So you want to make some
cash playing drums?
We've put together some information on a few different ways that you can make-a-buck.
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1. Assemble Your Band: The first thing you need to
do is get your band together. Find people that are about your own
age and have similar musical interests and abilities. Music seminars
are good places to look for prospective band members, so are school
music programs, local music teachers, and music stores. Placing ads
in the newspaper can be effective but also costly. You are generally
better off posting an ad in the local music store or simply talking
to people and building your band on word of mouth and reputation.
Internet bulletin boards are another resource you have to find band
members, click here to post on our musicians wanted boards.
2. Get the Rhythm Right: When forming your band,
a good place to start is with the drummer. The drummer will keep the
beat of the song and gel the sound of the band together. Since the
drummer is you make sure you are ready and confident in your playing
ability. If there will be more than one drummer in your band, be sure
to play together often. If the rhythm section is on then the rest
of the band will be on too.
3. Find a Place to Rehearse: Once you have tried
out a few different people and assembled your band, you are going
to need to rehearse and put a song list together for a show. You need
to consider the market in your area and how your act will be perceived
by the local market- if that is where you are going to play. You are
also going to need a place to practice as a band. Usually that means
one of the band member’s house or garage. In any case, you need to
find a space where you can make some noise without interruptions.
If you find you can’t practice at anyone’s house, there are other
options. Some music stores have practice rooms. Schools, churches,
community centers, warehouses, teen centers and basements, are all
good places to check when looking for rehearsal space.
4. Define Your Decision Making Process: Decide how
decisions are made. Usually someone in the band will step up and take
a leadership position. It is important that everyone in the band understands
and agrees on how decisions are made. You may decide that each member
of the band has an equal vote in the decision making process, however,
this requires that all members of the band be present in order to
make a decision. A band manager can be helpful in taking care of the
day-to-day business of the band such as booking, banking, and promotions.
Band managers are essentially a member of the band and usually take
an equal cut in any profits. It is a good idea to open a bank account
for the band and decide what the profits will be used for and how
they are divided.
5. Get Your Style Right: Your appearance is almost
as important as your music. Remember you are an entertainer now. You
need to decide on a style that reflects the mood of your music and
that everyone in the band is comfortable with. All eyes are on you,
so make a good impression.
6. Get the Word Out: After you have put together
a tight set and have enough material for at least an hour, you can
now start to search for gigs. You will need to put together a promotional
package that has pictures of the band, personal bios, a song list,
and a recording of the band if possible. Find some venues that you
would like to play and send them your promotional package. Call them
on the phone 1-week later to follow up. You’ll want to start by sending
your promo package to restaurants, clubs, coffee houses, festivals,
fairs, private parties, schools, convention centers, and anywhere
that people come together to have a good time. If your have an entrepreneurial
spirit, you can even rent local halls and put on your own shows.
7. Play Whenever You Can: In the beginning you’ll
want to get every gig you can. The more exposure you get, the more
gigs you will get, and if you are well received, the better the gigs
will get. Some musicians start out playing for free or next to nothing
on their first couple gigs. It is important to be prepared when playing
a gig and always have business cards and a business attitude. You
are at work, even if it is at a party! You are an entertainer, and
it is your responsibility to engage and entertain your audience. You
want fans and word-of-mouth advertising. You need repeat business
and steady gigs to survive as a performer. So everything you do will
either take away or contribute to your band’s success. The best place
to start out if you are a local teenage band is at your local school
and community functions.
8. Record Yourself: After you have built a following
and perfected your skills as a band, you’re going to get requests
for a CD. Recording a CD can be costly but it is your next step in
the development of your career. You can recoup these costs by selling
your CD’s locally, on the Internet, and at your gigs. There are two
ways that you can go when recording. The first traditional way is
to go into a recording studio and pay the going rate. The second route
is to buy a new digital workstation that is capable of creating a
very presentable product at a fraction of the price. Granted you are
going to have to learn a little about sound recording and mixing,
but you are going to have to do that anyway. Having a recorder and
recording your jam sessions will increase your musicianship 10 fold,
because you are forced to listen to and critique your sound. After
you have completed your master disc, get some prices from large duplication
houses like www.discmakers.com and then see if your local duplicator
can beat the price. Quantity will always get you a lower unit cost.
The artwork for the CD can be done by a friend or by yourself on a
home computer. Be sure to have pictures of the band on your first
CD and be sure that they represent your attitude and sound. Once your
have perfected your producer skills, you might want to make some extra
money doing it for other local bands. |
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1. Promote Your Services: Once you have mastered
your basic drum skills, you can now start to charge money to teach
people who have none. You will need to let people know that you are
now a drums instructor. Advertise in your local newspaper and music
stores. Be sure to include your contact information, what you will
charge per hour, where you are located, and the hours that you are
available. Also include what level of drums that you are teaching
(starter, intermediate, or advanced) and what type of drums and style
of music you teach.
2. Be Prepared and Organized: Be honest and have
integrity. It is not easy being a teacher; you need to know your stuff.
Be prepared, punctual, and have a logical week-by-week learning schedule.
Remember, you are now running a business, not just jamming with some
friends. Keep your lessons to no more than one hour and when the hour
is up, so is the lesson. Always give your students stuff to work on
during the week, so that when they come next, they (and you) can see
progress and what needs a little more work. Remember the most important
thing about teaching is giving your students the confidence and motivation
to keep playing.
3. Take Care of Business: It is best to collect the
money at the beginning of the lesson, and if possible have them pay
by the month. This way you will know where you students stand and
they won’t get behind in payments. You will find that if a student
gets behind in payments, they will probably quit rather than pay up.
Besides, you don’t want that sort of tension in your teacher-student
relationship. Once again, this is a business, don’t forget it.
4. Use the Kit: If you are teaching beginner drums,
use the Kit. The Book component of the AudioBook can be especially
helpful because it contains the diagrams and rhythm lessons you will
need, its small, portable, and can sit right in the lap of your student.
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If you love playing drums, a good place to look for employment
is a music store.
You will meet other musicians and increase your knowledge about the drums and different musical styles. You will hear about where the jobs are and who’s hiring musicians, and who pays. You will also get to know the musicians in town through reputation and begin to understand how important it is to have your reputation in tact.
Another benefit of working in a music store is that you will usually get an employee discount when buying gear. You will have first access to new products and know what is new and hot on the market. There is a lot of knowledge to be gained from your customers, listen to them and soon you will be the expert.
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