Customer Reviews

The Gigging Musician: How to Get, Play, and Keep the Gig

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

One might expect this book by jazz pianist Billy Mitchell to be strictly a "how to," but it is so much more than that. While it certainly has a list of items to remember when gigging, the heart of "The Gigging Musician" are it's interviews with musicians in the trenches and insightful and inspiring words from Mitchell himself.

There's a lot to glean from chapters featuring interviews with musicians extraordinaire Joe Sample and Karen Briggs. Seeing what they've learned from being on the road and playing numerous gigs is invaluable. But it's the chapters on the dangers of drug use during gigs, women on the road and the different types of band leaders that are unexpectedly helpful.

This little book -- "The Gigging Musician" is less than 150 pages -- is hard to put down. It's extremely interesting and inspirational.

Although speckled with some wise words "getting the gig"
doesn't deliver as far as a do it yourself companion. It is
basically a collection of interviews with established musicians
describing their personal experience. It's an interesting read
but it's out dated and out of touch. Fails as a handbook to an
up and coming musician and the current situation one faces
when chasing the gig and dealing with booking agents
and club promoters in todays night clubs, coffee houses,
festivals etc.

This is a wonderful book for any musician contemplating a life as a professional. It is filled with sound, common sense advice and cool observations on the music business. It also contains bios of working musicians to give insight as to how their careers began, and how they sustain them. I loved this book in every way and got a lot of good practical information that will help as I build on my career as a professional vocalist. Thank you Billy Mitchell!

This book has some good tips and common sense stuff, but it's geared to someone who has never, ever played a show. If you have already played a couple of gigs, then you should already know most of the info in here.

This book has been written in a very friendly manner; very helpful and informative, but also very personal. Helped me out in my days of gigging and touring!

-Dr. Kenneth