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Wowing At Your Music Industry Internship

2012-05-16T09:52:11Z

Music business internships can happen at any time, but summer is definitely peak season. Getting this kind of work experience in the music industry is invaluable, not only for the things you'll learn, but also for the connections you'll make that could turn into job leads some day. Of course, all of those benefits are contingent on the fact that you blow them away with your work during your internship. Simple things like being late and blabbing to your friends about company business can derail your internship in a big way. Before you show up for your first day of work experience, commit these six tips for impressing at your music internship to memory.

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Wowing At Your Music Industry Internship originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 09:52:11.

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Choosing a Music Career

2012-05-14T09:54:59Z

Which music career is right for you? Now, I know what you're going to say. "I don't care what job I do - I just really want to work in music." I know, I get that, and that's a good attitude to take when it comes to getting your first big break. However, there are good reasons for getting a little more specific with your music business goals. For one, no employer wants to hear that you're not focused and committed to a particular job or sector of the biz - they want you to be excited about the job on the table and interested in growing in THAT field. Plus, I promise you, much as you think doing anything music related would be sunshine and roses, it's not - you'll eventually find that, like anything else, there are things you like to do and are good at and things that make you wish you'd listened to your parents and gone to law school.

With that in mind, browse these music industry profiles to see which jobs feel like they could be the right fit for you.

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Choosing a Music Career originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 09:54:59.

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Music Biz Job Interview Basics

2012-05-11T09:30:10Z

Many of my delightful College of Charleston students will be graduating on Saturday, and that means many of them are facing job interviews, music business style. Music business job interviews aren't so different from interviews for jobs in other fields, but people tend to worry about how to approach them. Is there a different dress code? Should the resume be different? Just what are employers looking for anyway? If you're stressing about an interview for a job in the music industry, relax and check out this advice:

Music Biz Job Interview Basics originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Friday, May 11th, 2012 at 09:30:10.

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So, I Think I Need To Fire Someone In My Band...

2012-05-07T10:00:27Z

What do you do when someone in your band is not exactly making life easy for the rest of you? Band relationships break down for all kinds of reasons, from personal disputes to musical differences to commitment disparities, but no matter what the reason, getting someone to leave the band is never an easy thing. In some cases, letting someone go from your band is personally difficulty. After all, most band relationships are rooted in friendship. Depending on the stage of your career, asking someone to leave the band can be professionally problematic. Your fans may not like it, your contract may forbid it, and so on.

If you think someone in your band simply has to go, find out how to make the process a little less painful and as fair as possible to everyone:

So, I Think I Need To Fire Someone In My Band... originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 10:00:27.

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How Do I Know I Am Ready To Play My First Show?

2012-05-04T09:28:43Z

I get a lot of questions about figuring out when it's time to stop practicing and start playing in front of a crowd for the first time - and I also get a lot of emails from musicians who have booked a show and then realized in a panic that they're really not ready for the stage at all. Although your first show is always going to be a leap of faith on some levels, there are some signs that you're ready to meet your public that can clue you in that it's time to look up some local promoters. Just how will you know? Here are some things that should be in place before your first gig.

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How Do I Know I Am Ready To Play My First Show? originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 09:28:43.

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Promoter, Booker or Agent?

2012-04-30T09:37:16Z

Up and coming musicians just hitting the live circuit tend to carry a bit of confusion about the differences between concert promoters, bookers at venues and agents. That's not so surprising - heck, at some level, some of the promoters and bookers in particular are a little confused on the point themselves (hint: getting a show put on a calendar at a venue and then creating a Facebook event for it is NOT the same thing as promoting a show).

Getting the terminology right might not seem like such a big deal, but your understanding of people's roles actually means a whole lot when it comes to having a successful show. After all, if you've simply booked a show with the booker at a venue - not a promoter - then you need to get on the case pushing that show big style. Ready to clear this mystery up? Get the low down on the general differences between promoters, bookers and agents.

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Promoter, Booker or Agent? originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Monday, April 30th, 2012 at 09:37:16.

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Five Things To Do Before You Play Your First Show

2012-04-27T09:51:03Z

I get a lot of emails from musicians who have just booked their first show - and who have immediately started wondering what they've gotten themselves into. There's bound to be a lot of nervous energy in play when your first gig beckons - and once you've gotten that first one out of the way, you'll soon discover that nervous energy is par for the course before a show.

The good news is that while nerves may be the norm, you don't have to leave the whole thing up to chance and cross your fingers that all will go well. Adding a few to-dos to your pre-show checklist will help you get things in order. Here are five things to get done before you hit the stage for the first time.

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Five Things To Do Before You Play Your First Show originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Friday, April 27th, 2012 at 09:51:03.

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Music Industry Quick Tip: Don't Stop At No

2012-04-25T07:50:20Z

You're going to hear the word "no" a lot in the music industry - you just are. It doesn't matter how great your songs are, how amazing your project is, how incredible your live show is - you're going to get the big n-o. Getting comfortable with that (read: not taking it personally) will help you grow in the music biz a lot easier, but in addition to taking a negative response in stride, there are other things you should do after someone declines that could turn that "no" into your next big break. Next time you get knocked back, here's how to respond.

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Music Industry Quick Tip: Don't Stop At No originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 at 07:50:20.

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Money and Your Music Career

2012-04-23T09:14:11Z

Money, money, money....money! Almost all music industry woes come down to the dollar dollar bill, y'all. We don't have money. We got money but we blew it on the wrong thing. Etc., etc. You know the drill. And in fact, while empty wallets are a complaint for many trying to break into the industry, actually making some cash brings a whole new, even more complex set of problems.

In music, managing your finances is key to both keeping your career moving along AND keeping music your job - in other words, out of day job land. Sound overwhelming? Nah, you've got this. Just browse this Music and Money 101 guide for advice.

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Money and Your Music Career originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Monday, April 23rd, 2012 at 09:14:11.

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Five Things To Do When A Show Gets Canceled

2012-04-20T09:50:37Z

Canceled shows happen. Why, just yesterday, the Long Miles and Brave Baby show my music promotion students were putting on as part of their class had to be called off because of the poorly timed return of measurably rainfall to Charleston, SC. (Incidentally, C of C, the show is now Tuesday, April 24, at 7 PM in Physicians Auditorium.)

Calling off a show is never a fun thing, but when it has to happen, how you react determines whether it's a minor setback or a full fledged disaster. Thinking you might need to pull the plug on one of your events? Here are five things you can do to mitigate the damage.

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Five Things To Do When A Show Gets Canceled originally appeared on About.com Music Careers on Friday, April 20th, 2012 at 09:50:37.

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