Success Beyond The Score

Are there benefits for contacting the person who handles the microphones and amplification of sound at your gig in advance? Or is it best to wait until you get there? If you're in the UK, consider working with Vince Hyatt (07775 988 268), a fantastic sound engineer with whom I only have good experiences!

Putting on your own Show, where you are the headliner and perhaps with a support act, is exciting and enjoyable. It is one way of growing and expanding your reach in the industry. But what are the three essential things you must keep in mind for having a successful show?

I meet musicians who have gone into a recording studio, made music, got it onto CD, mp3, etc. Then they find no one is buying their music. Why does this happen? Well, there are three things they might have missed. I’ll explain what they are in this episode.

What is the benefit of video recording your Gig? "Noooo!" I hear you say, because you can’t bear to see the way you look or sound. In this episode, I will give you benefits and tips for videoing your gigs.

I love performing music, so does it matter whether I call it a hobby or business? Can I get paid if it is a hobby? Can I grow my music if it is a hobby? What is the benefit of having a music business and how do I set it up? I will be exploring the differences and benefits of both options, also whether you can get paid if it is a hobby, or a business.

A major topic! One that many musicians struggle with. Should musicians perform for free? Is it a contradiction to who what we do and who we are? Are there times when playing for free is ok? Should we be paid for all performances? How do you say 'no'?

As mentioned in Episode 1 of this season, I firmly believe every musician should be paid their worth, however, this is not this not the case for everyone. Some musicians do not charge, some are not sure what to charge and others struggle to get paid for their music. If you are struggling with deciding whether to charge or not for your music then I have 3 reason which I hope will help you to make y...

Perhaps this topic sounds like night and day to you, never the twain shall meet. As a musician, you prefer to focus on your creativity, making music, and not all the other stuff which you are told is important to get anywhere. In this episode I will explain what a business plan is and give you five reasons why having one will help you to achieve your goals.

Should musicians consider learning the basics of sound engineering and have their own PA system? In my experience sound issues get in the way of our playing.   You put in a lot of time practising. You learn the notes, you learn the chords, you learn the rhythm and so on, but when it is time to deliver the PA set up lets you do.  In this episode I explore the pros and cons of musicia...

Whether you prefer the word ‘fan base’ or ‘followers’ it is important to find the people who love what you do and will come to your shows. There are many benefits for having a fan base. Millicent explains the benefits for your music in this episode. Episode 3 of Season 3 of Success Beyond The Score podcast. Freebies: ’ 25 secrets of the gigging musician’ & ‘how to get paid in advance’ or 'Ten...

The 7 Stages of a gigging musician, according to Millicent Stephenson. I believe that • Every musician (singer, instrumentalist, rapper, singer-songwriter, etc) should be paid their worth • Every musician should apply business principles to their music for it to grow to the level they want it to • Every musician (irrespective of age) can have their own fanbase because the world is big enough. But...

I’m so thrilled to have interviewed 6 exceptional west midlands musicians. They work full time in the industry and are making waves where they are. Today I’m going to share the absolute best takeaways from my Guest list. That’s not to say that everything else in their interview was not important, in fact there was good stuff from beginning to end but these things really stood out for me. Something...

‘10 Reasons Why They Will Pay You Before Gig Day!’ https://www.successbeyondthescore.com/getpaidbeforegigday Hello, everybody, I am Millicent Stephenson and I want to start this episode wishing you the best of the best for this new year 2022! I hope you had the opportunity to celebrate the holidays, rest and get ready to smash all your goals. Actually, today's theme is perfect to start the year: f...

‘10 Reasons Why They Will Pay You Before Gig Day!’ https://www.successbeyondthescore.com/getpaidbeforegigday I am happy to bring you another episode of ‘Success Beyond The Score’ podcast where you can learn how to build your music career from the best in the field. At the time of this recording, we are so close to the end of the year, I wanted to look back at some reflections about the critical ev...

‘ 10 Reasons Why They Will Pay You Before Gig Day!’   This time, I are going a bit more personal with my guests. I am asking them about their career highs; also their lows - what have they realised truly matters after decades of experiences? What have they learned from difficult times? So come along and hear from: Dan Whitehouse – acclaimed composer and songwriter currently signed with Reveal...

‘10 Reasons Why They Will Pay You Before Gig Day!’ https://www.successbeyondthescore.com/getpaidbeforegigday I am happy to have you back for another episode of Success Beyond The Score. This time, we are going straight to the main topic of the whole podcast: the business side of music. Just before I kick off, I want to let you know I have a new gift just for you. It’s called ‘10 Reasons Why They W...

Free sheet: https://www.successbeyondthescore.com... Welcome you back to my podcast, Success Beyond The Score. Just before I kick off, I want to let you know I have a new gift just for you. It’s called ‘10 Reasons Why They Will Pay You Before Gig Day!’ This is a snappy list of 10 things which will help you to understand what music promoters are checking to decide if they will pay you in advance. K...

Today my guest is Ruby Turner. With a music career spanning more than 30 years, Ruby Turner’s song “It’s Gonna Be Alright’ broke through by hitting number 1 on the US R&B Chart in 1990. What’s amazing about this is that it is rare for a British-Jamaican R&B, Soul and Gospel singer-songwriter. Ruby’s 20 albums and singles are best known in Europe and North America. She’s a session vocalist...

Thank you so much for joining me for the second part of my interview with Dan Whitehouse, an award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has an outstanding career spanning twenty years of touring, teaching and composing. Today, we will explore the impact of COVID-19 on Dan's life and career after lockdown made a visit to Japan become an almost two years stay. We will talk abou...

Thank you so much for joining me in this episode of my podcast, "Success Beyond The Score". My guest today is Dan Whitehouse. He is an acclaimed composer and songwriter who has released five solo albums and who is currently signed with Reveal Records. He is a song-writing tutor and mentor qualified in the Sounds of Intent methodology, and he has extensive experience working directly with musicians...

Today I continue my conversation with Anna Brooks, a professional saxophonist, an international touring and recording artiste with the Brooklyn Funk Essentials and Joolz Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. Anna is also a music arranger, music director, music preparation specialist, Teacher at the Birmingham Conservatoire, and singer. She is a mother of Sons who are twins and are 20 years old and a...

Hi and welcome to Success Beyond The Score. I’m Millicent Stephenson, thank you so much for joining me. Today I’m interviewing another great Guest. She is, Anna Brook, a professional saxophonist, an international touring and recording artiste with the Brooklyn Funk Essentials and Joolz Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. She is a music arranger, music director, music preparation specialist and Sin...

In part 2 of my interview with Abigail Kelly, an award winning international operatic soprano, Abigail gives her insights on how to bounce back; dealing with fame and the mundane; tips for building a full-time music career and how she memorises the language, singing and music requirements of a complete Opera. Abigail’s engagements include a variety of roles including the female lead in the ‘The Ma...

Abigail Kelly is an award winning international operatic soprano. Her engagements include a variety of roles including the female lead in the ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ which she performs in various languages – Italian, Russian, German and French. Abigail is the Ambassador for the National Touring Opera and is passionate about making opera available to all. Abigail is a workshop leader and vocal tut...

In part two of my interview with Louise Dengate who is an exceptional vocalist, coach and agency director, you will hear more about how she developed her music business; highs and lows, the challenges of being a female director, and her 3 tips to help you with building your music career which are: 1) Not everyone has natural music skills but if you increase your skill as much as you can, put the h...