Know No Limits

Here on our website the Contact page says that we’re based in the Tampa, Florida, area but that we know no borders when it comes to serving clients.  There’s also a statement about public relations being a 24-hour-a-day business.

While musicians certainly consider late(!) nights as “regular business hours,” it concerns me that not enough of them are willing to work all hours.

Yesterday – yes, not only a Sunday but that of a holiday weekend – I sat at my desk sending an email to a current podcast guest.  The material was time-sensitive so I was concerned as to whether I would get a reply in a timely manner or not.

I had already been impressed by this individual in dealing with her before, but the fact that she was responding, on-time, and yes, not only on the Sunday of a holiday weekend, but, while on vacation, really impressed me.

On a related note, a client of mine was scheduled for a photo shoot yesterday morning.  Right, the same Sunday morning of the aforementioned holiday weekend.  And did I mention that the shoot was at 5:30 – as in, a.m.?!

The above two testimonies are great examples of true dedication to your career in music.  A blog, heck, not even one paragraph, is needed to remind of how tremendously competitive it is out there.  So, putting forth an effort like these is a must if you have any desire to truly make this your career.

I have heard a local player complain – repeatedly – about hauling gear, arriving home late, and how many hours it is (total) from leaving the house until getting home after midnight, all just to play a four hour gig.  That is neither dedication nor gratitude.

This guy is also a good example of how not to proceed if you are committed to doing music full-time.

Like me sitting in the office yesterday – on the Sunday of a holiday weekend – you need to make yourself available at times when others are probably far from their work.  A Monday morning?  Yup, be up and at ‘em and reachable.  You just might receive that email reply or phone call that you’ve been so anxiously hoping for.  Being able to answer can only help to further impress the other party and better position you as the pro that they – and others – should want to do business with.

And if you’re wondering about vacation, just remember what the first person referenced in this blog did – have your smart phone with you at all times to respond to calls, texts, and emails.  You might be off on a trip, but remember, you’re still on call for work.