I get it; musicians are typically easygoing people. I was vey much aware of this stereotype when I decided to find a career in the music industry. The mellow persona is expected. I am all about the laid-back lifestyle, honestly, but there is one thing that I feel needs to be discussed. Promptness.
I deal with different bands every day, and while some have proven to be more than adequate when it comes to returning emails, answering my questions, and basically just being readily available, this is the minority. I am actually shocked when a band responds to me within 24 hours of my initial contact. I find myself literally awestruck by their punctuality, and feel an overwhelming urge to shake their hands. That’s a bit dramatic, but do you see my point?
Here is my proposal: if you care about your future make an investment in time. Every morning, check your email, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, blog; it doesn’t matter. Check any and every form of contact that your band uses to communicate with the world. Take a few minutes out of every day to check and double-check these resources to make sure you haven’t missed an important message.
Imagine if an agent or record label tried to contact you, and you failed to respond. That could have been your big break, but what? Were you too busy? Did you not have access to a computer or a phone? No record executive will find pity in your plight. Opportunity only knocks once, not twice.