This was an exhausting yet rewarding week, and as a part-time musician who spends every moment not at my day job doing something to advance my musical career, that is saying a lot.
It started harmlessly enough. This week, my day job was hosting a week-long seminar to prepare us for our 'busy season' later in the year. That meant long days of non-stop meetings and a least a few nights of staying for after-work meetings and functions.
I was able to sneak in an appearance at my favorite Open Mic night, at Holy City Confessionals at Home Team BBQ in West Ashley. This is an open mic that strives to push only original music, so most of the people that come out are looking for new music to enjoy. Some of my friends from work made the trip out to see me which was great! It is always a nice thing to have friendly faces in the crowd, it boosts my energy a bit especially after a draining day in the office.
Here is where it got a bit....odd. The next day (Wednesday) my work friends were talking with my boss and others about the previous night's Open Mic. Videos were shown, and I was getting some pretty cool feedback. Then, they announced that we would be having an after-work event at a local restaurant to serve as kind of a 'team building' event. About an hour into the event, the calls for me to go grab my guitar and sing a few songs began. After trying unsucessfully for a bit to NOT do that, I finally relented and brought my guitar over. I performed two songs from the new album: Carrying On and (You Think) You Know Me. The reaction was great, people really seemed to dig it.
This is a testament to always being ready to switch hats from dayjob to musician whenever possible or needed. I had my gear still in my car from the previous night, so was able to quickly jump in and start performing while there was still a decent sized crowd there. Who knows, maybe a few new fans came out of this exercise?
Then on Thursday night, I receive a text from a local venue, asking if I was free Saturday night to fill in for a cancellation. Again, I was ready to change hats quickly, make sure my date was clear and book the gig. That is extra money and exposure I hadn't budgeted from this week, but was a welcome surprise!
The only performance I knew I would be doing was the Open Mic. The other two were completely unscheduled yet welcome additions to my calendar. Maybe some new fans were drawn in through those? Maybe some album purchases or someone ready to come to my next gig?
By being flexible and willing to change roles quickly, I was able to sneak in unplanned performances to expand my reach and continue to build my brand.
Until next time,
