6 Tips on Team Building and Creating Community in Music

With the steady decline of album sales, and the staggering amount of sheer competition for gigs, it's becoming increasingly hard to make a living off of music and art these days.  As the industry continues to reconfigure itself and build a new infrastructure, tt's becoming apparent that connecting with other like minded individuals, and building a team is a key to a sustainable career in music.  It doesn't matter if you're famous, or unknown, on XLR8R's website, or just your own...if you build the right team with the right players, you can create whatever you need to succeed.


In the spirit of community, here's a few tips on how you can help your team and musical community grow.  Some of it may seem obvious and commonsense, but is often overlooked.

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1.  Buy music from people who need the sale

This one seems obvious, but really, if you're going to download music, I mean, steal music, do it from Prince, who has already made his millions, and support the indies, your friends, and colleagues.   You can literally make someone's day by purchasing even one song from their album.  That .70 cents can feel like a million bucks to an artist working hard to create.  Cliche but true: What goes around comes around.  Tip: if you buy someone's music on bandcamp the money goes directly into their account!

2.  Click "like" on someone's fan page (for starters) 

Nowadays, a "like" on Facebook is a form of currency.  Booking agents, promoters and record labels do look at an artist's fan page and will judge them (at least partially) based on how many "likes" they have, whether the music is good or not.  But don't just click the "like" button.  You should also share the page with your friends, and even message people who you think would be interested in what the artist has to offer.  This also applies to people's posts...leave comments!  In fact, leave comments / reviews on places like iTunes, Blogger, their website, etc.  Sound like work?  Well, it might take ten minutes for you, but lead to quantifiable results for the said artist, like increased sales and/or attention. 

Everyone likes a winner.  Have the guts to spot one in the making and stand beside them early on.  Watch this video below, with narration by the founder of CD Baby, Derek Sivers (a hero of mine).  It's a concrete, real world example of it.
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3.  Throw events that are all inclusive

Some events are meant to be exclusive.  VIP rooms, limited tickets and capacity, 18 and over, best dj's only, etc.  Someone always get's left out.  How can you make your event more inclusive?  Get the underdogs involved.  Have contests to get on the lineup, maybe a remix contest.  Raffle off tickets, so that the determined but broke can attend.  Throw an all ages show.  Split the door with the artists, or make it free to enter (get sponsors to pay the artists?) Maybe, even maybe, mix up the genres a bit so that different crowds get to mingle.  Exclusivity is great for most events, but there's also a time to give back and make something happen for other people.  In fact, throw a fundraiser, every year or so to buy some arts supplies, or medicine, and watch the people around you get more involved than you could ever imagine. 

4.  Support your local venues

If it wasn't for places like Churchill's in Miami, or Bobo Lounge in Asheville, the music scene in said communities wouldn't be as strong.  Sure, they don't have the best sound, might be in the hood, and don't have fancy lighting, but they nurture artists by giving them a place to play, whether it's their first gig or not.  And maybe one night, there's a shitty noise band tearing up the stage, but on the next it's a young Marilyn Manson, age 16.  How do you support these types of venues?  Always try to pay the door fee, instead of pulling the "I'm on the list" card.  Buy drinks, tip bartenders, schedule events there, and remind people who like to criticize these venues, that you appreciate what they offer, despite their shortcomings.  Keep in mind, if a venue is forced to shut down, it's not their fault alone.

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5.  Cross Promote

Have a musician friend or label buddy accross the pond in Africa, or the UK, or maybe a neighbor who is getting his feet wet?  How about swapping remixes with them?  Or swapping gigs? Maybe open for a band in Atlanta as a favor and in return the band you opened for, opens for you in Knoxville.  Know a sponsor looking to spend some of their budget?  Put them in touch with your hardworking buddy in their area.  Did a friend of yours help you engineer your last album?  Give back by recommending them to a local club, studio, or festival.  Did your friend from high school design your album cover(s) for free?  How about sending all your friends his way?  Leaving comments on his website, putting up a link to his site on yours, or helping to promote his kickstarter campaign are all good ideas too.  Remember, altruism is a form of promotion, and reciprocity is simply good manners.

6.   Create something bigger than yourself

An artist's career may or may not be sustainable.  As much as we hate to admit it, most career's peak and fall like stocks, and oftentimes it's even beyond our control.  The public is fickle, uninformed and prone to attention deficit disorder.  They also want what's new.  On the other hand, if you create something bigger than your own career, there's a good chance you can continue to be an active member of a musical community for many years after you've hit your apex.  That might mean founding a music magazine, blog, or website.  It might mean starting a record label to release emerging artists.  Maybe your open a music school for underprivileged youth, or a studio.  It might mean starting a night like Bass Church, so that everyone you book get's to play for excited music fans in a proper setting, with proper sound and lighting.  Or maybe you start a festival and base it around a planetary convergence like the Trinumeral Festival.

You wanna be famous?  There's no better way to promote your band / brand than putting money in other musicians pockets AND giving them a place to showcase their art.  Now you have a new friend, as well as a promoter on your team.  If you don't lose your shirt on the show, then everybody involved wins.
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Main Point: Get (Everyone) Involved

This goes back to the inclusive theme.  The more people you can bring into your sphere, the more likely you'll get something out of your shows, compilations, contests, productions, etc.  Why not start a blog and feature every deserving artist in town on it?  Why not throw a contest where everyone wins?  How bout offering  a free 1/2 hr. lesson to emerging artists?  Or you could make a Youtube video of a new technique you discovered and share it with the world.  The pie might not get any bigger, but the people you reach out to will make or break you.  After all, word of mouth is the best form of promotion there is.  Pay it forward.  End of cheese.