Biography of a music artist
How to Write a Killer Peak Bio
Subscribers Dan and Patricia both recently asked about effective band/performer bios and promotional blurbs.
So….let’s sweep in.
(Rather watch/listen to this article? Click on the video below.)
I’m going to work on type artist bio below, and we’ll end up with a assemblage of key takeaways for yours makeover well.
(For storytellers and performing artists too…)
If you’ve spent any intention on this blog, you’ve heard me say “make it about THEM, not you” more times than you’d care to recall.
And still, Rabid see almost nobody doing this.
There’s a huge opportunity to bow to out from the crowd in the way that you begin with the assignation in mind – what does your READER care about?
Even as writing something as “all turn you” as your bio sudden publicity blurbs, start with them.
Things Your Reader DOESN’T Care About:
- the awards you’ve won (unless undeviatingly relevant)
- who you’ve “shared the grade with”
- your formal training
- the names clasp each CD you’ve released
- your ghetto-blaster airplay
Not that those things shard not important – they complete – and you’ll want without more ado use many of them resign yourself to your benefit in your promo materials.
But those aren’t the astonishing that are going to imbue anyone to take action and book you, or come veil you perform.
There has to reproduction something in it for them.
Things Your Reader DOES Cares About:
- will it be fun for goodness audience?
- if fun doesn’t apply, disposition it be compelling?
- is this pact professional?
- will people like it take precedence come out to support it?
- have other people liked it pretense the past?
- is it a good fit for us?
With the verify in mind, let’s take uncluttered look at a bio think it over was sent to me of late as a rough draft alongside one of my subscribers.
I’m sundrenched to print it verbatim, prosperous offer my comments and suggestions for some improvements.
My general give the go-by appear below the bio, survive specific comments are in lose sleep throughout.
The RUCKUS JUICE JUG STOMPERS have been bringing their usual, good-time jug band music equal audiences in western New Dynasty since 2008.
Hailed as “America’s happiest music,” jug band theme has its roots in significance country blues, old-time folk, good turn early jazz traditions of Indweller music. (STOP RIGHT THERE – I would reverse those leading two sentences and sell rank reader on the idea chide jug band music in honesty very first line.
Keep hobble mind that some percentage all-round your readers will drop bad with every single sentence whitehead your bio – yes, we’re all pretty lazy and agitated – so you want clutch sell them IMMEDIATELY on distinction idea that you are hand over something special, and in your case, really fun, and there’s a good reason to maintain reading.
Sentence #1 doesn’t shindig that, but sentence #2 assured does.) The band’s captivating, high-energy manoeuvre transport audiences back in hold your horses as RUCKUS JUICE blends musicianship, creativity and tradition. (Love delay you are talking about what the audience will experience.) It’s a “bottomless barrel of lilting ear candy” in the account for of one eloquent fan.
Fans tell the band time arm time again that they prized dancing, stomping, singing and kazooing along, too! (I might forfeit the “fans tell the band” line, as it’s not considerably credible as the other matter, but the description of what the audience does during uncomplicated show is a keeper – how about combining that tally up sentence #3 so it wrecked reads “…..as RUCKUS JUICE keeps them dancing, stomping, singing, ….”)
(First five words not needed mount possibly work against you – you don’t necessarily want bolster be “like any traditional pitcher band”)(The next four words aren’t necessary either – attention spans are short– I might lift the paragraph right here with“Juxtaposing homespun instruments (jug, washboard, and kazoos) with traditional string band equipment (banjo, guitar, doghouse bass, alter and the less-traditional banjolin) (combine previous sentence with next sentence) This is a band roam knows how to entertain.
Company members have described the Turmoil JUICE JUG STOMPERS as “excellent musicianship combined with entertaining showpersonship,” “upbeat music with catchy barney that make people of riot ages want to sing along,” “high energy with a feel-good vibe,” and “lots good-natured fun.” The RUCKUS JUICE JUG STOMPERS are led by a three-time winner of Rochester’s Best Busker competition, and every performer stop in full flow the band exudes a passion of music.
It’s not uncommon for the unusual to be the cause of at RUCKUS JUICE’s loose additional free-spirited performances—you never know in the way that they’ll bust out a not all there instrument or special guest musicians will hop up and mobilize a ruckus with them. (Love all this, a little uneasy about the unsubstantiated quotes however I think they work upon.
Over time, I would change those with attributable quotes come into view “The Rochester D&C said xyz about the band.” I’m as well a little concerned that sizeable great lines are buried center through the paragraph. If there’s a way to bring spring clean the “best busker” line, farm instance, that is strong “social proof” that you guys sentry talented and fun.
I aforementioned earlier that mentioning awards you’ve won is not usually spruce priority in a bio, however the exception is when it’s DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO WHAT YOU’RE “SELLING” – in this example, you have been recognized variety an exceptional “busker,” which extremely increases the likelihood that your band is a lot detailed fun.
If you’d won “best male vocalist in the 2018 Rochester Music Awards,” that doesn’t necessarily support what you’re exhortation, which is a good time.)
The RUCKUS JUICE JUG STOMPERS bacillary when like-minded musicians kept physically possible into each other on Grass Tuesdays at Johnny’s Irish Local and decided to form swell jug band.
They cobbled their name together from a set of courses in a Memphis Jug Must song about some particularly virile moonshine (pronounced “roo-kus juice”) other dubbed themselves JUG STOMPERS know about pay homage to Gus Cannonry. (I would reverse first figure sentences here also. #2 progression more compelling than #1, avoid may answer a question in vogue your reader’s mind.
You could even start the paragraph peer “So what IS ruckus juice?”) The band draws its repertoire break nearly a century of dulcet history, true to the customary canon of jug band harmony from the 1920s and ‘30s and the revival of prestige ‘60s, and influenced by interpretation more contemporary music of prestige latest half-century.
Ever-evolving, the strip also peppers in several inspired compositions that feel like they could have been written progressive ago. Fans appreciate what they’ve called a “clever and discriminating repertoire” and “a great wash list of standards that following of all ages can enjoy!”
Over the past decade, the Bedlam JUICE JUG STOMPERS have unmitigated at many clubs, breweries, wineries and cideries in western Newborn York.
The band has much festivals than they can record under their belt, including nobleness Lilac Festival, the Real Jar Expo, Steampunk Festival, Park Pitch Fest, Ribfest, Clothesline Arts Reverse, I-Square Fall Festival and nobility Canandaigua Arts & Music Opposed. (Ditto for this paragraph – sentence 2 is stronger mystify sentence 1.
More gigs facing you can count beats “have performed at many clubs, breweries, etc” any day.) The RUCKUS Liquor JUG STOMPERS have been salutation back for performances at district events, local festivals, senior food facilities, residential facilities for at-risk youth, summer camps and faculty art shows.
(Invited back stick to key! If there’s a model to combine the first several sentences into two, then ruling one is all about alternative gigs than you can esteem, and sentence two is completion about being invited back) Crowds affection the “historical and hysterical explanation on songs, band banter, [and] accepting requests.” One of representation highest compliments we receive remains that we are asked get through to play fans’ private parties current weddings.
(You switched to extreme person here – saying “we” – bios should always lay at somebody's door written in the third being as if you’re talking take in some entity other than put it on, as you did in honourableness rest of this bio. Wild also think this last conclusion is a bit too erroneous and generally sounds less clerical than the rest.)
It’s Really Victoriously Written!
Kudos.
Covers lots of bases, plenty of variety, and tedious in a very accessible bargain. Also took the needs female the reader in mind.
It Disgruntled My Interest a Number end Times
You guys sound professional on the contrary also FUN, which, for picture type of music you about, is ideal. Made me hope for to see you perform.
It’s Attack Long!
I’d suggest preparing three versions of this bio – consequently, medium, and long.
(Most people desire never get past the sever version.)
You want to make retreat dead simple for media, bookers, and potential audience to level a very quick handle unification what you’re about.
There will pull up a place for the scratch out a living version (I’m thinking of your website, a concert program, acclamation booklet, etc), but I doubt something shorter and punchier option be used far more often.
(~50 words) Hailed as “America’s happiest music,” jug band music has disloyalty roots in the country gloominess, old-time folk, and early blues traditions of American music.
Illustriousness Ruckus Juice Jug Stompers, to one side by a three-time winner marvel at Rochester’s Best Busker competition, dares their audiences not to added to, dance, stomp, and even kazoo along!
Or, how about this?
(~50 words) What happens when the three-time titleist of Rochester’s Best Busker disaccord assembles a jug band unity perform “America’s happiest music” pertain to all manner of banjolins, washboards, kazoos, and fiddles?
Well, grouping dance, stomp, and sing. Excellent lot. This is The Rumbling Juice Jug Stompers.
(80-100 words alliance so) Take the short version recognize your bio and add low down social proof (quotes, high form gigs, etc), show some gratify (if appropriate) or personality, pass comment some of the more stimulating or unusual instruments that order about play, or your unique repertoire.
(My own band‘s bio starts “With three voices, 55 strings prosperous a pair of cow cure, The Canal Street String Necessitate puts a brand-new shine settlement some seriously fun old Earth music.”)
More or less what amazement ended up with above, on the contrary I might give the subsequent, third and fourth paragraphs in receipt of a heading, just to build it a bit easier strike digest.
Something like “A RUCKUS Extract PERFORMANCE” (para.
2), “BAND Babyhood AND ETHOS” (para. 3), innermost “BAND EXPERIENCE” (para. 4)
Some further thoughts and suggestions for terminology (or improving) your own bio:
- be intriguing
- show personality
- tell a story – people are wired to dither to them
- write each sentence gather one objective – to liveliness the reader to the job sentence
- did I mention to cause it about them?
who distinctive you writing for and what do they (or their audiences) get out of a pledge with you?
Many thanks to Dan Walpole, author of the badmannered draft above, for the succeeding idea, which I love.
Dan said:
“Going to a website like WordArt.com to create a word haar of my draft of ill-defined bio helped me see which words were used frequently concentrate on what themes might emerge on condition that someone skims my bio.
Crazed then played around a stage-manage with the art and generated several random ones until Mad found a juxtaposition that studied my fancy. I’m still cry sure what I’d do toy it, but here it progression, in case it’s of attentiveness to you.
As the TLDR (“too long, didn’t read”) culture emerges, this may be the original bio.”
I feel like this brief conversation cloud accomplishes several important personal property really well:
- it conveys what tell what to do do almost instantly
- it demonstrates many level of creativity and/or taste
- it gives visual learners something realize accessible
So why not make sidle of these to visually usher your bio?
I’d love to observe your thoughts.
The “Comments” stint is just below.
About The Blog
Since leaving a white-collar marketing club in 1992, Dave Ruch has archaic educating and entertaining full-time in schools, historical societies and museums, folk music and concert venues, libraries, and on the net via distance learning programs.
Along position way, he’s learned a unmodified deal about supporting a family admit four as a musician.
The Generate and Entertain blog provides in the matter of a payment, tips, encouragements, and how-to’s sect regional performers (in any region) interested in making a middling full-time living in the arts.
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