7 points to think about to get your musical project touring

The personal thoughts I’m sharing here took shape during long car journeys, but also during rehearsal breaks, and in conversations with musician friends… From all these thoughts, it seems to me there may be seven parameters that can help us assess the solid (or fragile) aspects of a musical project with professional ambitions (or at least one that hopes to land a few gigs).

Let’s be clear: we’re not talking here about “why do we make music?” or “the inner fire that drives us”, no, none of that. The aim of this article is to discuss the conditions that allow a musical project to find its way to the stage.

What’s the point of asking yourself these questions?

There are several reasons to ask yourself such questions. For example, when you feel your project isn’t getting the recognition it deserves and you’re not touring despite all your efforts, you may have the choice between:

• “I’m a failure, I never get anywhere…”
• “Anyway, programmers and audiences don’t get it and only listen to cr*p”
• … Or you sit down and start thinking about the weak points of your project… but also its strong points!

These questions can also help you when you’re creating your musical project. Thinking ahead can help you gather the ingredients your project needs to succeed, and will also save you a lot of time.

I should point out that every point covered here would deserve whole books, and I’m taking the risk of sounding a little caricatural. My goal isn’t to create “ the perfect theory of the project that wants to land gigs ” but really to share with you seven points to watch out for, to help you move forward, structure and think (or rethink) your project… But also to encourage discussion and enrich a shared reflection!

The 7 criteria for the success of your musical project

1. THE CONCEPT

A band with a striking idea or a “clearly identifiable” concept stands out, stays in people’s minds, grabs attention… For example, “les violons du monde” (a band bringing together three virtuosos of traditional violin), or an unlikely “Electro-classical” fusion, or a blend of genres that defines the musical identity… Or some je-ne-sais-quoi that grabs attention, raises questions, makes people want to know more. No doubt that with the didgeridoo, we’re already on an interesting track!

The band “Plume” I play in: a mix of erhu (traditional Chinese violin), guitar, accordion, jaw harp and touches of didgeridoo (not in this track, but you get the idea). 😉

2. MUSICAL TECHNIQUE

Of course, when musicians master their instrument, they’re more likely to be able to express themselves in service of what they want to say. Technique is nothing more than vocabulary, so in my view, it’s good to have at least some ease with it.
That said, “superformance” isn’t essential either, and we’re not talking about being a virtuoso on your instrument, but about having enough technical baggage to serve the music. A rather logical point, but an essential one. And for this point, you have plenty to work on with Wakademy and Gauthier’s courses! 🤗

3. COMMUNICATION

Here I include everything that is “shown”, everything that makes programmers want to book you and audiences want to come and see you. So I’m talking about two types of communication:

• Between concerts. That means all the times when you’re not playing. So you need to think about communicating with your audience (or future audience) using well-known communication tools such as: a well-designed website, professional videos, a good network (meaning an audience that follows and supports you)… In short, as you’ll have gathered, this part is a must.
• During concerts. This aspect is unfortunately often neglected, and yet it seems just as essential to me. Once on stage, communicate with the audience, invite them into your world, try to take them along with you. This can take several forms, for example: talking with the audience (as simple as that!), setting up a stage design that serves the project…

4. SINCERITY (EMOTIONS AND VALUES)

Under the word sincerity, I bring together the emotions you want to share and the values you want to stand for. When I talk about conveying emotions, I mean having your own world, but also your own style that comes from a strong musical identity (choice of instruments, overall mix…).

All of it serving the values you want to stand for. Because your values are the foundations of your project, the “why” of your music. An essential element, but one that isn’t so easy to define!

In other words, we’re talking here about a sincerity and a coherence that speak to your audience, but also to the musicians playing with you. Because if each musician finds themselves in a sincere approach and lets themselves be carried by a shared emotion, this symbiosis will no doubt come across in the overall feel of the band.

For example, the band “La p’tite fumée”, whether you like them or not, has this shared cohesion. You can feel the guys are having a blast! And that energy is an excellent way of communicating!

“La Petite Fumée” and their infectious good mood. It feels like being on a weekend away with them!

On the other hand, these are precisely the elements that can be damaged when a band is created only to tour or get gigs… All too often, what you get then is something too smooth and bland.

Because careful: emotion isn’t something you decide, it comes from within and you nurture it with sincerity!

5. KEEPING YOUR BUDGET UNDER CONTROL

This matters too… a lot, actually. A band that’s too expensive (or not expensive enough!) can struggle to tour. Imagine a programmer who has to choose between a band with six musicians and a trio that costs half as much!
Unless the six-piece band is (very) well known, or their musical offer brings (big!) added value… The choice will be quickly made.

Because budgets are very often limited, budgeting your project is something not to be overlooked. But beware: a band that isn’t expensive enough may lack credibility and will often end up in a circuit that pays little (or nothing!)… So yes, you’ll tour. But you’ll earn (very) little. And that is likely to wear you out quickly.

6. AVAILABILITY, ADAPTABILITY, RELIABILITY

Of course, if you’re not available (whether to communicate with programmers or simply to play), the project won’t tour. It sounds simplistic, but make sure you free up enough time for your project. And I’m not only talking about rehearsals!

A project takes time. Between composing, recording, communication, looking for gigs, talking with programmers… In short, you’re going to have to multitask and get organised to be efficient!

And for maximum efficiency, you’ll also need a good dose of adaptability (hooray for the unexpected!) and reliability (event organisers need to know they can count on you).

7. PERSEVERANCE (VS THE LUCK FACTOR)

We’ve all experienced it in our lives: meeting the right person at the right time can open unexpected doors. A chance encounter might help you land an interesting gig or open you up to a new network. No doubt that in the short term, this can help you.

That said, in my opinion, in the long term luck becomes less and less important. And it’s above all your perseverance that will end up paying off. Indeed, a musical project is a long-haul project, which will certainly require years of personal investment.

Perseverance, combined with questioning yourself, will no doubt become one of the pillars of your success. When I talk about success, I mean reaching your goal, for example playing two paid gigs a month.

You can easily imagine Guilhem Desq’s perseverance to reinvent the hurdy-gurdy to this extent!

It’s all about balance

From my point of view, there’s a balance to find between these seven points. So if someone excels in one or more criteria, for example a virtuoso who masters the “musical technique” criterion, or who has a brilliant musical idea (“concept/emotion” criterion), they may be less effective on other aspects.

However, if your project is struggling or not touring the way you want, then in my view the balance between the different criteria hasn’t been found. In that case, it’s mostly the “weak points” that will deserve some work.

However, I want to draw your attention to one important thing: wanting to apply ready-made recipes. The risk is high of ending up like a whole host of bands doing the same thing so that “it works”. This is typically the project I was talking about in point no. 4 (sincerity): a project designed by a producer to make money, which can quickly lack flavour!

That’s why sincerity remains the most important point, the foundation of your approach. The whole challenge will therefore be to keep your soul, keep the fire, not lose sight of the “why” of our project (and that has happened to many…) while also thinking it through with very rational criteria (budget, communication, technical level, concept…).

Very often, making a living from your music isn’t only about playing music

Beyond technical level, making a living from your music is a state of mind, and having at least a little entrepreneurial spirit. Apart from a few virtuoso musicians, or a brilliant concept, who will be able to tour without dealing with anything other than the music, a band and its members (split by skills/affinities) have to roll up their sleeves on every front other than music (admin/booking/communication/organisation) to get the machine going.

That’s actually why tour agents and producers exist: they complement the musicians’ skills… But they’re very often only interested in a project once it starts touring… And we’ve come full circle!

Here we touch on a fundamental difference between “amateur” and professional musicians:

• The first has chosen to separate their income from their musical practice. So they’ll prefer to devote their free time to playing their instrument (sometimes at a very high level, amateur doesn’t mean “average musician”).
• The second has chosen to link their income to their musical practice. Which implies, as we’ve seen, accepting to sometimes carry out tasks often seen as tedious in order to make a living from music.

So there are many musicians who don’t want to or can’t become professional, not for lack of technique, but simply because they don’t want to take on the constraints that often come with this job (because it doesn’t suit their personality or they’re afraid of losing their love of music). And there’s obviously nothing wrong with that!
On the other hand, where discouragement can set in is when someone wants to become a professional musician but forgets to ask themselves a few questions about their project!

Conclusion: follow your own musical path

To conclude, the most important thing in my opinion is first of all that you like your project musically! Then, if you feel the need, you can seek recognition from the people who really matter to you. And finally, whether the project “tours” or not depends on your goals and your wishes, but it’s not an end in itself either! In short, it’s up to each of us to find our own path to happiness.
And if you have ideas to add to this article, I always love a good exchange!