Things You'll Need:
- PC.
- Web connection.
- Personal Bio, including instrument of choice.
- Knowing the "glossary" of musician argot.
- Web site, even just a myspace.
- Dedicated music email address.
-
Step 1
Poke around on some of the musician forums that are out there. Harmony Central is one of the largest, and there are several area-specific MySpace groups. There are also dedicated groups and web forums for networking and helping each other on specific instruments, such as TalkBass.com.
-
Step 2
Find a community, or two or three, that you like, and stick to it. It is much better to establish a consistent presence on just a few musician networking forums that making a post or two every couple of weeks on several of them. Create a snappy avatar that describes yourself in a small picture, or use a photo of you with your instrument. Stay away from stock avatars.
-
Step 3
Write a personal bio, around 250 characters including spaces, that will serve as your signature in the musician forums you frequent, the "About me" section in the communities you are a part of, and keep it consistent. You should be using the same avatar, and the same bio, in all of the different musician networking sites you frequent, so that you can become instantly recognizable to the friends and associates you will make.
-
Step 4
Ask good questions, when you have them, about technique on your instrument, help with starting groups, how to best offer your services as a musician, etc. Make sure that your questions have not been answered already in another thread on the musician's forum, as this will often make a bad first impression with those who have become contributing members of the musician networking community.
-
Step 5
If other musicians ask questions you have the answers to, take the time to share your expertise, in detail. If you build a web presence as a musician who cares about others in the community, when people have slots to fill at a gig or are looking for a substitute bass player or drummer, you will get the call.
-
Step 6
Attend the shows of the other bands, DJs, singers, whatever, that you have met in musician's online communities in your local area. It is fun to put a face to the people you communicate with on a daily basis, and they will likely return the favor when you are playing out somewhere.
-
Step 7
Keep business cards with you at all times, without fail. Just because you are doing the majority of your networking as a musician online, you shouldn't overlook this step. When someone has a good conversation with you, or hears you or your band live, the accepted thing to do is to ask you for a card. If you don't have one, you will come across as unprofessional, a beginner. You can get basic business cards for next to nothing online, so there is no excuse not to have them.
-
Step 8
Practice, practice, practice. The last thing you want as a musician, after spending all this time networking online and offline, is to get the call for a gig, only to show up and blow it. When you are called to fill in, take some time to download all of the groups material, or ask them to send you some MP3s. Don't think you can get by on talent alone, you will be expected to play all of their songs backwards and forwards.
-
Step 9
Invite the musicians you have made friends with on online networking forums to get together and jam! If you are having fun first, the money will come later. It is rewarding to write songs with other musicians, and get together to woodshed your work. You will likely make some friendships with other talented musicians that could last your whole life.
