Finding the Right Members
Decide what kind of group you want. Before you start a big project like putting a music group together, you need a clear goal and vision. Determine what kind of group you want so that your vision for the group is clear from the start. You will need to choose the style of music for your group. How many people you have in the group, where you look for singers and instrumentalists, and how you get an agent or manager will all depend on the musical style. Most of the popular styles for singing groups are madrigal, a Capella, pop, hip-hop, vocal jazz, rock, etc. Where you look for your new group members will depend on what kind of group you want to make. For example, if you want a religious singing group, you should look for members at church, or maybe people who sing in a church choir. If you want people who can play instruments, you might want to ask people who are in band class at your school.
Decide what kind of voices you want for the singers in your group. This will depend on a number of factors. Some styles of music will feature only 2 or 3 singers, whereas others such as pop or a capella can feature 5 or more. You will need to decide on the gender of your members. Do you want an all-girl or all-guy group? Or a mixed group? If you decide on a mixed-gender group, you will also need to decide how many male voices and how many female voices you will need for the right sound. If you are a rock or country group, you might only have one singer. Everyone else in the band will need a role other than a backup singer. In groups like this, often there is a lead singer and a group of musicians that play guitar, bass, and drums.
Hold auditions. To find people to join your group, you could organize some kind of audition so that people will come to you. You'll need to advertise the event (make fliers, tell everyone you know, put an ad in your local newspaper, etc.). Post fliers around your school, at local businesses, at your church, and at local events. Take out an ad in the newspaper. That can help interested musicians and singers find you. Talk to people at your church or community center. They can help you spread the word about your group and the audition. Try announcing the event on social media like Facebook and Twitter. You can also post an ad on Craigslist and other websites.
Ask around your community. If you know people who are already in bands or singing groups, ask them if they know anyone who is currently looking to join a group. Post about it on social media. Ask your old band or music teacher if they know anyone interested. Do whatever you can to draw attention to your project so that you can find the talented people you'll need to be in your group.
Identify a leader. Even if all of the singing members have equal parts in the group, there still needs to be a designated leader. This will be the person who interacts with your manager, booking agents, members of the community, and press. This person will have to make sure the vision of the group remains intact. Make sure it's someone who can work with all the personalities in the group. Remember, you all have to be able to get along and collaborate effectively.
Determine what parts each person will play. A group will function better if everyone is clear on what roles they are supposed to play. Think about how each person's voice will sound best when you put them all together. However, if someone sings beautiful harmony but they want to sing lead, you might give them a few songs where they can perform the lead vocals. One group member who is good at choreographing can be in charge of putting together dance routines. In a rock group, it's probably going to be more likely that each person plays a different instrument and there is one lead singer. Remember, it's more about the collective sound of everyone's voices together, rather than any one individual.
Getting Your Group Ready
Pick a name. Choosing your group's name is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your group early on. This is the name people will remember, the name you'll be endlessly promoting, and hopefully the name that will make you famous. Think about what your group's name says about your style, your personalities, and how it fits with the kind of songs you want to sing. Think of something catchy and bold. You'll want a name that is creative and draws an audience.
Practice your music frequently. You can't expect to shoot to stardom overnight without a well-rehearsed repertoire of music. Work out all the details, perfect your parts, and see what happened. You should spend many, many hours practicing to make sure everything will be perfect when you actually start performing in front of people. If you are in a band where everyone plays an instrument, learn a few steady cover songs before trying to write your own material. At concerts, start out with cover songs and then gradually introduce your own material. First impressions can be key. Make sure that your first public performance is well-practiced. If you're planning on recording your songs in a studio, make a demo at home so you can hear if anyone needs to make changes to their parts before you get in the studio.
Find a manager. It is possible to manage yourselves, especially at the beginning of your group's career. If you start accumulating gigs, it might be a good idea to look for someone with professional management experience to help you and your group members navigate the often complex music scene. There are many benefits to having a band manager. For example, they can book gigs for you, help you find a connection with a recording studio, and help you manage your group's finances. It is very important to hire a person that you trust completely to be your manager. Don't let someone scam you or push you in a direction you aren't comfortable with. Remember, you'll have to pay them for their time and work. They will work for you very hard to help you succeed. You will need to agree on fair compensation for their time and effort.
Finding Gigs
Perform locally as often as possible. Perform for free at first, so you can develop a good reputation and a following. Meet on weekends with your group and perform on a street corner or park, though you should make sure this doesn't violate local ordinances. Carry business cards with you about your group so you can pass them out to people who stop to listen. Performing in front of a small crowd at first will help your group get comfortable in front of an audience. This can only help to improve the quality of your music.
Play at parties in your area. Ask your friends and neighbors if you can perform at parties they might be throwing. The more you get your group out there where people can hear you, the better. Even if it is just at a small neighborhood party, it is still better for your group than not performing at all. Volunteer to be entertainment at charity events and parties. This can really help your music and group get your name out. Play at local fairs and community events. Once get a reputation you can start charging a small fee.
Participate in local talent shows. See if your community has a local talent show of any kind and sign up. This is a great way for you to become involved in the community, to get your music heard by a variety of people, and to open the door for new opportunities for your group. Many now-famous bands and musicians(like Rhianna and Usher) got their start performing in small, local talent shows.
Call local venues. Find out what clubs/bars/restaurants/venues have live music and ask how you would go about being considered for this gig. The venue might ask that you send them a demo tape or to come audition for them live. Whatever they ask, make sure you take your time to prepare and present your group's best image. Make sure the venue is appropriate for your type of group. For example, you wouldn't want to play at a hip-hop club if your style was more jazz or rock. Or if your style is loud and controversial, you'd want to avoid family-friendly venues.
Ask other groups to be their opening act. This can be a good way to get short public performances and get noticed. If you know any other groups, offer to open up for them at concerts. An opening act usually only performs a few songs and introduces the headlining band or group. This is a great way for rock groups to get exposure. Sometimes, a headlining act will ask you to open for them on a short tour.
Make fliers. Whenever you have an upcoming performance, make fliers and post them around your town. Make sure the fliers are exciting and attention-grabbing so that more people will take the time to look at them. Have all the information such as location, time, date, and price of your gig. Make sure you indicate whether your gig is all ages, 18+ or 21+ on your flier.
Promote your gigs online. Just a few years ago, people had no choice but to promote themselves by word of mouth, fliers, or radio ads alone. The advancement of technology and the internet has made this kind of work so much easier and more effective. Use the internet to your advantage and actively promote your group on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Having an online presence makes it easier for your fans to find you, for people to contact you about booking gigs, and to put your music out there for people to hear.
Keeping the Group Spirit Alive
Boost morale. Make sure your group members feel appreciated and valued. Let them know that you respect what they contribute to the group dynamic and that you wouldn't be where you are as a group without them. Everyone needs to feel like they are an important part of the group. Make sure everyone is kept informed of plans, gigs, and all events. Don't leave anyone in the group out of the loop. Avoid gossip. Don't spread rumors about other members of your group.
Do activities together. It's easy to get caught up in the business aspects of making and practicing music together. Make sure that you make time to do some fun things together as a group. Since you spend so much time together, it's important that you work on your friendship as much as you work on your vocals. Take some time to go to a party together or spend a day at an amusement park. Whatever you do, just make sure you're having fun with your group members. Participating in a sport or charity event can be a fun team-building experience.
Hold regular rehearsals. Nothing will make a group feel more grounded in the same mission than performing well together. To get to this level, you must practice. The more you practice, the less likely it is that one or more of you will make mistakes during performances. Practice until every group member has the routine/songs memorized and can perform them flawlessly each time.
Hold group meetings. Group meetings are a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page and that all of the group members are happy with the way things are going with your group. Making sure that every member feels like their opinion matters is important for keeping a group together, and a group meeting is a great platform to make that happen. Talk about upcoming gigs and events to make sure everyone knows their obligations. Use these meetings to divide up the work between group members. This can be anything from buying supplies, to coordinating with a venue, to advertising, etc. Make sure that if there are any problems in the group, they are discussed when everyone is there. If there are conflicts in the group, remain calm and treat everyone with respect.
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