In the past I’ve written about booking effective shows and promoting shows, but I have yet to cover how to make the most of a show once it’s booked and publicized. I’ve found the key to making my shows effective is knowing what you want to accomplish. I only play shows that have a purpose….
I was taught how to swing in my Grade 7 jazz band. Of course, being an avid music fan, I had listened to lots of music with swing, but up until that point, I never had a name for it. Perhaps you had a similar experience: swing was explained to me as triplets with the…
Depending on where you live, grants can literally make or break your career. I live in Canada, where grants are abundant and in high demand. Having written several successful grant applications for myself and for other artists, grant writing seemed liked a relevant and worthwhile topic to discuss. You may have heard this from others,…
Working with publicists is really fun and rewarding, especially when they’re good at what they do. Getting calls for interviews is very exciting and having your name mentioned in the media can do wonders for your career. However, there seems to be some myth and mystery surrounding what a music publicist actually does and what…
You’ve booked your tour, you’re playing effective shows. The opening band is lined up (or you’re playing support) and the contracts are signed. But will anyone come to your show? Music is not a “build it and they will come” kind of industry. There is always lots going on and it’s often difficult to compete…
Practicing everyday can feel like an exercise in futility. Putting in your 10,000 hours seems especially hard when breakthroughs never happen as often or as quickly as you would like, and progress can take so long! This is where I was a couple of years ago. Practicing for three to four hours per day and…
When the tracking, mixing, and mastering is finally done, it can feel like you’ve just run a marathon. Your journey however, has just begun! Now, you’ve got design, printing, and distribution to consider. And of course an album release party. Planning an album release party is an interesting adventure, because there are a lot of…
Video is of ever increasing importance when marketing your music. The rise of YouTube has forever changed the way people discover new music and the power of social media gives artists a chance at having their big video breakthrough. One can pay big money and make a professional music video that might (read: probably won’t)…
So you’ve decided it’s time to hit the road. That’s an exciting step in your musical journey, but it can be a daunting task. The only way to do it without becoming overwhelmed is to adopt a methodical, step by step approach, with a clear vision and realistic goals. Today, I will be focusing on…
You’ve spent years building your Facebook following, and you now have a bunch of dedicated fans who have “liked” your page. Effectively, they liked your page because they want to see your content. Yet your posts get only a few likes and comments, and your reach is small. Why? Facebook has an extremely complicated algorithm…
Publicists can do wonders for the success of a release, a tour, and ultimately a music career. However, you first need to sign one on to your team. To complicate matters, you need to find and sign the right publicist, who works well with your genre and level of success, and most of all, loves…
The image of a touring musician as portrayed by the media is a glamorous one – packed-out venues, parties in nice hotels, stages with full lights and sound, and a big, comfy bus to top it all off. Sadly, the reality of touring can be a harsh wake-up call for many budding musicians. The truth…
This is part of the keyboard playing tutorials series. Use it to improve your playing skills. What is feel? In music, feel is everything. The way you’re playing in relation to the musicians around you, or to the beat, or to the metronome is 100% as important, if not more important than the notes you’re…
Hand independence is essential for piano playing at all levels, and in all styles. If you can become proficient with both hands, it will free up a world of creative melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic options; whether it’s with a band or on your own! When learning from professional keyboard tutorials, many young pianists of a…
If you can play piano, you can play the organ. However, you mustn’t assume that the two are the same. In fact, you will find that playing the organ requires an entirely new set of skills! First and foremost, you must understand how to use your drawbars, rotary, and percussion to obtain the desired tone….