You’re a singer and you’re wondering how you can find more gigs? More places to perform now that you feel like people should hear you out?
The best thing singers need to do in order to find more gigs is to improve their network to find people who are looking for performers. The more value you can bring to such people the more likely you are to find more gigs.
If you’re new you might be wondering if having a network really does matter as much as I am making it out to. Let’s read on ahead to know why it’s so important.
Improve Your Network
The biggest hurdle is knowing the right people. If you knew the right people then you’d get the gigs. Believe me, you would. Of course, you need to have your performance act ready to go as well but for the most part, you will get gigs if you know people. Or, you’d get more gigs if you knew the right people.
We often find ourselves living in an imaginary world where we believe that being good at something will automatically get us stuff. Money, fame, and even record deals. Chances are those are the truths the world actually lives by. You’d be surprised how many people believe in virtue equals reward. It does sometimes but for the most part, it doesn’t.
The Mindset for Networking
Networking is hard for some people and if you want to find ways to perform and find gigs on a regular basis you need to find someone who wants someone like you to perform regularly.
If you’re scared of making friends and going out then there is a little bit of hope for you. Because you can always approach it like a business deal. You’re talking to this person because you want to get something done. Obviously, that’s only one-half of it. The other half of it is that you should also provide them with something in return.
That’s the crux of networking. You are providing them value so that they can do the same for you. If you tip too much on either side of giving or taking then this partnership will not last very long. Be ethical and smart. Nothing wrong with being both.
Ask People
Once you are convinced that you have something valuable to give to someone then there is the next part of the deal. The negotiating. It’s all very subtle you know. People want to be surrounded by people who they don’t feel friction with. Where everything is butter smooth.
In the past year, I have been studying a little bit of negotiating, because let’s face it, even knowing music production ends up getting me to negotiate with clients.
The thing I have learned is this.
If you don’t ask you will never get it.
Let me reverse the roles on you for one second. If I came asking for help would you give it? Don’t you want to be the one who wants to help others? The one who comes to rescue? If I were in dire need of a singer and I approached you with a great deal wouldn’t you be interested in helping me?
Guess what? Others feel the same.
The thing is, rejection here can’t be personal. If someone who is providing you with the gig is not giving it to you, then you need to be sure that you’re providing value to them or to their venue or business.
If you know you are and they still aren’t budging. Time to move on. It’s okay, there are plenty of people willing to help you.
Abundance Mindset
This is where the abundance mindset comes into play.
One rejection? Try a hundred. Always know this, there are always more people giving opportunities in all areas of life. Education, finding gigs, or anything else.
You have to be in sync with reality and the reality is that there is almost all time someone else who is willing to get you the deal you think you deserve. Almost always.
The last time I checked, the world is full of people and as long as there are people there are opportunities for everyone.
Professional or Hobbyist?
Of course, I have taken this in the context of you wanting this as professional.
Even if you’re a hobbyist, my advice would be this, don’t treat it like a hobby. When the time comes to network or performs do it like you don’t do anything else in your life. In other words, give it your 100% even if you don’t plan to make it into a career.
Of course, this is just some advice on how you ought to think about it. You don’t have to follow it if you don’t want to. However, if you’re planning to be a professional musician one day or already are, you really need to get your networking down.
To aid that you can read books on how to network better and how to even reach people online because you will release your own music someday and you’d need to follow along with people who you can trust who will provide you with more opportunities as you gain traction!
Do You Want to Learn to Sing?
It’ll all be for nothing if you put the pedal to the metal and don’t know how to drive. It would not result in a pleasant experience, all throughout this website I am an advocate for online courses. You should at least read about them here.
The second thing I would like to tell you is that I have curated some really good high-quality lessons for you to go through so that you are able to progress your singing at your own place and pace. That page can be found here.
I know how skeptical people can be of online courses but hey, you only have to invest in them once.