Thursday, December 15, 2016

Why Having A Manager For Your Band Isn't A Guarantee Of Success For Your Band

  I was going to be a writer for a musician in the US,and went back and forth sending emails. The only problem was this guy said he wanted someone to duplicate what his band was doing,and he thought that having a band
manager would double his his band's output and money making.

Having a band manager can help,but you still have to work hard as a band promoting on your own,doing gigs,interviews and talking to your fans online and offline. like I said in a recent article,even the Rolling Stones
have to still promote their band themselves,do interviews and not just do gigs and record.

Be interesting to see if the Stones blues album they either released,or are releasing will sell a lot of cds. Here is my response to a musician I was going to write for,and his response which I think was not logical. Yeah, I'm breaking the rules and putting private emails on here between me and a musician. 

if you think they're right,give your head a shake and get back to work promoting your band,gigging,selling cds and looking for other ways that you,and your band can make money. 

This is my email to Geoff a musician in the US---and his response below mine.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Hi Geoff. Obviously you're thinking that having a manager will save your music career. No it won't. All they can give you is better tools to ply your trade as a musician. There is no magic solution. You have to play live,get media and yes do a little online work on your own. You're looking for guaranteed success. That's not how it works. Please believe me when I tell you that doing the unsexy stuff will help you more than depending on someone else for your success. If your band mates all think that having a manager is the key,no one will work hard enough to succeed. If you still think that after what I'm saying here, I can't help you. Any successful manager,agent or label owner knows that failure is a huge element in music. If you can't be mentally tough enough to get past that and work hard, you won't succeed. Keep plugging away Geoff. At this point I wish you success . Take care of yourself and your bandmates.

This is the reply email to me from this musician below.

Marc, you don't get it. I'm looking for someone to help me execute things I
need done. Trying to duplicate myself.

You are hung up on the title of the add, if you read the ad you would understand I am not looking for a magic Manager. Looking for someone to carry out what I can do myself, doubling productivity.


That was many months ago I sent this email. If they're like most bands and people in general, they won't have done much of anything,or anything for that matter. People haven't changed much over the years,and are looking for the easy route to success.

Don't.  
                                                                                                                                                            Right now I;m reading a biography on one of the best actors of all time who started from nothing and made very little money back in the 1920's and 30's. How does making as little as 5 or 10 bucks a week sound to you,and eating just white rice,and acting in plays 5 times a week,and making the rounds to all the big talent agencies in New York--yet being committed as an actor despite very little money and subsisting on very little money to even have a roof over his head. He acted,writing scripts,producing and directing--learning the trade of theater acting and only being paid for acting. 

This actor learned from others who were better than him,and still worked hard despite failures,and doing roles not right for him just to make a buck. But eventually succeeded big time. That was Henry Fonda.




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