How I Got 250 To My Debut CD Release
Getting Started With A Music Career
This was originally posted on Ari’s Take.
The biggest question I get asked is “how do I get started.” The easiest answer is “with your friends.” Even rock stars started by playing shows in front of their friends at their local club. At your earliest shows you’re not going to have “fans,” you’re going to have friends coming out to your show. If you’re good enough, some of your friends, or friends brought by your friends, will turn into fans. But you can’t expect this too early on because most likely you’re not that good at your first few shows. I know I wasn’t. It takes experience to get good.
+Don’t Forget Your Lyrics (performing)
So, start by playing as much as you can. Anywhere and everywhere. You need experience more than anything early on. Get on stage whenever you can. You won’t be getting paid for these early shows, but you don’t deserve to be just yet. You deserve to get paid when your act merits it and when you can consistently get crowds out to your shows.
+Shows Sell, Events Sell Out
I also printed up about 2,000 flyers that I threw under dorm room doors and passed out around campus during high traffic times (with the same image from the posters). I had 1,000 demo CDs made (again, with the same image from the posters) that included one full song and clips from other songs on the album (this was before YouTube, Twitter, Soundcloud or Spotify). Finally, the night before the show, I spent a couple hours with some friends and sidewalk chalk marking up the campus mall sidewalks where the majority of students walked every day.
I played enough shows prior to the release that enough people were talking about me and friends kept coming back and bringing more friends because I was actually getting good and they actually enjoyed the show and weren’t there just to “support their friend.”
+Friend Fatigue
I remember the week of the CD release a friend called me and said “Oh my god Ari my friends just asked me if I wanted to check out ‘this Ari Herstand guy this Friday’ because they were getting tickets. You’re famous!!”
So, the night of my debut CD release, 250 people paid $5 to be a part of the buzz.
+How To Record Your Album
