consider that most songs are between 3 to 5 minutes, you should always have at least 5 songs ready to go. The more, the better, because you may be asked to do an encore, may be told to keep playing cause the next performer isn’t ready yet, and it’s always nice having options to choose from based on your own mood or the setting.
And of course, the more time you have to rehearse a song, the better they will be when the time counts. You should aim not only for some familiarity, but memorization, and even muscle memory. You should be practicing songs front to back and playing until mistakes are rare. If you practice mistakes or usually make mistakes during practice, you’re not suddenly going to be amazing when your heart is racing, the audience is starting, the lights are blaring, and the cameras are focused on you, trust me.
As a musician, it’s your job to play songs, whether it’s covers or originals, so get on it, buddy! You will in doubt mess up, especially during your first few gigs or recordings, but you won’t mess up as much if you know your songs like the back of your hand and have that kind of confidence. And when you can get through a set well as a rookie, you’re already making a name for yourself.
5. Work On Your Stage Presence
Back to my point about photos, as a musician, you will be seen. It’s a part of the job. If people wanted to just listen to music, they would save their money and just play it off their phone. Since my main goal was to perform on stage, after getting a solid handle on the songs, I immediately started practicing standing, tried to look at my hands less, started moving and dancing more, and even thinking about things to say in advance.
If you plan to be a performer of sorts, online or in-person, then putting some time and effort into your stage presence. And not to call anyone out, but it’s usually the guys who don’t have social medias that have poor stage presence cause they don’t care to be seen or don’t want to be seen…but you signed up for this. If you try being silly on stage without practicing, your playing will suffer, so don’t think about this last minute or try to be spontaneous on stage.
When I got hired to be in a music video, I was only there there for the aesthetics as the song was already recorded. A music video is a big thing, and I know their expectation was that I would actually look like I’m worshipping and getting into the song as well. Imagine if I just stood there, looking down at my guitar with a sad look on my face and just minding my own business. Not only would I stick out like a sore thumb, but they’d probably regret hiring me because I would have killed the mood.
The worst insult that I’ve heard others say time and time again is “it doesn’t even look like they want to be there”. Don’t let that be you. As a musician, if you’re just staring down at your instrument in your own world, not smiling, not bopping to the music, not even mouthing the lyrics, then people won’t even enjoy watching you because no one likes seeing others be forced to do something. They went out to have a good time, and instead, they see someone who looks as miserable as they feel inside.
So pleasse take your stage presence seriously. Record and see how you actually appear. I’m not a natural dancer and I wouldn’t even bop to music, I’m just a pretty still person. So I would start moving and swaying, and it felt like a lot of movement to me, but you could barely see any movement on camera. When you’re face to face with someone, hand movements may be visible, but you really need to exaggerate the farther away the crowd is from you.
And for video, you not only need to move more but also speak with more energy if you want that translated to the audience later on. They don’t get to be in your presence and feel the vibe of the audience around them. They also have more time to review and criticize the footage. So be as crazy as you can be! Ironically, it won’t look as crazy as you feel the majority of the time.
6. Do Your Research In The Meantime
There’s so much free information in articles and videos online that you really have no excuse to be unprepared or do a bad job. You don’t have to learn from your own mistakes, you can learn from others mistakes and experience and actually start off on the right foot. Many of them had the privilege of failing before the social media age, you don’t. Don’t let your first viral clip be an embarrassing one because you didn’t bother to research and prepare.
There’s so many things you can look into. Whether it’s what tools and equipment you may need for rehearsals and gigs, maybe more about mixing a live band or how to record and edit audio, you could learn more about stage presence and what to wear and do on stage, work on your introductions and banter and so on. You may even look into clothing and make sure you have certain pieces in your closet, or avoid wearing things that will cause you to blend in, or may effect your playing (ie long sleeves, bracelets).
When you arrive at your first gig and the sound guy isn’t prepare for bands, you can easily jump in and assist. When you do your sound check, you will know what is causing the feedback and can act accordingly. You would know how to create a great set (along with starting and transitions), how to interact with the audience, and how to create a great first impression because you did some research and took some notes. Don’t take this time for granted.
7. Record An Audition Video
Okay, so we already got social media covered with some nice photos, and you’re already making connections and letting others know about your intention. The next thing that I would highly recommend is to record an audition video or two. You could post this on your Instagram/Youtube, but feel free to just save it on Google Drive to attach to an email if ever asked.
Audition videos are very special because it’s your chance to really show people who you are and how you sound in a controlled environment. You’re lucky enough to get as many shots as you’d like and only upload the one you feel most confident in. You may be asked to come in person for some auditions, but for others, a video is more than enough for them to make a decision and continue with next steps.
The only thing I would say is, make sure this is a raw take. Those who have been in the field for any time can tell when a video has pre-recorded or edited audio, and that kinda defeats the purpose of an audition tape which is meant to be live and off the floor, as if they were sitting in the room with you. If you sound good raw, they will have a bit more confidence giving you a chance.
I’d also say to start recording yourself way before you actually feel a need to audition for anything. There’s so much you can learn from recording and watching yourself like how you actually sound, if you’re rushing or slowing down, your stage presence and so on. Things can sound great while you’re actually playing but your recording may say differently, so be sure to check in often and judge yourself objectively. Pat yourself if it’s great, and aim to improve if you know it could be better.
8. Attend Events/Venues You’d Want To Play
You could have and should have been going out there and checking out venues or events or concerts before step 1, but in case you haven’t, it’s time to get on it for various reasons. First off, it’s great being able to determine where is great for you to perform based on your genre, style, and the audience, instead of just because the place is big or popular. The more you fit the venue, the better the reception will be.
I wanted to play anime/Japanese music, and the only place where those kinds of fans compile are anime conventions. Additionally, we were rookies, but because I’ve attended an anime con at least once before, I’m aware that they often have idol groups dancing who aren’t exactly the best dancers or tight, especially compared to Kpop music. Yet, the crowd is super supportive, especially when they know the songs, so I felt it would be the best place for us to perform while we build confidence.
Secondly, going to a venue allows you to scout out the place and prepare. If you find a venue that suits your vibe and you hear similar music to what you play, then it will be easier for you to pitch your band directly to the host or manager on scene, or to type up an email when you’re more prepared to perform. You can also get an idea of the layout, the equipment, the techs on scene and so on.
I went to the Japanese Cultural Cultural Centre (JCCC) twice before my band performed there. Once to support a guitarist I knew (which I’ll talk about more below), and once for some black hair convention my cousin invited me to. And while not the best example, the music video was filmed at a place that used to be a parkour gym, and I went to that gym about 4-5 times before it closed down. So while being on set with a camera crew and a lot of strangers could have been intimidating, the scenery felt familiar.
Thirdly, once you do find a few venues that you like and visit here and there, you can start building connections with other musicians who play there, you can perhaps get acquainted with the host ahead of time so it’s easier to pitch to them later, and it never hurts to befriend the bartender, the staff, even the janitor ahead of time. You can even ask them for tips and pointers because they know how that venue works and have seen countless people perform.
Not to mention, the people around you may become some of your first fans, and even before that, if you’re at a venue that expects you sell tickets, it will be easy asking people who already frequent that bar to come out when it’s your turn to shine. If I didn’t come out to my ex-bandmate-turned-friend’s gig when he was performing at a couple Japanese events, you’ll see how much wouldn’t have happened in the next point.
9. Value & Maintain Your Connections
There are people who only suck up to the big guys, but I think you should treat every connection with tender care. Try to stay in touch with anyone you connect with, support their dreams and businesses, like their posts, attend their events, recommend them when you can, etc. I’m going to share a personal story here because I want you to see how a seemingly random connection made my biggest dream come true.
My first real band attempt was back in 2014, and I played keyboard. We actually sounded good at our first rehearsal, but everyone had different schedules and priorities, so it was impossible planning a second and it just fell apart. I did keep in touch with the guitarist as he was quite social and just as passionate. He was most interested in visual kei music, recorded covers and made songs under his stage name Yumiko Kurosawa, but struggled to find people who liked the same thing.
In 2017, I picked up guitar for the first time and reached out to him as I didn’t have the internet at home but had some questions, and he was so kind to give me detailed answers and demonstrations. That same year, he invited me to a couple of his gigs to encourage me. One was Japan Fest (not Japan Festival Canada that I performed at) that was at the JCCC which I mentioned in the last point, but the first was a small Japanese music event called “Idol Revolution” by Dolly Momoiro. He played with an original band and also had his own solo set where he played instrumentals. Outside of them, the show consisted of idol dance groups and a fashion show.
Either before or after the show, he personally introduced me to the host. Now, Dolly ran the Toronto Harajuku Scene and would host small Japanese music and fashion events. She also had her own idol group that she would perform with, and she later released her own songs where they would be backup dancers. She knew the Japanese music community was small, so she wanted to create a place for fans like her outside of the big conventions. After meeting her, I messaged her a few times afterwards to keep in touch, as I would anybody I meet, but she’s quite a busy, hard working lady, and I respected that.
A couple years later in 2019, I saw that Dolly was hosting another Idol Revolution event so I asked if I could dance (as I loved Jpop dances and recorded covers previously), and she said I could join her dance group. There was 8 of us, some of them were in other groups, or were cosplayers, and thus they were quite driven for the spotlight. I came to every rehearsal, and I learned the dances fast on my own time, so I even assisted with teaching everyone who had yet to. We became affiliated pretty quickly and had a lot of fun in the few weeks we practiced together.
When we performed, it was the first time I’ve been on stage since high school. And the same week, I went to my first concert to see my favourite Jrock band, ONE OK ROCK, so it all relit the band dream in me and made me feel it wasn’t that impossible. Thus, for my 2020 resolution, I picked up guitar again to make the band dream happen for real.
When the pandemic hit, I actually saw it as an opportunity, because I could find other musicians who were now at home and had all the time in the world to learn some songs, and we could be ready by the time lockdowns lifted. I reached out to the other guitarist in my first band (who later switched to bass), and the singer was a mutual friend of members of my failed kpop dance cover group in 2015. While she was reluctant at first, I know she tried to start a singing group with them that also failed, so it felt like a mutual dream, and I got her to at least come out before deciding, and she ended up committing.
I also moved out mid-pandemic, so I had the silence and time to think about the past and was also looking for more social connection. I ended up reached out to Dolly to apologize about a joke I made back then. The other girls laughed but she expressed that it wasn’t funny and I got defensive because it was something she said. I assumed it was a cute quirk, like part of her image/brand, but I came to find out it was related to her mental health.
Turns out, we both had some misunderstandings about each other during the previous experience. She expressed how she was a little envious that I got a long with the other girls quite well and she felt left out in her own group. While not fitting in is normal to her, I probably didn’t make as much of an effort as I usually do to make others feel included because I saw her as a busy boss lady. She was a strict leader who would say “we’re doing it this way, end of discussion”, while I was a softer democratic leader who prefers everyone’s ideas and votes. I didn’t find her very approachable, and I didn’t want to bother or annoy her with conversation or questions.
I would go along with her plans happily though, because I knew she had experience and knew what she was doing. I actually ended up adopting some of her straightforward methods for my own band because she is able to get things moving in shorter time and has hosted many successful events. So we both liked and respected each other, but we both felt the other didn’t like us much. So after talking quite a bit, we drew closer and felt we could call each other friends. We even hung out alone a few times, for a mall crawl, to get milkshakes, or just chill and talk cause we were in the same area.
In 2022, she started working at See-Scape, a small gaming restaurant with a venue space on the top floor, that allowed her to host her own parties, events, and so on seemingly when she felt like it. In May 2022, she invited me to her Birthday Party there, in which I saw some familiar faces and also got to talk to some new people. And in early August, she needed some last minute help gathering materials for a market event, and I came to the rescue, so I got to visit See-Scape twice already.
Later in August, my band had our first gig doing an acoustic set at the Pretty Heroes Convention at the JCCC. And just before our gig there, Dolly told me she was bringing Idol Revolution back in September. I asked if it would be possible for my band to perform, and she said ‘of course!’. I wanted to cry ;____; I was actually feeling quite down cause no other convention got back to us that year, and I wasn’t sure how or when I could fulfill the ‘stage’ promise to my bandmates, so I love how it all came around thanks to a connection I made 5 years prior, through a friend I made in my first band attempt 8 years prior.
And even after that, I still came as a guest to support her spooky Halloween maid cafe in October, and volunteered to be the door and check people in at her spooky Christmas maid cafe in December. Then in 2023 when the singer and I came together as an acoustic duo and got our gig at Japan Festival, I was able to ask Dolly a few questions as she performed the year before, and chill with some familiar faces before we went on.
Long story short, it really does help having connections, and you never know what connections could help you out one day, so I say to treat them all like gold. Chances are, you’re going to see a lot of regular faces if you’re in a certain area and attracted to the same music or scene. Don’t only befriend people who you think can take you higher. Actually try to make some genuine connections. If there are any riffs, talk things out, apologize, try to keep vibes positive. Don’t be fake as people can sense that, and no one likes to be used or deceived either.
Maybe Dolly would have said ‘yes’ to my band even if I didn’t talk to her since 2019, or ever, but on her side, it probably meant way more to help a friend achieve her dream than me only talking to her when it suits my agenda. And the same guitar pick that my guitarist friend gave me when I came to his gig, I made sure to take that on stage with me at the festival because I owe him and I’ll always remember his kindness and support. There’s nothing better than having friends on your journey with you.
10. Scratch People’s Back First
Even if you don’t have a lot of connections and such, that doesn’t mean you can’t help others and start making some. Perhaps a place is looking for a band and you know a band who’d be a perfect fit, let them know about it. You saw a really cool post from a small/local guitarist you follow? Share them on your story. Someone asks a question on reddit, leave a detailed and helpful comment.
In my case with a blog, I saw a lot of hole in resources online, so I was eager to write about it, doing research on artists and studios and groups and sharing them in my articles. I had to call some rehearsal studios for more details, and they were so excited and grateful about the list. Other new places would reach out and ask to be added.
I’ve also compiled a list of anime cover bands and Jpop dance groups, and I always love their excitement when they would see they’re in a blog and they would share it on their pages. Sometimes, I couldn’t find much info but wanted to include a group, so I would ask them for more information, and who wouldn’t want to be featured? They know it’s a great way to get more fans, and will greatly appreciate my gesture and also follow me.
I also have a good high school friend, and years after we graduated, I helped her family tremendously, so her little bro also loved me, and said he owes me his life ^^” We all loved anime, so it was easy to connect and we’d all hang the few times I visited her house. And outside, I still kept in touch and I’d ask him about school, work, and dreams and so on. He told me he wanted to be producer and I supported him, giving him tips, listening to his songs and giving serious advice and honest opinions, and so on.
When I realized there was a long delay in him saying he was gonna publish something (like almost 2 years), I pushed him to start releasing because ‘you’re never going to be happy with your first song’, and ‘no one is going to pay attention to you in the beginning anyways’, things I learned when I started my blog. He headed that advice, and he’s already on a roll, released 5 tracks in the last few months! (Marz./Dextro: Instagram / Spotify). As I was writing this article, I checked his Spotify to see how he was doing and he had 345 monthly listeners!
I congratulated him, and he was shocked, asking what I’m talking about, but he saw the number on his side. He thought it was a glitch, cause he said he just had 19 listeners the week before. I told him he was probably added to a playlist as I heard that could happen when I researched it years back. The following day, he was even more worried because it was at 647! He deserves it, I’m so happy for him! I believed in him from the beginning, I even got proof with my Instagram story haha.
I just really love supporting other dreamers like me. And when someone is a nobody, fans and support means that much more. I know I remember my first followers, the kind comments on my sucky guitar vids, the other guitarists who spent time talking to me and giving me tips. Even if my family and such didn’t believe in me, even if others told me it was unrealistic, it’s those few who you will always remember when you get bigger, as I said with Yumiko in my last post. People who are only nice to you when you’re famous are fake, and it’s even worse if they treated you bad and mocked you when you were nobody. Don’t be that person.
While music is no doubt a competitive field, I also wholeheartedly believe there is space for everybody. Even if people play the same songs, they may have their own style or take on it. They may play guitar like you, but they play a different genre or focus on different skills. They may even perform at the same venues, but they have a different audience. We all have a different favourite artist for a reason, even when groups seem very similar, we can differ on who is better. So there’s no reason to get defensive and gatekeep when two groups can benefit equally.
Later down the road, let’s say you did get a regular gig at a certain venue, but one weekend, a couple members are sick so you decide to miss that night. Instead of leaving the venue to find a new group last minute, you could recommend a similar band that you know. Not only will they appreciate the opportunity, but next time they need a fill in, or they’re double booked, they’ll feel that much more inclined to call you and return the favor.
No matter how big or small the favor, no matter the kind of recommendation or shout-out, we’re all working hard to build our name and/or build stable careers, so when you meet more musicians, don’t just make an effort to keep in touch, but actually go out of your way to promote them when you can. You will reap what you sow, no doubt. People will always remember favours, so help others out as much as you can.
11. Reach Out To People/Businesses For Opportunities
So, if you somehow implemented points 1 to 10 and still haven’t had any opportunities open up to you, it’s time to take some real action and ASK! It’s such a simple thing that many people don’t do, which is sad because you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. If you really are a nobody, people aren’t going to be looking for you and they’re not going to be offering you big opportunities, but they may still say ‘yes’ if you reach out and ask.
I got all 4 of my band gigs by reaching out to people or events. I also probably got 12 rejections or no responses in the same 2 year period. I definitely would have and could have reached out to more, but do to my odd niche playing foreign Japanese music, playing for the audience was of most importance, and that didn’t leave many options. However, I knew that all it takes is that one ‘yes’, and more gigs tend to open from there because you’ve started building a portfolio and reputation.
Definitely check out my article on places where bands/musicians can perform. Don’t just consider venues and bars, but also conventions, cafes, or even busking on the street. It can be as simple as an email or a phone call, and many would be happy to have some entertainment, which we’ll talk about next.
12. Write Professional Emails/Make Professional Calls
This is certainly a lost skill that may not be taught outside of English class and certain college careers, but not doing it well can easily lead to missed opportunities, so please, look into it. Always start off with a pleasant greeting, make yourself and/or your group known, and politely make your pitch, making sure to include how this could possible benefit them (ie entertainment/live music, decent ticket sales, posts on your profile if you have a decent following, etc).
Always remember that you are in the lower position in these cases. You are the beggar here, essentially. You need them more than they need you. These guys probably have big, successful establishments with many regular customers and amazing bands they can count on, so never feel like you’re entitled to a spot on their stage. If you show even a hint of being rude, problematic, or uncooperative, that’s even more reason for them to say ‘no’ and blacklist you.
The emails or calls don’t have to be long. Personally, I felt a need to be more wordy because I was a nobody and my band was full of amateurs, but I wanted to sell them a concept and a unique performance. Most performers at conventions are a mix of cosplayers, dance groups and singers. There was no active, gigging anime cover band at the time. I also compared us to K-ON!!, a popular anime featuring rookie high school girls who pursued their band dream. I considered us a real life example.
Of course, rejection is inevitable. Maybe they are filled up with artists already, maybe they can’t risk giving a slot to someone with no experience, or maybe they just didn’t bother opening up your email cause they got 249 people asking the same thing. So consider yourself lucky if they actually read your email and replied at all, and be sure to thank them even if the answer is ‘no’. Someone will say ‘yes’ eventually, and if not, open mics or hosting your own gig is always an option!
13. Be Honest & Be Dependable
A lot of people have this whole ‘fake it til you make it’ mentality, and they’ll lie to get a job and build experience on the way, but taking this approach as a musician is super risky. If a venue gave you an opportunity because you claimed you’re a big band that could sell 200 tickets….and you don’t even sell 5…….I don’t know how that would end, and I don’t want to know either. This also goes for various aspects of musicianship as well.
One guy who came to audition for my band was a rookie, which I didn’t mind obviously, but he also told me he was in 4 other bands. I allowed him cause I thought that meant he was driven to learn and would grow quickly to meet everyone’s expectations and not let any of his bands down. He had an extra month to learn the one song we gave him as he was finishing up with exams. When he showed up, he didn’t have the song ready. I started to teach him, and it was clear he didn’t even know his basic chords yet.
Afterwards, I asked him how he felt about rehearsal and the band, because I wasn’t even sure if he really liked anime songs. I recalled the audition where he was playing licks to Western rock songs, instead of anime songs. He instantly got defensive and aggressive, and I knew this wasn’t going to work. We talked casually the whole time and he loved all the tips and insight I gave him while we waited for him, but all it took was me questioning if he really loved this genre and he got triggered, because his true motives were being exposed.
I didn’t expect his full commitment to my band clearly, but if his passion for our music isn’t there, we’re not going to be a priority to him in his private practice time. He’s not skilled enough to handle that workload, and I wasn’t going to let my band suffer to accommodate him. If he likes classic Western rock songs, then he should focus on that. And I get wanting to try Japanese for more experience or to challenge yourself, but just be honest, ya know? Heck, I’ll take someone who openly admits he hates it but still learns it and plays it very well. He didn’t have the passion nor did he learn the simple song.
It’s this lack of honest and straight forwardness that leads to a lot of Band Horror stories, because people say one thing, and their actions reveal something else. They exaggerate their skills and then they let people down. They claim they’re super popular and have lots of fans, but only their parents show up. There is really no reason to lie about these things in my opinion.
I was a beginner, and I always made that clear when applying for anyone and anything. If they didn’t want to take the chance with me, I don’t blame them. Their reputation rests on me. They gave me a slot and introduced me, so if I trainwreck and kill the vibe of the whole event, it makes them look bad. I’d rather be honest and do a way better job than expected if given a chance, than convince everyone I’m amazing to get the opportunity and I sound like an amateur.
Secondly, you need to keep your word. Musicians are *supposed to be* dependable people. Supposed to be, as in we have such vital roles and can’t easily be replaced last minute due to the lack of musicians and people needing time to practice and prepare, so the fact that some musicians have a reputation of always being late, of ghosting or cancelling last minute, that’s a shame! Even if someone is talented, neither bands nor hosts would wanna rely on someone who can’t be depended on.
If you said you’ll be at rehearsal, be at rehearsal. If you said you’ll learn your songs by next week, learn your damn songs. If you said you can bring 10 people to show, bring more if possible. People would rather take an amateur musician like me who has a track record of always being present and on time, even to my dentist, doctor, and massage appointments, than someone who is unpredictable and will stress them out every gig. Be professional and dependable in all aspects of your life.
And these simple tips will have a huge positive benefit on all your relationships and endeavors. Employers will like you more, friends would want to hang out with you more, strangers will feel you’re someone they want to get closer to. If you’re a honest person who can even admit your faults and shortcomings, and you respect their time and efforts by being where you said you will be when you said you will be there, why wouldn’t people want to connect with you, work with you, and support your dreams?
14. Be Spontaneous And Say “Yes!”
I’m probably the last person to be saying ‘be spontaneous’ because I personally like to plan. I don’t like last minute plans. And as a rookie musician, I feel I need even more time to learn, prepare, memorize and practice my parts. But as I get more confident with my instrument, I don’t mind it as much. It’s still stressful when my church changes the song 10 minutes before or a key change is requested, but I don’t mind challenging myself to keep up.
In the musical field, events can be anytime and anywhere, so you really don’t know when opportunities will come up and how much time you’ll have to prepare once you hear about it. If a band asked if you could fill in tonight, you could say ‘no’ and wait 4 months for another offer, or you could say ‘yes’, learn the best you can, get that experience, along with a huge heartfelt thank you for stepping in when they were desperate. Even if it’s a genre or an artists you’re not fond of, still just try it out. Play for that kids party even, you never know who you’ll be connected with by going there!
For the music video, I was asked the day prior if I could be in it the following evening. I didn’t say ‘yes’ right away, and was actually learning towards ‘no’ due to the short time, but I was free that day, my hair was in a position that I could deal with it quickly, and it could be a really amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I couldn’t hear the song before I agreed, so I worried about it sucking or not being theologically correct. I am a girl of my word, so once I say ‘yes’, as mentioned above, I will never cancel or ghost.
Since they were reaching out to strangers so last minute, I had compassion on them. It was a gospel song, so they were my brother and sister and I was open to serving. I was just trying to figure out the ride situation since I don’t have a car and it would rain that day, but then they reminded me that money was involved, so I was in. I was thinking this was all gonna be like a high school project, especially with such last minute planning, but it ended up being a serious production and I’m grateful I said yes to it.
While it is my preference to have weeks or months to learn something to ensure I can play my best, I’m certainly working harder to play by ear, to improvise, and to just go with the flow because I would like to be ready for any kinda opportunity that may come. If you’re already a skilled musician, then a gig 2 days away also shouldn’t scare you too much, but also don’t agree to something you really don’t feel you’re capable of doing.
You still should consider the host’s feelings and efforts before your need for experience or money. Be honest. Let them know that you would love that, but you don’t think you’re ready for something like that at this point in time, or that you require more time to prepare for it, and they will respect that. And perhaps, if you can recommend somebody else like I said in previous points, both the host and your recommendation will greatly appreciate that, and both will be excited to recommend you when you are ready.
15. Record Your Gigs
You ever had an amazing performance that is a highlight in your memories, but sadly, no one recorded any footage of you? I certainly experienced that in high school when me and a couple friends choreographed a wooden sword fight. Smart phones weren’t as common as they are now (this was 2012), but people had cameras, especially the year book committed, yet no one captured us. I will never know how it looked and would never remember what moves we actually did.
Below is the only performance I have from my high school days. A teacher offered violin/viola lessons after school one year, then she changed schools. I decided to play the anime song “Every Heart” the following year with the skills I learned. I think I asked my friend to record this, and I was kinda upset back then because I felt it could have been better, but boy, am I so happy and thankful to have the footage now. I was in a serious musical production that year as well, but the DVDs our teachers gave everyone was corrupted and couldn’t be viewed. Been in drumline, choir, etc, but no footage, only some pictures.
But if you’re aiming to be a professional musician in this day and age, live footage is going to be absolute gold to you. It’s evidence that you can perform under pressure, it’s something you can add to your profiles to build a fanbase, and you can share it when making a pitch for other gigs. It’s also your own evaluation footage to see how you sound, what the reception was like (you kinda go deaf and blind on stage in regards to the audience), and what to improve on next time. It’s even something to show your great grandkids when they don’t believe you’re a rock star 😛
What happens for a lot of events is that people assume someone will capture them, but many people will just want to watch and support, or they may be saving their phone space for an act they’re more excited for, or they may only capture a few seconds vertically for an Instagram story, or it’s just very shaky and they’re screaming behind he camera as well. We appreciate the attention, but that’s not the footage you are looking for when it comes to your portfolio and growth.
For our first gig at Pretty Heroes, I invited a friend and she was in the front row seat recording. I helped her set it up and then she just had to keep an eye to make sure it’s still rolling. For Dolly’s Idol Revolution gig, I had a digital camera on the floor by the wall, and my phone on a tripod in the back on the bartender’s table. I just asked that he keep an eye on it so it doesn’t tip over or stop. The camera shot didn’t work out as it stopped on it’s own, but people would have been blocking the shot regardless.
For our second Pretty Heroes gig, I set up a tripod off stage near the sound guys, and just asked them to ensure it’s still rolling if they can. I didn’t bother with the digital camera as the quality isn’t great. For the festival, I had my cousin record with my phone and his own iPhone on my tripods. We went behind stage over an hour before we got to perform as they fell behind schedule. By the time we started, he moved quite a bit for a better shot, and still had to move during the set as he said people kept getting ahead of him. Thankfully, he managed to keep it on us the majority of the time.
For the festival, where I assumed they would have footage since the whole thing was livestreamed on the big screens and online, and they often post clips after the event as promo, when I emailed to thank them for the opportunity and asked if they had any footage of us, no on replied to me. And over the next few weeks, they didn’t include us at all in any social media posts. I know we’re not Japanese, not a famous act, and we didn’t cosplay or wear cultural clothes, but still! Not surprised, but it still sings a bit. The life of a nobody, eh?
Thankfully, I made sure to always capture my own footage and always thought in advance of how I would set it up and showed up early to figure things out. Even for our selfie shot with the audience at the festival, I didn’t know if other groups would do the same (they did), but we practiced asking the audience for it, turninig around and taking selfies so we won’t take long. It was included in our 15minute set.
I treasure my photos and have two backup hard drives, so these things mean a lot to me. I also had this blog in mind the whole time and I really wanted to inspire other beginners to also put themselves out there regardless of their experience, so this kind of content was even more vital to me. I wasn’t going to risk leaving that in the hands of somebody who doesn’t give a damn about us.
And thankfully, I had friends like Dolly the host, or Ray, the sound guy at Pretty Heroes that I kept in touch with since the previous year, who, while being busy running the show for us, they both still went out of their way to take some good shots of us on their own accord. I was so happy and thankful when they sent it to me by surprise cause I really had no other shots by anyone else ;_____; I’m telling you, no one really paid much mind to us as musicians at these anime events, especially compared to the dancing idols and cosplayers, but regardless, I have these shots for myself, my blog, and anyone else who cares to see.
All that to say, don’t leave this to chance! Get that footage! Get those photos! Prepare in advance or ask people to take some for you! You never know where or when these clips may come in handy. And if you want to perform more and more, these can become your audition tapes, or you can create cool montages as a teaser! If you’re willing to invest in more recording gear and want to make some really cool music videos of your live gigs, definitely check the video below for suggestions and advice!
Bonus: Business Cards Are Always Nice!
Now, if you seriously plan to be a professional, you can’t go wrong with business cards. Similar to what I said about professional photos, it tells others that you’re serious about what you claim you want to do. Your business card should have your name, your profession, and contact details on it. Nice graphics like a logo or photo are always beneficial.
When you start introducing yourself to people, you may tell them your name but they’ll forget. You can exchange Instagram, but you’re 1 amongst 5764. You can exchange numbers, but they don’t remember who you are when they see your name. Maybe you’re on a subway train and don’t have internet access, or an elevator and don’t have time. Well, now you have a physical card you can hand people that they can store and access when needed. My usual gig bag has a little clear pocket and I keep my cars there, in case anyone is curious and too afraid to ask haha
If you have to take public transit like me, or even if you have rehearsal in a pretty public space, like a plaza with stores and yall grab lunch after, people may see your instruments and ask about you guys. Instead of saying ‘yeah, we’re a band’ as I’m sure many musicians do when they have yet to make it out of their mother’s basement, you can come off as more established with a card.
Even if you’re not that big just yet, it’s the impression that counts. A card screams ‘business’, ‘professional’, ‘serious’. It lets them know this is your career. And when they check out your links and profiles that contain HQ photos, gig clips, and highlights your playful personality, they wouldn’t hesitate to follow. Even if you’re small, they’ll see your effort and believe in you. They’ll also get the bragging rights of ‘knowing you before you were popular’.
One little story. I went on a field trip in Grade 11 (2010 or 2011) to a studio as part of my music/computers class. We ended up making a song and I was kinda pushed to sing since I had a history of singing at school, and the rest were introverted guys who never went on stage. I hated hearing my voice back them, and I thought the song was kinda corny, but it’s a crazy opportunity that I can certainly treasure now.
Now, the producer finished rendering the song after we left and he gave the track to the teacher who then gave me a copy. I had the song on a USB and the family computer. Years later, I wanted to hear the song again, but I couldn’t find that old USB, and the family computer had a virus and crashed. I reached out to my teacher, but he couldn’t find his copy. I never knew the producers name, and I only had a flip phone back then, so exchanging socials wasn’t a thing yet. These were Facebook and MySpace days lol
But lo and behold….the producer gave us all business cards! While I never thought I would ever refer to him again, I still respect cards and keep them just in case. I kept mine alongside other old cards like transit passes and school ID cards. So after finding it, I sent him an email asking if he still had a copy and he did! I was also surprised to hear the additional rap he added, but it was pretty cool. So, when technology fails you, paper comes to the rescue. It’s been 14 years and I still have his card.
So definitely consider business cards once you finalize your stage name and create social medias and maybe a website. They’re one of the cheapest, yet most valuable investments you can make as a musician. They’re easy to give out, they’re easy to leave on tables at events, and they’re easy for others to store for later.
While a business card doesn’t change the fact that you’re a nobody, it can still make a big impression as people will think you’re a professional and take you more seriously. We’ve all met people who said they’re gonna do this and that, but never actually take any steps and thus never get anywhere. But a business card tells whoever sees it that you’re intentional and you’re serious about this. They’ll have that much more reason to believe in you and your vision.
Conclusion
I hope (and I also know) this list will be valuable to other musicians, whether you’re a baby musician, a bedroom musician, or even someone who has made some progress. Implementing even a couple of these things can be what propels you exponentially.
There’s so much to learn so keep doing research, keep improving at your instrument, and keep improving your performances. I personally really love Youtubers and channels that don’t just talk the talk, but actually show us their own gigs, mistakes, and progress because it makes you feel not so alone. It lets you know that they are human too, and they have good days and bad days. Some even got fired from their first gig, simply cause they didn’t fit the vibe, but they kept at it! <3 Very encouraging!
That amazing Youtube cover that you’re envious of? It probably took them 26 tries to get that perfect take. If someone only has perfect performances online, they may be cutting our or editing errors, or simply not uploading their bad nights. If every musician could play perfectly without trying, there would be no reason for practice. If instruments were easy to learn, we’d all be masters and it wouldn’t be that exciting would it?
So don’t give up, and don’t think you have to play for 36 years before you can put yourself out there. Set some goals, make some profiles, visit venues and create connections, practice a lot in the meantime and research things that are relevant to the path you wanna take, and never be afraid to ask! Even if you are a beginner, someone will give you a chance, and I’m saying that from personal experience.
I’ve made it farther than many bedroom guitarists simply because I was willing to put myself out there. Clearly, it’s not because I’m the best player or anything, but you really don’t have to be. As long as you can cover a few songs, you’re good enough. And there’s many things you can’t work on like stage freight until you actually start getting on stage. An amazing guitarist may sound horrible on stage due to nerves.
On that note, I’ll share one last story to prove just that. People have told me they thought the lead guitarist in my band was a rookie because of his audible mistakes during gigs, but he’s actually been playing for over a decade and even had classical training. He could easily play songs by ear and do fast or complex things, so so SO talented! And I was so grateful to have him committed to my team. He was the youngest one, so I loved supporting him as well.
But because of his confidence in his talents, he preferred to play more freely and play by ear each time, so each run would sound different. Sometimes he’d miss his cue, sometimes the timing was off, sometimes notes didn’t ring out well, or he’d hit bad notes. I did tell him that ‘I don’t mind him being creative, but at some point, figure out how you want to play it and start being more consistent during rehearsals. If your success rate is 30% now, it’s going to get worse when there’s pressure’. But my band never really took my advice.
I played piano at my church a couple times growing up and only had a week to prepare. I used to play keyboard for fun, and was satisfied just getting through a piece, but I did work hard for my church solo. Sadly, keyboards require less pressure than pianos, my hands would get clammy when I’m nervous, and I would rush the song thus I was prone to quite a few mistakes. Sure I got through it, but I was embarrassed and not happy with my performance at all. It’s a really sucky feeling that I wanted to spare my bandmates from.
When I picked up guitar, I really worked on memorizing and mastering my things, practicing perfectly as many times as I could before the gig. I purposely chose songs where everyone had easy parts, and I gave them more than enough time to memorize and master their parts. I wanted us to work out the kinks, be solid, maybe record covers, and then learn even more songs…but since no one heeded my advice, we always sounded like rookies. We couldn’t work out kinks and move forward. When we did get on stage, the nerves would hit them, and they made way more mistakes than usual, as I predicted.
I did all the research, so I know bands should pick their set, their cues, and figure out banter beforehand. We had 4 songs, so we designated each person a place to say whatever, but I did tell them to at least think about it beforehand. Once again, my advice wasn’t heeded. The bassist gave the intro, he forgot my stage name, and said “our first song is Uragiri no Yuuyake”, and we all turned to him like “No, it’s not!”, clip is below. At this point, I really didn’t care anymore and just found their banter awkwardly funny.
I was playing like I always did, how i rehearsed it over 100 times over the year. I know I’m a pretty calm and still person, I don’t even bop to music naturally cause I don’t care to attract attention, but I know what’s required of me as a musician. Thus, I worked hard on my stage presence, learning to move and dance and jump while playing guitar (as you’ll see in the second clip). With my parts memorized, I could easily look at the audience, pump my fists during my breaks, and so on. Mind you, I still had to provide backup vocals for quite a few songs as well, but I rehearsed combining all these things.
While the band project didn’t go the way I wanted, I still obtained lots of knowledge and experience, amazing photos and video footage, an active blog that brings in passive income, some fans and and cool connections, and opportunities kept coming in afterwards. None of my bandmates put any extra effort in to post or promote themselves or the band, they never talked to other people at our gigs to make connections, they never watched the videos I recommended on stage presence and gig preparation, so they haven’t made any serious progress since, even though they claim they wanted to be musicians or performers. Actions speak louder than words.
Hard work pays off and it’s visible to others. Good work ethic and drive can beat natural talent a lot of the time. It doesn’t matter how long you worked on learning a song, doesn’t matter how much you struggled, the audience doesn’t know what went on behind the scenes (unless you shared it of course). The only thing they can judge you on is how well you play when you’re performing in front of them, and you can make them think you’re a pro if you practice and prepare for it. You have all the resources you need, so there’s no excuse.
I wish you all the best of luck and lots of blessings on your musical walk. The start can be rocky and scary and you’ll certainly feel insecure, but once things start rolling and you gain more confidence, you may be surprised how many opportunities start falling into your lap. Keep your eyes on the prize and remember that you don’t have to be the best to do anything you dream of doing in this field, you just gotta try your best <3
Sincerely, Nostalgia