How to Find the Right Band Members By Tom Hess and Draven Grey
© Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey This e-book is is under international copyright protection. No part of this publication may be reproduced, sold, rented, loaned loaned or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in ad database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publishers.
Table of Contents Finding the Right People
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What type of band do you want? 4 Who is the right person to team up with? 6 One of the best places to nd the right musicians to work with Another great place to nd the right musicians 10 The best way to approach potential band members 11 The best way to audition someone 13 How to move forward 15 How to get started right now 17
Guide Summary
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Finding The Right People There’s no question as to why we wrote this eBook. Finding serious, dedicated, hard-working, success-minded musicians for your band can be one of the most frustrating things you have to deal with. You’re serious about your career, but the other musicians you know aren’t as serious as you are. A lot of them may seem passionate and driven, but when it comes to doing the actual work needed and nding new and better ways to build their career, they simply aren’t willing. They talk about it all the time, but when given the resources to make it happen, they remain all talk with no truly effective action. A lot of people can talk a good game, but when the reality sets in, many are just full of themselves and are BS talkers. We don’t need to elaborate about dealing with these people. You’ve lived it. You know exactly what we’re talking about. You want...no, you NEED to nd band members who pursue success with everything in them, who are of the same mindset as you. The right mindset is the seed to all true success, if you don’t have it, you have nothing. And you need everyone in your band to be of the same mind. Not clones, and not just agreeable to everything you say, but rather a driving force towards success - working on guring out together the best possible way to move forward. Many musicians have written off nding the right members as an unattainable dream. They settle for working with other musicians who are good players, decent people, and who also talk the dream of ‘making it’ in music. Then they spend many frustrating years feeling like they’re doing all the work and pulling all of the weight for their band because the other members aren’t truly serious. They continue on with a trial and error approach to their music career, where everything is a struggle. It is a struggle when you can’t get the rest of your band members to show the same ambition, drive, hard-work, and determination as you. They simply aren’t doing whatever it takes to reach the band’s goals and also seek out the best information and guidance possible to make it happen. So, you settle. Somewhere along the way, you tell yourself that you’re just not going to nd your ideal band-mates. You fall into the same trap that so many other bands fall into. And then you wonder why you’re not packing out shows, having venues beg © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Finding serious, dedicated, hard-working, successminded musicians for your band can be one of the most frustrating things you have to deal with.
you to come play, or living off your music. As marketing guru, Pat O’Bryan put it: “You’d be amazed at how many artists and musicians are just sitting around waiting to be discovered while they continue to do the same thing all the other musicians and artists are doing. “Losers, losing by following losers. Not much of a plan, but it’s pretty popular.”
But why settle for such a mediocre life? You don’t have to settle. You really don’t. The problem isn’t nding the right people. The real problem is that you’ve limited yourself, your dreams, your goals, and your ambitions. What the hell are we talking about?! How have you limited yourself? Let us put it this way... Why are you limiting your geographical location? Why can’t you look for members who are already in bands? Have you written out, in detail, exactly who it is that you’re looking for? How well have you dened what it is you’re trying to create with a band? • •
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We know, after reading the above, a million ideas and questions probably just popped into your head. That’s natural. But instead of letting those thoughts and excuses hold you back from nding the right band members, let’s explore the questions above and open up a world of possibilities to you.
What type of band do you want? First, let’s gure out a bit more about what it is that you’re trying to create. This is something you’ve probably dreamed about for years. But now, instead of letting it be some big, nebulous, abstract dream, write out what it is you’re truly wanting. Go into as much detail as you can. There are 2 sides to this. On one side, you have what you want out of it personally. Dene your own end-goal in having a band. Don’t just say, “I want to play music for a living.” You don’t necessarily need a band for that, or even a career on the stage. So what is it that draws you to play in a band? One way to approach this is to think about if you could travel 10 to 20 years © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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The problem isn’t nding the right people. The real problem is that you’ve limited yourself, your dreams, your goals, and your ambitions.
into the future and write a short autobiography, what would it say about you? The other side is who you want to be as an entire band. Think of it this way...each of you bring unique skills, passions, talents, and strengths to the band. When you combine all of those together, your band has a separate identity all by itself, with it’s own strengths, passions, goals, focus, and more. Take some time to describe on paper what it is you would like to create together. What is the band’s end-goal? What do you want your band’s bio to say about you 10 or 20 years from now? The more detailed you can get with this, the better. By knowing exactly what it is that you want, both as an individual and as a band, the more easily you can add value to the band yourself. You can also see much more clearly if someone ts into the vision, focus, and goals of the band or if they are headed in an entirely different direction. Don’t skip this vital step in nding the right band members. If you’re starting your own band or seeking to give the one you’re currently in a swift kick in the ass, also consider the governing structure of the band. Many bands, especially early in their career, set up a democracy, where everyone has an equal vote on what happens with the band. This actually tends to turn into a ‘mob-rule’ approach and has proven highly ineffective over and over again. Also, if some members are pulling more weight than others and working extremely hard while others do very little, a democracy hardly seems fair. You need a welldened leader with well-dened roles. But you also don’t want to have a dictatorship, even if it is benevolent. Like we just described, your band is essentially a separate identity or persona altogether. Why not let it breathe and thrive, rather than bog it down with multiple opinions about what’s best? If you dene your band’s vision, passions, skills, talents, strengths, focus, and goals that you create when you work together as a team, then you already have a living, breathing entity that can guide your every decision. Consider setting up your band like a Constitutional Republic. Let your band’s coreidentity be the foundation that you weigh all your decisions against, your Constitution. Set up a leader who protects that core, who can make the tough decisions. And let all the band © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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If you dene your band’s vision, passions, skills, talents, strengths, focus, and goals that you create when you work together as a team, then you already have a living, breathing entity that can guide your every decision.
members be advisors, who not only hold the decision-maker accountable to the band’s core, but also seek out together the best ways to keep everything moving forward towards its welldened goals. In fact, you all need to be in a position where you can hold each other accountable for not only your decisions as a band but also your individual actions and how you each affect the band. You need a leader who holds the vision of the band as his or her own, and that you can trust to always have the band’s best interests in mind. You need a way of operating where instead of personal opinions, you’re always trying to gure out together the absolute best way to move the vision, goals, focus, and strengths of the band forward. More on that later. Set up your rewards based on merit, not in a democratic nor a communist way - Most professional bands do NOT pay their musicians equally. The leaders take on more risk, but have the best potential to earn the most money...after all, they do most of the work and take on the most responsibility. Paying everyone ”equally” may seem fair, but is actually a recipe for disaster. The people who work hardest will begin to feel they are treated unfairly (because they ARE being treated unfairly in such a situation) and will either quit the band, or begin doing less work and lose ambition. This hurts everyone. Those who do the most AND add the most value to the band’s success overall are entitled to earn the most. Most big bands do it this way...and now you know why they are big. You may not yet be able write out all of the details of leadership, rewards, or even the bands full vision, strengths, etcetera. But starting to dene the way you would like it all to be will greatly help you nd people in the same mindset. It can also help you add a ton of value to other musicians that may have been looking for people just like you, who also think about these things very seriously.
Who is the right person to team up with? Now let’s dene who the right people are. After all, how do you plan on nding the right people if you don’t even know who the right people are? Take some time to make a list of the traits you want from people in your band. Think of it as dening the ideal band member. Write out a brief description for each of the following aspects. © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Dene who the right people are. How do you plan on nding the right people if you don’t even know who the right people are?
Ultimately you want to describe who you think it would be awesome to be in a band with. 1. Character, Personality Traits and Attitude, both on AND off-stage 2. Work Ethic 3. Musical Skills 4. Creative Skills 5. Performance Skills or stage presence 6. Industry Experience, from studio to touring and more Describe in as much detail as possible who your ideal band member is and what it looks like to have them in the band In #1 of that list we mention how they act off stage. You want to get to know this person, how they live, their beliefs and worldview, how they conduct themselves. Anyone can give a good rst impression and look great on the surface. It takes a lot of work to truly know these things about a person, so be prepared to spend a lot of quality time with them to truly learn about who they are. We’ll talk more about this in a moment, when we discuss the audition process. For now, that brings up another important point. What are the ‘deal killers’ - those things that might potentially hurt your band and reputation, hold you back, or lead you in an entirely different direction? Make another list. This time, instead of listing everything you want your ideal band member to be like, list out the ‘red ags’ or ‘deal killers’ - those things that make the person someone you would hate to be in a band with. Here are just a few things to consider: 1. Do they have a drug or alcohol problem? 2. Is there something about how they act off-stage,
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
backstage, or in their daily life that could potentially be a problem for the band? What beliefs and values could cause personality conicts? Do they have any legal issues? Mental issues? Emotional problems? Morals that conict with your own? How do they deal with conict and pressure? What about in past bands? What is their reputation like? If you go on tour with them, is there anything, anything at all, that would annoy you about them? © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Anyone can give a good rst impression and look great on the surface. It takes a lot of work to truly know these things about a person...
Of course these are only partial lists of things your rock band needs to consider, but these things will put you on the right track to nd better candidates for your band and help to weed out those people who are not a good match.
One of the best places to nd the right musicians to work with Finding good candidates is even more difcult when you’re only looking for people who are not currently in a band. It can be done, but it limits you greatly. Think about it...do you consider yourself “single”? Or are you trying to get your own band together because of your drive and determination to succeed? Wouldn’t it make sense then that others with a similar mindset are already in a band or trying to get one together? The fact is, many are already in their own bands, spinning their wheels with frustrating bands members who have their heads in their ass. Just like you, they hope that eventually their band members will grow into who they want them to be. Just like you, they want band members to fully commit and get on board. So why not seek out these individuals and consider joining forces? Some already have achieved a substantial amount of success, others are just getting started. Established successful musicians are pretty easy to nd. However, not all musicians who appear to be successful actually are, nor are they personally responsible for much of their success. When looking at musicians who are already ‘in the music business,’ there are leaders and there are the followers. Leaders are the action takers, the people who develop the ideas and get the job done. Followers are the musicians who, although often talented musically, are not really ‘part of the success’ beyond playing their instruments. Followers usually ‘lose’ their level of success once removed from the current band they are playing in. Sometimes musicians with gold or even platinum records nd it difcult to become successful again once they are on their own searching for a new band...this is because they were never really part of or responsible for the success that their previous bands once had. The point is, just because someone was in a ‘known band,’ doesn’t make him or her nearly as valuable to you as you might assume. It’s kind of like a lottery winner who had no clue how to earn money in the rst place. They win a few million dollars in a lottery and in 5 to 10 years they are right back where © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Many are already in their own bands, spinning their wheels with frustrating bands members who have their heads in their ass. So why not seek out these individuals and consider joining forces?
they started, poor and without options. This is common among lottery winners and just as common among the ‘followers’ in bands. You want to seek out leaders - musicians with real ambition beyond just making music; people with the right mindset and a solid work ethic; people who don’t just talk about becoming successful, but are truly willing to be proactive, learn what needs to be done, and then go out and actually do it. If you are looking to attract musicians who are already in a successful band, start at the top. Find out ‘who’ in the band is the ‘right person,’ who has the most potential for success, the right mindset, is a leader, and who can and actually does get the job done. Leaders of successful bands are not likely to leave their band (although some denitely will given the right situation). However, many leaders in bands often fantasize about replacing their weakest member(s) who are just along for the ride - leaving all the work, stress and problems to the leader(s) in the band. This is certainly not true for all bands, but for many, it is their day to day reality. The point is, it can be easier to replace a weak follower (even if the person being replaced is a talented musician and loved dearly by the fans), than to convince a strong leader to leave their band. Leaders in these situations, sometimes yearn for ‘help,’ but they just cannot talk about it publicly. So if you’re still hesitant to seek out band members from other bands...Have you considered joining an already established band that might be looking for someone exactly like you? Have you considered adding so much value to them that they can’t help but notice you? And if you’re really wanting to start your own band or continue with your current one, have you considered how much value you are offering potential members that you would like to attract? This brings up another important point--you can surround yourself with ‘the right’ people on purpose, right now. Find the professionals who carry the traits you’re looking for, even if you feel they are ‘above’ you and would never want to be in a band © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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You can surround yourself with ‘the right’ people on purpose, right now.
with you. After you’ve found them, then add tons of value to them. Become a great friend to them, always help them however you can. They still may not be in a band with you, but as you add value and build your relationship with them, they WILL be introducing you to new people and helping you nd what you’re looking for.
Another great place to nd the right musicians There’s another group of ‘right people’ out there. Not only are they more available, and easier to approach, but they are much easier to nd...if you know where to look. Most importantly, they are already looking for you. Yes, you read that right. They are ALREADY LOOKING FOR YOU! They want YOU, just as badly as you want them. So if you want them to nd you, you need to go to where THEY already are. Does that mean you need to relocate? NO! Some bands have members who live thousands of miles apart. Rhapsody Of Fire is a perfect example, having had band members living in Italy, France, Germany and the United States! There are countless examples of bands whose members don’t live anywhere remotely close to each other. In the world of high-speed internet, nding, getting to know, and collaborating with other musicians across the world has become extremely easy to do. You do not need to ‘physically’ be in the same place at the same time. You don’t need to relocate to Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, or anywhere else. You need your mindset to be where these people have their mindsets, a group of leaders seeking to create something amazing together. Find the places (usually online) where like-minds meet frequently and seek to build their own success. In other words, you should be looking in places like the Rock Band Success Coaching Program and the Music Careers Mentoring Program. STOP! ...In this very moment, you are going to make an important decision. You are either going to believe (as most followers and pessimistic people do) that we inserted the two links above merely as a marketing ‘trick’ to get you to believe that you should join one of our programs...OR...you are going to choose to understand that we HAD to specically mention those two links as perfect examples of where success-minded and like© Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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There’s another group of ‘right people’ out there. Most importantly, they are already looking for you.
minded musicians can be found (looking for you). No other place anywhere online has a better group of success-minded musicians, and only success-minded musicians who are constantly striving to learn more, do more, become more and have the motivation, ambition and the guts to make it happen. You want to nd a concentration of people who think like you do, seek to learn more, strive to better themselves, are easy to talk to, and are just as hungry as you are. They want people like you in their band or they would eagerly join yours. In short, you want to look in the places where success-minded musicians go to learn, do, and become more. Don’t conne yourself to just local musicians. Seek out places around the world or better yet, on the internet, where successminded, leader-oriented musicians congregate. Of course, not being in the same city brings up a whole new set of questions about what you actually want and how to do it. The more typical local band way of starting small in bars and working your way up one bar at a time does not work at all in this situation. Which begs the question, what is the way of doing “it” that these other, “live apart” bands were able to do? Don’t be afraid to get creative with your actions and plans. Creativity doesn’t have to be only for your music. What if you can only nd the ‘right’ musicians in other countries? How will you be a successful band then? Finding the RIGHT people for your team is the most important piece of the puzzle. Open up your mind to all the possibilities, not just your current local circle of contacts. With all of these things in mind...
The best way to approach potential band members Whether your looking to bring on new band members or considering joining a team of career-minded musicians, in order to attract the right people, you must show your value! Let’s rst address the scenario of you seeking to join a band. It’s important to show them your value, experience, and how you will benet them. Purposefully building a relationship with them and adding a lot of value is one of the best ways to do that, © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Don’t be afraid to get creative with your actions and plans. Creativity doesn’t have to be only for your music.
before even showing interest in joining. They may not even be advertising that they’re looking. Tom spent several years getting to know the guys in Rhapsody of Fire, adding as much value as possible and building friendships with them, with the intent to become so valuable to them that they couldn’t help but consider him as a guitarist for the band, whether they were looking or not. Regardless of if you are targeting a specic band that isn’t looking for someone, or answering an audition for one you have never met, the same principles apply. You must show them your value - that you offer so many benets, and are such a good t, that they can’t help but offer you a position in the band. The same principles apply when attracting the right people to join your own band. If you show how much value your band is actively engaged in, you will look extremely attractive to the other serious musicians, while at the same time probably scare away the less professional musicians. We all are familiar of typical ads looking for a guitarist, drummer, bassist, etc. Let’s take a look at a sample ad that both adds value and screens out less-serious musicians. Brackets have been used to indicate information you would need to add. ____________________ Example: Seeking new band members ***Auditioning for New [music genre] Guitarist*** Professional mindset is a must. Music industry education is a MAJOR plus. Skilled background vocals also prove valuable. Samples of our music, images and more can be found at our website, [real band website, not social network]. Our inuences include [a bunch of bands that we denitely t well with and that we’re sure you’ve heard of]. Past shows include [quite a few really good venues in our town, touring, and anything else relevant]. We have also been featured on [these radio stations, newspapers, well-known website and other media outlets worth mentioning]. [And here’s more info about our accomplishments that are worth mentioning]. This is only the very beginning of what is planned. [Here’s a paragraph with a lot of info about our plans that show we’re really serious about our career. Not too outlandish, but denitely above normal when compared to other bands. It also speaks to the direction and focus of the band.] We also have these resources at our disposal: [Here’s a list of extremely helpful resources like owning a recording studio, being a part of a mentorship program, having direct access to a © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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If you show how much value your band is actively engaged in, you will look extremely attractive to the other serious musicians.
graphic designer, etc.] [Also, here are some more resumé-like items such as touring experience, recording engineers in the band, and other relevant and extremely helpful experience] We look forward to receiving the following from you: Please email your Press Kit to [our band’s email]. We realize you might not yet have one, so a list of music career experience and achievements along with some examples of your playing will be ne (even if it’s links to youtube videos). Additionally, please answer the following in your email: What do you currently believe is the importance of the following in your music career and why? • Mindset: • Image: • Talent: • Business knowledge: After reviewing your email, we will send you our vision, goals, character, values, and focus, and let you decide if you’re the right person for the team before proceeding any further. Thanks! [Name] Band Manager [band website] [picture of the band]
____________________ Keep in mind that you can show the same type of value when you are the one auditioning for an established band. We can’t emphasize enough...if you want to attract the right people, show your value!
The best way to audition someone When auditioning someone for your own band, there are very specic guidelines you can follow that ensure you know exactly what, or rather who you’re getting involved with. The example we just gave is a great way to introduce yourself. But that’s only the beginning of the audition process. The entire audition process can take up to several weeks. Allow us to show you an example of a highly effective audition. In this example, each step builds upon the last, although it doesn’t have © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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When auditioning someone for your own band, there are very specic guidelines you can follow that ensure you know exactly what, or rather who you’re getting involved with.
to always be in this exact order. This is about getting to know the person auditioning and building a relationship with them, not about just putting them through some sort of formal process. Remember...every step of the way, look for how much value the person is providing and their mindset towards success. Talk is cheap. Look for how much proof they’re actively showing of their value. 1. Evaluate their response to your ad. Look at how they
present themselves - How professional do they appear? How much and what type of info did they provide? What type of mindset they appear to have? How indepth, articulate, and passionate do they seem? What is their track record and is it in line with your written values and focus? You would be surprised by the number of musicians that will reply to your ad without even bothering to read it or follow the directions. This will be a great way for you to quickly screen out people who are denitely not the right people. 2. Engage in email conversation with them. Clarify things
from their initial email and info. Ask for more info, references, and anything else that will help you determine if that person is worth your time to move forward with. 3. Reveal more of your plans for and with them. Send
them your core-identity description and ask them to answer very specic questions about it. Consider even including a book summary or two that better describe your approach to success, business, and the band. Pay very close attention to how they answer your questions, how obvious it is that they read everything you gave them and understand it, and how much in line their passion and values seem to be with your own. By this step, you’ve also have had time to talk to any references they’ve given you, or contacted bands that they used to be in to get the fullest picture of what to expect from them if they join your band. 4. If everything still looks good, now is the time to meet with
them in person. By this time, you know how they present themselves as a professional, their playing abilities, and more. They have had ample time to learn about who you are, your music, your image, and your plans. At this point, © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Talk is cheap. Look for how much proof they’re actively showing of their value.
besides just hanging out to see how your personalities mesh, also look for how much work they have done that you didn’t ask them to - like learning your songs and having ideas for them, or other ways they’ve been actively adding value to you. Also look for any extreme quirks or “red ags” that come up, and address them immediately. It’s like a job interview, just less formal - more like a rst date. 5. After listening to their music, watching their videos, and
nally meeting them in person...If you still like them for the part, then it’s time to invite them to play with the band and test out how you all work together musically. Also hang out with them as much as humanly possible. Play games, sit and talk for hours, etc, etc, just get to know each other. You don’t necessarily have months to build a friendship only to nd out it’s not going to work out, so instead, go ahead and treat them like a best friend and already as a part of the band. It will help you get to know them much faster. At this time, also give them all of your music to learn, and pay attention to how fast and how motivated they are with learning it. 6. After a week or two, you should expect them to know at
least a full set list worth of your songs. Be willing to help out during those two weeks, but they should at least be familiar enough with a good amount of your songs to rehearse with you. If everything still seems to t well, then offer them a trial period with the band - maybe 3 months. This will be a good time for you to get to know each other better, and be sure that you’re a good t. At the end of that 3 months, you can form a more accurate, better, and longer-term agreement with them. 7. Well, there really is no seventh step. They’ve been acting
as part of the band since step ve, so honestly, you pretty much know if they’re going to work out for the long run by that step anyway.
How to move forward Allow us to be perfectly clear. Having the right person on your team is a must. Any red ags, and we mean any, must be addressed immediately. And by ‘addressed’ we don’t mean just a nice conversation about it. It may mean seeing some specic responses to certain issues. Or, it may mean simply moving on. © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Any red ags, and we mean any, must be addressed immediately. And by ‘addressed’ we don’t mean just a nice conversation about it.
It may be a bit harsh to say, “when in doubt, cut it off and keep moving”, but there’s a lot to learn from that statement. Do your homework on new band members, probe, test them... if you nd your band has a band member who is ‘dead weight’ and not pulling his or her own weight, try once to have a heartto-heart talk with them, tell them what the goals are and what the expectations are. Ask them to make a commitment to the band to follow through. If they fail to do so, re them. Do not hesitate no matter how talented they are as a musician. Firing fast (for this reason) will not only save you much time and energy and frustration later, but will send a message to everyone else that this band (and you) mean serious business...and you won’t allow anything to stop you. You will probably nd that serious musicians will take notice of your action and become more attracted to and/or your band. Also beware of ‘potential.’ When it comes to potential, unless they’re already actively pursuing the potential you see in them with abandon, then they will not live up to their potential in the time you need them to do so. Observe their focus and beliefs, and DO NOT ignore any warning signs. In other words, once you think you have found the right person/people, test them right away - more than once. You want to be sure that this is really a person who will back up all the ‘talk’ with action, and who isn’t just an unmoving dead weight of unused and wasted potential. This is why you hire slow and re fast. If you’re willing to spend your energy babysitting someone while they grow into the person you need them to be, then be ready for it to takes years or possibly never happening. If something is bothering you about their character traits, values, or core beliefs, pay extremely close attention. Just one small difference in values (especially if there’s any clash at all) can set you back for years. That’s not to say that people can’t become the right people for the team, but rather that you want to be absolutely sure they are already well on their way to becoming that person. Be very careful that you’re nding the right people, because having the wrong people on board can destroy you, or at best can slow things to a crawl. Be extremely picky, because you are not only entering into business with that person, you are also © Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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Beware of ‘potential.’ When it comes to potential, unless they’re already actively pursuing the potential you see in them with abandon, then they will not live up to their potential in the time you need them to do so.
entering into a relationship with that person; where they will be a part of your life, career, and everything you do for years to come. Can you imagine going on tour with that person? Can you imagine living with them? Do your due diligence in learning about them, hanging out with them, meeting their friends and inuences, testing their character and values against your own, and making damn sure that they are the right person for making the band a success. Closely examine their character and values (from drive and determination to personal and professional growth and more). Their character and values are just as important, if not more so, as their image and skills. The whole package is important. Without the right character and values, the relationship is doomed from the start. As soon as you realize you made the wrong choice, let them go and keep moving forward. Sometimes feelings will be hurt and friendships lost, but you are both better for it in the end. You can both move on to things that ARE a good t, and stop wasting time. Use what you’ve learned in this eBook. Become the leader you want to be, and attract the leaders you need to join with you to create amazing things together. You have the tools you need. You have the vision to make it happen. Don’t become just another follower like so many of the musicians you’re frustrated with. Take consistent, forward-moving action using the tools we’ve given you. If you want your band to truly succeed, having the right people on board is the rst and most important part.
How to get started right now We (Alex, Tom and Draven) have been where you want to go with your rock band. We know what it takes to go from where you are now to where you want to be. From small clubs to bigger clubs... From bigger clubs to 2,000 seat venues. From 2,000 seat venues to 10,000+ seat arenas. Check out our Rock Band Success Coaching program now to take a big step towards getting and being where you want to be.
© Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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The whole package is important. Without the right character and values, the relationship is doomed from the start.
GUIDE SUMMARY How to Find the Right Band Members Key Points •
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Having the right band members is not just something to desire, it is critical to the life of your band. Having the wrong people on board can destroy you, or at best can slow things to a crawl. You need those who pursue success with everything in them, who are of the same mindset as you. Be honest with yourself, have you settled for less than ideal band members? If so, what can you do right now to address the situation?
• Spend time thinking about what you dream of for your band: 1) What do you want out of it personally? 2) Who do you want to be as an entire band (including vision, passions, skills, talents, strengths, focus, and goals)? •
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When considering who are the right people for your team, pay attention to the following: character, personality traits, attitude, work ethic, musical skills, creative skills, performance skills, and industry experience. “Red Flags” are just as important as your list of desiriable traits. Any red ags, must be addressed immediately You can surround yourself with ‘the right’ people on purpose, right now. Look in the places where success-minded musicians go to learn, do, and become more. Build a relationship and show the same type of value whether approaching potential band members or auditioning for an already established band. A highly effective audition process is about truly getting to know a person and can take up to several weeks. In the end you will know, quite condently, whether the person is a perfect t for your team. Hire slow and re fast. When it comes to the people for your band, the whole package is important. Without the right character and values, the relationship is doomed from the start.
© Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey
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© Tom Hess Music Corporation and Draven Grey This e-book is is under international copyright protection. No part of this publication may be reproduced, sold, rented, loaned or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in ad database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publishers.