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In
Ireland a few hundred years ago, feudal lords ruled the land. The
lay people did not interact with lords. People could exist their
whole lives and never meet, or for that matter, see their reigning
lord, unless you were a bard.
Bards
had the luxury of being exempt from many of the laws of the land.
Why? Bards traveled extensively. They met countless people, and
they kept communities informed on what was happening in other communities.
They relayed the news, and were supreme networkers!
That's
why I've been signing up with more and more organizations around
town. Last night, I went to the Austin Celtic Association meeting
despite the fact I had taxes waiting at home. I sat around, shifted,
stood up, and listened, wondering if there was any point in me being
there. Finally, the meeting came to an end and the networking began.
It
turned out to be a very profitable meeting. First, let me tell you,
I am not a talker. I'm a major introvert. I leave the talking to
Andrew, my fellow bard. But by the end of the evening, I had one
gig scheduled as a fill-in for another band next weekend; next month,
we are scheduled to open the ACA meeting; in June, we will headline
a third festival; and, to top it off, I got the contact names and
numbers for three local venues that I have had a difficult time
reaching.
You
see, networking is essential for any business, and it's really not
that tough. There are plenty of oranizations in any town. Join a
couple. Have your bandmates join a couple. Attend a meeting on occasion,
and do your best to remember names. (ugh! write down notes about
people after you meet them it helps) Then keep your ears open for
opportunities. Listen to what people are saying and occassionally
volunteer for something, and you will develop the loyalty and support
of that organization. And that is invaluable. For then, the sky
is the limit. What benefits them will benefit you, and vice versa.
Now
back to you. What kind of organizations are there in your area?
How about a local Indie group? A musicians union? Songwriters' association?
It
doesn't all have to be music-related. Do you play sports? Do you
like to paint? Write? Make pottery? How are those AA meetings coming
along? Any group will do. Just align it with your interests and
start meeting people. Get business cards. Hand out business cards.
Sometimes, the non-music organizations are more valuable than the
music ones. Best of all, you never know where your local lords and
ladies will turn up.
Article
by Marc Gunn of The
Bards Crier.
Marc has helped 1000's of musicians make money with their musical
groups through TheBards Crier and the Texas Musicians Network.
Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://bardscrier.com
for FREE "how-to" music marketing assistance.
No time to visit
the site? Subscribe to The Bards Crier.com distributed weekly for
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