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Top 7 Ways Musicians Get Ready for a Gig

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"Top 7 Ways Musicians Get Ready for a Gig" is a guest post written by Eduardo Uke

 

It is super exciting and fun to go to a concert or live show and watch how amazing everything has come together, but have you ever wondered what the process of getting to that wonderful performance has been?

 

The process requires lots of hours of prep and high levels of concentration for the show to be successful. The endeavor of getting there is as important, if not of more importance than the show itself.

 

From a musical standpoint, it takes quite a bit of homework and professionalism. Musicians have to be disciplined and prepare with care. Here are the top 7 ways musicians get ready for a gig.

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5 Reasons to Apply to Perform at youbloomDublin 2017

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Will you or your band be at youbloomDublin 2017? If you’re a musician, there is no better place to be in Ireland from June 1 to 5 than Dublin City Centre for this year’s youbloomDublin. With hundreds of local and international bands and artists performing music in every genre imaginable as well as music industry professions speaking on panels where they will be taking questions from independent musicians, the benefits of applying to play youbloomDublin 2017 are many.

Here are 5 reasons why you or your band should apply to perform at youbloomDublin 2017.

  1. If you’re an independent artist or band looking to share your music with the world in a unique DIY festival alongside a selection of the most promising rising stars, look no further than youbloomDublin 2017.
  2. Meet other musicians from around the world. You don’t need to live in Ireland to perform at youbloomDublin 2017. This year’s music festival & summit will feature over a hundred musicians coming from all over the world to perform and share their music.
  3. Get introduced to music industry professionals. Last year’s music festival & summit featured panels from Liz Garo, Talent Buyer & Event Producer at Spaceland Productions, Loretta Muñoz , Vice President at ASCAP, James Leach, Vice President SESAC, and many more of the top music industry influences from around the world – And youbloomDublin 2017 looks even more promising!
  4. Perform at venues all over Dublin. Not only does youbloomDublin 2017 offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience unlike anything else, performing at the music festival & summit gives independent musicians the opportunity to win more fans, increase their visibility, and become a well-known international artist.
  5. When you get accepted to perform at youbloomDublin 2017, your entire band and crew also gains free, all-access passes to everything that the festival has to offer. Not only will you be able to perform, but you’ll enjoy performances from tons of other bands, music industry conferences and panels, and everything that the best venues across Dublin have to offer.

Be sure to fill out your application early! This year’s youbloomDublin has already received a record-breaking number of applicants and we anticipate more than twice as many as last year. What are you waiting for?! Apply to perform at youbloomDublin 2017 here.

Want a taste of the youbloom experience? Take a peek at all of the photos, videos, interviews and more coverage from this past youbloomLA 2016 here.

Need more reasons to apply to perform at youbloomDublin 2017? Subscribe to the youbloom newsletter and you’ll get valuable music industry insights delivered directly to your inbox each week. When you subscribe to the youbloom newsletter, you’ll also be the first to discover who will appear at youbloom.

When is youbloomDublin 2017? The 5th annual youbloomDublin Music Festival & Summit takes place June 1-5 in Ireland’s gorgeous Dublin City Centre.

Top 5 Ways to Slay Your Musical Performance

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I’m sure you know a band or two that completely transforms when they are up on the stage during a live musical performance. For musicians, these sets are the moments we live for. Strong and engaging shows are memorable both to the fans and the band as well – especially when performers push themselves to the limits to offer an amazing performance every single second of the show.

If you really want to make money from your music then you’ll need to learn the small details that go into creating a great musical performance. Besides the fact that the music that you are playing needs to be in top form, there are a few other details that you can add to take your musical performances to the next level.

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The Best (and Worst) Ways for Independent Musicians to Make Money

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When independent musicians are just starting out, the road can get pretty bumpy. Digging for change in the crux of your band’s van to come up with enough gas money to make it to your gig one town over might sound bad, but when your equipment gets stolen after the show and your bandmates leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere, you might begin to second guess your career choice.

No one said that the life of a struggling musician would be glamorous, but for those with passion, talent, and an insatiable drive to succeed that keeps them practicing their latest song until the sun comes up, the payout is even more real than the struggle it took to get there.

Unfortunately, the hard truth is that too many musicians are wasting their time and energy trying to make money doing things that simply don’t move the needle. So, let’s set the record straight here and now. These may be a bit hard to swallow, but it will make you a better musician at the end of it. [Read more…]

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #9 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival.

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Sometimes all it takes is a little list. There’s a big world out there full of choices and for an ambitious musician it can be hard to know which direction to steer in. That’s where a BEFORE I DIE list comes in.

Narrow things down. Weed out distractions. Focus on the three things that will make your time on this mortal coil the best it can possibly be. Then go.

The youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival is in full swing, with scores of the finest independent artists around hitting stages all around the city of angels with one thing in mind: to share the music they love with you. They’re on this journey because they know, deep down, that this music train ain’t stopping; they’re in it for the long haul; they’re married to rock ‘n’ roll...you get the picture. But where the path will lead is different for every single artist up there tonight, and five of them were kind to provide us with some truly great answers when we asked: Hey buddy, what do you want to do before you die?

 

BEFORE I DIE

Huxley Rittman:

1 | Be featured on a hip hop banger

2 | Play a show somewhere stupid like underwater or in space or while freefalling from a great height

3 | Play a show in which I actually don’t screw up

An act we’re pleased to welcome back to the youbloom stage, Rittman is an artist who brings fresh footfall to the well-hiked trails of acoustic storytelling, making it more about the listener than about himself, which is dignified and refreshing. Like a relaxed, neofolk Dylan; instantly persuasive and warmly addictive. For fans of: Nick Drake, Hudson Taylor, Mark Kozelek
BEFORE I DIE

Nasty, Dirty and Nasty:

1 | Become a touring artist full time.

2 | Be featured on a song with Nas.

3 | Perform the 5 fingers of death on the Sway in the Morning show.

Eclectic, exploratory hip-hop that pulls no punches. The chemistry between Dirty and Nasty is colossal; together they capably tackle a range of different compositions, from sexy grooves to party anthems and rhymes to make you stop and think. This is an act that’s going places, and you really want to be there to see their live show before they blow up. For fans of: Black Milk, J Dilla, Digable Planets
BEFORE I DIE

Jonny Cat, frontman & guitar, Coo Coo Birds:

1 | Write an Opera.

2 | Score a great film.

3 | Tour three times a year in Europe and Asia.

Welcome to your new favourite garage band. Coo Coo Birds bring the fuzz and crunch with all the references to sex, drugs and rock’n’roll essential to doing justice to this timelessly rebellious musical style. They’re groovy, they’ve got swagger, and they write really great rock’n’roll tunes. You’ll love ‘em live. For fans of: The Stooges, The Black Keys, Jay Reatard
BEFORE I DIE

Case Bargé:

1 | Make a positive change with my music, rather it be in a listener’s personal life or in the overall music scene in general.

2 | Go on a world tour and have every show sell out.

3 |  I would love for the creative collective I’m a part of to be a staple and known for our influential and positive efforts to better not only the music community but the entire world as a whole.

Like a dark dream shot through with sharp-as-a-knife clarity, Bargé’s music blends ambient tones and synthy, electronic landscape sounds with rhymes so deftly spat you get the sense they must be red hot. It’s top class hip hop with more than enough food for thought for a feast. For fans of: Tyler, the Creator, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q
BEFORE I DIE

Grover Anderson:

1 |  I would kill for one of my songs to become so ubiquitous that everyone rolled their eyes when it’s played, even if that meant someone else played it. Like, I want to feel like Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show does when Darius Rucker’s version of Wagon Wheel comes on.

2 | I’d also like to play in one of those overstuffed tribute performances that they do every year at the Grammys, like when Growl & Springsteen & Costello & Little Steven did that Clash Tribute.

3 |  I’d like to tour with Garth Brooks. In my book, he’s the best live singer-songwriter that you can see, and I want to learn everything I can from him.

Wistful and clever, the wonderfully proficient Grover Anderson weaves together songs that mix youthful whimsy with heartfelt daydreams, delivering them to eager ears with a stripped-back, pure and well-considered expression. From the acoustic gems to rockier grooves, It’s the perfect road trip music, and it’s sure to be a killer live. For fans of: Paddy Casey, Josh Ritter, Ryan Adams

 

What three things would you put on your BEFORE I DIE list? We’re, uh, dying to know. 😉

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