Buttwinick Musical Services

ORGANIZATION CONSISTS OF coordinating activities, things and people in order to achieve the stated goals. This would encompass how many gigs a week you want to do, what kinds of gigs you want to do, and any other aspect involved.

Here are some specifics about band/group running no matter what kind of group it is. These are group specifics that a band leader needs to be responsible for to ensure his show gets on the road—or to a club, or a casual, or a concert.

MANAGEMENT & ESTABLISHMENT (EXECUTIVE)
• Goal setting and decision making.
• Organizing and directing the group.
• Planning and programming how to go about doing what you want to do.
• Financial planning. This would include who pays for what, how much money is allocated from each gig for which items, determining what the group spends money on, etc.
• Making sure there is effective planning to ensure a viable and expanding situation.
• Making sure phones, answering machines and computer systems (websites & email) are set up so communications can easily flow.
• Keeping records and files of people, services you use and all paperwork including: group supplies, promo, mailing lists, clubs, agents, musicians, groups, song lists, business cards, receipts, plans, printers, photographers, etc.
• Making sure group members are doing what they need to do. (E.g., practice tunes, be on time, keep their clothes clean, maintaining their gear, etc.)
• Knowing how to get the people you need. (E.g., musicians, recording studios, agents, etc.)
• Making observations and decisions about which people should be associated with the group or not due to their contributions or distractions—some people you want around…, and some you don’t.

MARKETING & SALES

• Doing market research.
• Creating effective promotional campaigns.
• Creating effective promotional pieces.
• Implementing promotional campaigns such as sending out press kits, doing mailouts, going to clubs, Internet marketing, etc.
• Making sure you have enough press kits, business cards, videos, etc., in stock to use when needed—have adequate supplies.
• Setting up auditions.
• Following up all leads and signing up clients for gigs if booking the group yourself. This would include contract negotiations, meetings, phone conversations, etc.
• Staying in touch with people, organizations and agents who you have worked for, for future gigs and referrals.
• If not self-booking, ensuring you have the right management or booking agent.

TREASURY & FINANCES

• Making sure you get paid.
• Handling the banking and finances including deposits, records, disbursements, any fees and taxes.

GIGGING

Internal
• Making sure rehearsals, gigs and any related activities are efficiently scheduled so they actually happen.
• Making sure the musicians know all the needed details about rehearsals and any group appointments. This would include any subs, photographers, etc.
• Doing any needed preparation for anything you are doing. This would include getting music, writing charts, making tapes, arranging equipment, getting lights for music stands, extension cords, making sure your computers are functioning if using these, arranging to take live photos and videos, etc.
• Having a reference library of tunes if doing cover music.
• Having efficient rehearsals.
• Making sure everyone involved knows what they need to know about the gigs so they can arrive on time, be dressed appropriately, and have enough information to feel at ease with the gig—group information and details. Prediction and preparation makes for a smooth gig and is very important.

In particular, everyone in the group needs to have complete information in order to gauge driving time from their previous engagements. You need to know if there are lots of stairs, a complex loading dock or what floor it’s on if in a high-rise. (It’s taken me up to an hour to find my way from the front of a huge hotel to the room where I was playing during Christmas season and it’s no fun.) Get specifics.

Things you and the group members need to know:

1. Where the gig is. Provide the name of establishment, address and phone number.
2. Exact directions. Include a map if needed.
3. What room are you in and what is the client’s and/or party’s name?
4. What time to start. Are there any special arrival times different from the norm?
5. What is the dress?
6. What is the pay (especially if lower than usual)?
7. When do you get paid? Is the pay deferred to a later date or does everybody get their money after the gig?
8. Any special information? (E.g., load in the back, the front, etc.)
9. See if the client validates parking—they should. If they don’t, the “band” should.
10. Do you eat at the gig? When you have two long gigs in one day you need food. If you’re not going to eat at a gig allow time to grab something in between.

External

• Liaising with clients for details—client information. This would include handling contracts, master of ceremonies preparations and anything needed. Make sure and take all the information with you to the gig!
• Liaising with agencies, clubs, hotels, etc.
• Ensuring gigs run smoothly. This would include the music, emceeing, playing music on the breaks if that’s what the client would like, and everything and anything connected to the gig.
• Making sure the group’s public appearance is the way it should be.
• Making sure the group’s public behavior is the way it should be.
• Making sure all bandstand promo is the way you want. (E.g., sign, business cards, etc.)
• Promoting at the gig by talking with people on the breaks when appropriate.

CORRECTIONS

• Examining how your gigs went and taking note of needed corrections or improvements.
• Implementing the corrections or improvements. This would include personal practice, group rehearsal, promo rewrites, etc.
• Talking with people on breaks and getting an idea of how you are doing from their response.
• Noticing what you did that was GOOD and remembering to keep doing it!

PUBLIC CONTACT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
• Using follow-up letters after gigs.
• Regularly mailing thank you letters and greetings cards to appropriate clients and business associates.
• Following up on any leads created at gigs.
• Sending out email announcements, newsletters, press releases, and any kind of promotion that advertises up coming engagements that are open to the public—this is very important. (Local papers always need to fill up space and like receiving press releases from local talent. Call the paper first to set up who to get the release to and whether they prefer land mail or fax. Some places don’t care but others will throw your release away if it’s not submitted just how they like.)

• Doing anything that forwards your group being well thought of and remembered.
• Going to parties to promote your group.
• Having friends and associates refer you when appropriate.

SOME USEFUL POLICIES
• A gig is never confirmed until the contract is signed and the deposit is in your hand. (Better yet, the check has cleared the bank).
• If the group is a partnership, talk things over before making major decisions and ensure it’s fully established who has what responsibilities.
• It’s best if one person handles all contracts, however two or more people doing this can work as long as only one person handles each client.
• Have set prices and don’t book a gig at a lower price unless agreed upon by everyone in the group.
• Before booking a gig, check the availability of the musicians in the group. If everyone is always available this might not be needed but it’s always good to check. If you are used to using subs book the gig and use who you can get.
• If a group member gets a gig with someone else, have him contact you about it as soon as they know.
• If a group member knows he’ll be unavailable for certain times that you could be working, have him let you know as soon as he/she knows.
• If a member needs a sub, it’s his responsibility most of the time to arrange for one. Make sure the sub is good or get one yourself.
• Always take group member’s and potential sub’s phone numbers with you to the gigs.
• Have one person call the tunes, count off the tunes and end the tunes as much as possible. (However, it’s common to have a main tune-caller while the drummer counts off and ends most of the tunes.) Sometimes each singer, if more than one, will count off and end his/her tunes. Of course at some shows no one calls the tunes because it’s a preset event. Having other band members suggest tunes is fine as long as they’re not too “pushy” about it. Let the person calling the tunes call the tunes.
• Have one person in charge of each known responsibility. More than one person handling the same activity breeds conflicting information which can easily create confusion and havoc.

GENERAL INFORMATION & ADDITIONAL TERMS

Along with the contract and any information sheets, create a questionnaire of the following items for the client to fill out. This is where the information comes from that the band leader relays to the band and gains prediction for the non-musical particulars of the gig.

• Who is the person in charge?
• What kind of engagement is it?
• What is the group’s attire? Formal/ties? Open collar? Other?
• Is there a change of location during the gig? If there is, state the additional fee.
• Are there stairs involved for loading equipment or is there an elevator? Carrying equipment up to the second floor or higher can warrant additional charges.
• If outdoors, is there a platform or cement area large enough for the band to set up on? Setting up on damp grass, a lawn with automatic sprinklers, or too close to a pool is dangerous due to possible electrical shock. (It’s obvious but people don’t always think of this. I didn’t think about it until the automatic sprinklers turned on and got ME during a set!)
• If outdoors, is there a covered area to protect the musicians and their equipment from direct sunlight and/or possible rain?
• Are there parking fees involved? If there are, make arrangements to have them paid in full by the client for all the musicians.
• What are the bar privileges?
• Is food provided? If there is a buffet can the musicians partake?
• Does the mileage warrant additional fees? Set the boundaries for when charges are applicable, i.e., south of so and so or west of so and so.
• Anything else that is relevant.