Professional Gigging Etiquette
Ivy Hill took a moment to pull together some top tips for working musicians looking to up their professionalism and be at the top of their game. Take a peak below, and let us know what you think!
1. Dress for the gig:
There is no one size fits all (pun very much intended) outfit that will work for every single occasion you are hired for. Even within the high end corporate and wedding circuit, varying levels of dress attire will be necessary. Because of this, we recommend that your dress be gig dependent. Oftentimes, the bandleader or event coordinator will provide some specific information to help you plan your outfit. Just as often, you will hear the phrase “business casual,” or “jazz casual.” In these situations, think slacks, button up shirt, and a coat. The coat and pants do not have to be matching as they would if you were given the direction to wear a suit. One level above a suit is a tuxedo. Tuxedos are expensive, so unless you find yourself on uber-formal events quite often, it usually makes sense to rent a tux. For suits, it doesn’t hurt to have two or three, with your safest color bets being black (most commonly requested), grey, and navy blue. Men’s Warehouse is always running all kinds of specials on suits in a variety of price ranges. And of course, if you’re playing a show show rather than a private event, you do you!
2. Build in extra time:
We have all been there: the last minute scramble out the door, and the frantic packing, changing, and driving that goes with it. Not only is this not professional, its just downright not safe! Do your mental health and your bandmates a favor and factor extra time into your schedule the day of a gig to travel and prepare at a safe pace. If typical traffic conditions get you to the venue in 45 minutes, leave an hour fifteen minutes to get to your destination. In the Bay Area this is especially crucial! There is no harm in being early! Event coordinators hugely appreciate vendors that can get to a venue before or right at their call time. This sort of professionalism builds trust and goodwill with everyone involved in your booking - the event coordinator, your booking agency, and your fellow bandmates. Try leaving a half hour or more early on your next gig, see how it feels, and shoot us a comment here on the blog if you feel so inspired.
3. Know the tunes:
Whatever the style you may be playing, there is most likely a common-practice repertoire that musicians in that genre can generally agree on. For jazz musicians, this might be songs from the Great American Songbook, for folk musicians, covers of classic songs from that canon. Regardless of the genre, your knowledge of the essential tunes in that niche will make a gig run smoothly when playing with others. The more songs you know, the more prepared you will be to handle requests from other musicians, and perhaps even the oft-dreaded request from an audience member. No, you never have to play Freebird! If you are new to a particular songbook or simply want a visual reference, it does not hurt to have music loaded onto an iPad (quite a popular solution nowadays) or other similar device. Connect with musicians in your ensemble beforehand to see if they have some ready-made playlists they might be able to easily share with you.
4. Be a good hang:
Sometimes there is just as much downtime on a gig as there is playing time. In those cases and in any situation, really, it is always great to be a “good hang.” Now just what is a good hang exactly? Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t mean being the most fun person in the room, or even the second or third most. What it does mean, is exuding an overall positive energy, in whatever way you do. Basically, don’t complain, be polite, and have a sense of humor! After all, no matter the gig, we are blessed to be able to play music for a living. The more you work, the more folks you meet, and the more your reputation for being a nice person to be around spreads. It bears repeating that this is just as important as any of the other topics mentioned above.
In Conclusion:
There you have it. Unlike some of the more ineffable aspects of being a good musician, there is a replicable formula for success in the professional music arena: dress for the gig, build in extra time, know the tunes, and be a good hang! Not so bad, right?
Thanks for reading! We hope this information was helpful and would love to hear back from you if you’ve been able to implement any of all of it into your gig life. Drop us a comment and lets keep the dialogue going!