The Entrepreneurial Artist: 12 Quick (and Hard-Won) Tips for Success

Every once in a while here at Educate and Entertain, we cut right to the chase.

For your skimming pleasure today, I present one short and sweet takeaway from each of the last twelve articles.

Links to each post are provided if you’d like to explore any of these topics in greater detail.

Dave Ruch advice for musiciansDiving Right In…

Here are twelve quick and hard-won tips from the last twelve articles:

#1. Treating your career like a business can mean less time for your artform (but more success)!

(read “7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Became a Full-Time Musician”)

#2. When using social media, keep in mind that nobody’s there to buy what you’re peddling.

(read “The Social Media Jungle: How to Get Untangled”)

#3. To dramatically increase your chances of securing grant funding, have a conversation with the grantor before submitting.

(read “Grants for Musicians and Performers: Two Powerful Keys to Success”)

#4. Just two new booking contacts each day = a database of 730 people to reach out to next year.

(read “More Gigs in 2017”)

#5. If your email signature is nothing more than your name and contact info, you’re leaving gigs on the table.

(read “Your Email Signature: Missed Opportunity?”)

#6. When your subject line sucks, nobody reads your email. Period.

(read “The Email Junkyard: Why Your Booking Emails Fail”)

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#7. If “pushing” your message out doesn’t seem to be working, try “pulling” people in instead.

(read “Content Marketing for Musicians and Performers”)

#8. Want to be a more engaging performer? Focus more on your audience, and less on what you’re doing.

(read “How to Engage an Audience at a Concert”)

#9. Spending as much as you can on quality sound is good business.

(read “Live Sound Considerations: Mics, PAs, Mixes and More”)

#10. If you want to know exactly what bookers are looking for, survey them. Their answers are gold.

(read “5 Tools I Use Every Day”)

#11. Competing for a gig with other performers? Mention the problems the booker will AVOID by hiring you.

(read “Getting the Gig: Try This!”)

#12. A day of school gigs can mean 494 miles driven, two meals eaten in the car, 185 students and 15-20 teachers seen, two school buildings visited, three shows, 12.5 hours away from home, two hours and ten minutes “on stage,” and $1550 earned.

(read “A Day in the Life of a School Performer”)

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About The Blog

The Largest Online Gathering of K-5 Classrooms for Connected Educator MonthSince leaving a white-collar marketing job in 1992, Dave Ruch has been educating and entertaining full-time in schools, historical societies and museums, folk music and concert venues, libraries, and online via distance learning programs.

Along the way, he’s learned a great deal about supporting a family of four as a musician.

The Educate and Entertain blog provides articles, tips, encouragements, and how-to’s for regional performers (in any region) interested in making a great full-time living in the arts.

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4 Responses to The Entrepreneurial Artist: 12 Quick (and Hard-Won) Tips for Success

  1. Thanks for sharing Dave! I have a slew of talented musicians who don’t seem to have any structure on finding their next job. Nowadays it seems like everybody is waiting around for the phone to ring handing them their next gig!!! I sure wish it was that simple!!!

    • Ha! Me too Mike! Feel free to pass along the link to this website, where there are dozens of articles to help musicians and artists get more bookings.

  2. Thank you! Your tips/ blog/ articles are so down to earth and practical. I’m excited about jump starting my career as musical educator , but I’m also very glad to have your wisdom to fall back on! Thanks Dave!

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