Some words of advice from promoter Darrin E. McGillis to aspiring Artist

This column is simply some general words of advice for aspiring musicians. These comments reflect only my personal experience and observation (over the past 20 plus years), and you will find people who will disagree with me. With that caveat, take it for what it is worth.

The first thing all musicians must do is act professional. The people who have power in the music industry (record labels, club owners, managers, etc.) are professionals. Music is their full-time business and their livelihood. They expect to be treated with respect. By acting professional, you immediately rise to another level in their eyes. When a musician calls me on the phone, I can tell in a relatively short period of time whether they are someone I should take seriously, i.e. professional. This sentiment is mirrored by countless other music industry insiders I have spoken with. Professionalism will take a band a long way.

A similar bit of advice is to educate yourself about the entertainment industry. Take time outside of creating music to understand the way the industry works. Reading the Resources page Click here on this site is one step in educating yourself. A little bit of knowledge will take you a long way.

The final element is lady luck and the right connections. There is just no substitute for it. It helps to be in the right place at the right time. Nothing you can do can increase this crucial element. However, faithfully following the suggestions provided by reading the Resources page Click here will lessen the need for luck. Professionalism, education and networking are all steps on the route to success.

With kind regards, I am

Darrin E. McGillis