A3 Explore local and national music networks

Networking  

Networking is when people give their ideas or information to likeminded people within the same social setting.  

Networking is important because it allows an individual to promote themselves and their music and help create friends, potential gigs, and business opportunities there are also opportunities to connect with people ranging from fans to collaborators to record labels.  

  

These are places where networking could happen Georgian Theatre, Tees Music Alliance, North East Volume, The Westgarth Social Club also, In Middlesbrough we have Musinc. They are great for 16–25-year-old as it is free and allows you to network with people in a similar age group who are looking for the same thing.  

  

Networking with a promoter is beneficial and important because they will allow your music career to grow and survive. They can get you onto tours and help you get your musical talents recognised by bigger bands. You best network with them with social media/official website or in person at an event. it can be at a networking event, gig, online (YouTube, Spotify etc) YouTube would be the best for me to generate a network because it is free and has 122 million daily viewers.  

  

Networking often occurs in 5 different ways; musician to musician (make contacts and friends), musician to promoter (getting your work promoted), musician to music lover (learn what fans want), musician to press (promotion) and musician to businessman  

  

To help me with my career the Musicians union can promote my work and find job opportunities for me. They also offer training. A mentor can give me teachings and guidance and tell me what I should be doing based off their own experience. Currently I have singing lessons from one of the teachers at my college. College can give me a source of education on my course, guidance on the career path I want to take, and free access to a recording studio/performance room. If I were to move on to studying at university then I would be able to specialize in something more specific and develop my skills whilst being around like-minded people allowing me to create a network of musicians where collaboration or promotion opportunities could arise. I would consider moving to university after the level 3 course.