In 2007, David had the opportunity to interview his friend, and superb jazz guitarist, JJ Soriano. When asked how he promoted himself and booked gigs, JJ had something of special significance to say… Watch this video to learn more.
Transcription:
In 2007, I got to interview my friend, JJ Soriano. Not necessarily a household name or necessarily someone you would know, but he is the most talented and tasteful jazz guitarist I’ve ever met.
And I asked him, how was it that he was able to promote and market himself and book gigs? And the answer I got was that he said he was fortunate enough that he had a lot of contacts and a lot of connections who either booked gigs on his behalf, or referred him to a variety of venues.
Now, his answer is not surprising in light of the many interviews I would go on to have, in which we talked endlessly about networking and the importance of getting to know people.
This proved to be especially important in my situation as well, when I was still living in Calgary. I got to know a variety of bandleaders. In my last three, four, probably even five years in Calgary, I never booked any of my own gigs. I relied on bandleaders and the referrals that they would give me to go out and play.
So more gigs may not necessarily be a matter of picking up the phone more often. It might be a matter of establishing relationships with other people who are starting their own bands or are already out there performing.
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