Looking for a job in The Biz? The promo package is, in some ways, kind of like a college degree when your looking for a job in music. It will help open doors and, depending on how good it is, can cause a prospective employer to have a pretty good feeling about you even before the audition. (Not a bad thing.) This is the first installment of a two part series on putting together a promo package for yourself or your band.

Some players won't worry about a promo package thinking packages are only used for entire bands to promote themselves. But if you have a nice polished promo package, it can put you a step ahead of the rest when it comes to getting some of the nicer gigs available. It's true that once you're an established player in the community a lot of work will come your way by word of mouth and associations with other players, but one good reason to have a promo package is that you may live in Colorado and have an opportunity for a great gig that is in Miami. Having a well-put together package can do wonders for you.

Sometimes you have a very specific thing that you do, like a solo act or a certain genre of music that you focus on. For example, maybe you only want to take work only as a jazz player or only funk or rock gigs. If you have one field you want to aim for then tailor your promo material so that it shows you in a strong light as far as that field goes. This article covers the basics that really apply to all fields, playing situations and styles of music. Take the information here and tweak it to fit the needs of your specific goals as a player.

The Photo

A good promo package consists of several different elements. One of the main features of the package will be at least one good promo photo. Some players have their photos done in color but the industry standard is usually an 8"x10" black and white glossy photo. You'll have to decide which format will sell you the best. If you're not sure of the image you want your picture to project, look at other performers promo shots to get some ideas of how you want your photo to be.

If you can afford it (or even if you can't) it's best to go to a professional quality photographer and have several shots taken so that, just in case you didn't get that cheezy grin quite right the first time, you'll have more than one pic to choose from. It's also good to think about having more than one shot in the package; one with a formal look and then one with more of a casual look.

If you're short of cash but still want a professional picture you can try some of the photo shops in the malls. I've know one friend of mine who got some pretty nice promo pics from a photo shop in a mall and the money he had to pay was quite a bit less that an independent professional photographer would charge.

If you know someone who's good with a camera that can work just fine but often the "pro" or "lack of pro" quality of the shot can reflect on how professional YOU are. Keep this in mind.

The Resume/Bio

This will definitely include a listing of all your professional playing experience and maybe some less-than-professional experiences if they seem noteworthy. Include your musical education; school, people you've studied with, etc. You'll want to list the different musical styles that you can play and sing; maybe a songlist of material that you have sung in other bands to give a potential employer an idea of what kind of material you can cover. Let people know what you can bring to the gig besides the main instrument that you play; singing, arranging, sequencing, other instruments, running sound, lights, etc...

Another thing you might want to include in this part of your package is a list of your gear. A band leader often wants to know that the player he hires has dependable pro gear. If your gear is not currently up to par then leave it out for now and just rely on your talents. Maybe once you get the job you can do something about the gear!

As far as the look of the resume, make sure it is well written, logically organized, and easy to read. Don't go on and on about things or put too much for the reader to have to plow through. Make it simple, concise and if possible, a little entertaining never hurt.

This is all extra visual bells and whistles but you could consider using a nice stock of paper to print it on that might be colored or have a nice pattern on it. Use paper that fits the image of what you do. You can find this kind of paper at paper supply stores, computer stores, and stationary stores. You could add some kind of graphic or logo for yourself/band at the top or bottom of the page. Again this is all stuff you can do but what's going to be most important is the information on the sheet.

That's it for this month. Next month we'll finish up by covering the audio, video, using the web and other important aspects of your promo package.