Everyone has had the opportunity to see live music in person whether it was in concert or at some wedding.

But what if you had to be the one that is in charge of hiring the entertainment for the evening?

What would you do? Would you call your Cousin Louie’s next door neighbor’s brother’s butcher?

Would you go to yellow pages? Would you know who the top booking agents are?

In this article, we will explore exactly what you need to know before making that decision. So read on and in less than 15 minutes you will be more knowledgeable than 50% of the population when it comes to hiring live music for your next event.

1. COMMUNICATION: Is the key to any successful relationship – business or personal.

   Communication is also a 2 way street. If you (as the buyer) are not able to successfully communicate your needs to the musician how can they know what you want?

   Also, once you have given it your best try, can the musician communicate back what you said? But here is the important part.

   Musicians speak their own language. Can the band leader or agent now successfully communicate back to the entertainer? Can they speak the language that musicians understand? Can they communicate or translate quickly and clearly. The proof is in the pudding as they say. There fore you MUST . . . . .
   

GO SEE THEM IN PERSON: Are they personable? Do they have a firm handshake and do they look you in the eye.

We are so used to doing business over the phone these days. We have lost that face to face time that is crucial to building trusting working relationships.

However when you go to see a musical act, they may not be available to talk with. They are preparing or in the middle of a show.

Never approach an act during gig time to talk about the specifics for a gig. When I am onstage, I am concentrating on the task at hand. Entertaining. I will talk business during the day during business hours. When a professional entertainer is onstage, watch the show and observe how they work. It is okay to com in and say hello or let them know that you are there. But other than that, sit back and enjoy the show. Be the audience, not the potential employer. Observe.

Are they good with the audience? In our line of work, our customers are frequently inebriated. They can become belligerent obstinate and then instantly turn into a quivering ball of apologies once they realize they were not being cordial.

If that were to happen in a dentist’s office or at secretary of state’s office, how long do you suppose they would get served? If they were at McDonald’s and acted like that, they would be refused service. This is not the case for the working musician.

We need to remain cordial at all times. If it is a public bar, there might be a security man or a “bouncer” who is available, but it is not the job of the musician to be the “bad cop”.

Observe. Do the musicians remain polite and calm? Are they polite and courteous even to the drunk and obnoxious people?

Stay tuned to find out the other essential facts you will need to know about hiring a musician for your next corporate events.

Dan Gillogly
www.glogleemusic.com