The Right Time to Get a Booking Agent and the Importance of Doing What You Believe In

Hi. Hope you are well. I'd say the thing to always keep in mind in the music biz is that there's never a set rule. Some people (like me) take forever to get their first booking agent, and some people get a booking agent before they even play their first show. There are so many factors: if you have one giant song and everyone is sweating you, if you have a manager that has connections and can get you an agent, etc. I could tell stories for days about trashing peoples houses, sleeping on wet blankets, just mad weird things from being on tour. And yeah, I'm getting too old for it too. Haha. But I wouldn't trade those stories for anything. What I keep learning as I get deeper in this is the value of a team. Your management, your booking agent, your lawyer, your assistant, your intern, and all the people you work with. If you are all on the same page, the synergy of what can happen becomes so much greater. You can do more work, learn together, get better shows, and go through more tracks. So choose wisely as you start building this team. Being self-sufficient is so vital because you don't wanna be that dude that's calling his agent up every day saying, "WHERE ARE MY SHOWS????" You build your own network and demand and then you end up getting that agent and you hit the ground running. It's all good and then you probably end up introducing him to people as well. I've always tried to analyze things in terms of "Am I an asset or a liability?" It's obvious to say, but you need to bring something to the table here. And remember, these people are going to be speaking on your behalf, so make sure that you trust them carrying your word. Reputation goes far in this game, so keep that in mind. All that said, having an agent helps. We are meant to be artists, not businessmen, so letting the business guys talk business while we do our art is definitely worth the 15% you pay them, cuz they almost always get you 15% more, and a nice hotel on top of that. Good luuuuck.

First off, YOU are your only hope. Not me. Believe in yourself. (Also, if anyone out there needs a motivational speech, you can contact *XLR8R* editor Shawn Reynaldo for my rates.) This answer is gonna be really short, but one of the most important things about this game is: make sure you are doing what you believe in and are having fun. One door closes and another door opens. Yeah, maybe you playing on a big tour, but maybe you missed out on 100 opportunities that were exactly what you wanted when people didn't reach out because you were gone. I've learned this the hard way. The older you get, the more you really know that you need to be doing things you believe in and love. If you wanna cater to other people, there are a million jobs out there, and I can guarantee that they offer great pay, insurance, and stability. Just communicate well. Even if those promoters had gotten mad at you for quitting, they still would have respected you and got over it at some point. I never got into Pokemon, but I'm Hookemon. Is that okay? Alright, I'm off. I'm going to RBMA to finish a track. xo *Column 38*