Seven steps to finding musicians to play with

How to find musicians to play with.

I’ve been playing in bands for over 50 years. I've played in pop bands, rock bands, jazz bands, big bands, concert bands, brass bands, piano accompanist, symphony orchestras, an Armenian band, Jewish bands, Latin bands, show bands, pit bands, R&B bands, a Portuguese Rock Band, and finally, Country bands. Here is what I’ve learned about finding musicians to play with.

Timeless truths.

1. The person who is easy to work with plays often. That is, they are dependable, cheerful, prepared, and presentable.
2. The person who knows the most tunes wins.
3. There are more possibilities in a large urban area than in a small one.
4. If you meet the criterion of steps 1 and 2 you will be able to play one level above your current skill level.
5. Improve your skill level. Don’t be that person whose skills have not improved since junior high school.
6. Know what you want and why you want it.
7. Be upfront with everyone you meet what the time commitment you can give is.

 
Seven steps to finding musicians to play with.
 
(I’ve only used steps 1 to 4.)

1. Hang out where musicians spend time together. Which means, if you want to play in a geezer bar band, hang out in geezer bars. If you want to play in a community band, go to their concerts. In all cases, introduce yourself. To paraphrase Woody Allen, “90 percent of success is showing up and hanging out.”
2. Go to public jam sessions and join in the mayhem. Be friendly and stay sober. This was immensely helpful to when I moved to Toronto, age 55.
3. Take regular lessons with a music teacher who is involved in the local scene. Ask them to prepare you. Then do your homework. They will be impressed. This will encourage them to recommend you to opportunities because you won’t embarrass them.
4. In high school, I spent time at the music store. They finally gave me a job which put me in daily contact with other musicians.
5. Because I followed the timeless truths above and steps 1-4, I got my chance. I quickly found musicians to play with. Shortly thereafter these musicians started recommending me to others. Update: 50 years later, the process repeats in my new drumming career.   
6. One of my students put an ad on Kijiji looking for jazz musicians to play with. It worked for him. He has had that band for years.
7. Try searching online, “musicians looking for bands.” You will get lists of “dating services” for musicians. They work.

Good luck.

​David