Roles and responsibilities
For this project, my main responsibility will be to learn my set list to a very good standard. To do this I will be looking at different piano techniques, looking at different artists and their own styles and looking at different aspects and the history of the jazz genre.
I will also be researching job opportunities and career pathways for a solo pianist.
Target Market
Having recently attended a Jazz gig in the city of Bradford, I was slightly surprised to see that the overwhelming majority of people who attended were probably older than 55. As I will be playing mostly Jazz standards written from Before the 1960’s I will look to target my concert at this market, however I will still promote it within my age group as I know quite a few people my age who are interested in Jazz.
Another thing that struck me with the Jazz gig was that although it was a brilliant experience, the band who were a very high standard were playing to a relatively small amount of people. After talking about this with a few people it became apparent that it was due to a lack of advertising and promoting, therefore for my gig I will have to look into the best way of promoting my concert and making it accessible to people.
https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/target-market-jazz-lounge-14857.html
Above is a really interesting insight into a survey done by the Jazz arts group into the different groups of people that make up the Live Jazz scene.
Although all groups are into the Jazz scene for different reasons, making Jazz easily accessible and also being very knowledgeable about the subject appeals to all groups according to the survey. Therefore I will look into some of the Jazz History behind the music I will be playing in order to give an informative performance.
Last week (on the 29th March) I played a small set in the cafe at college with a Jazz band. We did 4 covers comprising of “Fly Me To The Moon”, Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton), Valerie (Amy Winehouse) and Dancing in the moonlight ( Thin Lizzy). Our band was made up of me on Piano, Dan on guitar, Veronica on vocals and Cain on bass.
After months of seeing people performing very good instrumental covers in the cafe, I immediately noticed a change in atmosphere when we played with a singer, as we were considered to be more of a focal point instead of being seen as playing background music. After the performance, we had a very good response from the crowd and it prompted me to slightly change the idea of my final performance as I would like to perform a couple of songs with a singer, as well as the rest of my set list with a band. In order to do this, I will have to increase my comping skills ( see the role of a piano accompanist tab).
Career pathways for a performing musician
What Can You Do With a Music Degree? 70+ Careers & Salaries Revealed
Above is a very interesting insight into potential music careers a musician could have after graduating with a degree in music.
There are many different options for a solo performer ranging from a session musician, playing on cruise ships, playing in pit bands, playing in a function band or as a soloist for occasions such as weddings and finally making it as a professional artist either as a soloist or in a group. A career in solo performance could also lead onto other areas including music education and compositional and live sound jobs etc.
Although there is fierce competition within the music industry, there are also many opportunities to make a decent salary as a musician and many of the salaries in this article reflect the lucrative side of the business.
Attending a trip with college earlier this year, we got the chance to talk to a leading stage manager in the UK who talked briefly about the journey to his position. The advice he gave was that as long as you were determined to learn and work wherever possible as well as being open minded and a nice enough person you would do well in the industry.
This advice has definitely had an impact on how I learn and work as a musician as I now practice every day it is possible for me to, as well as being much more motivated and interested in different aspects of the music business.
Final performance and promotion ideas
http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/how-to-increase-gig-attendance.html
Above is a really interesting article on how to increase your gig attendance as well as ideas to create a better performance and ways in which to promote the performance.
When planning my final performance I have realised I will have to take different factors into it including audience demographic and participation, track order so as to create the best atmosphere possible and a support act that will compliment my set, not clash with it.
In terms of promotion, I think that I will start promoting myself earlier than I previously thought I would. Hopefully, I can work with some art students to create a flyer as well as creating a social media page. I would like to become more familiar with the local music scene in Bradford and I will undertake this task by going to different local music events where I can promote my own gig as well as engaging with other musicians and music fans.
By this point ( the 26th March ) I have already enquired about a venue I would like to use called the Delius Arts Centre. It is a local venue in Bradford city centre with an intimate and individual atmosphere which creates a relaxed vibe. I will look at working with the venue owners to create a very intimate gig.
I am currently considering doing a couple of covers of pop/rock songs in a jazz style, in order to increase the crowd participation and form a greater atmosphere, as well as inviting different people to perform with me to create a varied performance.
Gigging as a professional
Depending on the level of musician and their popularity, gigging is a completely different experience. At my level, where I am just beginning to get gigs, I will be expected to organise, set up the sound and equipment for my gig and promote it. Comparatively, to someone who is massive on the music scene, for example Kanye West, when he puts on a gig, he will employ people to do most of the planning and physical work in order to focus on his performance. Some of the roles that he will employ in his team can be seen in the career pathways for a musician above, and include lighting and sound technicians, Band managers, promotional managers and so on. Therefore it is important to understand all of these different fields in order to understand how to create and put on a successful performance.