Finding Success as a tech in the Music Business
“How do I get into this business?”
I get asked this question more often than most, and while specifics may vary from person to person, the overall response remains the same. Whether it’s the audio side of things, lighting, management or anything in between, there is a common trend that follows.
A Parent’s reply would more than likely be “go to college and get a degree.” Everyone knows college + degree = job, right? Well, unfortunately, this does not always hold true in this business. A piece of paper saying you completed “X” course is about as useful as a car with no wheels in this industry. The only case where this may not hold completely true would be in the management world, but that’s for another day.
So, where do you start? Well, it really depends what you’re interested in. I was involved with audio well before I was even in high school! But, high school is a good place to start. Volunteering to help out with stage crew is always a good learning experience. Interning at local production companies, or clubs will also provide plenty of knowledge.
The most important thing to know is that this is a people industry. The way you carry yourself will make the largest impact to how successful you’ll be. If you go into this with a cocky, know it all attitude, you won’t make it very far at all. You need to be respectful and willing to learn. In this business, it’s not about the people you know, but it’s about who knows you. Read that again, because it is a VERY important sentence. Remember, this is a people industry. People will call you for work. You won’t call them. If you can’t make a name for yourself, then you may never get that chance.
Don’t expect to start at the top. If you get an intern position anywhere, expect to spend the first few months pushing cases and doing the “bitch” work. Yeah, it sucks, but it does get better. This is one of the biggest problems with new people to the business. They come into the game expecting to start at the top, and get flustered when they can’t get work. You have to remember, everyone is in the position that they are, because they busted their ass to get there. This is becoming a big problem for those who went to college.
A college graduate comes into this with one thing in mind. “I have a paper that says I know what I’m doing, so I’m better then anyone else.” This is the completely wrong mindset to have. You are as green as it gets coming from college, and again, you’ll start off pushing cases and plugging in cables. However, I’m not saying college is a complete waste, because some of the skills can be useful.
I’m going to bring up one example on the audio side of things, because I see it all the time. There’s a certain audio school in Florida that a lot of people go to. This place has state of the art equipment and top notch facilities. Now, you may be telling yourself “this sounds great, what could possibly be wrong?” Here’s the problem: The real world is nothing like what these kids learn. They are trained on world-class equipment, but when they get into a real club, with broken gear and less then idea working conditions, they can’t handle it. They have no experience in the trenches, and absolutely crumble at the first sign of trouble. Had they worked for a sound company, they would have seen what it really takes to pull off a show…
Moving forward… Now that you’ve got an internship, or anything helping you move forward, how do you become successful? How do you make bands remember you? What will make you stand out over anyone else they’ve worked with? I hate to say it, but 90% of making it is luck. Being in the right place, at the right time. That’s exactly how I got the job I currently have. Now, it also helps that I am very good at what I do, but I was in the right place at the right time. NETWORK! That is key in this business. When you have a band come through your club, or show, go above and beyond. They will remember you. If you’re doing monitors, make them louder and clearer then ever before. If you’re doing FOH, make them sound like gods. If you’re doing lights, ask what they like and make it rock. Club merch? Move those t-shirts! It’s the little things that people do to make the band feel a little more comfortable that they remember.
You have to start small. Whether you want to tour with a band, or work for a company, you have to start small. Sometimes you have to take tours or gigs that you absolutely hate to get where you need to be. Building credit for yourself will make your name worth more. When you first start out, you have to take whatever you can get. When people look at my resume, they see the current band and club I work for, but there’s also a list of about 20 other bands I’ve toured or worked with. It’s these names that build my reputation.
Whatever you do, don’t give yourself away. Money is what makes the world go round, and saturating the market with cheap labor benefits nobody. There are people working for pennies a week, just to get “in.” The concept is, “If I can get in for cheap, they’ll pay me more money later down the road.” This can sometimes hold true, but most of the time, you go to ask for money and they either say no, or find someone who will work for the same lesser price. You cannot be afraid to ask for what you think you are worth from the beginning, as long as it’s not ridiculous.
Once you’re in, do your job! But not only that, do whatever you can to help out. Drive the van, move gear, do whatever you can to help. Save the alcohol for after load out is done, and save the drugs for home. It’s those extra things that others will see, and respect. It’s also those things that will get you bigger gigs. If you are good, and people know that, you will never be hurting for work. Word of mouth is the most powerful tool in this business.
If you take anything away from this, remember, it’s not about who you know, but who knows YOU. This is a people industry, driven by word of mouth. Resumes are rarely ever brought up, and college degrees are almost useless. At the end of the day, it comes down to who you are, and what you’re capable of.
Evan
