{"id":97,"date":"2025-11-22T00:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T00:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/?p=97"},"modified":"2026-01-20T17:49:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:49:22","slug":"starting-and-then-running-your-own-band","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/22\/starting-and-then-running-your-own-band\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting and then running your own band"},"content":{"rendered":"

FA beginner\u2019s guide to starting you own band<\/strong><\/p>\n

Starting, and then running, your own band can be broken down into 2 categories:<\/p>\n

Starting a band with a group of friends, or colleagues, or instigating your own project.<\/p>\n

The first group is usually organic in some form or other (you are already friends, you have the same interests), the second is instigated by you, challenging for a whole set of other reasons.<\/p>\n

Since the first category is organic, let\u2019s talk about the second category, starting a band your self. And let\u2019s imagine its music to which you\u2019ve written either the music or lyrics, or both. The genre is not so important here as the fact that you\u2019ll be performing music that\u2019s close to your heart.<\/p>\n

Starting your own band\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want to start your own band you have to know what you\u2019re doing if you want to really get a great band together, yet again, whatever genre. The more you\u2019ve got it together, the more the band has a chance of success. \u00a0If you feel ready, but don\u2019t have the real musical vocabulary for a band (writing musical charts, if needed, directing the band throughout the gig), but have the intuitive skills (you either write the songs or the lyrics, or both, and have a clear musical sense), then find a musical director, or MD. Look for someone you click with, who is \u201con the same page\u201d of what they want from the band. \u00a0How it sounds, how it feels, what it\u2019s saying. \u00a0An MD is a friend or writing partner or someone that believes in your project. \u00a0Or someone you can afford to pay. \u00a0An MD is often the keyboard or guitar player and does all of the above and generally keeps it all together.<\/p>\n

Or you might have found a producer, or they\u2019ve found you (related article below). The relationship you have with a producer depends on a lot of factors. \u00a0The genre of music, your age group, how sussed\/gullible you are, if you\u2019re friends, or colleagues, or you are being \u201cproduced\u201d. \u00a0So once again, use your instinct.<\/p>\n

You might decide to run the band yourself. \u00a0This means, for example, ending the songs, counting in the band, knowing where you are in the song (related articles at the bottom of the page).<\/p>\n

You need to read music, or play an instrument, or find an away to communicate your ideas (for example, there are many free music software programs where you can make a demo of the song.<\/p>\n

Apart from being able to keep the band together during a gig, you\u2019ll also need to have the business side together as well. Getting the gigs, paying the band etc. Once the band is under way it\u2019ll develop and progress in its own way, the band will hopefully grow into more of a unit and the responsibility won\u2019t be all on your shoulders. \u00a0Initially, however, it\u2019s up to you to get the proverbial ball rolling.<\/p>\n

Generally, the higher the level of musicianship on your part, the higher caliber of musician will be drawn to the band. \u00a0The word will get around. \u00a0This is true at whatever level you\u2019re starting, be it school, high school or whatever the scene the music relates to. \u00a0So get lessons. Learn an instrument, even if it\u2019s only rudimentary. \u00a0You\u2019ll know what the musicians are talking about, you\u2019ll always know where you are in the song, which in turn gives you confidence and cred with the musicians, as in they will respect you and listen to what you\u2019re saying. \u00a0Band politics are a whole other topic, but it\u2019s the same in any other area of work. \u00a0A good manager creates a good working atmosphere, a bad one, the opposite.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve written the music in some form or other, then you\u2019ll be invested in it emotionally. \u00a0So, bottom line, you need to find people who have the same enthusiasm for the music as you do. If you all suffer from general apathy, then you are, I\u2019m afraid, well and truly buggered.<\/p>\n

How to find collaborators\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where you look for the musicians will depend on the \u00a0musical genre and your own situation. \u00a0If you\u2019re in school or college, you\u2019ll probably find each other through the social grapevine.\u00a0
<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re starting from scratch, aren\u2019t part of a scene but have the drive to get a project started, then there are still a number of options open to you. \u00a0Once again post on social media, do the research, put an advert in the local community social networks, put adverts in local rehearsal studios, put the word out any way you can. \u00a0If you need an MD, audition a whole load of people and find a guitarist or piano player you really click with. \u00a0If you can\u2019t read music but have a good idea of the sound you\u2019re going for, you\u2019ll hear the right player. \u00a0If they\u2019re into the music, then hopefully they\u2019ll want to help and get involved. \u00a0If they\u2019ve answered your ad, odds on they\u2019re also starting out in the music business, or else semi pro and\/or just having fun. \u00a0Serious working musicians often have their own network \u2013 who they know, what they\u2019re known for and specialize in etc etc, and often have no desire to be part of a start up. \u00a0You might get lucky though, there are no hard and fast rules here. \u00a0In my experience it\u2019s having a real desire to do it, putting the effort into where you want to get to and the answer always coming in one way or another \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0It\u2019s usually <\/span>slow at first, but stick with it and it\u2019s the snowball effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doing the research<\/strong> and getting started\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have some funds available and some training, then go to some gigs and hear the bands on the circuit, and see if you can talk to the musicians afterwards. If they\u2019re not interested, then they might know someone of similar skill level who is. If you have a gig and can pay them, and even better a regular gig or interest online, then they\u2019re more likely to be interested in your music.<\/p>\n

I started my first band in this way. \u00a0I put an advert in the paper for musicians, and then I got 100 phone calls. \u00a0So I auditioned everyone (not having half a clue what I was doing, I later found out) and was advised to find an MD. \u00a0As luck would have it there was a great pianist who had just moved to town and needed the work. \u00a0I had a gig lined up from a friend, so there was regular money that came with the gig. This was a strong motivation. We all had a blast, as far as I can remember, the gig went well and started its own little scene and we did many gigs together. \u00a0Then I met other musicians, when for example the band members had to miss a gig and so recommended a sub, etc., or people came to the gig and wanted to play with us.<\/p>\n

So in this way I slowly got into that scene, started doing other gigs, other bands etc etc., just through meeting people. Everything very organic. Once I was in the scene, my lack of knowledge became apparent to me (what are they talking about, \u201cD7\u2033?), and so I went to college to learn music theory. \u00a0However, I\u2019d already been gigging for a couple of years by this time and had learnt a lot as I went along). Yet again, the snowball effect.<\/p>\n

The next step<\/strong><\/p>\n

OK, so now you have your band. \u00a0Quite often, you don\u2019t have a gig because people need to hear or see you before they\u2019ll book you. \u00a0<\/p>\n

If by chance you have a gig, then get a friend to record enough of it to post on social media. \u00a0Little gigs are dwindling more and more these days, so take the opportunities, however they come, and work towards creating a social media presence. \u00a0Build it and they will come:)<\/p>\n

And , obviously, your goals are up to you, but know from the outset that trying to \u201cbe a star\u201d creates a lot more hoops for you to jump through emotionally. \u00a0If that happens for you, great, but try to make your focus having fun and say what you need to say truthfully. \u00a0You\u2019ll be making happy memories and gain cred amongst your peers, and with an audience.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s likely you\u2019ll be doing quite basic gigs first of all, so a rough video and sound quality is OK. \u00a0Record a rehearsal and see how it looks and sounds. \u00a0
<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, mixing and recording your own music is also an option. Technology has come on amazingly, and with the right knowledge and with a good mastery of skill (for recording and mixing is an art unto itself), a simple computer set up can become a very sophisticated recording studio. \u00a0There are many DAWS out there \u00a0(I use Logic Pro X which is great, lots of apple support and forums, some great free plug in come with the program), <\/span>a host of sound plug in, and online help to get you started.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding a music manager\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

OK, you\u2019ve got a good band, you have footage you\u2019re happy with, you\u2019re gigging regularly, things are going well and everyone\u2019s pretty much having a blast. \u00a0So you start to think bigger and realize you need a manager. \u00a0Once again, check his or her credentials. \u00a0If your band is doing well, and you have a lot of visibility online, they might be interested in helping you. \u00a0Bearing in mind, though, that with the advent of Spotify and the like, musicians mainly make money from gigs and merch (products sold at the gig or online). \u00a0This can be frustrating but it\u2019s just what is at the moment. Once again, the snowball effect and instinct is your main way forward. Be wary and take a big step back before you sign on any dotted line.<\/p>\n

For bands, and musicians, find managers from all walks of life: \u00a0Some are friends of the band, or started as fans of the music, or started to manage for one band, were good at it, and then gradually added to their roster until it became their profession, for example. \u00a0Or they\u2019ve found you online and love your music. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Maintaining visibility <\/strong><\/p>\n

To make a good living with music, you need to be at quite a high level of visibility. Sad but true. \u00a0Get to know a bit about the music industry, know what you\u2019re dealing with.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays many careers are built online. \u00a0Record companies now mainly recruit once you have a noticeable online presence. \u00a0But just posting your music on a site and not doing any networking at all very rarely reaps rich rewards. You need to draw people to your band, your website, your project. \u00a0Hire someone to link all of the sites together, to post if needs be and keep tabs on everything.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an amazing amount of music that\u2019s out there. \u00a0There are only a few really huge record companies left now, and the whole music business has changed and shifted from 10 years ago, for example. \u00a0And there is A LOT of music out there, most of it available for free. \u00a0We also live in a communication age, with our senses being bombarded left, right and center with information. \u00a0So for your band to succeed, if you are focused and determined you\u2019re giving yourself the edge.<\/p>\n

Once again, persevere and you will always find your metier.<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/p>\n

Finding a manager\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How music is constructed\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to feel rhythm<\/p>\n

How to ad-lib<\/p>\n

Home recording\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FA beginner\u2019s guide to starting you own band Starting, and then running, your own band can be broken down into 2 categories: Starting a band with a group of friends, or colleagues, or instigating your own project. The first group is usually organic in some form or other (you are already friends, you have the same interests), the second is instigated by you, challenging for a whole set of other reasons. Since the first category is organic, let\u2019s talk about the second category, starting a band your self. And let\u2019s imagine its music to which you\u2019ve written either the music or lyrics, or both. The genre is not so important here as the fact that you\u2019ll be performing music that\u2019s close to your heart. Starting your own band\u00a0 If you want to start your own band you have to know what you\u2019re doing if you want to really get a great band together, yet again, whatever genre. The more you\u2019ve got it together, the more the band has a chance of success. \u00a0If you feel ready, but don\u2019t have the real musical vocabulary for a band (writing musical charts, if needed, directing the band throughout the gig), but have the intuitive skills (you either write the songs or the lyrics, or both, and have a clear musical sense), then find a musical director, or MD. Look for someone you click with, who is \u201con the same page\u201d of what they want from the band. \u00a0How it sounds, how it feels, what it\u2019s saying. \u00a0An MD is a friend or writing partner or someone that believes in your project. \u00a0Or someone you can afford to pay. \u00a0An MD is often the keyboard or guitar player and does all of the above and generally keeps it all together. Or you might have found a producer, or they\u2019ve found you (related article below). The relationship you have with a producer depends on a lot of factors. \u00a0The genre of music, your age group, how sussed\/gullible you are, if you\u2019re friends, or colleagues, or you are being \u201cproduced\u201d. \u00a0So once again, use your instinct. You might decide to run the band yourself. \u00a0This means, for example, ending the songs, counting in the band, knowing where you are in the song (related articles at the bottom of the page). You need to read music, or play an instrument, or find an away to communicate your ideas (for example, there are many free music software programs where you can make a demo of the song. Apart from being able to keep the band together during a gig, you\u2019ll also need to have the business side together as well. Getting the gigs, paying the band etc. Once the band is under way it\u2019ll develop and progress in its own way, the band will hopefully grow into more of a unit and the responsibility won\u2019t be all on your shoulders. \u00a0Initially, however, it\u2019s up to you to get the proverbial ball rolling. Generally, the higher the level of musicianship on your part, the higher caliber of musician will be drawn to the band. \u00a0The word will get around. \u00a0This is true at whatever level you\u2019re starting, be it school, high school or whatever the scene the music relates to. \u00a0So get lessons. Learn an instrument, even if it\u2019s only rudimentary. \u00a0You\u2019ll know what the musicians are talking about, you\u2019ll always know where you are in the song, which in turn gives you confidence and cred with the musicians, as in they will respect you and listen to what you\u2019re saying. \u00a0Band politics are a whole other topic, but it\u2019s the same in any other area of work. \u00a0A good manager creates a good working atmosphere, a bad one, the opposite. If you\u2019ve written the music in some form or other, then you\u2019ll be invested in it emotionally. \u00a0So, bottom line, you need to find people who have the same enthusiasm for the music as you do. If you all suffer from general apathy, then you are, I\u2019m afraid, well and truly buggered. How to find collaborators\u00a0 Where you look for the musicians will depend on the \u00a0musical genre and your own situation. \u00a0If you\u2019re in school or college, you\u2019ll probably find each other through the social grapevine.\u00a0 If you\u2019re starting from scratch, aren\u2019t part of a scene but have the drive to get a project started, then there are still a number of options open to you. \u00a0Once again post on social media, do the research, put an advert in the local community social networks, put adverts in local rehearsal studios, put the word out any way you can. \u00a0If you need an MD, audition a whole load of people and find a guitarist or piano player you really click with. \u00a0If you can\u2019t read music but have a good idea of the sound you\u2019re going for, you\u2019ll hear the right player. \u00a0If they\u2019re into the music, then hopefully they\u2019ll want to help and get involved. \u00a0If they\u2019ve answered your ad, odds on they\u2019re also starting out in the music business, or else semi pro and\/or just having fun. \u00a0Serious working musicians often have their own network \u2013 who they know, what they\u2019re known for and specialize in etc etc, and often have no desire to be part of a start up. \u00a0You might get lucky though, there are no hard and fast rules here. \u00a0In my experience it\u2019s having a real desire to do it, putting the effort into where you want to get to and the answer always coming in one way or another \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0It\u2019s usually slow at first, but stick with it and it\u2019s the snowball effect. Doing the research and getting started\u00a0 If you have some funds available and some training, then go to some gigs and hear the bands on the circuit, and see if you can talk to the musicians afterwards. If they\u2019re not interested, then they might know someone of similar skill level who is. If you have a gig and can pay them, and even better a regular gig or interest online, then they\u2019re more likely to be interested in your music. I started my first band in this way. \u00a0I put an advert in the paper for musicians, and then I got 100 phone calls. \u00a0So I auditioned everyone (not having half a clue what I was doing, I later found out) and was advised to find an MD. \u00a0As luck would have it there was a great pianist who had just moved to town and needed the work. \u00a0I had a gig lined up from a friend, so there was regular money that came with the gig. This was a strong motivation. We all had a blast, as far as I can remember, the gig went well and started its own little scene and we did many gigs together. \u00a0Then I met other musicians, when for example the band members had to miss a gig and so recommended a sub, etc., or people came to the gig and wanted to play with us. So in this way I slowly got into that scene, started doing other gigs, other bands etc etc., just through meeting people. Everything very organic. Once I was in the scene, my lack of knowledge became apparent to me (what are they talking about, \u201cD7\u2033?), and so I went to college to learn music theory. \u00a0However, I\u2019d already been gigging for a couple of years by this time and had learnt a lot as I went along). Yet again, the snowball effect. The next step OK, so now you have your band. \u00a0Quite often, you don\u2019t have a gig because people need to hear or see you before they\u2019ll book you. \u00a0 If by chance you have a gig, then get a friend to record enough of it to post on social media. \u00a0Little gigs are dwindling more and more these days, so take the opportunities, however they come, and work towards creating a social media presence. \u00a0Build it and they will come:) And , obviously, your goals are up to you, but know from the outset that trying to \u201cbe a star\u201d creates a lot more hoops for you to jump through emotionally. \u00a0If that happens for you, great, but try to make your focus having fun and say what you need to say truthfully. \u00a0You\u2019ll be making happy memories and gain cred amongst your peers, and with an audience. It\u2019s likely you\u2019ll be doing quite basic gigs first of all, so a rough video and sound quality is OK. \u00a0Record a rehearsal and see how it looks and sounds. \u00a0 Also, mixing and recording your own music is also an option. Technology has come on amazingly, and with the right knowledge and with a good mastery of skill (for recording and mixing is an art unto itself), a simple computer set up can become a very sophisticated recording studio. \u00a0There are many DAWS out there \u00a0(I use Logic Pro X which is great, lots of apple support and forums, some great free plug in come with the program), a host of sound plug in, and online help to get you started. Finding a music manager\u00a0 OK, you\u2019ve got a good band, you have footage you\u2019re happy with, you\u2019re gigging regularly, things are going well and everyone\u2019s pretty much having a blast. \u00a0So you start to think bigger and realize you need a manager. \u00a0Once again, check his or her credentials. \u00a0If your band is doing well, and you have a lot of visibility online, they might be interested in helping you. \u00a0Bearing in mind, though, that with the advent of Spotify and the like, musicians mainly make money from gigs and merch (products sold at the gig or online). \u00a0This can be frustrating but it\u2019s just what is at the moment. Once again, the snowball effect and instinct is your main way forward. Be wary and take a big step back before you sign on any dotted line. For bands, and musicians, find managers from all walks of life: \u00a0Some are friends of the band, or started as fans of the music, or started to manage for one band, were good at it, and then gradually added to their roster until it became their profession, for example. \u00a0Or they\u2019ve found you online and love your music. \u00a0 Maintaining visibility To make a good living with music, you need to be at quite a high level of visibility. Sad but true. \u00a0Get to know a bit about the music industry, know what you\u2019re dealing with. Nowadays many careers are built online. \u00a0Record companies now mainly recruit once you have a noticeable online presence. \u00a0But just posting your music on a site and not doing any networking at all very rarely reaps rich rewards. You need to draw people to your band, your website, your project. \u00a0Hire someone to link all of the sites together, to post if needs be and keep tabs on everything. There\u2019s an amazing amount of music that\u2019s out there. \u00a0There are only a few really huge record companies left now, and the whole music business has changed and shifted from 10 years ago, for example. \u00a0And there is A LOT of music out there, most of it available for free. \u00a0We also live in a communication age, with our senses being bombarded left, right and center with information. \u00a0So for your band to succeed, if you are focused and determined you\u2019re giving yourself the edge. Once again, persevere and you will always find your metier. Related articles: Finding a manager\u00a0 How music is constructed\u00a0 How to feel rhythm How to ad-lib Home recording\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-performing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":318,"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97\/revisions\/318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singingfromthecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}