Schmoozing

[FinnArild]

So - two days on a songwriting seminar by Jason Blume. Very interesting topic, of course but the real reason we all were there? Schmoozing - or Networking as somebody calls it.

I've learned to think positive, so I will say this is a big improvement potential for me. I had cards (albeit printed at home), went around and "helloed" people and tried to get some general contacts.

At the party after, I made the error of coming alone. It's terribly difficult to hook up with someone and not look lost if you know no-one in the room. Thankfully I managed to navigate myself to someone whom I had met at the course, and I also met some very interesting people throughout the night.

Anyway, some key learnings from my first event:

- Bring cards - I didn't bring cards the first day and soon realized I needed them, so I printed up cards on some 110 gr. paper and cut them up with a breadknife (turned out pretty good, actually) to bring the next day.

- Try not to go alone. If you do, try to hook up with others that are alone. A single person in a crowd sticks out like a sore thumb. You dont want to be a sore thumb in the music biz.

- Be interested in what other people do. Ask questions. Everybody's there to talk about themself. Let them - other than plain politeness, it might provide you with a job opportunity.

- Don't blabber about yourself all the time. I thought of this beforehand and decided it was a good idea to wait till someone asked you what you were doing before going on about it.

- When asked about what you do, have a clear idea about what you do. I talked to some younger people who clearly didn't have an idea of how they were going to do stuff, other than "getting signed" and "get famous". That's a see-through.

- Try not to flirt openly with the other sex, allthough a lot of that stuff is happening. We all have hormones - but that's not why _you_ are there. Unless you plan to sleep youself to a contract, talk the biz. There was a couple of incidents with women who was very interested in my projects until they noticed my ring and I told them that "yes, am very happily married and have been so for 13 years" - upon which I never saw them again ... that time would have been better spent with someone else.

Any other tip you might have would be greatly appreciated from everyone at Songstuff, I'm sure.

For info about my how my career is going, check out my blog. I will try to write in it on a semi-daily basis to give you (and the world) an insight in the (hopefully) making of a music career.

[ATom2]

Good one Fin!

[john]

Hey Finn

Nice one. Good blog too.

[Steve]

This is a great post Finn. Full of good information.

[nigel lawry]

yea great going finn...good luck with it