Gigging: A Practical Guide for Musicians [Paperback]

Patricia Shih (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2003

Amateurs, semi-pros, part-timers, and even seasoned professionals will learn to make a decent living playing music with the help of this insider guide! In Gigging, a 35-year veteran of the music business reveals the tried-and-true steps to success, with no-holds-barred advice for landing paid gigs. Covering the gamut of musical genres, this realistic resource provides dozens of surefire strategies for establishing contacts; charging appropriate fees; finding bandmates; booking gigs through managers vs. doing it yourself; working with attorneys, road crews, and publicists; marketing and promoting yourself; and much, much more. The definitive resource for anyone with aspirations to play music professionally!




• Offers practical, realistic advice for helping musicians make the jump from playing music as a hobby to playing professionally

• Also offers advice on legal and financial matters such as setting payment rates, working with unions, handling contracts, and more

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patricia Shih has been a professional songwriter and musician for 35 years. She has recorded four albums and has appeared on television in the PBS special “Patty Shih—Music from the Gallery” and as star of Cablevision’s Tell Me a Story. She lives in Huntington, NY.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581152752
• ISBN-13: 978-1581152753
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,513,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for serious musicians!, July 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Gigging: A Practical Guide for Musicians (Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delivers exactly what it promises, September 26, 2003

By 

J. Bartlett (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gigging: A Practical Guide for Musicians (Paperback)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book on this topic, October 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Gigging: A Practical Guide for Musicians (Paperback)

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.