Customer Reviews

The Business of Getting More Gigs as a Professional Musician

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read Mr. Popyk's columns in the International Musician as well as The Music Trades magazine. It's nice to see the best ideas for getting more work all together in one book. There are so many things musicians can do to keep their calendar full if we actually treat it like a business. I've been playing casual dates for years and still like to be reminded of things I could be doing to get more gigs. A lot of the chapters have me thinking "I can do that", or "Why didn't I think of that?". Do yourself a favor if you are looking for gigs...read this book! (Unless that is, you have all the work you can handle)

Too many musicians expect work to simply come to them. Making a living as a musician isn't easy, and this book comes up with ideas for bringing in more bucks. There is no "one idea" here that will help make a fortune. Unfortunately you have to work at it. There seems to be less and less work for musicians today. At least this book addresses that fact and comes up with some thoughts on how to bring in the work that still might be out there.

If you are new to the business of getting gigs, and know absolutely nothing about business in general, then this book may be helpful. I was looking for something more.

To me it seemed that the author's approach was that he was speaking to dead beat musicians who are lazy and complaining all the time. I personally think that there are many talented and hard working musicians out there who hustle each and every day to get gigs and are far beyond needing the advice that you must pick up the phone, treat your band like a business, etc. We already know all of this.

I was looking for a book (and still am) that would get into more depth on this subject of getting gigs and give some original ideas. This book had nothing new to offer me.

However, if you are brand new to the business, and to the business world in general, you may get something from it.

This book has very useful pointers, but not many of them, and it repeats them endlessly. It would have been a good pamphlet.

Would have given this five stars, but as it was written in 2003, some of the info is outdated.

"Answering machine" "mini disk" "you should have a website" etc. But, the ideas and professional

suggestions are great. Some are, if you have been gigging for awhile, common sense. But a lot

of people do not do it, so they either don't choose to get lots of gigs, or don't care.

I plan to use a lot of these ideas for my Stevie Nicks tribute, White Winged Dove.

{shameless plug, [...]} It is all about attitude, and presenting

a classy, professional show whether playing for 10 or 10,000 people. One of those ten may have a

Son, Daughter, Father, Mother who runs the coolest biggest venue in your state, and when you kick ***

on that small stage for those ten people, she/he will go and say "Man, you gotta book these guys,

they are awesome" and there ya go...Big Gig from Small Gig. Love it, and put your heart into it each time.

Recommend this book for musicians, for sure!

This book is an excellent resource. It gives very useful suggestions on generating work, in fact I have put several of Bob's ideas into place. I have booked a venue, musicians and done publicity after being inspired by this book.

i recommend this book to all musicians who aspire to be professional-who would like to give up their day job.