The art of cold emailing (for musicians)
Cold email [noun]: an email to someone with whom you have no previous relationship, with the goal of getting them interested in booking you for a gig. We can all agree that sending cold (and often...
View ArticleSmoke Jazz Club NYC: Talking with Co-owner Paul Stache
Based on the Upper West Side of New York, Smoke Jazz Club has been a fixture on the international scene for more than 20 years now. When covid hit, husband-and-wife co-owners Paul Stache and Molly...
View ArticleBreaking into the Jazz Promoter Inner Circle
True story: I once sent ONE booking email and ended with a SEVEN-gig tour in Canada. Certainly beats the usual “send a 100 festival emails and get one [negative] reply” situation! I’m not saying it’s...
View ArticleFrom Small Talk to Big Gigs: Unconventional Booking Advice
Who’d have thought that talking to a festival director about boats, football, or early Wayne Shorter records would lead to booking more shows than a rave album review, a list of past tour dates, and a...
View ArticleInside The New York Jazz Scene: Jazz Musicians Survey
Whilst there are vibrant cities all over the world, there has long been a fascination with the New York jazz scene and its position as one of the most iconic places to live and work in as a musician....
View ArticleSpotlight: New York Jazz Musicians in 2023
We asked 60 New York jazz musicians for their take on which musicians seem to be getting a ton of gigs and attention right now… Here are the results, in alphabetial order. [Are you included in this...
View ArticleThe 1.7 Second Gig Booking Hook
From classic literature and historical speeches to podcasts and YouTubers, one maxim remains true: if you want to keep your audience attention, you need to hook them early. That window of opportunity...
View Article9 Reasons Club & Festival Promoters Ignore Your Emails
As I’ve already mentioned when I wrote about things I wish I’d known before about booking gigs, one of the big realisations is that “no reply” from a promoter does not mean “not interested” or “we hate...
View ArticleFAQ: Should You Include Side-Musicians in Your Gig Pitching Emails?
Assuming you’re reaching out to a promoter who you are not yet connected to, the goal with a pitching email is to help them understand the music and the project as quickly as possible. In fact, too...
View ArticleFirst you imitate, then you innovate..
Alongside all the great music, Miles Davis also gave us a fair few quotes, including this one – which is surprisingly useful when it comes to booking gigs… “First you imitate, then you innovate“ It...
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