Getting My Foot in the Door

Making it in the music business is hard. It is obviously competitive from a musician’s standpoint, but it is just as hard, if not harder, to get in on the behind the scenes action. The industry is very exclusive, and they often employ and promote from within, which is why I have been trying to get my feet wet in different aspects of the business.

As I have mentioned before, I currently volunteer at WFIT writing album reviews. Unfortunately, I do not have as much time to spend around the station as I would like, but I never fail to learn something or see something cool each time I go in. Recently, WFIT helped setup a music business workshop where Christian Tamburr came and spoke about his experiences in the music industry, both as a musician and being his own business representative. He mentioned that he spends about 20% of his time playing shows, with the rest of his time being dedicated to finding and booking shows and marketing himself. This was music to my ears, no pun intended, because it cemented my belief that business savvy is incredibly important in the music industry and that I have something to offer.

Something else I am planning on doing this summer to gain experience is volunteering at Shaky Knees and Boston Calling music festivals. I will work a few four-hour shifts over the course of the festivals that will have me doing everything from helping with tickets to working the VIP area. Not only will I get hands on experience, I also get a free festival ticket out of the deal, which means I can take in some great bands when I am off work. Bonus!

I know that making my way into the heart of the industry will be hard work, but if there is one thing I am, it is dedicated. I look forward to the challenge, and think I might just wind up having a lot of fun doing it.