I am a family-first type of guy, but my hobbies and passions can sometimes run ahead of me. I then get the feeling that it’s time to slow the clock down and reflect on the things that are most valuable to me.
Work, family and playing band are all aspects of our lives that deserve our attention:
- We work to have bread on the table
- We have a family looking to spend time with us whenever they can
- We choose to play in a band and exercise our musicality with our friends
- We should also find the time for ourselves as individuals
Today we’ll have a look at what we could do to balance our lifestyles so that all of our priorities can enjoy a fair piece of us.
Prioritise Your Hobbies
Make a list of the things that you are currently dealing with.
Obviously, your main resource of income should be considered as your occupation and not a hobby. But also like other jobs, there must be downtime and balance in your life.
An example of a healthy artist priority list outside of your family commitments could look like this:
- Your occupation (either as your job or as a hobby job)
- Your band (your commitment to other individuals)
- A side hustle (Something extra for your pocket)
- A sport or activity (For your fitness, health and well-being)
Anything more than these should be reconsidered when you have family commitments to attend to.
It could be that these overlap and your band already brings an extra income, or your occupation is looking after your health. That would be a bonus.
Make Special Use of Your Free Time
I know that free time does not come around regularly, but use days like public holidays, Friday afternoons, and Sunday mornings, to really take the time to spend with your family.
Plan these days so that everyone has something to look forward to.
This post was written and posted by De Wet from startingmyband.com on 20.05.2023. The content was stolen from me if this blog post is seen anywhere else.
Find a Routine
Having a routine creates stability and security for others.
This means that you will have a balanced program where your loved ones will have guaranteed time to spend together.
Neglecting to settle into a routine makes people feel insecure and unhappy. People need structure and by having a solid routine, you prove your commitment to your personal life as well.
Surprise Others By Being Spontaneous
We just spoke about having a routine, but getting stuck into this routine for too long also becomes boring and recurring.
Use the element of surprise to put business aside and do something fun and exciting together. I can guarantee you that these are the type of memories that your family cherish, appreciates and won’t forget.
Invite Your Friends and Family to Performances
For your family to know that you are practising your passion and that they will have a chance to see you live it out is valuable and extremely rewarding for them.
Even more so when they feel included and that you are proud of them.
Have scheduled gigs where it’s a more child-friendly environment and where all the band members’ families can join so that everyone feels loved and included.
It’s also a great opportunity to work on the chemistry in the band with everybody’s loved ones together and bonding.
If you are looking for Ways To Build Chemistry With Your Bandmates, don’t miss the blog I posted about the ways that worked so well for my band.
Save Traveling Time With Virtual Band Practices
Virtual practices won’t ever be the same as being present and practising live together. But the fact of the matter is that for certain sessions, it would be extremely helpful not to always have to sacrifice time by travelling around.
More advantages include:
- Saving gas
- Saving the travel time
- Saving practice room fees
- Saving time on setting up and carrying equipment
My suggestion would be to have one session during a week where you guys meet online for rehearsal.
It shouldn’t be your dress rehearsal, but a session where you all just revise a few songs or use the time to
There are a few good options of software you can use to do this. It also depends on what you need from the practice.
I found this video pretty useful where this dude recommends using Jamulus as your software source. I am also planning on giving it a go and trying it out soon since my band members are living quite a distance apart.
You will also need an audio interface. I would recommend the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen which can take a microphone and an instrument, and it’s great for practice and recordings.
Effective Band Practices
Making effective use while you are together also means less practice time needed.
Many bands struggle to practice well enough when they have the chance. This often leads to frustration and conflict.
I wrote a very helpful guide to support artists to practice productively and efficiently. You can go ahead and read 7 Tips for Productive Band Practices right here.
I can also highly recommend scanning through my article How do I prepare for band practice, which is already laying the foundation for your practice session.
In a band, each member should have their own role that they play. Make use of each member’s skills and strengths to get the job done as well and effectively as possible.
It is not possible in all cases for all the members to be part of songwriting, but also not all members are good at networking and building contacts.
In my main band which consists of 4 members, we shared the core jobs as follows:
- Songwriter
- Producer
- Manager
- Marketer
Even though they are all big tasks standing alone, we still supported and advised each other. It is vital to sometimes let go and trust that every member will make choices to the benefit of the band and your fans.
I am also well aware that not all bands have skilled members, but we can also motivate each other to learn, grow and develop. Many new bands will still get to know each other to figure out what their extra skills are.
With all the work on the shoulders of one person is not a fair distribution of workload and definitely contributes to a stressful experience being in a band.
If you are keen to learn more about stressful experiences in a band, go ahead and read my article What is Stressful About Being in a Band right here.
Consider Getting a Manager
Having a band manager is such a valuable asset to your band. This person completes the band and almost becomes the final member of the band.
When the workload of a band becomes stressful and overloaded, I can highly recommend getting somebody that can help and support with the basic admin and tasks.
I’ve experienced success and seen massive growth with bands even with inexperienced managers just because they go the extra mile.
You could even use a close friend or relative that knows and loves the band and would be able to network and organise important events, tours, gigs, etc.
I wrote an awesome article about When it is Time to Find a Manager for Your Band that I highly recommend you scan through.
That’s it for today boys and girls!
If you would like to continue learning more about What Makes a Good Artist Manager, you are welcome to do so!
Until next time…