Miguel de Maria -> RE: Tonight I told Pple in the audience at the restaurant to Fu*K Off (Apr. 7 2004 17:44:08)
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Jon, I get my gigs in a variety of fashions, but most of them involve cold-calling to some degree. 1. Entertainment agencies. I contacted them, told them I played Spanish and Classical guitar, then asked them if I could send my demo to them. 2. Art galleries. I had an idea that art galleries might need live music for openings, so I walked down our Main St., which has an incredible assortment of high-end art galleries, and handed out demos and CVs. 3. Real estate agencies. My real estate agency hired me to play at a $5 Mil house, so I got the idea that other real estate agents might need musicians. So I got some publications and am in the process of calling all the agents with listings over $1.0 M. Sneaky, aren't I? 4. Contacts. I am slightly networked in this town with other flamenco types, and actually got 2 gigs this month from my contacts. 5. Wedding place. There is a place that holds weddings that has me on their "preferred vendor" list. So far only 2 gigs, but... 6. Caterers. I have been calling caterers and seeing if they will hire me or refer me. So far I've sent some demos, had some conversations, but no gigs yet. 7. Country Clubs. Supposedly country clubs have lots of events with live music. I've started calling them and trying to get a demo to them. The factors here are that this is a rich town with lots of rich people and high-end services, of which I can be a part of if I weasel my way in. The way I weasel my way in is by being the best-looking, most professional, and most business-like musician they have ever met. This entails being well-groomed, in shape, wearing clothes as nice or nicer than my clients', taking great pains to be early and cater to the clients' legitimate needs, and having a business sense honed by my degree in business and constant consultation with my businessperson wife. Also, the music I play--a combination of flamenco, classical, and latin pop--meshes very well with the "Southwestern vibe" of Phoneix. I have only been doing this for about two months, but have gotten great results. In the past, I waited for my partners and entertainment agencies to give me gigs. Now, I consider myself my OWN entertainment agency. I cold-call about three times a week, send out salvos of CDs about once a week. My solo performances have all been warmly received, I have been told several times I was the lowest-maintenance, best musician, they had ever hired. This is not because I am a particularly good player, but because I am doing my best to see the situation from clients' point of view.
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