The one piece of advice people love to hammer home whether you’re looking for a job, a partner, or an investor is NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. It seems a little, well, not artistic, doesn’t it? Artists don’t really like to dip their hands into the business end of the music business pool but there’s a reason why that irksome b-word is attached to our beloved music: you won’t get far without it.
Now, I understand how frustrating mixers can get. Most of them in Georgia take place in the Atlanta-Metro area and cost money that you probably don’t have. But fear not! oh brave souls of Athens; we have our own industry parties that will help you out a ton without breaking your budget.
This week, the 40 Watt is holding a “VIP Music Industry Mixer” on Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thrown by the Atlanta chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammys!), it’s a chance to learn about the Grammys, their outreach programs, and membership benefits. RSVP at 40wattrsvp@gmail.com before you go.
When you get there, make sure to have your demo cds, your business cards, and your “elevator speech” down pat. If you’re honestly worried about that last part, run it by some friends. Get used to introducing yourself in a non-cringeworthy way. People at these things know they’re for making connections! They want to meet you! You’ll never know who you’ll meet.
If you’re busy this Wednesday, you’ve got another chance for schmoozing at the UGA MAY DAY Festival and Music Business Expo at the Melting Point on April 27th from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Publicists, musicians, artists, lawyers, publishers… Pretty much everyone will be represented. I especially like this kind of festival because you can poke around displays that interest you and get to know the people at the booths.
So there you go, you’ve got two great opportunities to get to know some people who could help move your career in Athens along. Happy mixing!
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