To Band or Not To Band

January 6, 2009 - Leave a comment...

[flickr class="alignleft" align="left"]photo:2602344370(thumb)[/flickr]That is the question. I’ve been a one-man operation since I started as a professional in 1999, giving me total artistic and interpretive freedom. I’ve been able to add tunes to my repertoire, change arrangements, and play shows on a whim. I’ve also been working 12-hour days just to feed myself.

Lately I’ve been wondering if a change is in order, however. The few times I’ve had the opportunity to play with a band, the vibe has always been a lot more fun. I perform with more energy. The audience seems to react to harmonies and live drums a lot more than they do for a solo act.

I am, however, petrified of a change like this. I am a small business owner, and this move is tantamount to hiring business partners. I need to be able to recruit people who can not only play and sing, but make phone calls and work the PR stuff as well. Then I need to be able to pay these people enough to justify their time. And we all need to eat on a semi-regular basis.

I need people who believe in my music enough to consider it a business venture. Either that or I need to stay the course and work the one-man operation angle until I either get famous or totally burnt out.

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  • Lala

    A great many solo artists made their way by heading great bands. If you go that route, I think you’ll be no exception. Plus, it sounds like you want a change of pace- and who knows? Band members can be great support on the road. There’s nothin like a van full of family on your road trip. might be cheaper too if you’re splitting travel expenses.