Ever since I got my iPod I’ve been searching for ways to use it in my music career, beyond loading it with music to learn. I mentioned this to a fellow jazz player, telling him that I wanted a sheet music app for the iPod. He told me of a nifty app he’d just downloaded to his iPod: the iReal Book.

Most musicians are familiar with fake books, which contain the melody lines and chords for songs. Fake books are available by genre: rock, pop, jazz, country, and so on, and a modest collection can become heavy fast. I have 5 books for jazz alone, they contain duplicates of songs, and they’re not fun to carry around.

The iReal Book is based on the paper copy of The Real Book, and according to the website, it is now a universal app for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. The 900 songs are arranged alphabetically, by composer, and by style. For legal reasons, according to the App Store, the melody line and lyrics are omitted. This is just as well, as the music would be impossible to confine to one screen if they were.

I downloaded a copy and set to work with “Ain’t Misbehavin’” which the iReal Book identifies as a medium swing by Fats Waller. The app allows the user to transpose (a highly useful feature!) and edit the song with substitutions. (A web editor is available online; see the website below.) Time signatures, repeats, measures, ABA markings, and instructions are squeezed in on one page, but they are visible. Swiping the screen in either direction brings up the next or preceding song in the list.

Users can also create their own songs right on the iReal Book by tapping the + button at the top right of the song list page. Templates for such forms as “12 Bars” or “32 Bars AABA” are provided, or the user can select “Blank” and start from scratch.

A Playlist function makes it easy for users to create customized playlists by simply swiping across the title in the song list. Prompts appear for creating a playlist and for adding the song. No need to hunt through the alphabetical list for a title.

With all of the useful features the iReal Book has, the one major shortcoming is the lack of a melody line. While not a deal breaker for most musicians, I can’t see many vocalists rushing out for a copy. It is very well suited, however, for users who are already familiar with the melody. It is also a lifesaver when someone makes a request, and everyone in the band knows it except you – a situation that makes the $7.99 investment well worth the money.

The iReal Book: $7.99, available from the iPod App Store. www.irealbook.net.

Warning! This post contains words that are potentially offensive to musicians: free exposure. If you wish to avoid these words used in the same sentence, please click your browser’s return button.

Tom Godfrey, On the Cool Side’s leader, recently spoke with an owner of a restaurant about the possibility of booking us there. The owner liked our style and repertoire, and Tom thought there was a match. He then asked about the budget. To his surprise, the owner replied that there wasn’t one, but that our quartet would get valuable free exposure.

We began playing as a jazz quartet in January of 2010, but On the Cool Side has played as a trio for far longer. I considered this when Tom asked my advice about playing there, and I added a bit of my own philosophy honed from my years as a rock & roll keyboardist. “If he’s making money, “I said, “we should be, too. He’s selling food and drink, paying vendors, paying staff. We need to get something else besides exposure.” The rest of the quartet agreed.

So case closed. It’s always a bad idea to play for free exposure.

Right?

Well, yes.

And no.

In most cases, if a venue is making money, then you should be making money as well. Club owners who try to get by on the cheap by offering “free exposure” (or worse, a percentage of the door) do musicians no favors , and players who take these gigs ultimately wind up hurting the community of musicians who are trying to make a living (or part of one) by selling their time and talent. No club owner would tell a vendor he would “try” his beer for a week, and if his patrons liked it he’d pay for it. Yet musicians across the country get fed the same exposure line on a daily basis, and we’re expected to take it and be grateful? Thanks but no thanks to that bridge to nowhere.

But I can see the club owner’s point of view, too. He wants to sell food and drink. He’s not a producer; he’s not interested in advancing anyone’s career besides his own. He doesn’t want to invest in entertainment that his patrons may not want to see and walk out on, even if they’re good. Musicians swear that they have a huge following, and that they can bring a mob to the club, but owners have heard that too many times before. (Come on, guys, we’ve all fudged on that one!) So he plays it safe, offering no promises beyond free food, drinks, and exposure. And sometimes not even those.

However, I would strongly caution musicians against always saying never, as there are certain occasions when free can be our friend. Here are some: use them sparingly. And always sell your merchandise, pass out cards, and give away demos to those that express genuine interest.

• If you’re a brand-spanking-new band, and nobody has heard you, despite the fact you have a killer demo, then take the gig. Use the occasion to get used to playing in public under stressful conditions (nerves, loud club, rude patrons, drunk patrons, requests for “Free Bird” or “What a Wonderful World”, etc.). And bring a tip jar, but don’t expect people to rush forward with cash. Let them know you’d appreciate their generosity. Mentioning that twice a set is not too often.

• If you’ve been playing out for awhile, you can still make a free gig work for you. Invite people to the venue that can do you some good. Invite other club owners, other musicians, agents. Make it a showcase.

• Play a charity event with 2 or 3 other bands, and go in with them to advertise it heavily. Invite all of the people mentioned in the suggestion above.

• Use a free gig to try out some new material or to launch a solo act.

• Always use free gigs (and every gig) to add to your mailing list. That will pay off later.

• Always ask for a testimonial or recommendation from the venue owner.

But remember: always tell the owner that this arrangement is not a permanent one; better yet, express that in writing. Failure to mention this caveat can quickly derail the possibility of renegotiating the pay arrangement. “I just thought you wanted to do it this way,” or something like that is what you’ll hear.

You’ve practiced hard. You’ve written songs by the score. You’ve given up other things to pursue your craft. You’ve invested hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars on gear. You’ve bought a van to haul it in. So yes, you deserve fair pay, and you should always ask for and expect it. But you should also always keep in mind that doing the occasional freebie might be a good thing for you. By putting an exposure gig in the proper context, you put yourself in a position to reap the rewards of networking, merchandise sales, and recommendations.

See you on stage!

It’s kind of hard to miss, being at the top and all, but I have a brand-spankin’-new page that has two video clips of the Atlanta jazz quartet On The Cool Side. Tom Godfrey is on guitar and sings, Mike Jacino is on bass, Andy Glasser is on drums, and I’m on keys. Coming soon are some audio clips from a recent performance at 45 South Cafe in Norcross, GA.

Thanks for visiting my page. Stay tuned for an upcoming series on building and using a home recording studio.

The cool thing about Twitter is that it’s easy to find interesting people who are interested in the same things that you are. Marcome is one of the fantastic musicians I’ve met on Twitter. Not only does she compose and produce top-notch new age music, her blogs are filled with interesting and informative writing, too. You can visit her at www.marcome.com.

Since my previous blog dealt with some common sense approaches to working as a musician, I wanted to add some of Marcome’s thoughts to this collective discussion.  I have excerpted some of her material here, and you can read it all for yourself by clicking this link.

She begins by stating what should be obvious: create great music. Once you have done that, be sure to perform it live. As most of us know, there’s nothing like a live show to bring out the best in your work.

Tell the world about yourself! Print cards, sell merchandise, sell CDs. (For more on this bit of advice, see my previous article on press kits.) Send out emails and newsletters. (I use every business card I get!) Collect addresses by drawing for a free CD or t-shirt.

Marcome offers more advice, of course, and you should read it all on her blog. I would add that you should consider all of the marketing advice you read here and elsewhere, then come up with a marketing plan that makes sense for you. Stick to the plan, but don’t be afraid to modify it if something isn’t working.

Sell what you love. The money will follow.

I discovered the subject for this week’s blog through fellow musician Jason Parker, known better on Twitter as @1WorkinMusician. This advice, written in a folksy, conversational style and so elegant in its simplicity, is by Danny Barnes, and you can read “How To Make a Living Playing Music” on his blog here. I would go so far to say that it’s required reading for all musicians.

Barnes starts by getting a few things out of the way: if you’re too hung up on having stuff, or if your music isn’t where it needs to be, or if you really don’t have what it takes to be a musician in the first place, then the article won’t help. If those don’t apply to you, then approach and learn at the feet of the Jedi master.

The advice Barnes offers is really common sense stuff, and I felt a little silly as I read it. Duh, I thought, everyone ought to know this. But that’s what common sense is – stuff all of us ought to know but don’t think about because we’re looking for something more complicated.

Among the gems you’ll find in the article:

• Keep your expenses low.
• Get agreements in writing, and make sure they’re win-win.
• Don’t neglect “working on your art.” Keep it the main thing.
• Be willing to do other things to get money to live.
• Market yourself constantly.
• You can make money playing music. Never let anyone else tell you otherwise.
• Diversify your income streams. Play out, play on demos, teach lessons, record other people, and so on.
• Avoid people that make your job harder.
• Do other, non-musical things to keep your sanity.

The list winds up being longer than the A to Z Barnes sets out to set down, but you won’t notice. This is one of those things you need to print and tape to your refrigerator or music stand. Read it two or three times a month, more often as you start making more money.

My last article covered some essential self-promotion elements: social media sites, business cards, voice mail, and press kits. A press kit is the link between your band and those who will hire or promote your band. It makes sense, then, to understand both the correct way to put one together and the pitfalls to avoid when doing so.

Mike King, an instructor at Berkleemusic.com, notes that while creating a good press kit is fairly straightforward, many bands still get it wrong. Among the turn-offs:

• Too much information. Keep it brief.
• Too little information. Make sure your contact information is on each piece of the kit. Include some business cards as well.
• Package too flashy. If the demo isn’t any good, a leather portfolio will not land you the gig.
• Poor grammar and spelling. This is one place where you can’t afford to make mistakes. Pay an English teacher or graduate student to proofread every written piece in your kit. It’s worth the money.

Keep the don’ts in mind as you create your kit. In general you need to include:

• Cover letter. Address it to the right person. Briefly tell the person what you want them to do.
• Biography. How did the band form? Do the members have experience with some famous names? Has your lead guitarist been hailed as the next Clapton? Put that stuff in.
• Your demo (CD or DVD). Getting the demo right is essential. If you have a finished CD, include it. If not, make a demo with 3 or 4 songs on it.
• Band photo or photos. King stresses the photo should accurately convey the image of the band.
• Press clippings.
• Tour schedule.

By taking the time to do a good job on the press kit, you will have something that represents your band well. Taking equal care in distributing these kits is likely to increase your chances of getting the gig.

Source: King, Mike. “Getting Your Promo Kit Together.” International Musician, vol. 108 no. 2. February, 2010.

The hard part about being a musician is that most of us tend to give marketing the short shrift. Oh, we can put up a website or a Facebook page, but when it comes time to actually talk to people and ask for gigs, many of us try to find something better to do. Like practice.

I’m stepping up to the head of the line on this one. But fortunately I ran across an excellent article by Bob Popyk in the February, 2010 issue of International Musician. (For those of you who don’t recognize the publication, it’s the official journal of the American Federation of Musicians.) In it, he gives 12 easy steps to follow that, if done consistently, should help you fill up your calendar. Some of these are as follows (with my own improvisations added):

1. Keep your website and social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter) current.  Update your bio, your set list, shows, and other news. Use Twitter search tools to find friends who like your kind of music.
2. If you don’t have business cards, get them. Nothing says “I’m a professional” better than a business card. They don’t have to be flashy, and you don’t need to spend a lot of money on them.
3. Make sure your voice mail message is clear and understandable. Return calls promptly.
4. Update/create your promo kit. It should contain a cover letter, band or artist bio, a demo CD, photos, press clippings, and a tour schedule. (I’ll cover press kits in a later post.) Make sure it looks nice and that the spelling and grammar are correct.

Bob has many other self-marketing suggestions in his article, but I feel his best piece of advice is reminder about attitude: keep it upbeat. “Remember,” he says, “you are in the entertainment business. You are in a fun business. Your attitude will very often get you as many gigs as your talent, marketing expertise, and sales skills.”

You can find out more about AFM membership at www.afm.org.

In The Beginning …

So my older son and I were chatting at his house at Christmas last year.

“You need a website,” he told me.

He owns a successful web hosting/software design company, and he thinks of this stuff all the time. I’m a keyboard player, and I think of this stuff almost never. I pointed out that I have a Soundclick page, but he argued that I needed my own website. It looks more professional, he said.

I knew he was right. For a musician not to have a website is to risk not being taken seriously.

It was an easy sell. He would build the site as a Christmas gift to me, and I would get the benefit of being able to update it easily. That was a requirement, as I have approximately the same computer prowess as a jar of mayonnaise.

“It’s going to be like a portfolio,” he explained to me. “Plus, it’ll have a blog.”

A blog?

Wait. That means I have to write something! On a regular basis!

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Blogging adds a third dimension to an otherwise two-dimensional web site. It makes the author/artist real. And it opens the door of communication, allowing a two-way conversation instead of a monologue.

My son recently taught me how to manage my site from my control panel. And I was ready to begin.

What You Can Expect In My Blog

My site is about music, musicians, and the people who listen to the music. Oh, sure, you can find out where I’m playing next, or when my next CD will be out, but I want to add more to the conversation than that. So I’ll review CDs from time to time. Music books. New artists will get a mention here, too. And I know that some out there want to build a project studio at home. I’ll write what I know on that, too.

Feel free to comment. After all, it’s a conversation.

Oh, yeah. You can still see and hear me at www.soundclick.com/robertwoliver.