Bücher von Michael Nichols

The fourth volume of the Solo Acoustic Musician series expands on subjects only touched upon in earlier volumes. Michael Nichols chooses in this book to focus on a unique musical environment and subculture - the "open mic" event, at which performers sign up to play. Some are amateurs, some are professionals, and many are Solo Acoustic Musicians.Michael once again strives to give you a truthful and transparent look into a Solo Acoustic Musician's lifestyle by sharing his experiences at various types of open mics, as a performer, as a host, and as a member of the audience. In the book's second half, he goes "undercover" to a broad range of open mic events around Florida, in the process exploring the difference between an open mic and an open jam, describing (and providing real-life examples of) good and bad open mic etiquette, and listing factors that can make an event successful or unsuccessful.Reading this book will show you the value of playing open mic events, whether you're using them to overcome stage fright in a low-stakes environment, test new original songs on an audience, or bring yourself to the attention of a venue. You'll discover the value of being part of a local music community. You'll even learn what it takes to host an open mic yourself.

The third volume of the Solo Acoustic Musician series expands on the booking chapter in SAM 1. Michael Nichols has done a deep dive into the business side of booking a gig by interviewing managers, owners, and agents who are in charge of hiring Solo Acoustic Musicians. This book reveals the perspectives of the people who handle the calendar of events and tells you what they think, what they want to know, and how to approach them, all of which is vital to success as a Solo Acoustic Musician. Michael once again strives to give you a truthful and transparent look into the lifestyle of a Solo Acoustic Musician by sharing the knowledge and wisdom of people in the business. He hopes to open your eyes to the other side of the exchange, and offer some understanding of what the person who might hire you is thinking. There are lots of music business books out there, but none of them have shared interviews with the people who can actually put you on the calendar and write you a check. The interviews in this book will give you a sense of why the person in charge might hire a musician, but also why they will keep them on the roster - or the opposite, when they stop hiring someone and why. Gaining this perspective will help you understand how to build long-lasting professional relationships with venue owners, managers, and agents.