Oct 29 2011

Live at MOCA!

Last night was a wonderful concert! Many friends came, even thought rain threatened to fall, which it did at the end of the show. It poured! Thanks to the sound men and my musicians: Paul Banman (piano), Anthony Turner (bass) and my old friend David Nuby (drums) for the swinging music! Thanks to Roscoe for sitting in on drums.

But we had a great time. Everybody sang “Oh, Baby” and “No, no, no, no!” to A Tisket A Tasket.

I appreciate the staff at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Miami for booking us for the second time. I truly hope to do this venue again. I really love the people and the location. It is truly conducive to good jazz performance!

Thanks to all the new fans, who bought our CDs and gave us much love, especially my new friends from Madrid, Spain!

Love to Nathaniel, Harlan, Prince & the kids; Priscilla & David; Macarldie; Wanda; Alfreda; Juan & Friends; Vanessa & her family, especially her Mom! We so appreciate your coming out to sing with us in the RAIN!

Love and music,
Diva JC
www.joancartwright.com

Oct 27 2011

SO, YOU WANT TO OWN A MUSIC CLUB?

How to Establish a Music Club

Plan for a minimum of 12 months of consistent programming to develop an audience. Musicians attract people to a restaurant or bar. That’s not their job. They just do that in the process of performing their music in public. A well-informed club owner knows this and invests in publicity: print, radio and TV to promote his or her club. Do not rely on the fan base of musicians. Some owners are consistent, hiring the same band for a night a week, a weekend, a week, a month, etc. Others offer musicians one or two nights a month or a year. It’s the proprietor’s choice as to how musicians are presented. More often than not a consistent band brings in lots of new people, especially if they are crowd pleasers.
Musician fees and marketing expenses must be included in the 12 month budget. If you can’t afford it, wait until you can or DON’T DO IT! Too many people are affected by your inability to pay musicians, advertisers and staff. It’s your place and you are responsible to pay your staff, not the musicians and advertisers. Be professional. Understand that it’s not just a party. It’s a business that can draw hundreds of people, all of whom have their own agenda and a multitude of venues to choose from. Yours is just one in a multitude. Develop partnerships within your client and supplier connections for win-win outcomes.
Have a simple menu with few choices. Make sure your food is fresh, tasty and smells good.
You need professional waiters and bartenders. They are the ones who get customers to come back.
A consistent internal marketing and data capturing program must be in place BEFORE implementing a music program.
Musicians work to pay their bills like everyone else. Thinking that you should not pay them is disrespectful.
Advertise in your community. Fliers in the door of every resident let the community know you are there. It’s your backyard and those are the people who benefit most from your presence, if you cultivate a relationship with the residents. Word of mouth is a powerful promotional tool.
Have an affordable minimum that patrons must pay or have a cover charge at the door for entertainment. The first choice is most comfortable because people can eat and drink and fulfill a $15 minimum that includes musical entertainment.
Be friendly to your guests. They are your stockholders. They invest their entertainment budget in your establishment. The way you treat them encourages them to tell others about you and your place.
Promote, promote, promote! Hire a person to promote your club. You don’t have time to do this, personally. You need a face for the place that people in social circles recognize. Do social networking on Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Ning, Diggs, Google, Yahoo and other networks online.

So, You Want To Own A Music Club?
©2011 Joan Cartwright

Oct 22 2011

On Being A Musician

Musicians are at the top of the food chain.
The farmer’s child becomes a teacher.
The teacher’s child becomes a doctor.
The doctor’s child becomes a lawyer.
The lawyer’s child becomes a musician.
Our responsibility as musicians is to bring the message of peace, love, hope and joy into the world.
Do your job and you will be duly rewarded.
Love and music,
Diva JC
954-740-3398
Divajc47@yahoo.com
www.joancartwright.com