How are you building your community?

Just last week I was on the phone with one of my bands, when one of the members expressed some concern about a concert they were putting on. Two of the acts they booked for a gig dropped out days before the show. I told him not to worry and called a few of my other clients I thought would fit the bill. The next thing I knew the entire night was all groups I was working with. It was such a joy to see the bands connect musically, and socially. I felt like a proud papa. All of the groups are now friends and have already started booking shows with each other. I know it gets hard with all of the time we spend in the studio, but taking it a step further and actually supporting your band’s performances, giving them advice on the crazy business of music, and introducing them to other bands is huge.

I was reading a book the other day called Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle. She describes art as a huge body of water fed by raging rivers and tiny trickling streams. It’s the artist job to contribute in some way to the universal collection of art. It doesn’t matter if they are a river or a small stream; everyone is working toward the same goal. Creating a community of artists is important for the growth and promotion of art and the artists themselves.

It is often too easy for us to get so wrapped up in ourselves that we completely lose focus of the bigger picture. Art has always been about community. Some of the greatest English writers like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Sayers and a few others, would meet weekly in a pub to discuss ideas and stories over pints. The Funk Brothers from the Motown era were just a bunch of guys who loved music. They build a community of their own and changed music forever.

My challenge for you is to put in a little extra work. Find ways to connect the dots. Look for opportunities to bring your clients together. Another way I do this is by hiring members from old projects to play on current projects. Once an artist records anything they instantly feel a connection to it. This is one of my favorite ways to bring my clients a little closer and my community a little bigger.

Now let’s go out and do something that matters.

-Barrett