Why Am I Playing in a Band?

I’ll bet you have asked yourself that question on more than one occasion. Bands, by nature, require two or more individuals to “agree—as touching any one thing,” like the Good Book says. However, it’s a safe bet that most, if not all, bands have topics and issues that bring up lively disagreement (to put it mildly). Many people become impatient when they must wait on others. The there are travel nightmares, volume and style disagreements, etc. Over the course of months or years, these differences can destroy even the finest bands. At the risk of being redundant, why are you still playing in a band?

Why not follow a career as a solo performer? Does the thought of performing solo frighten you? If so, I feel your pain as I struggled early on with similar feelings. However, you may have years of experience playing and/or singing anyway. If you are just getting started, you can still apply these concepts to your live shows right away.

First Things First
Before beginning any new endeavor, take stock of where you are right now and why you are thinking of switching gears. I had been playing professionally for more than 20 years when I was given the chance to back up a singer with just my guitar at a local restaurant. We wandered from table to table and since I had someone alongside me, I didn’t feel as “naked” as I might have felt playing solo. I soon discovered that I could play comfortably as a solo performer and there wasn’t any residual pain or shame the next day. People seemed to enjoy what I did and I even got cash tips! I enjoyed the freedom to play anything the audience, or myself, could dream up and rehearsal and travel arrangements became much simpler.

Those are some of my reasons. Now what are yours? Maybe you’d prefer to cut back on out of town travel. Maybe you need more time near home for your “day job” or you no longer want to play gigs until 2 AM or later. Perhaps you’ve wandered into a coffee house or restaurant and heard someone less accomplished than yourself playing, having fun and making money. Maybe you’re tired of fighting the keyboard player or bass player over musical direction or simple personality clashes. Maybe you’d rather not have to consult two or more people just to book a job. Perhaps you’ve grown weary of paying a crew to set up and take down that mountain of gear.

Maybe a duo or trio is a better idea than that 11 piece big group for some shows. Many bands are now making a smaller version of their ensemble available to agents and clients at a lesser price. I could go on, but that’s sufficient for now. I suggest writing down your frustrations with your current act and then ways you can minimize or change things.

The Business Model
A game plan is a terrific idea—spell out what you want to accomplish and how you plan to do it. If you planned to open a bike shop, for example, you would have to write out a business plan in order to attract financial backers. If you’re going to create a smaller musical act, do likewise. Here are some things to consider: Who’s in it? You or you and someone else? Who do you plan to serve? If you want to play coffee houses, are there any within 30 minutes of home who have live entertainment? How about restaurants, malls with food courts, country clubs, etc.? How about equipment? Do you have an acoustic guitar with a pickup, if you’re a guitarist? Maybe a portable keyboard if you’re a pianist or plan to play events without a piano? How about amplification, mikes, cables, etc.? What about transportation? How far are you willing to travel to perform? Who can book your act? Do any agents in your area book small groups or solo performers? Financially, how much do you expect to make? Do you care? Is there a minimum you’ll perform for? Do you have a website or can you create one to help promote your act? Is it worth paying an online booking agency or web search engine to help buyers find you in cyber space?

These are the types of questions your business model should answer. This will also help you as you begin preparations to unleash your project on the world. While your business model won’t answer every question you have about your new endeavor, it will help you enough to get the ball rolling.