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So. You’ve assembled a group of amazing singers. You’ve got a business manager and a music director. You’re running a nice PR campaign. You finally updated your website. You got your rockin’ repertoire. You rehearse like mad. You’re basically a well-oiled machine. You’ve done a couple shows, then you go to look at your list of upcoming performances, and it’s totally empty!! Why don’t we have any holiday gigs? You suddenly feel like Ol’ Mother Hubbard looking for dog food.
Does this sound familiar? This is a situation that every pro group faces at some point, and it’s the situation of many collegiate groups in the country right around this point in the school year. But not to fret! Time to get some gigs!
Time out. Let me just address a little pet peeve of mine. As funny as the word “gig” is, and as super-hip as you feel when you use it, the general public does not use the word “gig.” If you go to a corporate client, asking for a “Christmas gig,” they’ll quickly realize just how new you are. To the regular world, this is called a “performance” or a “show.” Say whatever you want among your group members, but just don’t write “gig” on your website or concert flyers. As a personal favor to me.
OK. Back to the advice. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to getting performance opportunities. You really just have to do lots of networking, and keep your eyes and ears open. Any time you hear about a show going on, see if you can get your group in the lineup. That said, here are a few more specific ideas:
1. Talk to past clients. Any time you perform somewhere, make it a repeat gig. Always. If you do a corporate show, stay in contact with the company. Do the gig again! Your group is a business, and you’ve got to think like a business person by using repeat clients. There’s nothing easier.
2. Draw from your pool of student/community organizations. Every member of your group is a member of other organizations. Your alto is a regular churchgoer, your soprano volunteers with the Girl Scouts, you’ve got a bass who’s active in the Rotary Club, whatever. Everyone does something, and if you each take the time to put yourself out there, you’ll be amazed how many opportunities you’ll find. It’s all about networking! If you’re a student group, why not do a gig for other student organizations on campus? Maybe a tenor in your group is a part of the Jewish Students Association – they’re worth asking, and so is everyone!
3. Do workshops at local schools. Make some phone calls around to the local schools, or better yet, do some visiting in person. Get to know the local choir directors. They love nothing more than having a group of cool singers show up to teach their kids. Put together a fun, yet educational, workshop, where you teach the kids a little about how your group works, arranges music, etc. And give away lots of free stuff – people love swag. Some schools will pay for you to do these workshops. Even when they don’t, it’s a good opportunity to perform, and you never know what other gigs may come from it. This, by the way, makes a great repeat gig.
4. Sing in the streets. Go to the downtown area of your city, or a big city near you, and sing on the streets. Bring a sign on a sandwich board with your group’s name and website on it. Bring CDs to sell or give away. You may be able to put out a hat and get some cash from passers-by. If you’re good, you’ll draw in a nice crowd. If you sing long enough, someone walking by may want to write a story about you, or even offer you a performance opportunity. As always, bring business cards! You never know who you’ll run into!
5. Mooch off your alumni. If your group has revolving membership, or has gone through a few “generations,” then you already have a major untapped resource of mini-missionaries at your disposal: your alumni! These folks love your group to death, even when you stink, and many of them will do just about anything to help you. Don’t ask them for money, but do ask them for a hook-up. These alumni work for companies, they’re involved in charitable organizations, they go to church, whatever. They’re connected – use those connections!
6. Use your fans. Your fans love you and want to see you perform. If you mention on your website and in your monthly fanlist emails that you’re looking for more performances, they’ll definitely jump on it. But don’t just say “find us a place to perform.” Instead, teach them how to hire you – tell them that you love to perform at schools, for companies, and for parties. Tell your fans what to do, and put them to work for you.
7. Throw your own freakin’ concert. You don’t have to always be hired in order to have a gig. If you feel confident that you can draw a decent crowd, book your own venue, hire your own sound guy, and start selling tickets. This obviously doesn’t work every week, but every few months or twice a year, you can throw a pretty large concert that may net you a handsome sum. If you’re smooth, you can get a cheap venue or a free one in order to maximize your profit. If you’re still a new group, get a friend to do sound for you, use a free venue, and make the show free. You won’t make any money, but you’ll hopefully increase your fan base. It’s amazing how many more people show up to a concert when it’s free.
8. Shameless self-promotion. This is really the bottom line. You’ve just got to put yourself out there, pass out those business cards, and tell people you’re looking for performances. You have something to sell, so become a salesman. You don’t have to be cheesy or insincere; on the contrary, be proud of what you’re selling. You’ve worked really hard to put together a polished product, and you deserve the money you make. Sell yourself everywhere you can; you never know where your next gig is going to come from.
Good luck!
Got a question for Dave about managing or directing a group? Send him a note: dave[at]casa.org.
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