So where do you start?
   Your most important resource is your personal pipeline, otherwise known as your address book, your contact list, or your mailing list. Who do you already know? How many of them might hire you? Who else do they know who might hire you? Yamaha artist and trumpeter Mike Vax says that early on, he sent out mailings to four or five hundred educators a year, letting them know he was available for clinics. Fortunately for Vax, he was lucky to begin his career as a clinician with a great mailing list.

   "Early on in my career, I was in Stan Kenton's band. Since I was the road manager for the band, I kept the names and addresses of all the band directors that we had done clinics for during that time. When I took a break from the band, I sent a mailing out to all of those people. In a few months, I had so many clinics booked that I couldn't go back to the band."

   But not everyone can start out with a ready-made contact list. Fortunately, other resources are available. Professional associations like the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) make their mailing lists available to members at a reduced rate. Instrument associations like the International Trumpet Guild will also send out membership lists every year. Musical instrument dealers are another great source of potential bookings; dealers will frequently sponsor concerts at area schools in order to build their community name recognition and identify potential prospects.

But what should
you send?
   In terms of sending out PR materials to dealers and music directors, it's always best to keep things as streamlined as possible. "Simpler is better," says Vax. "If you send a whole press kit when they haven't asked you to, they may not even look at it. Instead, send a nice looking one-page brochure-like the ones that Yamaha prints for their artists. Then what I might do is include two other sheets-one for quotes from some band directors and newspapers, and another for my discography, the recordings I've been on, etc."

   Above all, be truthful.
You won't earn any return engagements or referrals by promising something that you can't deliver. "I read an article a few years ago which I think gave terrible advice," says Yamaha clarinet artist Dr. Arthur Campbell, who is a professor of music and clarinet instructor at Grand Valley State University. "It told people to intentionally 'hype themselves' to the point of bending the truth. Of course you should put your best foot forward, but your materials should be honest and accurate. It is often painfully obvious if they are not."

Then what?
   Keep it going. Once you've begun to book some gigs, you can build up your mailing list even more through the people who've hired you. Vax recommends asking them to give your name to other teachers or those who might be interested in a clinic.  Asking them to provide brief recommendations or quotes is also a great way to collect testimonials.

    But keep in mind that in order for your career to grow, you must be known for more than your musical gifts. "Of course your talents and abilities are the primary reason for being hired, but if you can build a reputation of being someone who is reliable, loves what they do, and is easy to work with, then your career will flourish," says Campbell. "Success has to do with the complete package."

Multiple Booking Tip

"If I get booked for something in one region, what I'll do is call them up and say 'OK, can you give me the names of some other band directors that are in your general area, but not close enough to hurt the attendance for your concert?' So I'll get some more names, call those people and say, 'Look, I'm going to be in the area. If you can book me in, then we can spread my travel and expenses over a couple of schools, rather than just one, and everybody gets a better deal.'" -Mike Vax