Post CD Release Party Wrap-Up

The party was a full month ago, but with the holidays, well, you know how it goes....

What happened at the party? Was it a success or a dud? Did my bad party karma come back to haunt me?

Mother Nature was not on my side. We had a huge snowstorm the night of the party here at Tahoe. But my brother from Southern California and my cousin Joanne, from the state of Washington flew in to support me. Even he was worried that no one would show up. However, sure enough, fifty of my most diehard friends and fans came to the party. They braved the weather and the roads and were there for me. Like Russ, who drove from Sacramento, 100 miles away, and holed himself up in a motel just to attend. And my present and past harp students, Fred, Wanda, and Jo were there. Fred said, “I was worried that no one would come, and I wanted to attend and show you that yes, someone would attend.” I am truly touched and grateful to have such wonderful friends, fans, and loved ones.

Bread and Broth,  the nonprofit organization teaming up with me on the fundraiser, was on hand. Gift baskets filled with all kinds of goodies, from wine to bath salts, to music, were raffled off, with the proceeds going to help Bread and Broth feed the hungry on Thanksgiving Day. With only fifty people on hand, we raised nearly $200!

ScreenBooth Lake Tahoe and JJ Entertainment provided the entertainment. Everyone had a blast putting on silly hats and having their photos taken. And then Suzanne kept people guessing with the following quiz. Do you know all the answers? E-mail me your answers, and if you are correct, I’ll send you a download of one of my Celtic albums. But you must respond by February 1, 2011 to get a chance to receive the album download).

Finally, the food that Harrah’s Tahoe provided, and their service, couldn’t be beat. And the best part of it all was that I enough CDs to pay for the party and line my pockets, too. I’d call the party a success, even though Old Man Winter tried to ruin it.

My quick list of do’s and don’ts for throwing a successful CD release party:

1. Don’t limit your guest list.
Do make it a public party, because you never know if something uncontrollable (like a winter snowstorm) will prevent people from showing up.

2. Don’t use only one means of getting the word out.
Do be vigilant and follow up on your invites. Use email, facebook, mail paper invites, phone calls. Do everything you can to get invited guests to respond, because you’ll have a better handle on how much food and drink to order.

3. Don’t be cheap.
Do provide food, drink and fun for your guests. A party isn’t a party if all you are doing is sitting in a room signing CDs or playing a bit of music for your guests. The entire idea of having a fun event is that your guests will tell their friends, and you’ll have even more people attending your concerts and your next CD release party (and you’ll sell more CDs).

4. Don’t do it all yourself. 
Do team up with a non-profit community organization. You’ll feel good about giving to your community and you’ll receive extra publicity for your good deeds.
Do team up with another company in town to help you make your party happen. I worked with a local DJ and ScreenBooth company. They wanted the publicity, and I needed the help with throwing my party. Or, you can do what my friend Deborah, is doing—She is throwing her CD release party in a guitar store.

5. Don’t make your party inaccessible.
Do hold your party in the closest proximity to most of your fans. And make sure the room is big enough and there is plenty of parking. Holding my party at Harrah’s Tahoe really worked out, because they had valet service and covered parking, so people knew they didn’t have to deal with knocking snow off their cars after the party. Also, Harrah’s Tahoe is centrally located to all my Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley fans. They plow the roads in front of the building, and it is easy to find (all lit up on a cold winter’s night).

So go for it! Let me know how your CD release parties go...

In the meantime, Happy Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year!

Cheers,
Anne
---
http://www.celticharpmusic.com

P.S.—Here’s that trivia list. Email me your answers, and if you get them all correct, I’ll send you a f*ree album download. (Expires Feb 1, 2011)

Trivia questions (Hint—The answers to these questions are all found in the liner notes of my newest CDs, Blue Jeans and Velvet:

1. The Eagles wrote and performed “Desperado”. What other artist is also known for their version of this song?

2. In what movie did Disney borrow a theme by Tchaikovsky?

3. What rock song causes listeners to raise their lighters and shout the name of this song?

4. The 1937 movie “Top Hat” featured songs by what famous songwriter?

5. The singer of “My Girl” was known by what nickname?

6. “As Time Goes By” has been recorded by many artists. Which movie did it originally appear in?

7. People are often surprised to hear Anne play what song by Led Zeppelin?

8. Popular pianist “Fats” Waller is represented on Anne’s Velvet album by what two songs?

9. What popular British group wrote and performed “I Will” and “Black Bird”?

10. What vocalist, known as the “First Lady of Song”, recorded at least four of the tunes that are on Anne’s Velvet album?

11. Which early Jackson 5 song appears on Anne’s “Blue Jeans” album?

12. The tune “You Belong to Me” goes way back to vocalists Jo Stafford and Dean Martin. What recent animated movie was it featured in?

13. How well do you know Anne: Which of the following statements is not true?

A. Anne taught Algebra for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
B. Anne also plays the guitar.
C. Anne once sold burglar alarm systems.
D. Anne is a martial artist.
E. Anne can analyze your handwriting.

Celtic harp, Modern Pop and Anne Roos

So what do Celtic harp, airlines, and modern pop music have in common? Anne Roos!

Anne’s career spans nearly three decades with a repertoire covering traditional Celtic, English, folk, Broadway, rock, jazz and contemporary music. She’s performed and appeared all over the world from the Tahoe Tonight show to the Lord Mayors mansion in Dublin, Ireland, while still finding time to serve as a teacher, mentor and consultant to other burgeoning artists. Anne is literally everywhere — in fact, if you’ve flown on United Airlines lately, you probably heard her on their in-flight music service. Here’s a bit more about our favorite Celtic harpist:

Spotlight on Anne Roos

• Website: http://www.celticharpmusic.com
• Hometown: Presently residing in South Lake Tahoe, CA, but grew up in Southern California in Studio City
• Influences: “My biggest influence is Alan Stivell. He is a Celtic harpist from Brittany, and I first saw him perform at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica in the ’80s, just after I had begun taking harp lessons. I remember sitting in the second row trying to make sense of his hand technique. His performance was simply magical, and he is credited as one of the first musicians to help popularize the Celtic harp in the U.S. He continues to perform, and his most recent CDs contain cutting edge world music.”
• Cover song licensed: Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven”
• Story behind the cover: “There’s always someone who requests me to play “Stairway to Heaven” and then retract their request saying, “I’m just kidding. I know you can’t play that.” So, I decided to call their bluff. Now when they ask, I say, “Yes, really, I can play that,” they look at me with a big smile of disbelief. After I finish playing it, they usually say, “Wow, do you have that on a CD?” The answer has been a disappointing, “No,” but after working with RightsFlow and getting this tune and other covers licensed, I can now turn a request into a sale. When I began landing gigs playing at restaurants, wedding receptions, corporate events, and even private clubs, such as the high rollers’ lounges at local Tahoe casinos, the audience wanted more than the traditional Celtic music tailor-made for the Celtic harp. I wanted to play music that they recognized and loved, so I worked at taking their requests. It was a stretch to play modern-day songs on the Celtic harp, but I succeeded, and my repertoire expanded exponentially.”

“Stairway to Heaven” is just one of 22 cover tunes on her new CD “Blue Jeans: Modern Pop on the Solo Harp”, available on iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. Signed copies are available for purchase from Anne’s website at www.celticharpmusic.com or call or email Anne at 800-255-6318.

Original post on Limelight Artist Spotlight as written by Alex Holtz

Tips on how to get RSVPs for a party

It Worked!

Last week, I mentioned in this blog that I couldn’t figure out how to get people to reply to my CD Cocktail Party & Fundraiser invitation. I think I cracked the code, because now I’ve received a flurry of responses, and they keep coming in. Invited guests are getting back to me, whether they can make it or not!

Here’s what worked for me:

1. Send a party reminder, but don’t call it a “party reminder”—What you put into your subject line of your email counts. The subject line to my email read, “Are You Coming to My Party? Please Respond.” And they did.

2. Explain to invited guests why they need to respond—In the party reminder, I said, “If you plan to attend and haven't yet responded, please reply to this email and also indicate the number of guests you are bringing along. This way, I'll know how much food to order.” In other words, I told them that I couldn’t properly prepare for the party without hearing from them.

And

3. Send the reminder the old-fashioned way—I don’t mean by snail mail—Do send the reminder via e-mail. But don’t bother using lots of photos and pretty stuff in the email invite reminder. Don’t send the reminder through an online invitation service, either. Don’t do anything that will cause your invite reminder to get stuck in someone’s junk mail folder, never to be seen by human eyes. Use plain text (include a link to the original invitation), and bcc to no more than a dozen guests at a time, and your reminder has a much bigger chance of landing in the invited guest’s inbox.

That’s it. So now it’s the countdown to my big CD Release Party! And you’re invited, too!

Cheers,
Anne :-)

P.S.—Do tell...What worked for you when you were trying to get a large number of people to RSVP to a party invitation?

2nd Annual Wedding Faire and Fashion Show

Planning a wedding at Lake Tahoe or Northern Nevada? Meet and audition me at the 2nd Annual Wedding Faire and Fashion Show at Reno’s premiere special event center, The Grove--one of the first green special event centers in the country! Enjoy butler-passed appetizers and a full non-hosted bar as you listen to me perform on my Celtic harp. Email me with your request and I’ll play it for you. Admission is free!

Event details: 
October 3, 2010 at  11am-3pm

Location and information:
The Grove at South Creek
96 Foothill Rd.
Reno,  Nevada
(775)324-7684

Turning and Avocation into a Vocation

The following was originally posted by Caroline Dowd-Higgins from her blog "This is Not the Career I Ordered" on August 2, 2010

Finding it hard to sit still at a desk job, Anne Roos had many occupations over the years before she found her dream career. She was a high school teacher in northern California but didn’t feel supported by the administration and soon burned out because it was not a good fit. All along she had been pursuing her passion on the weekends as a harpist for weddings, concerts and special events. But could she actually make money as a full-time musician?

Turning and Avocation into a Vocation

Anne knew she needed a change from the monotonous filler jobs that were not honoring her passions or her values. She longed for a career that stimulated her intellectually, artistically, and financially, so she took the plunge and decided to make playing the harp her livelihood and not her avocation.

In college, Anne studied music theory and received her formal music education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). When the Celtic harp piqued her interests, she studied harp techniques from world-renowned harpist Sylvia Woods and contributed to her book Music Theory & Arranging Techniques for Folk Harps. Anne also studied professional stage performance with Ed Hooks (San Francisco, CA) and at the Living History Centre (Novato, CA). Fully trained as a professional musician, Anne didn’t pursue the Celtic harp as a career option right out of university but is now enjoying the opportunities to perform, market, and promote herself as a freelance musician.

From the Wedding March to Frank Sinatra

Her performance career started with Renaissance fairs, and she quickly became a favored soloist for many other types of events. Anne is especially popular for weddings and corporate events. Her concert performances attract international acclaim—Anne’s music has been featured on United Airlines in-flight Music Service. Her music repertoire spans traditional Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Welsh), English, folk, religious and secular, Early, Renaissance and classical music, to Broadway, contemporary modern, popular movie music, Beatles, rock and jazz, and her range is virtually unlimited.

Anne can easily provide the traditional “Canon in D” and “Here Comes the Bride” for a wedding processional, but can also play classic Frank Sinatra or Metallica at a reception. Her ability to faithfully play this broad range of musical styles has made here a popular and much sought after musician for all types of events.

Anne also has a number of CDs available on the market. Her recordings are unique—Her recent releases are actually little books with CDs tucked neatly into the back page. This way, instead of simply buying downloads, her customers have the option of buying souvenir of Anne’s performance that has added value as a gift item.

Risky Business

So why didn’t Anne start out her career as musician and bypass teaching and all the other jobs? At that point in her life, being a musician seemed too risky and not a practical way to earn a living. But over the years, Anne developed a true sense of what she really values on the job and all things kept pointing back towards what she really loved – the Celtic harp.

She now appreciates the opportunity to make her own decisions. She chooses her own bosses in the form of clients for whom she performs. When she made the commitment to give the harp a go seriously, she kept a part-time job at a book store until her scheduled gigs became a full-time endeavor. These baby steps allowed her to pursue guerilla marketing to get the word out about her offerings and made the transition financially feasible.

Since Anne is her own agent, publicist, and marketing specialist, she has become an expert at building professional relationships. Much of her work comes from referrals so it is imperative that she make each client happy, especially the brides, in order to keep the business moving forward. Brides talk to each other so this network has become very valuable in building her business.

Keeping the Brides Happy

Anne is also a published author and considered a wedding music specialist with her book “The Musician’s Guide to Brides”, published by Hal Leonard books as a how-to manual for musicians who are interested in performing at weddings. She also wrote an upcoming book, through the same publisher. It’s for brides and is called “The Bride’s Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable”, due on the market in December of 2010.

Anne counsels and mentors musicians and entrepreneurs to help them make a living by gigging and provides amazing information and resources on her blog: What’s Up With That Gig? This is a wonderful way for Anne to pay-it-forward to others who are paving their way as a professional musician. She covers topics like writing a press release, marketing tactics for musicians and tapping into your business intuition.

Anne also hired a virtual personal assistant to do much of the administrative work for the business so she can focus on making music and meeting with new clients. The human touch is what distinguishes Anne’s business. She takes pride in meeting with prospective clients in person to get to know them and design music for their event in a more personal and customized way.

While business has steadily increased, Anne remembers the early days when she would take any job she could get because she needed the money. She later developed a 6th sense, an intuition of sorts, about which clients she would enjoy working with, ensuring that they would derive maximum benefit from her performance.

Anne really appreciates being her own boss and being able to take time off when she needs it. She has also learned to hire others who do what she cannot to make her business more successful. Her website is her best marketing tool and includes audio and video examples of her work plus an online store where clients can buy her books and many recordings.

A Tweeting Harpist

The rise of social media has helped Anne connect with clients on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and elsewhere on the ‘net. She is a Celtic harpist with an online presence and finds these resources incredibly beneficial to continue to build her brand and client base.

While classroom teaching was not a good fit in a previous life, Anne now enjoys working with students presenting a number of educational demonstrations for school assemblies annually. She presents workshops and teaches private lessons when her busy performance schedule permits. Anne enjoys teaching students one-on-one, and even does so utilizing computer teleconferencing software, such as Skype. Her public performances include appearances in venues both small and grand: from book stores, private clubs, and café concert venues to resort hotels, cruise ships, Highland Games, Celtic and Renaissance fairs, wineries, meditation retreats, and convention centers. She has accepted invitations to perform for many dignitaries at home and abroad, including, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland!

Join the Club

Anne told me that she will know she has made it when she can book a private plane to take her and her harp to play gigs wherever she wants around the world! But seriously, she always welcomes new opportunities. At present, Anne is located in the Lake Tahoe region but she aspires to grown her business to take on more international performance opportunities.

For now, this Celtic harpist is very happy playing to her strengths and living her passion. While most musicians transition the other way from a musical career to something else, Anne has taken her musical role to new heights and is thriving with a multi faceted career that includes performance, consulting, teaching and advising other musicians. She even formed a Celtic Harp Club for fans who can follow her travels and receive a free download of her music.

Anne’s Advice and Action Steps:

Hire professionals to do what you can’t. It will save you time and money in the long run.
Seek out resources and support from trusted referrals.
Don’t quit your day job. When transitioning into a new career as an entrepreneur, retain and income until you know it’s time to move on.

Quote: “Take baby steps to realize your dream. It will happen but be patient and always ready.”

Music for Your Wedding

Got wedding questions? Need some music suggestions for your wedding? You'll find answers to many questions, such as what to songs to choose for your wedding march. You can also type in your own questions and receive answers.
WeddingQuestions.net also contains answers for many other wedding questions you may have. It's a sort of "Dear Abbey" for wedding how-to questions and wedding etiquette questions. Check it out. Ask some questions. Get some answers. Have a wonderful wedding day!

When Your Client Isn’t the Bride-Part 3

This is the last in a 3-part series on the ups and downs with working with a client that is not the bride.

When Your Client is the Mother of the Bride, the Groom, or Other Family and Friends of the Bride

These people, the bride’s loved ones, are emotionally connected to the wedding details, unlike booking agents or wedding coordinators.

Most of the musicians I interviewed had no problems or issues working with the mothers of brides, or any of her family and friends, for that matter. They typically do not hover about musicians on the wedding day, because they are part of the wedding party and busy tending to other activities. As long as they are speaking for the best interests of the bride and groom, family members are a pleasure to work with.

The trouble arises when a loved one, typically the mother of the bride or the mother of the groom, makes decisions about your services without consulting with the bride and groom first. Then she is no longer working for the wedding couple’s best interests.

It’s rare when a conflict of interest arises between the wedding couple and the person who actually hired me. When it does, I try to be as diplomatic as possible. I listen to the bride’s concerns and then explain my situation: Her mother signed my contract, and therefore, I must follow her instructions. Then I ask the bride if she can discuss the issue with her mother and come to a mutual agreement.

The person who signs my contract has “veto power.” That’s the way it is, legally. So, I take the time to explain this to the bride and groom if differences of opinion come up. Open communication is the key.

I’ve barely touched the surface of the problems that can arise at weddings and how to solve them.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

When Your Client Isn’t the Bride-Part 1

I am dedicating these next few blog postings to musicians with tips for when your client isn't the bride. This will be a weekly series, so stay tuned......

WHEN YOUR CLIENT IS A BOOKING AGENT

“My sole inspiration is a telephone call from a producer.”—Cole Porter

Good booking agents have a handle on their musicians’ talents, so that they can make decisions about who to hire at a moment’s notice. There are some booking agents who receive a commission from you to find you work.

Waiting for the phone to ring from a booking agent who hires talent for weddings may be a long wait. They work for the bride, not for you.

The booking agent is hired and paid by the bride. They’ll phone, fax, or email you with a job order, simply asking you if you are available. Then they’ll supply you with the time, date, location, and all the particulars in order for you to respond quickly with your price and availability. “Quickly” is the operative word here. A bride will hire a booking agent for the following reasons:
1. She hasn’t the time or energy to search for live entertainers on her own.
2. She has a lot of money to spare and is happy to pay someone to take care of hiring entertainment for her wedding.
3. She has looked for entertainers on her own, but has exhausted all the possibilities she knows of.
4. She needs to hire a musician fast!

Whatever the reason may be, the booking agent will need a response from you pronto.

The longer it takes for them to get back to the bride with your quote, the greater the chance that they will phone someone else and assume you are not interested. You stand a better chance of landing the the gig if you give them a small discount, because the bride is more likely to book you with a smaller mark-up. Also, a booking agent may be more likely to recommend your services if they know you’ll give them a discount.

If a booking agent contacts you about a wedding gig and you have never worked with them before, do some research. Phone other musicians in your area and see if they have had any experience working with the agent. You’ll want to find out if they were sent good wedding jobs and if they were paid in a timely manner.

When a booking agent hires you to play for a wedding, ask them to sign your contract, just as you would with all other clients. They may have their own contract for you to sign, as well.

The booking agent will tell you what to play, when to play it, and how to dress. They’ll give you directions to the wedding location and describe exactly where you’ll set up. They’ll even let you know if you will be served a meal at the wedding or not. They are your sole contact for the wedding. You will not be working with the bride.

This can be wonderful if the booking agent is truly on top of all the details and communicates them to you. It is not so wonderful when the agent drops the ball and leaves out some important pieces of information that you’ll need to know to do your job properly. After being booked for just one wedding job through a booking agent, you’ll know if you’ll ever want to work with them again.

If you decide to build a good, solid relationship with them, they will continue to think of you when a bride is seeking just your kind of talent. Get in touch with the booking agent right after the wedding job, thank them, and report to them how things went.

There is one thing you must never do when a booking agent sends you on a wedding gig: Never give out your business cards or brochures to a wedding guest when you are hired by a booking agent to perform. Instead, give the guests your booking agent’s card. This is the best way to say “Thank you!” to the booking agent who sent you out on that job.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

Mix With Music Masters

On February 24, 2010 at 5:30-7:30 pm I will be a panelist at this music industry networking opportunity.
This is an evening to meet music industry pros who will join in a panel discussion of today's music business and the essentials you'll want in your toolkit as you make your way. I will be on hand, along with other top music industry experts at this free meet-and-greet event. Seating is limited. Request your personal invitation at Tanglewood Productions.

Tips for Writing a Good Ad

It’s an art to be able to write an ad that resonates in the bride’s consciousness, which makes her feel like she MUST find out more about you and your music. I’m not an advertising executive, so I’ll just offer a few points that have worked well for me over the years.

1. What’s the purpose of your ad? Of course, you are introducing yourself to brides. You are also telling them why they should consider hiring you—you are explaining your special benefits to them. This  harkens back to your brochure design, (see previous post) but unless you are advertising on the Internet, you will have very limited space to work with. Boil your advertising copy down to exactly what you want to convey. Be brief and avoid hype. Your print ad is not a late-night infomercial.

2. Write your copy so that a kid can understand it. If you have any children who are at least ten years old, run your rough draft by them. It’s a brilliant way to test your copy. Your ad must make sense to your readers, regardless of their educational level. Besides, if it’s too complex, no one will take the time to read it. Make it fun to read and your advertisement will be remembered.

This method also works for artwork—Jerry DeCrotie, the illustrator for this book, regularly shares his cartoon ideas with his kids. “Sometimes they come up with ideas I haven’t even thought about”.

3. Write a headline that stands out. The headline draws the reader into the body of your ad. Look at the headlines of the existing ads where you’ll be advertising. Then, make your ad different so it will stand out. Let your headline introduce the topic of your ad in just a few words. Be sure that the words in the headline are at that 5th grade reading level, too.

4. Leave room in the ad for a photo. Even if you are purchasing a small, business card sized ad, include a photo showing you with your instrument. Select a photo that looks great even when reduced down to a very small size. If you are not sure which photo to use, ask your graphic designer to help you select the right one.

5. Include a “ call to action”. Tell the readers how to reach you. List your phone number, email address, and web site.

A final word about print advertising: Be a proof Nazi. When you agree to purchase advertising, find out not only when copy is due, but also when you will receive a proof. Respect the deadline to submit corrections. You may have very little time to proof an ad before it goes into print, so get on it right away. In particular, proof all your copy with a fine-tooth comb, especially your contact information. Once an ad goes into print, it cannot be fixed.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

What to Include in Promotional Brochures

1. A headline. You want this statement to catch the reader’s attention and cause the reader to want to learn more about your services.

2. Your contact information: your name or your band’s name, area code with phone number, email address, and website address. Your address may be included or not, depending on how you intend to distribute your brochures. If the brochure will be a self-mailer, just print your return address on the blank side of the brochure, and there will be no need to print it elsewhere. Include this information on the front of your brochure, and even on several other panels of your brochure, for good measure.

3. Copyright notice. Put a © with your name and the year on the brochure, usually on the back of the brochure or in some inconspicuous place. This is giving copyright notice and will help to insure that your competitors do not swipe the printed information and artwork in your brochure.

4. The benefits of hiring you to perform. Review your competitions’ brochures to decide what to include. Not all of the benefits you list have to be uniquely your own. For instance, your competition may list that they provide amplification free of charge. It may be prudent for you to do the same, just so that your clients know you also have a sound system available. However, also add the unique benefits to hiring you. Your clients will believe they are getting more value for their money.

5. Testimonials. These are positive quotes from key people. If you are just starting out, you can use verbal quotes from friends, mentors, and your music instructor. If you have been performing a while, use quotes from the thank-you notes you received from past wedding clients. You can also include brief excerpts of quotes from reviews of your public stage performances and your CDs, but remember your target client, the bride. It will be most important to her that other wedding clients of yours have something positive to say about you. Be honest in all the quotes you provide and respect your client’s intelligence. People can see through boastfulness. If they think you are making stuff up and are full of boloney, will they hire you?

6. Educate your potential clients. What can you tell your future clients about your instrument and the kind of music that is your specialty? Do a little research and include a short paragraph. And if you have been performing for a while, offer brides suggestions about how to select their music, how to hire musicians, or any other kinds of free advice. Give them a little free information, just for picking up your brochure and showing an interest in you. Offering advice establishes you as an authority in your field.

7. Your experience. This is also known as your bio, and this deserves an entirely new blog posting . . .

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

The Wonderful World of Interactive Gigs

I started the New Year off performing for Edie’s 70th birthday party. What a blast. Her husband, Jack, invited me to play for the birthday dinner at a popular Chinese restaurant in old town Folsom, California. Jack made all the musical selections with me beforehand, and he asked many questions about the tunes. I just thought he was interested, but he made a game of it at the birthday party.

Once everyone was seated, Jack announced to all guests the instructions to the game: They would hear one tune played on the harp that was the love song from the movie “Ghost”, and another tune that was made popular in the movie “Ordinary People”. As soon as someone hears the song, they need to raise their hand and shout out the answer. That person would get a prize (a free sandwich coupon at a local eatery).

Not only did the guests become attentive to the music between their courses of egg rolls and chow mien, it struck up all kinds of conversations about music. And Edie, the guest of honor, was having a great time, as everyone sang “Happy Birthday” accompanied by me on the harp.

My next gig this year was performing for a corporate dinner party at the lovely Edgewood Country Club here at Lake Tahoe. A meeting planner booked me for the performance, and she didn’t know the age group that would be attending the party. So I brought along a wide assortment of sheet music, just in case guests would have requests. Turns out they began requesting music from the moment I began playing Sting’s “Field’s of Gold” and the Beatle’s “I Will”.

In the middle of the festivities, the host announced me by name and said I’d be playing something unusual on the harp for everyone. I selected “Stairway to Heaven”, which was met with “Woot! Woot!” from the crowd. Then, they held up their cell phones, lighters, and candle centerpieces to show their appreciation. I received a big round of applause, quite unexpectedly.

When a gig becomes interactive, it’s great fun for the musicians and the guests. It’s the reason to have live music at an event—getting the guests involved in music that is organically created at any moment.

Tips for Brides, Event Planners, And Anyone Hiring Performers

Invent ways to have your guests interact with the musician. You could include a musical guessing game, allow your guests to throw out requests to willing musicians, do live karaoke with your musicians, pair up songs to announce different events at your party, and more. The music can become the party game or centerpiece of your event, and people will long remember the music afterwards.

Tips for Musicians

Extend your repertoire. Be willing to take requests, accompany others, or simply show off a tune that people won’t expect. Learn to read the crowd by their age ranges and trust your instincts to play what you know they’ll enjoy. It’s a lot of fun to be flexible and surprise your audience.

I have a friend who leads a string quartet, and to this day, one of the most surprisingly popular tunes his ensemble plays is the theme from the Flintstone’s cartoon. Blows the socks off of anyone who may think they are a stuffy string quartet. And I can’t tell you how many people crave hearing “Stairway to Heaven”, “Free Bird” and perhaps a Nirvana or Metallica tune on the Celtic harp. You become a popular commodity when you can think outside the box and provide some unexpected entertainment for your guests. Word gets around about your abilities and you’ll get more bookings.

Have a wonderful New Year and make sure to check out more tips for musicians in my book “The Musician’s Guide to Brides” (which also contains great marketing ideas for all gigs) available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com , and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=9
I’m looking forward to reading your stories, comments, and feedback.

Anne :-)

Anne Roos
Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos

(And contact me at anne@celticharpmusic.com for personal consultation and mentoring—Make a living while gigging)

Finding the Perfect Bridal Fair to Show Off Your Talents

I will an exhibitor at the Dream Wedding Show on February 28, 2010 at 11 am-4 pm.
Located at the Cal Expo
1600 Exposition Blvd.
Sacramento, California

Before committing to a Bridal Fair, ask the following questions:

1. Has the promoter produced any other wedding fairs or is this one of their first events? If they produce shows on a regular basis, request statistics of how many brides walked through the front door. This way, you will get an idea of how many bookings are possible at the show (but if they quote 1,000, remember that you will only have time to talk with a small percentage of these brides). Keep in mind promoters may quote the number of people in attendance, not brides. If this is the case, this figure will be inflated, since brides often bring parents and friends along with them to shows.

2. Where is the show located? Brides are likely to attend shows that are in the same towns where they plan to get married. If you live in a rural town fifty miles away from where the bridal fair is held, are you willing to drive this distance for each wedding you book at the show?

3. What are the dimensions of the booth? You’ll need to determine if you, your ensemble members, your performance equipment, several chairs, and a table can fit comfortably in the space provided. After your visit to another bridal fair, you should have a good idea of how much space you will need to eff ectively promote your musical talents to brides.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

3 Money Saving Tips for Audio and Video Demos

When a potential client is intrigued by the services you have to offer for their wedding (perhaps because of your wonderful business cards and brochures), the very question they are likely to ask is, “Do you have a demo?”

If your answer is "no", read on for 3 money saving tips:

1. Incorporate video clips of your live performances at weddings into your demo tapes. As long as the film quality is apparent, you can save a bundle in shooting costs. You’ll need to get permission from the bride to use the video as a demo. As a gesture of goodwill, you will also need to credit the videographer in the film.
2. Record the video demo first, and then use its soundtrack for your audio demo.
3. Extract stills from your video demo to use as promotional photos.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

For Musicians and Entrepreneurs

If you want to keep up with how to use the Internet to reach new customers and fans, and to stay in touch with them, you've got to read Joan Stewart's great free e-book, "The Best of The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week 2009". It's a compilation from Joan's fabulous weekly e-newsletters, which I always can't wait to receive.

I got introduced to Joan when I heard her teleseminar with my friend Bob Baker called "Do-it-Yourself PR Tips for Songwriters, Musicians & Bands on a Budget" . But to me, her very best e-book is her "How to Be a Kick-Butt Publicity Hound", the up-to-date bible on how to get the word out about any business. It contains some very novel ideas. Not your run-of-the-mill business book.

For musicians, you'll find Joan's helpful advice, along with more business advice in my "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings" book, available on Amazon.com, SheetMusicPlus.com, and of course at my website, Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos.

Four Print Advertising Vehicles to Promote your Wedding Services

1. The Yellow Pages of your local phone book.
Old-fashionedas it seems in this Internet age, this is one form of advertising you should not pass up. If you do not invest in any other print advertisement, you should invest in this one. The Yellow Pagesis the best-distributed print vehicle that you’ll find. They aren’t just found hanging from metal cords in phone booths (which are becoming obsolete with the high use of cell phones). TheYellow Pages are dropped off at the door of all local residents and businesses for free. They are inside hotel and motel rooms, and most businesses have one stashed somewhere. It reaches many, many people within a specific geographical area, and it exposes people to your ad for at least a year. (Some Yellow Pages are reprinted more frequently than others, so the length of exposure depends upon region).

2. Newspapers.
With newspaper advertising, you have some control over how long you want your ad to run. And like theYellow Pages, you can select a local regional newspaper to reach local brides. Newspapers are also like the Yellow Pages, because you reach a large, general population of readers who are not necessarily brides.

3. Magazines.
They are not published as frequently as newspapers, so the exposure your ad gets depends upon whether the reader hangs on to the magazine issue, passes it along to friends, or just throws it away.

4. Radio and Television.
Radio and television advertising is very cost-prohibitive, and commercials only work when they are run frequently when your target audience of brides are listening. Leave this advertising to bridal fair promoters, restaurants, and receptions halls that book weddings.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

Press Releases-They Lead to Free Advertising

A press release, or news release, is simply a bit of tantalizing information that you send off to the media. It tells them why they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to mention you in their next newspaper or magazine edition, their next podcast, radio or TV broadcast, or their website
e-zine or blog. You write the press release, and you send it. If the recipient likes what you wrote, off it goes into print, broadcast, or over the worldwide web.

Your press releases can round up publicity that money simply cannot buy.

Here are six examples of what publicity can do for you:

1. Publicity brings you wedding business—It has the power to increase traffic to your website, make your phone ring off the hook, and fill your email inbox with inquiries.

2. Publicity can get the word out about your musical abilities cheaper than paying for advertisements (and often, withmore media coverage).

3. Publicity turns you into a wedding music expert. Brides who read and hear about you will be convinced that you are a professional worth hiring. They will believe that you have a good reputation and shine above your competition.

4. Publicity gives your clients and your potential clients a chance to know more about you. It gives them the opportunityto examine you and your talents beyond the carefully crafted information in your brochures.

5. Publicity for “ good works” makes you look good in your immediate community and among your musician peers. Besides, brides like to hire nice people.

6. Publicity gives you credentials. Forever after you appear in a column of “Modern Bride”, you can quote the writer directly in all your PR literature. Instant testimonials!

7. Publicity can bring you fantastic performing opportunities that you would have never received without the media exposure.

Are you hesitant to get the word out that you are available to play at weddings? If you are new to performing for pay, it’s understandable that you may not feel comfortable tooting your own horn. The solutionis to think of things in this way: by sending out press releases, you are doing a great service for brides by helping them find you. You are also helping the media reach those brides—You’re supplying them with interesting information about you and your music.

How to Use Photos for Your Business Cards or Brochures

The photos that you print on your brochures or business cards, or that you post on your website and save for press releases and paid advertisement, must all accomplish one thing: they visually must tell who you are. This snapshot of you needs to fit into the bride’s imaginary picture of her perfect wedding day. How can you visually make yourself fit into her picture?

Here are some general thoughts about photos:

1. A professional photo makes you look professional. Shop for a photographer who has produced the “look” that you want. View their portfolio. A good photographer will be able to get the photo to reveal something about the subject’s personality.

2. Include your instruments in all your photos. The kinds of band shots you see on MySpace.com do not cut it here, where the band members are standing around, looking cool, without an instrument in sight. A bride wants to see exactly what you’ll look like when you
perform for her, which means she also needs to see what your instrument looks like. If you are in a band, your wedding PR photo should show everyone holding his or her instruments. It could be a still shot or an action shot, with everyone playing. It doesn’t matter as long as your instruments and your faces can be seen plainly.

3. Dress like you would dress when you are performing at a wedding. Look the part. A bride wants to see how you will show up at her wedding. Will you show up in a tux and cleanly shaven, or will you be wearing the trendiest shirt, unbuttoned to your waist, with your hair gelled so it sticks straight up? Which picture fits the bride’s fantasy the best?

4. Recruit the services of a make-up artist, if needed. Women should wear heavier make-up for photo sessions. With digital photography, you can see exactly what the camera sees right after the picture is snapped. You’ll have instant feedback about how your make-up looks. But when the photographer is snapping away, there won’t be any time to review your make-up in each shot.

5. Your band or ensemble must look like a cohesive group. This goes further than making sure everyone is dressed like they are in the same band. Facial expressions should be the same, too, with no one member looking off in a diff erent direction wearing a scowl when
everyone else is looking into the camera with a pleasant smile.

6. Update your photos anytime your appearance changes. These changes include changes of personnel in your band or ensemble, significant weight changes, dramatically
different hair styles or colors, wearing contact lenses instead of glasses, and so on.

7. Show that you love what you do. Your wedding PR photo is not one of those photos that are taken of models in high-fashion magazines, where they look posed with serious looks on their faces. Look like you love playing for weddings!

Publicity photos and graphics can help you double the coverage you're now getting.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.

Thinking Outside the Box

My newest gig, recording music for the e-card company Banjo Bunny, landed a notice in Jammin Dave Jackson’s Musicians Cooler Podcast. Here are the show notes from this November 26, 2009 episode:

Thinking Outside the Box

One artist that is thinking outside the box is Anne Roos who is a Celtic harpist and author of the book “The Musician's Guide to Brides” (great book by the way). She loves E-cards. She happened to notice that one e-card company uses instrumental music. She contacted them about using her music. They liked her music so much they've invited her to record music exclusive music for their cards.

Other fabulous ideas about how to think differently than other musicians and gather notice are included in this fun informational podcast, just for musicians.

The Musicians Cooler Podcast is a weekly podcast to help musicians get more gigs, more fans, and more music sales by harnessing the power of the Internet through relentless marketing, efficient use of music promotion tools, and a driving desire to spread their music to the world.

How to get the "Wow" Factor with Business Cards

Very early on in my career, I experimented with different business cards, trying to find a card that would stand out, a card that would not get thrown away after I handed it to someone. I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on cards, but I wanted something that had a classy look and feel, because to me, harp music is classy. I found a wonderful deep burgundy paper that looked almost like velvet.

I printed my information with silver ink on that card, and when I passed it out, people exclaimed in glee, “Ooooo!” I knew I was on to something. They were intrigued about my music and asked me questions about my music, fees, and availability, all because of the look and feel of that little card.

In truth, you’ll want to hear that reaction from all the materials in your promo package. Get this response from your business card, and then design the look and feel of all your other materials around it.

Here are just a few guidelines to having them printed:
1. Stick with the standard business card size (2'' × 3½''). It should fi t into a wallet easily. Avoid having your business cards printed on paper, or other materials, that are too thick.

2. Include your name, area code and phone number, email address and website address. Optional additions to your card may be your cell number, fax number, and mailing address. If you are in a band or ensemble, print the name of the group and the contact name or leader of the group, if it isn’t you.

Don’t forget to include the identity statement and any artwork that also appears on your stationery. Running out of room on your card for all the necessary information? You can also use the back of your card. However, I caution against doing this, only because sometimes people will want to write down notes about you on the back of your business card, and they fi nd that blank space useful.

If you want to include a lot of information on your business cards, consider printing “ tent cards”. These cards fold in half to be the same size as standard business cards. You can print all kinds of extra information inside of the fold. Tent cards can also stand up on tables, which may come in handy for table display in a bridal boutique or at a bridal fair.

3. Be creative with special colors of ink, card stock, and typestyle to match the identity you want to convey. For example, if you specialize in early music, your cardstock could look like parchment paper and you could choose a gothic typestyle. Just be sure you choose a font style and size that is easy to read!

Business cards do not have to be an expensive investment. In fact, if you are just starting out and have few funds for printing promo materials, you can get by with just your business cards and some matching stationery. If you have a laser printer, you can print business cards from your computer. A number of word processing programs come with business card templates, and the card stock can be purchased at an office supply store. If you go this do-it-yourself route, make sure your cards and stationary look as good as if they were designed and printed by a professional print shop. If not, your business cards will send an underlying message to potential clients that you are “cheap”, implying that you are not a professional class act.

If you decide to shop at a discount office supply store, they usually offer business card and letterhead printing services, but their selection of inks, typestyles, and papers may be limited. I have found some very unique online catalogues that sell beautiful matching business cards, stationery, and envelopes. Do a Google search on the terms “business cards” and “stationery”, and you’ll find a number of ready-made designs to have imprinted with your information.

The letterhead you choose should be created around your business card design. Again, think in terms of sending a uniform message to your client about who you are. Be generous when passing out your cards. Business cards, when properly designed to cause the “Ooooo!” response, are your strongest promotional commodity.

Copyright © 2008 by Anne Roos, excerpt from "The Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings", published by Hal Leonard Books. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form, without written permission, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review.

Hundreds of additional tips, are available for musicians (and all entrepreneurs) in my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, Sylvia Woods Harp Center catalog, and of course, at my website at http://www.celticharpmusic.com/.