Living Room Shows – the ins and outs.

I hope you are having a good Saturday morning and that you had a great holiday break since my last message to you. 2015 is here (can you believe it?) and I also hope that yours is off to a amazing start!
This time of year, I always tend to look back and reflect on how my year went and if my goals were accomplished. I’m quickly met with thoughts of what I’d like to tackle within the new year…which I realize is exactly what my clients are thinking of too.

Meaning, more conversations are made, processes are created and plans are put into motion. For example, one of my clients has a new duo show and just this past week we brainstormed how to package and present to venues for a successful tour. Another one of my clients is also focusing more on performing, and we’re going back to her go-to methods to filling up holes within anchor dates – living room concerts.

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Living room concerts are an easy and fulfilling way to either gain more exposure, perform more or simply fill up a hole in your touring calendar while you drive from Florida to Texas. You get to personally meet your fans, make new ones and can sometimes be inspired from them. It’s a real sense of connectivity for your music.

Almost every single musician I know have done living room concerts, from Grammy winners to my next door neighbor. If you are open to it, the results can be amazing and it can be a lot of fun, while earning money and connecting with your fans. Huge bonuses!

However, it does take some steps and tips to make your first, or 100th, living room concert a success. After a recent conversation with the folks at Concerts In Your Home (THE site to start if you’re interested in doing living room concerts) there are some things I learned be aware of when booking these shows. After all, you’re not entering a venue or hall, you’re entering someone’s home.

Here are some ins and outs of making your living room show a great one.

1. Be personal in your pitch.
Don’t send generic emails to everyone you are trying to pitch to. Make it personal! Read their profile and find something to comment on – if they have a dog, if you lived in the area, if you have the same last name. Try to find something. It always creates a better impression and will most likely get you to the next step.

2. After you’ve found a host that looks like a great fit, find out from them what a successful living room concert is for them.
Find out their expectations and how a successful show in their home is to them. Is it 10 people or is it 50? Is there a dollar amount they expect to earn? Find out from the start so that no one is disappointed afterwards.

3. Confirm the dates over the phone.
This seems to be a big important factor because not only are you able to confirm dates, but it’s a personal touch to be over the phone. Hear each others voices and pick up on how well you connect. It might sound silly, but you want to be able to work with this person to make a great show! So jump on the phone and chat with them! This will also allow you to get a feel of how confident they are it will be a great turnout.

4. Ask the ultimate question.
Okay, not the ultimate. But important! Ask them what the game plan is if it’s a week out and no tickets have been sold or people cancel on attending the show. This is where you can discuss if a new date can be a back up or solidify if the pairing is a good fit. Be sure to let the host know that you won’t be mad if people cancel, so long as they communicate that with you. It’s better to talk the week before and touch base on something like that, rather than show up to an empty room with an upset host.

5. Give enough advance time to seek the best fits.
Try to start looking for hosts about 3-4 months in advance of when you are looking to perform. If it’s something last minute, a good tip is to look for hosts that are newer and seeking to get started. They can usually be enthusiastic to put together a show for you.

Keep these quick tips in mind next time you are booking a living room concert, and you can avoid a lot of headaches. Remember, have fun with it and enjoy connecting with possibly old and probably new fans at your next living room show!

I hope you have a beautiful and productive weekend (or relaxing, if you need it already! 😉 )..See you next time!

Cheers,

fionazsig

Find your perfect flight.

Today, I’m writing you from San Diego, CA, during my so-called “spring break” visiting family! I haven’t seen them in over a year, so it’s definitely overdue. Being far away from my entire family is very difficult at times, so I always make a point to visit every few months. After my weekend in San Diego, I’ll also be stopping in Texas where I grew up to see more family and old friends. Can I just say I’m more excited about the warm weather than anything else? Okay, maybe I’m also a little excited about the food, too.

My clients have been doing quite a bit of traveling as well, and I’ve been on logistics duty. There were plenty of festivals, performances, conferences and more that I helped coordinate trips for.  And I have fun doing it (I know, I’m weird). J

There are several parts to planning a trip for your next performance, but I want to first focus on the flight that will get you there. (Full disclosure – I wrote this during my Thursday morning flight so it feels even more appropriate to talk about planning your flight!)

So, musicians, let’s talk about how to find your perfect flight – and also show you how you can delegate it all someone like me who can assist you in your planning. This is from real experience, so take notes.

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1. Book as early as possible – I cannot stress how many dollar signs you could save if you just book a month earlier than you think you should. I remind my clients of this, especially if they are traveling to perform at an event and they are responsible for the travel bill. Heard stories of last minute cheap seats? Don’t believe it. I’ve been doing this for three years and this has never happened. Nowadays, if you book late, you are stuck with buying the $100 priority seats after they run out of regularly priced seats.

Tell your assistant as soon as possible about an event you will be going to. Ask them to remind you to look for your ticket at least 3 months, if possible, in advance to secure a great price.

2. Gather your frequent flyer numbers – Surprisingly enough, when I book with a client that has a frequent flyer account, seats open up and upgrades are readily available. If you visit a city more than say 4 times a year, it’s worth it to get a frequent flier number under the airline you use the most. Some aren’t free, so choose what you can.

Most frequent flier numbers can be created by your assistant with your email and basic contact information. Find out what they can do first for you before you create your own account. If you already have them set up, send them a shared document with your frequent flier airlines / number as well as login info on the sites.

3. Know where to search – If you are traveling to a city that JetBlue or Southwest cover, you will 9 times out of 10 get your best deal there. If you aren’t finding the city you need, you can find a great flight through a couple search engines. Otherwise, I’ve consistently found the best options from only two: Kayak.com and Cheaptickets.com. They find great options for any domestic or international flight.

Ask your assistant to search your preferred sites and send you options based on your preference. Like this: “Please search Southwest.com & Kayak.com for flights from any NYC airport to Sioux Falls, SD, departing May 6 and returning May 9. I need to arrive by 5PM on May 6 and can depart as early as 8am on May 9.” This gives clear directions and you will get better choices of what you want the first time, saving tons of back and forth emails.

4. What to consider when browsing through connections – One thing I see overlooked constantly is not leaving enough time in between flights for you to get from Terminal A to Terminal D. This is imperative to make your travel day as smooth as possible. In my experience, leaving at least one hour and 30 minutes in between connections is a safe time length for connections, whenever you can. Otherwise, you risk missing your connection, losing your luggage and being late for the important performance. Not worth it. Leave yourself enough time to get through the terminal (especially Atlanta, that airport is HUGE).

Make this clear to your assistant the first time they begin booking your flight. Making sure it’s a priority from the beginning will diminish this being overlooked.

5. For Musicians only: Traveling with your instrument – If you are traveling with a small instrument as a carry on, you might want to opt for priority seating or seating in the back so that you can claim overhead space before it gets too full. You are absolutely allowed to travel with your instrument if it’s small enough to fit overhead. As for larger instruments, like a cello, I usually have to buy them an extra ticket to fit the cello in a seat. There are also great travel cases for larger instruments if you choose to check it.

If you can, have your assistant purchase priority boarding so that you can find space for your instrument. If not, it usually is not a problem, but some of us like to make sure there are no issues on a travel day.

Are you headed somewhere in a few months? Use these tips and you will find the best option for you or your band. Of course, every trip is different and offers their own challenges, but I make sure I know these 4 things for each flight I am booking to be able to give my client their best options.

What can go wrong, will.

Hey you, I hope you realize January is already over.

Seriously, how did the month go by already? SO much has happened that it’s just exciting to see what the rest of the year will bring! Currently, I’m undergoing a branding and picking out my brand colors, finding a graphic designer and nailing down the plan for a new website. Check out my Pinterest of brandspiration and below are some potential logos!

But before I entered the fun world of branding, I had quite a crisis to handle, specifically when the big snow storm stopped Manhattan a couple weeks ago. Oh yea, if you are near NYC, you remember. I was lucky enough to have a group scheduled to fly the very day it hit...and it went something like this…

(Preface: A group of 4 musicians are trying to fly to Missouri the day before the performance. The members names are Joe (lead violin), Sarah (violin 2), Chris (viola) and Katy (cello) *names changed)

The morning the snow hit, I started my work day per usual, when I get a call from violinist, Sarah. She tells me that she tried to check into her flight and it was cancelled. I checked online and confirmed with her. I told her to keep heading to the airport since there’s a chance they could still fly. She then added that Katy is already in security, they took her checked bag, so there still could be a chance. (I already knew, there was no way since flights don’t go ‘uncancelled’ after they are. Fun fact.)

I call the presenter who’s arranging their pick up at the airport when they arrive in Missouri to give him a heads up that the flight is cancelled, a lot of them are, and I’ll try my best to get them on the next flight. He needs to know what is going on because a) he needs to know if the show will go on and b)he’s agreed to pay for flights! So any changes has to be through him. I then contact the travel agent and speak to her about changing their flight and she can only find a flight for the NEXT DAY, leaving at 12noon, allowing the band just enough time to arrive, get to the venue, rehearse and perform. I say, “We have to take it!”. It’s settled, everyone go home, and we’ll try again tomorrow.

Except, you might remember, they took Katy’s bag. Turns out – they FLEW it to Missouri without her! How? Why? It didn’t matter. I told Katy to give me the tracking and I’d make sure it got there so they could pick it up when they arrived.

That evening, I’m having dinner in my apartment, and I suddenly have the urge to check their flight status…do you want to guess what I saw? YES. IT WAS CANCELLED. 15 hours before it’s supposed to leave it’s already cancelled?Sweet Jesus, I had to start all over again.

I emailed both the presenter and agent that evening to give them a heads up so that they would read it first thing in the AM and hopefully make it a priority to find a new option. I called the airline myself and there were no choices for a flight with 5 empty seats to Missouri. It was disappointing. A late convo with Joe, he said he hasn’t missed a performance in decades. I thought to myself, we’ve gotta keep pushing!

The next morning, I get a head start and start calling the agent the minute their office opens. I literally beg her to find us SOMETHING. I don’t know what sort of magic she had in her fingers, but she found the only flight that could work, leaving that afternoon, getting the band just in time to the performance but with no time for rehearsal…I tell her to hold them immediately until I got an okay from the band.

Joe, being down and out thinking he will miss a performance, tells me YES, LET’S GO. Joe calls the shots so I quickly text message the rest of the band that it’s ON and be at the airport in 2 hours. Woo!

I call the presenter and tell him the good news – yes, they were cutting it short, but they were going to make it! He told me he moved the concert back half an hour to help us out which was immensely appreciated. There was a ray of hope for this concert!

Now, I had to figure out Katy’s bag situation. Luckily, her bag DID make it, but it was in a different terminal than they were going to arrive in. Knowing they had no time to spare, I cleverly asked the driver to pick it up for them. They were happy to do it and I set it up right away.

Did the group make it? YES! Funny thing though, they were 15 minutes late because the van that picked them up from the airport in Missouri broke down. When I heard that, I only thought, OF COURSE. But they made it to the performance, played to a full crowd, and celebrated with a late night pizza. I poured myself a glass of wine to virtually ‘cheers’ them from NYC to a safe trip and successful performance!

MY TAKEAWAY

There are few things to learn from this story.

1. Stay persistent – Yes, even I was close to giving up when I have the internet telling me 1000s of flights are cancelled, but knowing how much it meant for the group & the presenter to get there kept me going. I asked about leaving from different airports, having only 1 person go solo, etc. Take the time to stop and think of options and you just might find one…or just enough time will pass where you will get the answer you were looking for! Keep your promises and don’t give up.

2. Have support. – Do you think this could have happened without a person acting as liaison between the agent, airline, band and presenter? Let me sum it up for you kindly…NO WAY. Without having a designated person on your team, crisis like this won’t be handled correctly and they would have missed their performance. If you don’t have a lovely assistant holding the fort, ask a trusty friend to help you figure out a sticky situation.

3. Know who to call. –  knowing who to contact helped make things run much smoother during a crisis. While traveling, make sure you have contacts at the venue handy!

4. What can go wrong, will. – Well, not all of the time! But, I’ve learned to prepare for the worst. Booking the flight the day before the performance was smart to allow exactly what happen not totally crush the plans. So, when booking your flight, give yourself time and cushion for delays if you can.

So, I hope you enjoyed my story of excitement and suspense from the week – I’m looking forward to warmer months so I don’t have to worry about snow storming through travel plans for my clients! 🙂