Look Out, World!

I've decided to promote myself more aggressively. By that, I mean that I will try to promote myself. Because so far, I haven't done that. At all.

The #1 topic among jazz musicians I talk to is that there aren't enough gigs, and gigs we get usually suck. I'm finally sick of whining. I'm going to go get some good gigs.

I saw a band play this weekend and they were playing ALL THE SAME SONGS THAT EVERY OTHER BAND PLAYS, and nobody was listening. I really think most people are sick of Brown-Eyed Girl and Margaritaville. BUT I bet if you were at some weekend fair and you were walking past some tent with your sno-cone and you heard some really good jazz, you might actually look inside to check it out. I see no reason why MY band can't get a few of those gigs.

Don't get me wrong -- playing background music for cocktail parties or corporate dinners can be fun (provided you don't get treated like crap by the snobs who frequent those events), but I want to play for some crowds who actually listen. And I want to get paid for it.

I'm good enough; I practice hard. And people enjoy the music I play. I just gotta get out enough damn business cards and meet the right people. Some of my goals -- which should have been goals long ago -- are to hand out cards to at least 3 people at every gig and make conversation with at least 1 non-musician at every gig.