At some point in your career, you will probably have to think carefully about which gigs to take and which to turn down.
Some gigs will be no brainers. But if you find yourself not sure if a particular gig is for you or not, try using the following as a framework to evaluate.
These are not necessarily in order of importance. You have to decide how to weight each factor. That being said, ignore numbers 3 and 4 at your own risk.
1) Time/Opportunity Cost
2) Money
3) Hang
4) Music
5) Business
1) Time/Opportunity Cost
If James Taylor was right and “the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time,” then you need to think about how much time you have available to you.
Do you have the time to take this new gig and still enjoy yourself?
Opportunity cost means you may have to give up something else you want to do by spending your time on this new project. Consider what the new gig might prevent you from doing that’s important.
2) Money
There’s not much to explain here. Is there money or not? If there is, how much? Money can make music you don’t love sound a lot better.
3) Hang
Do you like the people on the gig? You may have to spend a lot of time with them. If they are annoying, mean, unpleasant, drug addicts, etc, just factor that into your thinking. If not and you like them, good!
4) Music
Remember why you started playing in the first place? Right. Because you love music. Do you like the songs? Do you like this style of music? What is the level of musicianship? Better than average or amateur hour? If you are struggling to keep up because the musicianship is very high, that could be a positive; you’ll grow as a player. On the other hand, if you are the best player in the band, perhaps you should think again.
5) Business
What are the networking opportunities? Where will you play? Is there a big producer attached to the project? Is there a more experienced musician who might recommend you for other gigs?
You get the picture.
Thinking about this stuff should help you make better decisions.
Here’s to your success.
He first gained attention as one of the winners of Modern Drummer magazine's very first drum solo contest, judged by Rush's Neil Peart.
He's played with Oz Noy, Will Lee, Alison Krauss, Curtis Stigers, Emily Remler, Joel Hoekstra, GE Smith, Andy York, Marshall Crenshaw, Tony Shanahan, The Drifters, The Marvelettes, Big Brother and The Holding Company, and many other artists.
For more info: onlinesessiondrummer.com
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