-By Derek Sivers
I’ve made a good living playing colleges for the last 4 years. Been hired by over 350 colleges around the Northeast. I made good money doing it, but also wasted TONS of money sometimes, doing things wrong. Here’s my best advice, from experience, on what works and what doesn’t…
1. Get the database of colleges and complete contact info for the current person that does the hiring of entertainment at each college.
There are about 2800 colleges in the U.S. that constantly hire entertainment. You better have a good database or contact management program. I recommend Indie Band Manager. Though other popular ones are Filemaker, ACT, MS Access, Claris Works, MS Works, MS Outlook, Goldmine, etc.
I used to maintain a database of college contacts. I stopped in 2006. If you search the web a bit, I’m sure you’ll find someone selling a current list.
2. Send a one-page flyer to every school.
A GOOD one-page flyer with picture, price, testimonial quotes, contact info. Fun, colorful, exciting. Describe things in their terms. Don’t talk about the drummer’s background or the member names. Prove in 6 seconds why you will be a reliable good time for an evening at their college.
Name your price clearly! (I recommend $950 for a band, and $450 for a solo act. If they like you, charge a little more next time. But for a new, unknown act even in their circles, don’t expect more than this.)
My advice on how to make a good college flyer is here: http://cdbaby.org/collegeflyer
3. Tell them, on the flyer, to call for free CD and video.
Send it ASAP when they DO call. Follow-up until they say no thanks. Once they say “No” do NOT call them back. They hate that.
4. When one school books you, call ALL the other schools in the area.
Send them great promo material. Have colorful posters, table tents, postcards. And do not be depressed when you play to 4 people on a Tuesday afternoon in a flourescent lit cafeteria. Be nice, take the money, go home, thank them, and keep in touch…
Voila. That’s it. The best bang for the buck in the college market.
(And believe me I tried MANY other ways of doing it. Don’t waste your money. Do it this way.)
COLLEGE FYI:
1. Sending 500 flyers will usually get you 4 phone calls. 2 of those will hopefully turn into bookings. But it only costs $150 to mail 500 flyers, and you’ll make that back with one gig.
2. They often book a semester in advance. In October they book their February – May entertainment. In March they book their September-December calendar.
3. Don’t email. Don’t call unless it’s crucial. Just send a short flyer that can be read in 10 seconds. Send more than that and they won’t read it. Trust me. (I once spent $3000 sending every college the ultimate kit with video, CD, 10 pages of info, etc. I didn’t get one single phone call!!! A few months later I sent a single effortless one-page flyer. I got 20 calls and 10 gigs. Go figure…)
4. Student activites people that hire you are the squeaky clean girls than run for class treasurer. College radio people are the rebels with pierced faces. The two camps do NOT communicate. If you want college radio play, it’s a whole different world. Don’t think that they’ll just fall into place for you.
5. Don’t bother joining NACA and going to the conferences and all that mess unless you’re totally committed to it. Yes it may get you some more gigs, but you’ll spend $3000 to find out. Those conferences are way too expensive. My band HIT ME got the big mainstage showcase one year and yes we booked 30 gigs that weekend. BUT – it took me three years, 12 conferences, and about $20,000 to get it. My best advice to start, is to save the $, go with my plan #1-4 at the top of this page.
-Derek Sivers
CDBaby.com
This is very good advice. I’m just starting to play places and you’re right; its best to be humble, yet specific and direct. Thank you so much!
I don’t understand how you got this method to work.
Here’s how it works in real life.
Most colleges have music programs; These colleges also know that they can tap the talent of their own musicians before having to go to outside sources and its’ cheaper too.
My University will hire outside musicians, but its always popular names such as Cake, Ben Folds, etc (I don’t remember the rest), and its only for the End-of-the-Year celebration.
Other than that, all musician work is harvested by the University asking the music professors if they have a combo willing to play [insert event or gathering].
The only other exception is when the Cultural Committee hires attractions, but they don’t just hire anybody with a fancy flyer. It’s always something with high-caliber musicians or musical heritage… i.e. The Airmen of Note (USAF Band), Dave Holland and his quintet, Zakkir Hussain… etc.
This isn’t advice to get your average joe into a university gig, and if they are at the level of these people, then they probably don’t even need your advice.
I went to three different colleges (long story) and two of the three did a lot of outside booking, so I don’t think it’s out of the question to get gigs this way. I have to admit I wondered where the hell they found these groups because often I hadn’t heard of them, and not many (if any) where from the music department because I knew all those people. I’m going to have my brother’s band try this–seems reasonable.
Yep, it worked for Derek Sivers. Good luck to your brother!