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Sabrina Montgomery - DreamCatchers Entertainment (DCE) is one of Atlanta's most
recognized companies that was built and established to help others nurture their God-given talents, and show that dreams can
become a reality. The company’s mission: Helping talented individuals - singers, rappers, dancers, actors, comedians,
models, and other entertainers achieve their goals and dreams of having a successful
career in the entertainment industry.
Sabrina also works for BME Recordings (Lil Jon, Trillville, Scrappy) & CrunkTV.
FINDING GIGS
One
of the first things an artist needs to do is to create a strong team to help get the project off the ground. This
team needs to consistently keep their ears and eyes on whatever is going
on in the streets for new gigs. Starting off, your team may only consist of supportive family members and/or
friends, if you don’t have an established managerial team to help push, promote, and sell your show, music, and project
to different promoters. As you continue to build, some people will go and new ones will come… until you find
who and what you need to get the job done, or… until a seasoned manager comes
along to take the project to the next level. Ø Once you have a strong team established, I encourage all artists to promote to a point to which they can start putting
their own shows together for more exposure and also for more profit. This requires getting your own venue,
handling your own street promotions, and any and all expenses. Many times, no one can promote “you”
better than you… If done right. Resourceful guides for
upcoming events and gigs are your local newspapers, entertainment guides, and magazines For Atlanta: Check out Creative Loafing, Access Atlanta, and
Rolling Out Also, check flyers, radio, and Internet searches for various events such as open
mics, showcases, conferences, auditions, or submissions for opening acts.
All of these elements are critical to your search in finding live gigs.
HOW LONG ON STAGE? - NEW ARTISTS' SHOW
LENGTH
Most promoters only allow one song, or maybe a 3 to 5 minute show upfront, so
it’s good to start with a show-cd around that length. As promoters get to know you and acknowledge your talent,
they will start asking you to do a longer show, usually from 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the event. As your song(s)
begins to pick up, and starts getting you more attention, you'll definitely start to get paid (at some point), and when that
time comes, the length of your performance will be written into your booking contract.
ORIGINAL TRACKS OR COVER SONGS?
It’s good for new artists to do a mixture of material; perhaps a few bars with a familiar beat to allow people
to vibe with you, and then once you do the beat and gain their attention, transition into your own material. Be
sure that if you pick a classic beat, you represent that producer or artist to the fullest
because you will be tuned out if you murder a classic, or a hit.
Ø Once an artist has his or her show and package together and if they’re ready,
they can definitely get it to club owners and promoters themselves. But, this is only effective if they are out in
the streets grinding and networking. If
artists find that they don’t have the connections, then it’s usually only a matter time and working harder;
making a “buzz,” all until their presence is felt and they are well respected. Now if you know you’re not
a great speaker or not business savvy, be sure to have someone on your team that is.
But know this…
“…You, your label name, and
Everyone around you represents
Your business!”
The last thing you want to do is to upset a club owner or a promoter that you’ll need to do business with in
the hopeful very near future. This applies when speaking with labels and the
djs too
For more info, including "How much to charge?” and finding College & High School
Gigs - click here
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