Managing a band may sound so easy to people that are not aware of what it takes to be a band manager. It is actually very hard work and involves certain tasks that sometimes are over and beyond what they should be doing. For a start leading a group has it’s downsides in the way of having to be the peacemaker at all times. Almost like a referee the band manager will have to make sure all relationships remain tight and diffuse any arguments that may arise. When a group of people have to spend so much time together they become like a family and with that will come disagreements and sometimes one person will be left feeling excluded or like their opinion doesn’t count for anything. In the job description or not it will be the band manager’s job to almost be a parent and try and get everyone on the same page again. This is the personal side of a band manager’s job there are also the more business related issues such as having to control all the finances. This again sounds easy but actually there is a lot of juggling to maintain as there are so many unforeseen monies needed at various times. Imagine having to take in the money earned from a gig and then having to allocate what is then needed for the next month. The band manager has to allocate money for travelling expenses, any recording studios, motel bills if on the road, drinks, food and entertainment and of course have emergency money if an amp was going to blow up, is there enough money left to cover this replacement? This job is made harder by the fact that you have no idea how much money will be coming in during that month so it is a constant battle. Organization for a band manager is also important; they are the ones that have to book your gigs, negotiate with venue owners and make sure that the gig is well advertised. There is also the handling of the social networking sites that have to be updated to ensure that there is a good fan base and all are notified of a new song release or a new gig coming up. So never think that a band manager’s job is an easy one; on the contrary it is very hard work!

What can you do when you suffer from a creative block? Any artist at some point in their career will suffer from creative block whether you are a writer, an artist or a musician; it really is quite common and can leave you stuck for weeks at a time. Sometimes it is just a case of getting re-focused again and seeking inspiration. When your thought process comes to a grinding halt then you need to step back and take yourself away from the situation. If you have spent weeks inside the same room thinking of new material then maybe it’s time to jump outside and taste some of the real world again. A walk in the park and looking at ordinary people and how they live their lives is always a good start. Go outside and take in the fresh air and remember what and who it is that really make this world tick. Just watching people go about their daily routines and spending time with their dogs or children maybe just the right thing to inspire you again. If not you could always try to watch a movie or go to the cinema and find inspiration that way; inspiration is always triggered by how you are feeling so a romantic comedy might just do the trick to lift your spirits again. Meet up with friends, your creative block is not helped by spending hours upon hours staring at the same four walls. Go and have a good laugh with your friends and catch up on all the gossip; you may just be needing some well earned time off to be able to become yourself again and to regain some perspective. Remember why you became a musician in the first place and listen to some of the old music that first inspired you. It may sound a little far-fetched but I have also known musicians that really get their creative juices flowing again from just visiting an artwork gallery. The bold uses of color and patterns can really inspire and also to think of the artist’s thinking behind each work of art; after all you are an artist in your own right so already the two arts go hand in hand.

It is all about the formula used to be perfect. To you and I a horse appears to be graceful and naturally gifted at what he is doing whether it be walking gracefully or jumping effortlessly. The same as billionaires; everything they touch seems to turn to gold and they appear to make more and more money in whatever they do. These are all similar traits to seeing a musician perform; they know what they are doing, they can command an audience and are amazingly talented. Behind all of these finished products there wasn’t just luck or being at the right place at the right time. A graceful obedient horse will have been trained to be this way and the work and patience of the owners and trainers would have been immense. Hours and hours each week would have been put into the horse to ensure that the finished product was spectacular; a horse that can take instruction and is very graceful in every move they make. All this has to be worked at from the very beginning and still continued through the horse’s entire life. When it comes to the billionaire; let us take Donald Trump as an example. He has worked extremely hard to become what he has today and build up the businesses and assets that he has. Not many people will know this but in the 1980’s even Donald Trump managed to bite off more than he could chew and had to declare bankruptcy before having to start all over again. He took losses as well as wins and had to learn the hard way before getting it right. This is the same of musicians…When you see the finished product up there on stage it is hard to believe sometimes that these were once young men learning to strum a few chords on their guitars over and over again. A professional musician would have spent years to get to where they are and a lot of sacrifices would have been made along the way. They may have struggled financially in the early days and put everything into their music. There are also the hours and hours of practicing and rehearsals everyday and preparation for the live gigs. There would be tough times during the learning process too where something is very difficult to learn and can become frustrating until it is repeated and repeated over and over again to imprint the learning on the brain. So as you can see, these three have a lot in common.

It is always good to have a certain look that fans will remember you by and having the most outrageous colored guitar will certainly get you noticed. More so would the case if your guitar was hot pink in color! It will make you look different and give a sense of humor that will draw people to your band. So many musicians are known for their fashion such as Kasabian or Pete Docherty and so therefore it is a great idea for you to come up with something that will set you apart from the rest. Having a unique guitar will certainly make you stand out and be noticed. It doesn’t matter what guitar you go for as there are an array of colors and designs to choose from. Even if you were to go for a standard black guitar but have an awesome design etched onto it; as long as it is bespoke then this will be a talking point in your audience and you will be seen to be different or quirky. In the music industry it is great to be seen as these things as your fans will want to see your personality shining through which will increase your popularity. When choosing a guitar however you must make sure that quality is the first thing you look for as well as color. You need a good solid guitar that also fits you in weight and size. If you are slightly smaller then you may want a guitar that will be better suited to your size in order to make it easier for your hands to fit around the neck and onto the strings. Always ask friends to recommend a good guitar and make that your starting point. Needless to say probably but always try before you buy; many music shops have amps inside so that you can plug in each guitar first to see which one most suits you and also sounds great. The music shops are used to this so don’t worry if you think you are disturbing anyone; you are not, so go ahead and enjoy trying each one. A hot pink guitar may not be your cup of tea but there are so many styles and colors that you can choose from to make you stand out from the crowd. Choose your guitar carefully and it could be your trusted companion for many years to come.

Declaring bankruptcy is an awful time for anyone and it is sometimes the unknown that makes it more of a nerve wracking time for people. It also can be the perfect solution for an individual to declare bankruptcy. For a musician it can take years and years to start earning a decent amount of money from their music and in the meantime there are so many that have accumulated mountains upon mountains of debt. This can be with bank loans, credit cards, store cards, car loans and overdrafts. It sometimes gets to the point where there is absolutely no way you will ever be able to pay it all back and this is scary and daunting prospect for anyone. When you declare bankruptcy you will go to court where a judge will stop all creditors from contacting you and all the debt will be written off for you to start again. There are downsides to this as if you have anything that the judge considers an asset for example a house or a car or anything like this then they may order that it is sold to be able to repay the debt. If you have no assets then your debt will simply be wiped clear. You will not be able to obtain credit for a few years but if you have already defaulted on some of your debt repayments then you would have already ruined your credit rating. The quicker that you declare bankruptcy the quicker you will be able to build your credit scoring up again in years to come. As a musician you can argue that you need your music equipment to earn money in the future so that they will not see your equipment as an asset in which can be sold. This way you can retain your music equipment and keep playing whilst you are in your period of bankruptcy. This way you can start again afresh without the stress of money and creditors chasing you constantly.

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As a band you will be relying on repeat bookings and as much as there is advice everywhere on the best things you should be doing to become way more popular there are certain things that you must never do if you really want to make it in this industry and I will talk you through just three of them. If you are a band just starting out and are ready to start playing at venues and getting out there to build your fan base and get many supporters then you really must take heed of the following 3 points. The first is to never show up late.  There are so many people counting on you to show up on time so if you are late this will anger so many people and you will never get a repeat booking. There are not only yourselves to consider there are so many other people involved. There is the venue owner for a start who will lose money if you are to show up late. They have an entire staff to pay as well as angry customers who have already paid admission to see you. There are also all the staff involved in your sound check that will be more than a little unhappy with you. If you have a bad sound check then the quality of your performance will sound awful and you won’t get the rapturous applause that you were hoping for. Also the venue owner could have taken on another band for that slot that could have been reliable and have filled the room with supporters that will be heightening his profits with food and drink sales at his bar. There is absolutely no excuse for being late as it affects so many people and their profits. Also if there are any big names from the music industry at the venue that night and you arrive late then you have pretty much blown your chances there as well. Arrogance is never tolerated no matter what you think or whether you think it is cool! Arrogance has no place in this industry and if you are not personable you will never be rebooked or gain loyal supporters. You have to conform to the venue’s routine and not think that you are the best thing since sliced bread and come before everyone else’s time and money. No matter how good you are this will never allow you to progress in this industry. Also you must never leave the venue immediately after your gig as this is seen as very rude. You must take the time to work the room and meet people and be around the merchandise that you wish to sell. This is also a great way to make new contacts and to build your fan base.

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Practicing music should be about learning, growing, improving and of course having fun and this is not as easily achieved if you are shut in a room with your instrument all by yourself! To learn to play your instrument well it is best that you play along with backing tracks, as well as friends as this will teach you to play in time with the beat. Playing with other musicians will speed up your learning no end as there are areas that they can teach you and you will be able to improve on your weaker areas. It is also so much more fun and sociable and this way learning is made more fun and far less frustrating when you don’t understand something. Also you can help to teach others in areas where you are strong and they maybe weaker will make you feel confident and happy to have helped someone. The very best way to become great at guitar, or any instrument, is to join and play with other musicians; musicians who are better players who have more technical knowledge than you. Playing music with others will stretch you and make you play to the very best of your ability. It will also bring to light some of the areas that you need to work on and improve on. Other musicians that are better than you will inspire you to become as good as them and to work harder to achieve your goals. It is also great that when you have mastered something that you were stuck on before then it is great to hear the praise from the musicians around you who have taught you and are excited for you. You should also look to getting a music teacher that can help you to improve and get the basics as learning an instrument is not as easy as some people may think. You will discover new concepts from playing with other musicians and take new ideas from each of them as individuals with their own tastes in music and different genres. You will eventually form your own bespoke way of playing music and coming up with different ideas from all these inspiring people around you and most importantly, playing with other musicians will help you to become better, faster and will really drive you forward and get you to the stage you want to be in a far quicker time.

The problems that most musicians face is trying to practice music without driving their neighbors mad! The problem is worse if you live in an apartment or complex where the walls maybe paper thin. The majority of people in the past have tried using carpets to reduce the noise from carrying through the building. The best way to combat the noise and to cut down on angry neighbors is to use cork flooring. Cork flooring is a good long-term solution and is not only affective in cutting down on noise but is also looks very attractive in the home. Cork most of us associate with wine bottles but it is also a great insulator and noise blocker. Cork flooring is very flexible so it makes it soft underfoot as well as the added bonus that it is a waterproof material. Cork flooring tiles are low in cost, better at blocking noise than the use of a carpet, soft underfoot, waterproof and they look attractive. What more could a musician need? As cork is also very lightweight you can use it on walls and ceilings too to completely insulate a room where you practice your music. If you don’t like the look of cork on your floors then you could also use the cork as an underlay so you could first put the cork down before laying a carpet or putting up wallpaper to cover it up. Hard wood flooring and laminates do look wonderful but the harsh reality is that they are useless at blocking out sound and only serve to enhance it. This is no good for practicing your music either even if you are in a detached house as it makes for poor acoustics. Cork flooring is a natural material and as it is a nice honey color it looks attractive and fashionable in any home. It is also very easy to keep clean and is a much better option than a carpet and will also be far more cost effective when flooring a large area. So in order to achieve good acoustics without the sound waves bouncing and echoing then you really should look into cork flooring. Not only that but also it is extremely hard to live a good life and enjoy your music and to practice when you constantly have angry neighbors banging on the door!

If you are looking for good quality musical equipment then you should always start your search by looking through the classified ads. Whatever you need you will find it within just a few weeks of searching; if not immediately. This is a great way to find exactly what you are looking for as well as buying for a fraction of the cost. Whatever you may need be it a drum kit a guitar, bass, microphone, amps, pedals, leads, you name it, it is worth looking through the classified ads before running off to your local music store to pay full price. There is the Internet as well as newspapers to help aid in your search and such sites as ebay where you can bid and get some real bargains or just normal priced advertisements. If you are looking to upgrade your current equipment you can always sell yours using a classified advert to help with the cost of buying your new equipment. This may generate you enough money to then buy something much more expensive than your original budget. It is usually free to place an advert so there really is nothing to lose. Always make sure that you write what area you are in as no one will travel hundreds of miles for a second hand guitar. If you are looking for something specific then the classified ads are a great way to look as generally you just have to type in the specific make and model on a search engine and all the adverts will pop up straight away. There are some real bargains to be had as sometimes as unfortunate as it is some people simply need to sell their equipment as quickly as they can to be able to raise some money. This is all the way of life but it can bag you a good deal and get the exact equipment that you need. This is also a good meeting point for musicians as it may put you in touch with someone that you have a lot in common with. There are so many sites in which to place your adverts or to find them and this is a great place to find what you need. Buying equipment second hand especially a guitar some musicians find is much better as the guitar will have a worn look which gives it much more character.

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A very big challenge for musicians today is how to finance your trips to different venues whilst on the road. There are so many costs to consider whilst getting your name out there and to name but a few there are costs for gas, food, motels and you will need to have reliable transportation. The last thing you want to do is gain a bad reputation for cancelling gigs due to the fact that you have broken down or run out of money! Time keeping is everything in this industry and if you arrive late or don’t show up at all then you will lose your chance of being re-booked and this is crucial to keeping you on the right path. Also invest in a satellite navigation device to ensure that you never get lost on the way to the next venue. If you have reached the point where it is too expensive to travel across the country and you have finally exhausted loans and credit cards then it maybe time that you thought about how to make money whilst on the road. You can earn a full time wage in between gigs by selling your CD’s and other items at flea markets. I have known people that have earned 1000 dollars in just a weekend at flea markets. If you have several members in your band then there is nothing that you can’t sell to be able to generate an income whether it be CD’s, DVD’s, necklaces, rings and various other items. You can buy job lots on the Internet and then sell each item individually to be able to make a profit. Make sure that whilst on the road in your mini-van or bus that you take smallish items to sell at the flea markets as these can then fit in easily as well as your music equipment. Present yourself well at the flea markets and maybe take an awning, a foldable table and a nice Persian style rug in which to display everything. This is also a great way to sell and advertise your promotional merchandise for your band and maybe get some people to come along to the venue that you will be playing in their town that weekend. This will get you a broader following and also remember to take their email addresses if they are interested in your music so that you can include them in your emails to let them know when you are next playing in their town.

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