Like many of you, I started as a bedroom artist, obsessively learning some of my favourite songs on guitar, but being terrified of people ever hearing them.Â
Confidence was the biggest barrier, as most of the people around me weren’t into playing music. They liked it, but didn’t have that yearning to sit and learn. I was the opposite and was more interested in playing than making friends.
But how did we get from playing late nights at home to paid performance? It wasn’t actually that difficult. I followed a three stage process, which we’ll delve into now.
OPEN MIC NIGHTS
This is where you should first learn to hone your craft. These nights are full of like-minded people, completely non-judgemental because they’re in the same position or have been there before. Everyone is at a different level of their development, making it a great environment to learn!Â
Either you’re at the start of your journey and can see others for the first time, or you’ve been to a few nights and start to see the same faces pop up and build relationships.
And don’t worry if you’re going alone – Berkshire has some of the most gracious hosts I’ve ever known who will always welcome new talent!
You can see upcoming open mics on our events page.Â
BUSKING
The baptism of fire. The most important lesson here is to understand that not everyone will like your music. And that’s ok! Music is subjective and different people like different things.Â
Playing to people you don’t know is one thing, but asking for payment is another. You may not make much at first, but you will learn to thicken your skin – it takes courage to perform and you can learn to get past that!Â
Build your confidence at open mics and then go on the streets. It takes talent to earn your pay, but when you are it feels great!
More tips to follow with busking in our upcoming newsletters.Â
PAID PERFORMANCES
These usually come as a result of your visibility in open mics and busking. The best way to sell your talent is to demonstrate it! People will like what they hear and usually approach you, whether they be venue owners or members of the public.
For an hour set, you should have at least 10 songs you can perform well. You also need to learn to be an entertainer as well as performer. You can also approach venues directly.
So there you have it: Open Mics to busking to paid performances! We’ll go into detail about these areas individually later, but for now, this is the fundamental roadmap to breaking into the market.
Remember, be genuine and have fun – It takes time but if you love your craft, so will others!
Keep an eye out for future newsletters – coming up we’ll discuss marketing, negotiating and performance techniques to grow your act!