The Right Threads

Your clothes talk about you before you ever open your mouth. 

What are you trying to say?

• Wearing the right clothes can help get you hired AND keep you hired. 
• If you are asked to meet a potential employer, dress on the "up side" for the event.  
• Being a musician does not give you a license to wear just anything and expect to get hired just because you can shred on your instrument. 
• Some bands are going for a "look" and doing some research can help you make the right impression.  
• No one will accuse you of being a "sellout" for wearing decent shoes.
• If you are told to wear something of a certain color to a gig and you don't own that, you have two choices: Buy or borrow the item   or   Turn down the gig.   Wearing the wrong thing can lead to NEVER getting hired by that person again (or being fired upon arrival).
• If they say tux, they don't mean a black sport coat and black pants.  They mean a TUXEDO.  Get one if you are going to work in the music world where a tux is often the default choice.
• If they say long black dress...Long means LONG.
• Don't dress like a bum for rehearsals if you don't really (REALLY) know the situation.
• If you are a guy, invest in a dark suit.  Sooner or later you'll need it for a gig, meeting, or funeral.
• Before you leave for the gig, take a look in the mirror and ask if you'd hire that person.

Own Gear / Get Gigs

Investing in instruments and gear can pay off in getting engagements.  If the contractor calls with a job that requires the player to "double" on bass clarinet and you don't have access to one...goodbye to that gig!  In most cases, people want to hire players who own the instruments rather than paying for the musician AND the extra expense of renting  an instrument. 

It was great to have use of the university's piccolo while you were a student but maybe now it's time to have one of your own so that you can reply, "Sure, I have a piccolo.  What time is the rehearsal?"   If you are an electric guitarist and you do not own an acoustic...c'mon.

Remember:  There might be tax advantages to investing in a bari sax or flugelhorn...probably not with the big screen T.V.

Also, owning instruments and gear can provide an extra stream of income from renting items when you are not using them yourself.