Posted by:
Webmaster
Date: 28 Jun 2006 21:14
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This article was written by Kenny Auyoung:
Looking for band members is never an easy task. You may first want to ask
yourself what exactly you're looking for – whether it is to join an existing
band or find individual members to start your own band. Obviously, both have
their differences and this should be answered first before you start your
grueling search.
Join an existing band.
This is a great way for enthusiastic musicians to gain some playing experience
right away, although it is sometimes harder to find these kinds of
opportunities. These are established bands that are looking for single or
multiple members for various reasons (their guitarist overdosed on cocaine, bass
player got fired for drinking problems, etc). This might go without saying, but
make sure you really do like the type of music a band plays before deciding to
join their group! There are many musicians I know that play in a band where they
don't even like the music they play, all just to "gain experience" to get their
foot in the door and hopefully move on to greener pastures. It can't be stressed
enough that if you don't like the music you play, you're going to do a
half-assed job at it, so why bother?
Also, know your playing experience and limits. For example, if you've only
started playing guitar learning all Green Day songs for a few months, don't
expect to join a thrash metal band that requires you to do sweep-picking, fast
arpeggios, or any other insane guitar techniques. Make sure you choose a band
where the technicality of the music they play is comfortable with your own skill
level as a musician.
A huge advantage for joining an established band (maybe) is that most of the
back-end stuff is already taken care of. This includes tasks such as finding an
agent/manager to book your gigs, song development, contracts with music labels,
etc. All you have to do is show up for rehearsals and play shows as scheduled.
A good resource to start finding these bands in need is going to your local
rehearsal studios where most of them lurk. These are places where any musician
can pay for a room to rehearse. Best of all, all the musicians you find there
are often in your local area. Check out the bulletin boards where frequent bands
post up classified ads that may go something like:
"Looking to join a band that rocks?! We are in need of a guitar player with lots
of experience! Our influences include: Megadeth, In Flames, Black Sabbath, and
many more! If interested, please contact Todd at xxxxxxxxxx."
Or even better yet, post up your own classified ad on the bulletin board so
bands can contact you instead. Local, independent music stores often have a
bulletin board for classified ads as well. These are some of the best free ways
to find band members in your area.
Disadvantages of joining an existing band
First and foremost, you have to learn all their songs usually in a limited
period of time. The band might have a show coming up and you have to be able to
play all their songs flawlessly note-for-note. Needless to say, this might be
stressful for some musicians (except if their music is very straight forward and
easy with pure 3 note power chords).
Another disadvantage is often your own music creativity is limited. Most bands
prefer their original tunes to be played and carried on without any radical
change. For example, if you just joined a band and replaced their old guitarist,
the way the former guitarist played a particular solo, is the way the band wants
it to be played by you. Often you must follow the same note structure of a music
piece composed by another musician.
Organizing your own band
This is where you try to find individual musicians to start a new band, usually
with similar music skills and backgrounds. Thinking of starting a band is the
easy part, but the actual process of searching for the right people is harder
than most people think. There are tons of musicians out there in the world but
only a small percentage of those you may be compatible with. In addition, ask
yourself: are you going to play in a band just for fun, or are you trying to
make a living out of it? This will influence where you are going to start
looking.
The internet is becoming a popular method for musicians to find other musicians.
If you search "looking for musicians" in Google, you will easily find over
12,400,000 results - so how do you find what you're looking for? Many ads posted
in classifieds sections and on popular music forums will vaguely have
descriptions such as this:
"Guitar player looking to form a band."
Well, that's just great.
Try refining your search to keywords such as the area you are in, what position
you are looking for, etc. Example: "Looking for bass players in Toronto". Try to
only focus your attention on well-written ads that describe the musician, which
includes how much playing experience he/she has, the types of music they are
willing to play, and the intention of playing in a band. Or you may also want to
post your own ad in music community forums and add a link to your audio/video
samples that will likely interest more candidates. Audio/video samples that show
off your best work are often the most influential factor of candidates
contacting you back.
Be consistent with this. Chances are you won't find someone right away on your
first few posts, so try to refresh your ads on a weekly basis (but don't
spam!).
The internet is a large resource but don't just rely solely on it. You may find
you have better luck looking in local magazine's classifieds ads section where
it's more direct. Also, because musicians have to pay to get their ads published
in magazines, it shows that they are more serious about organizing a band.
Don't limit yourself in a location
If you are serious about starting a career as a musician, you don't just search
for bands or members only in your local area. Living in smaller towns and cities
won't give you very many options in choosing the right band or member for you.
Expand yourself to larger urban cities where the potential to find band members
is greater.
Finding band members is like finding a good job. Know exactly what you want
before searching, always have a good portfolio ready, and be consistent in your
pursue. Good luck! |
