Blonde Wisdom #6

 Tax time can be a really tough time for musicians and other self employed individuals. A few words of advice in regards to making this time less stressful. 

1. Make sure to keep receipts for everything that you purchase over the year. File those receipts in a safe place and in an orderly manner. This is extremely important as you might not only need these for your records but if you are ever audited, they are required. 

2. As a singer you will very likely be able to write off clothing, make-up, hair appointments, other personal hygiene and grooming services, shoes, accessories, equipment, gym memberships, vocal or dance lessons/classes. Keep receipts for everything that you purchase. As a musician, everything listed already and add in all of your gear, and maintenance to gear.  

For all, include gas or mileage (keep track of both if it's your first year working), car maintenance, meals on the road, items such as iPads used on stage, music purchased online, periodicals, etc. 

3.  If you are a 1099'd individual make sure that you set up quarterly payments to the Fed and the state. You don't want to end up owing more than you have on hand and are unable to pay due to not paying your quarterly deposits. 

4.  Unless you are an accountant/CPA or are really good with numbers and understand the laws and rules of the IRS, hire someone qualified to do your taxes for you. This might cost you a bit but if you have someone good doing your taxes you will save money in the long run. 

Gino Johnson you are the best! Peachin, Schwartz & Weingardt P.C.

Best of luck.  #blondewisdom #six #numbersix

Lisa 

Blonde Wisdom #5

 Web and social media presence is of utmost importance in getting your band booked. If the client can't find you online or your sites aren't professional, you won't get booked. We can't begin to tell you how many bands have approached us for bookings while having no website, a sub-standard site, or little to no social media presence. In our socially media driven world, there really is no choice but to make this a top priority. 

Starting with a nice website is best. There are lots of ways to build a site and several of them are free or inexpensive. Businesses looking for corporate entertainment don't necessarily want to go through FB pages to find information. Your website should have quality pictures, audio, video, a sample song list, contact information and a calendar with dates. Don't overthink it and don't put too much added material on it as the average attention span isn't very long. What you do choose to post should be high quality and the very best representation of your band. Spend money on good photos and a professional video if possible. 

Reverbnation is a great second step. It's free, easy to navigate and functional to use and manage. Some bands still use myspace as well. A band FB page is a must, especially if you are trying to get good club gigs. The potential clients will look at your page for activity and also the number of followers and likes you have. Make sure you put the effort in weekly to build that base. It will take time, but it will be worth it in the long run.  

Always link all of your pages together. Everything should have a cohesive look and be easy to access from all of your sites. It should go without saying but...you have to be good to be sold so be GREAT!! Much more on social networks, marketing & branding later.  

#blondewisdom #numberfive #five

Blonde Wisdom #4

 Check your ego at the door.

Definition of a Band....  A band consists of more than one person therefore it's a unit or group of musicians and artists. 

      A large key to the success of a group is to have a cohesive, collective and cooperative blend of talented people. Every successful band needs a leader or music director to call the show, run rehearsals, possibly handle money and bookings if no manager or agent are involved.  With that being said, If one person feels that they are "worth more", "add more" or are "better" than the other members, it will very likely create a divisive environment that could lead to an eventual collapse of the band. If you are best suited to be a solo artist then embrace that. The philosophy that seems to work best for a successful band is to make it about "the whole" and not about "the one". #blondewisdom #numberfour #four

Lisa 

Blonde Wisdom #3

 Your sound engineer can make or break your band, therefore, it's extremely important to find the best person for the job. When someone walks into a venue and the first thing they hear is feedback or muffled vocals it can truly set the tone for how your band will be perceived for the rest of the evening. The sound engineer is an extension of your group, whether they are on stage mixing (as a band member) or out front mixing. Your band members need to make sure their equipment is working correctly and functional as well. You must have a cohesive relationship between your band and your engineer in order for everything to come together.  Getting your sound dialed in before your actual performance starts should be priority number one. Priority number two for your engineer should be to stay 100% present with your band for the entirety of the show. Your engineer needs to be aware of who sings lead on which songs and who sings certain harmony parts, not to mention instrumental solos on said songs.  With all of the boards that have presets now, this can be (and is) a great memory piece from room to room. However, you still need the person turning the knobs to actually know and care about what they're doing.  Hire someone who is not only good at their job and has solid production but also someone that wants to be part of your group. Also, your sound person will quite likely be the person that the clients will approach during the shows for questions or concerns. Make sure they are comfortable and equipped for this,  since the rest of you will be on stage performing. Pay them accordingly and don't forget to thank them at the end of the night when the dance floor was packed for the entirety as they were a big part of that success. #blondewisdom #numberthree #three

Blonde Wisdom #2

 Customer service is paramount, always.  In the music business, if you are a cover band, there is an even higher standard for it. Performing for the client and not for yourself can be a struggle for some musicians. Everyone has their favorite songs by their favorite artists but if you want to be a successful cover band you must appeal to the masses by choosing the correct songs. It's your job to cover other people's music, hence "cover" band. You've made a choice to perform the music of others so make it the very best imitation of their music that you possibly can. Remember, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Take a great song and make it your own, put your own spin on it (to set you apart from other bands), or perform it exactly like the original. There isn't a right or wrong way of covering a song as long as you are believing it and giving it your all. One of the biggest mistakes some cover bands make, is deciding that they're going to play whatever they want regardless of how it will be received. This approach only works if you're ok playing to nobody in your basement or garage and not being booked (or rebooked) by clubs and venues. Be relevant and know your audience. If you are going to play covers then make sure they are songs that people know and love.  Being self indulgent in this scenario can be a recipe for disaster. The most successful cover bands utilize their gifts and talents to make others happy. #blondewisdom #two #numbertwo

Lisa 

#1

 Some of the most talented musicians and singers we work with also happen to be the most humble. When you are in a profession that tends to garner positive attention from many, it's easy to get swept up in it. The fairest of them all are the ones that don't brag, don't boast and don't post about how great they are and how great their band is. Leave it to your clients and fans to let the rest of the world know how awesome you are. Your talents in conjunction with your humility will take you far and bring you successes. #blondewisdom #one #numberone

Lisa 

Blonde Wisdom

 This is the First in a series of many anecdotes, advice, words of wisdom, tips and ideas to help and guide bands and artists towards the most fruitful experience in the music scene.  We've always believed in a music community and musical collaborations and plan on continuing down that shared path. We hope that you'll enjoy, share, comment, learn and teach us a few things along the way as well.  Thank you for supporting live music! Xoxo #blondeentertainment

Lisa