The Publics First Glimpse - Part II - The Demo

Part of the joys, or pains, of the artist/band development process is putting one foot in front of the other and try not to miss a step on the way to achieving ones goals. One such step is trying to go out and book oneself at the local clubs and coffee shops without some proof that the artist or band is actually a good fit for the venue.

From the last post, at this moment there are two choices, the demo and or the full blown piece of work. Getting shows does not require a full blown production, and often times most clubs only want to hear a sample. So unless the end desire is to launch into the public in a blaze of glory, it is extremely time and cost effective to focus on a demo to get the bus on the road.

A demo does not need to be polished master quality, it can help, but it's highly unlikely to cause you to not get a gig, the music itself however probably will. Spending an extra $300 or $400 on a demo package at the local recording studio can save many frustrations and headaches, but if you are a savvy home engineer with a good ear, go for it.

Some key things to consider before the demo is recorded.

1. Whats the focus of the project? What type of club or promoter is getting this demo.
2. Pick the best three songs in the repertoire
3. Take these three songs and rehearse them to death, the tighter they sound the better you will be in the long run
4. Be honest and open about the focus as you go through the process, drop a tune if your gut says something just isn't right

I have never been the engineer on my own demo, so I can't honestly recommend any books, but I am sure there are plenty on amazon.com


Once the demo is recorded...

The Publics First Glimpse - Part I - The Choice

This blog probably should have been written prior to the thoughts on sonicbids.com. sonic bids is a site to promote product. So I thought I would recenter my thoughts and focus on the main attraction of being an artist...the product and moving out of the garage and becoming a professional, with a professional recording.

The process of going from a garage band to professional band is actually simple by definition. Most people think being a professional musician or band means that one is signed to a Major or Minor label. This is just not the case. As an artist or band, once a physical/virtual product is created and is available on the market for purchase, it is at that point one can call themselves a professional. Dream for the big time, in the meantime develop reality towards an end game, a series of goals capable without someone else getting you there.

Which brings me to the debut work, or initial product, the first recording.

A decision for a new band or artist needs to be made at this point. The question to ask after you as an artist or band rehearse enough to feel you can play live is, do we record a demo to get shows, or do we go all out and complete an EP or Full length body of work?

Budget and time, the two worst enemies of an artist or band. This choice is not an easy one and take s a bit of commitment. It will be the first real test of an artists or bands resolve. Regardless of the decision, the next blog will cover

Regardless of the answer, in order to move any further as ones own little engine that could, this step is mandatory and the sooner one has product, the sooner a artist or band can utilize most of the tools and tricks discussed in this blog.

A beginning...

This blog will serve a purpose to condense as much infomation about tricks and tips and things that have worked and not worked over the years in the do it yourself music business. I am only an authority on the subject in my own world, so take the info with a level of seriousness or counter with even better information, or we can even be sarcastic all day long.

There are plenty of books out there on the art of being in a band, the key difference here is...I am not trying to make any money off you. The idea to blog this stuff really came to a head when I found myself repeating the same type of info to musicians I know, over and over, so this is a way to place all the info in one central location and let the feedback, if any, roll in and expand on the concepts.

I want this to serve as a communucation point between people who don't expect a label to hand them something, and honestly, don't care if they do. A place to express frustration and triumph with all the excellent tools available to the indy artist or even to the hobby musician looking to at a minimum get their product on the market and in distribution.

Over time I will go through several commercial sites that are beneficial...but I want to make clear I am not endorsing the use of these tools, merely pointing them out. I take no reponsibility for anyones failure or success along the way. Just because it worked for me, does not mean it will work for you...and there are many reasons this may be the case, but I am not one of them.

If you have any links or tools worth mentioning, please feel free to email me at goliath@mysticntion.info , provide me with the basics and I will do some research and report back on the blog.

Now let's go do some discovery!