Indie Music Industry – The Power of Networking
Indie Music Industry – The Power of Networking-Having a lot of people that know who you are is always a benefit and not a hindrance.
Just the other day I got a call from someone who wanted to find out if I was available to play bass with their band. I declined due to not having the room to take on another project but I gave them the number of someone else I knew that would fit the bill perfectly.
That day, that band found a new bass player and so the story goes.
That experience got me thinking that pretty much everything that I do in my dealings with the music industry is based on who I know.
People like working with others whom they trust will do the job they want them to do or like recommending others for jobs that they can’t tackle themselves for one reason or another. I know that when this particular band that was looking for a bassist finally found one through my network I was proud of myself. I was glad to help someone out.
That’s what networkings really all about though isn’t it? Helping people?
For anyone who is just starting out my advice is to seek out as many people and go to as many functions and gigs as you can.
Immerse yourself in your local scene.
The more that people know who you are, the more opportunities that will open up for the taking. Become the squeaky wheel that gets all of the oil. Have that belief in yourself that you are worth knowing and don’t be afraid of knowledge.
One thing that you don’t do however is to get to know people for what they can do for you. Get to know them for who they are as a person. Others can spot your insincerity a mile away (especially us cynical musos) and that is a real turn-off.
Personally I am chuffed when someone asks me for advice or just wants to have a chat about how things are going for them, but only if they are genuine about it.
A great place to start networking would be at open mic nights.
Get yourself involved in an open mic and just walk up to someone and say “hi”. Everyone is there for the same reason so there is some common ground. You could perhaps ask them if they are going to be performing on that night and go from there.
Remember, the more you network the more you will be known and the more you are known the more work you will get.
In time your ‘little black book’ of names will become your greatest asset.