Customer Reviews

Gigging: A Practical Guide for Musicians

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The books subtitle "A Practical Guide for Musicians" sums up the work perfectly. This is a well-written and well thought out book by someone who has obviously been a working musician for many years.

I particularly enjoyed the step-by-step approach sprinkled liberally with excellent stories and anecdotes. This book is an excellent choice for anyone aspiring to make his or her living in the highly competitive field of music.

I picked up this book after flipping through a few pages because it fit exactly where I was in my career (starting to get gigs) and because I liked the author's tone. She is friendly, funny and positive. Somehow, even when she tells stories about the pitfalls of the industry, it comes across in an optimistic, positive way.

It's also a practical, well written, easy-to-read book that covers most of the things you'll run into in your musical life. It doesn't try and cover everything in depth, because it can't. It's a good, practical guide with some step-by-step instructions as well as overviews of situations you're likely to encounter and how to best deal with them. I recommend it.

This book is so engaging and thoughtful, you will feel as if the author is a close friend, talking directly to you. Her voice is unpretetious, clear, interesting and experienced. The advice given is kind, intimate, yet very informative. A super resource for performers or curious individuals interested in the behind the scenes world of the performing musician.

One of the better books I've read about gigging. Helps with confidence boosting and knowledge of the business. Definitely recommended.

-Dr. Kenneth

Whether you're looking to make it somewhere with your gifts and talents, you should read this because it gave me so many ideas I wanted to take and so can you. Thanks to Patricia Shih for a job well done on jotting down all the do's and dont's required on this book. This is nothing that can't be put down or refuse to read, this is to help you through. Another book I read previously prior to this from Mike Levine called How to Be a Working Musician: A Practical Guide to Earning Money in the Music Business is very recommendable too.

Great piece of work!

In the parlance of musicians, a 'gig' is an opportunity to play their music -- hopefully, but not always, a paying opportunity. A professional songwriter and musician, Patricia Shih draws upon her more then 35 years of experience to present an informed, informative, and realistic instructional guide for all aspects of earning a living by playing music whether as a solo act or as part of a band in "Gigging: A Practical Guide for Musicians". Particular attention is given to the nuts and bolts of professional music including establishing contracts, finding band members; booking appearances; auditioning; establishing performance fees; caring for instruments and sound equipment; dealing with band members, road crews, attorneys, and publicists; touring; and the role of musicians' unions. Of special note is the experienced insider information on finding outlets for performing that include both traditional venues and unconventional opportunities. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Gigging" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone seeking to perform professionally and succeed financially regardless of whatever genre of music they are a part of. Also highly recommended for aspiring musicians is Patricia Shih's "Truly Rotten Gigs From Hell: The Funny, The Sad, The Unbelievably Bad".

As a professional pianist based in Cleveland, Ohio, I found it useful from start to finish in every aspect, whether my reaction was "I know EXACTLY what you mean" or "what a great idea, I need to work on that."

I highly recommend this book for any gigging musician who wants to take his or her career to the next level.