Any tips would be nice

[Fini]

hey guys, I was just wondering if anyone had any tips of starting a band. Im in Toronto, and I play Alto, and i want to start a small stage band or jazz combo...but dont know where to start! any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[Sigmund451]

Are there any open mic nights in jazz spots...show up, get to know as many musicians as possible, Post at a music shop if they allow it, a college campus with a music program? ...Ask the same questions in the real world that you are asking in the cyber world. If your good and people hear you doors will begin to open...just go out and jam anywhere possible. Somewhere there is someone looking for a saxophone player. If your not out there your invisibile.

I envy you...Id love to be ready to do what your about to do. Good luck, have a blast, be patient.

[groovesax]

Starting your own band is a little more ... no a lot more complicated than joining an existing band. As far as joining an existing band, it can be as easy as (a) checking local clubs as to who is playing where. Go and see these bands, if it is what you're interested in and you feel you would fit in, talk to them see if they need help, audition, viola, you're in. Another thing you can do is check out local music shops and check for ads for musicians. There are also musicians seeking other musicians forums scattered throughout the net, although I don't have much experience with them.

As for starting your own band, your going to have to have a vision for the direction of the band first. What kind of music? Originals? Standards? Big Band? Arrangements - maybe if you just play tunes from the real book this isn't a big deal, but if you're going to go beyond that, someone has to get charts together. You're going to have to find like minded people to join you maybe the networking / musicians seeking other forums is the place to start, but note that everyone has a different level of committment and background and finding people willing to committ with similar backgrounds and interests can be a challenge. Remember, good musicians are only going to hang with a start up project if there is money involved or at least a reasonble prospect of money within a short time period. The musicians that aren't gainfully employed are usually out of work for a reason. You might get lucky and find some diamonds in the rough, on the other hand you might end up with scallywags. You're going to need a place to rehearse and musicians willing to committ to rehearsal.

Unless you're talking about a small and soft jazz combo you will need sound equipment - pa/amps/speakers/monitors. You can hire a sound company if you want, but that's going to come out of gig money. You need to get gigs. My experience is that bars and clubs don't pay much as a rule. Some bands might be able to thrive on this environment, but for the most part a bar will often not go much higher than $800 - $1,000 (US) unless you have a good track record that you can draw a capacity crowd. Private parties / corporate gigs / weddings are where the money usually is, but you have to maybe compromise what you want to do a little for what the client wants you to do. You could use a booking agent to do this, but he or she will take their fee (maybe 15%) of any gig. But if you have nothing to show them like a demo CD, they probably are not going to be interested in you. Don't forget image and polish (discussed elsewhere in the working pros section). Ultimately you need some kind of corporate organization (something like an LLC in the US)

I'm talking from experience because my band is now three years into the process as a start up act and there was a lot more to it than I ever envisioned. We were lucky to have come together largely as a bunch of friends and friends of friends and for the most part get along pretty well, so I imagine personality issues with a group of new bandmates could prove a challenge.

Not trying to be a downer, just a realist. It takes more work and upkeep than most people realize, but it is at times fun and rewarding, and we are enjoying the journey. Here's hoping we arrive soon. Oh yeah, and I'm glad I still haven't quit my day job.

[larry]

Craig's List is a pretty decent networking tool for folks near major cities - in Toronto check out: http://toronto.craigslist.org/muc/ - Good luck!

[JL]

Some bands might be able to thrive on this environment, but for the most part a bar will often not go much higher than $800 - $1,000 (US)

Well, to be a bit more realistic, most bars won't go that high, unfortunately. $300 - $600 is the range for most bars I've encountered. Occasionally you might get more, but I wouldn't count on it.

[groovesax]

Yeah I would tend to agree that $300 - $600 is the average for most bars. Since we're a party of 8 (9 if you include sound guy), we can't make ends meet at $300 and if thats what they're paying, chances are we won't fit on their stage. To rephrase my point, $800 - $1000 the most we would expect from a good sized well attended club on a Friday or Saturday night. So doing the math, we get (wahooo!) $100 bucks apiece for 8 hours of work including set up and travel time. There's no business like show business huh?

[JL]

This is one reason I have a 4-piece band. There are some other reasons as well, but the money certainly splits better between 4 people than between 8 or 9. For a brief time I was in an 11-piece band. No money to speak of with that situation, outside of corporate-type gigs.

Getting back to the original poster, I'd say don't let any of this discourage you. Go for it and either form a band or try to join one. Assuming you aren't a total beginner, playing in a band is invaluable training and lots of fun also (at least most of the time). There are advantages to forming your own band. Assuming your bandmates are like-minded, you can choose what you want to play and what style you want, etc. Of course, to counter-balance this there are the other considerations that groovesax spelled out. Unfortunately, the road is neither smooth, nor easy, but very rewarding, nevertheless.

Since you asked for tips, here's a big one. Seek out a good bass player and a good drummer. Without that rhythm section happening, you'll be floundering. All the best to you!

[groovesax]

I whole heartedly agree with JL on that point. Fini, don't be disuaded! It is a most rewarding endeavor. In spite of the obstacles, (a) I really have an all out blast of it, and (b) the opportunity to play and create with other musicians is most exciting and enjoyable and I know I have benefited as a musician from the experience. With all the loop tracks and sampling and mixing and re-mixing that the public is exposed to and led to believe is music, the more of us out there that keep live music alive the better!

[electricninja]

I found my band through Craigslist (Miami). Had to do it piecemeal though... first came the guitarist, then the bassist, and surprise surprise, the bassist had a good drummer friend that he hadn't mentioned.

[Chris S]

Good for you. Keep all the things that have been said in mind. I manage and lead an 18 piece big band, and it's rough. I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon. It's sometimes a drag, but can be one of the most rewarding experiences that you'll ever have. For a long time I swore I didn't want to have kids until I was 30, and here I am almost 21 with 18 quasi-kids. :)

A few other things to consider:

1) Get a website. This will save you both time and money printing postcards.

2) Get a demo as soon as you feel comfortable recording, this will greatly increase your chances of getting a gig.

3) Get a promo pack together including the demo, some nice glossy photos, short biographies of players, and maybe a few testimonials from previous patrons.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

Chris S

[Gandalfe]

A few other things to consider:

1) Get a website. This will save you both time and money printing postcards.

So where's the link to your Web site? ;)