Posts Tagged gigs

Need Performers for a Musicians Showcase in Los Angeles – Not Pay to Play!

Aug 6

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Band Related | No Comments

 

Artists for a Better World is a community of artists who are dedicated to using their art to uplift society. We are looking for inspirational and motivated artists who want to change conditions in the world for the better through their music.

We are looking for performers for our Musicians Showcase at our 10th Annual Arts Festival on Saturday Oct 9th. Participants from the show will be given the opportunity to book a large performance venue, workshops by celebrity artists, and showcase their music for their audience.

This is not a pay for play. The venue is free and you can invite as many guests as you like. In addition, you will be invited to promote your music and network through our website. Many artists have made good connections through our international work. Please respond to this e-mail with your web or myspace. Details will be sent to you at that time.

The showcase is held at Celebrity Centre Int. in Hollywood.

For details please contact Marty Buttwinick at
buttwinick@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you

 

 

 

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Buttwinick Musical Services Update

Apr 8

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Music and Life | No Comments

 

Hello!

I hope this post finds you in a magnificent frame of mind! (If it doesn’t, contact me and let’s fix that!)

Here is a short update of happenings in my areas. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you or someone you know. OK?


Teaching

Teaching moves a long nicely. Each student’s lesson is a little different, very different actually. Though the subject matter and skills are the same, the individual focus and goals are as varied as each individual. You can click on my Student Bulletin Board and see what my current roster is doing, or my Student Comments for more specifics. (I have room for a few more students if you know of someone who should come study with me.)

I’ve also started an online “Glossary of Musical Terms“. It contains the basic terms anyone who plays or studies should know. I’ve worked on these definitions for years and they seem to be excellent entry-level definitions. (If you are an old-hat in music you most likely do not need these. I just started the project and it should take about two or three months to complete. Check it out and let me know what you think! Leave me a comment as well. OK?


Upcoming Lecture Series

I’m designing a series of free, one-hour lectures on various aspects of gigging, as well as the in’s and out’s of reading “sheet music”. (It’s amazing how many people never fully got what all those squiggly lines on music paper mean!) They are designed for “The beginner or the Confused!”. It should be great fun and a free, useful service at the same time. You’ll hear more about this soon.


Gigs

I’m mainly concentrating on writing and teaching, but am gigging a bit. Some gigs with the Marvelous “Marc Bosserman Trio“. We are available for bookings, so please check out the link to see what we do! Also, I’ve recently started playing with Steel Drum man, Nate Middleton. It’s a cool trio with steel drums, guitar, bass and drum tracks. If you don’t know what steel drums are, clink on this link and check them out. They are very cool! (Also called “pans.”) (No musicals so far this year.)


Publishing

The “Musicians’ How-To Series” website is almost open for business. The site has fifteen down-loadable booklets of my published works about various technical aspects of the music-playing business. (That’s a word I coined for “Guitar Player” magazine a few handfuls of years ago.) I’ll let you know when the site is released. (Lot’s of helpful information there!) I’m also trucking ahead with my various notation books and continue to pilot them on my students. So far so good. They should complete and on the market by summer.


Chart Writing

I also continue doing “copywork” for my regular clients. Yesterday I transcribed a cool piano piece for a new client. The piece is “Capture the Moment” by David London. Gotta love it. (Look in my glossary if you don’t know what “transcribing” is. :-) One of my regular clients is the fabulous Filipina Jazz Vocalist, Charmaine Clamor. Fun gal to work with. (I did all the charts for the albums you hear at her site.)

That’s all for now!

Thanks for reading this, and drop me a line anytime…

Marty B.

==================>
Marty Buttwinick
(818)242-7551

http://buttwinickmusic.com

 

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Pro Musicians’ Tips #1 of 4: About Instruments & Equipment

Sep 18

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Playing Gigs | 1 Comment

 

As a supplement to the large bodies of valuable information available, these lists of “Pro Musicians’ Tip” has been compiled from years of personal experience, observing others and by personal survey of about a dozen working professionals spanning all echelons of the business from local clubs to major-venue players and stage hands. In my book, How To Make A Living as a Musician, these were listed as appendix material, called “Miscellaneous Tips & Advices.” These tips represent dues well paid over many, many years. Though this is a hefty list, there are hundreds of other tips around to be discovered. Use them to enhance your prosperity as a musician!

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How To Make A Living as a Guitarist

Sep 12

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Playing Gigs | No Comments

 

MHTS Web Logo Final

 

 


This is the original, unedited version of my GUITAR PLAYER magazine article called “FREELANCING — How To Get Hometown Gigs Now!” (Nov 95) It is a summation of what it takes to be a successful freelance guitarist. GUITAR PLAYER magazine loved my main book and wanted a condensed version for the guitar players of the world… so I gave them one!

 

 

 

Many guitarists want to make a living in the music business. You get an instrument and learn to play because it looks fun, exciting or cool—and off you go. After awhile you’re jamming, and making a career with music sounds like a good move. At some point this “good move” can become a fruitful career… or a disaster.
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How To Run a Band

Sep 4

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Band Related | No Comments

The Musicians' How-To Series "How to Run a Band"

 


This article outlines the “executive” functions that can lead a band to success. One of the main reasons why a band can fail, or move slowly is lack of organization and leadership. Someone has to steer the boat. This article outlines the basic functions that HAVE to occur in order to succeed. Some subjects mentioned are: planning and goal setting, marketing, finances, gigging, internal and external communication factors, public relations and important basic policies.

 

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.

 

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Musicians: How to Deal with Bad Attitudes

Sep 3

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Playing Gigs | No Comments

 

Human beings can be pretty complex life units. Some people are easy to work with while others seem impossible.

In the professional work-a-day world of a freelance musician there are fewer attitude difficulties than when guys are just starting out. Why? Well, when you have attitude problems that make getting the show on the road difficult you get fired. Period. When rehearsals and gigs need to occur, there’s no room for wasting time on people with attitude problems or lack of commitment when commitment is needed. One of the hallmarks of a professional is not letting his emotions, personal feelings or hobbies get in the way of productivity. The only people who get away with problem-attitudes are guys that are so great at what they do that they are in great demand. (This is NOT the way to go!) Even so, they don’t last long!
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Queen of ‘Jazzipino’ Charmaine Clamor Breaks Ground in America

Sep 2

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Playing Gigs | No Comments

 

My music copyist client is continuing to achieve international success!

 

OAKLAND, Calif. — Many jazz artists and aficionados consider jazz as the immigrant’s music — embracing and absorbing into a big pot, the many styles, elements and talents coming from musicians from all over the globe.

Charmaine Clamor, recently hailed as America’s leading Filipina jazz and world music vocalist, believes the “Filipino spice” may have found its renaissance in this pot in recent years, through the hybrid genre she created, “Jazzipino”. It’s a blend of the soul and swing of American jazz with Filipino music, languages and instruments. It’s the perfect pairing of her two great loves, Clamor says – of jazz and her Filipino soul, and it has catapulted her into the American jazz stratosphere.
Clamor’s Success an Embodiment of Jazz as the Immigrant’s Music.

 

Way to go Charmaine!!!

 

Read more about this success story here. It’s very motivating!

 

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What Kind of Gigs Do Musicians Play for Money?

Sep 1

Posted by Marty Buttwinick in Playing Gigs | 1 Comment

 

Making it as an original artist or session player are goals of many musicians and singers. Until a person achieves these ranks in the music business – how does a musician make a living? My students asked me this question for years and here’s the info. This article covers traditional instruments, as computer driven music is a topic for another article.

Since different instruments provide different functions in the music biz, e.g., soloing, playing accompaniment, etc., the gigs they get follow accordingly. Though I primarily cover the more popular instruments, many classical instruments will be mentioned. If you don’t know what these instruments are, or what they sound like, I suggest going to a library and checking out CD’s that describe and demonstrate them. There are also a number of excellent computer programs that do this if you’re set up for it.

The purpose of this article is to expose you to the types of gigs different instruments are used for. I mention how gigs are gotten, though complete information is covered in my “MUSICIANS’ HOW-TO SERIES.” Here are the usual calls:
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