So, you want to play in a band? Maybe you’re thinking of joining an existing local act, or maybe you’re thinking of starting your own band from scratch. Either way, there’s nothing quite as invigorating as seeing a crowd bobbing their heads to your tunes while you’re rocking out on stage. Even then, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Those of us who manage to make our passion project a full-time job are usually extremely privileged, extremely hard-working, or extremely lucky (usually all three!). If you love playing for an audience, it’s one of the most rewarding creative outlets you can fall into. However, there are a few things you might want to consider before diving in headfirst. Let’s dispel some common myths about what it’s like to be in a band.

1. Bands Get To Party All the Time!
Actually, you’re going to have to do an awful lot of hard work if you want your band to get anywhere. Unless you have a manager and the financial backing of a record label, you’re going to be doing all the planning, scheduling, funding, branding, writing, recording, booking, networking, driving to and from shows, loading in and out, and selling merchandise yourself—all of this on top of keeping your chops sharp, of course. Speaking of merch: for most bands, it's their main source of income. You might be playing music, but on the business end, you’re also a mobile T-shirt vendor. It’s a grind—but a rewarding one if you’re passionate and persistent.

2. Practicing Your Instrument is Enough.
We wish it was that simple! Your band is more than just a group of friends and the music you play together. It’s also a brand. You can practice like crazy and be the tightest band in your neighborhood with killer songs, but… then what? How are you going to get your music out there so your prospective fans can listen to it and you can start making a name for yourselves? Once you’ve come up with a name for your band and you’ve written a few songs, you need to get them recorded and uploaded to streaming platforms ASAP if you want to start building an audience. How are you going to do that? Well, for most of your favorite bands, they probably signed a contract with a record label after playing in their local scene for many years and generating buzz on their own. Most of us won’t have those kinds of connections right away—and that’s okay. Just be cautious: even if you are offered a deal early on, make sure you consult a lawyer and understand the fine print before signing anything. You don’t want to end up locked into a contract that gives away your music rights for decades.

If you go the DIY route and grow your band yourselves, it might take longer to build momentum, but it also gives you creative freedom—and it can be a lot of fun! Ideally, everyone in your band brings something extra to the table beyond just playing their instrument. Got a bassist who dabbles in graphic design? That’s your merch and logo guy. A drummer who writes beats on the side? Perfect for recording demos. A guitarist who’s great at social media? Let them handle outreach and networking. A singer with a TikTok following? That is free promotion! Think of it like a co-op—it works best when everyone contributes in their own unique way. As for getting your music out there, you can sign up for online distribution services like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby. These distribution web services will place your music on just about every conceivable streaming platform, for a fee. Some also offer hard copy CD distribution as well. Some of these services are more expensive than others and may offer different distribution packages, so it’s worth doing your homework and researching these companies before taking the plunge

3. Hey Now! You’re a Rock Star. Get the Show On. Get Paid.
Congrats! Your band just booked its first gig at the local bowling alley, and your friends and family are ready to show up and cheer you on. You met a “promoter” at a show last week who offered to put you on the bill—great news! But there’s a catch: you need to sell at least 10 tickets at $25 each. You're so excited to play that you jump at the opportunity without a second thought.
Then the big day arrives. Before you’ve even finished unloading your gear, the promoter pulls you aside and says it’s time to “settle accounts.” He expects $250 upfront, regardless of how many tickets you actually sold. Wait—weren’t you supposed to keep that money? Turns out, not in this model. And when half your invite list can’t make it? Now you’re out of pocket!
This is known as the “pay-to-play” model, and unfortunately, it’s more common than most people realize. You sell the tickets, you pay the promoter, you play your set—and hopefully you sell enough merch to at least break even. Some venues may even ask for a cut of your merch sales—sometimes as high as twenty-five percent! That’s your lifeline, so be careful. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal that feels off. Trust your instincts and build relationships with people who genuinely support local music.
That said, not all shows are like this. Sometimes, you’ll connect with a more reputable venue that offers fairer terms—maybe you keep a percentage of ticket sales, or aren’t required to sell a minimum at all. Small wins like this help keep the momentum going and remind you why it’s all worth it.

What’s the Takeaway Here?
If being in a band is so tough, should we just pack it up and call it quits? Only you can answer that—but considering how many bands are still piling into vans every weekend to play shows, something must still make it all worth it. Once you get on stage, count into that first verse, and see the crowd start jumping (or moshing) to your groove, everything starts to make sense. You’re building a community around shared passions and having a great time doing it! There really is nothing quite like it. Hopefully, what you’ve learned in this article will help you approach your band career with a little more wisdom.

Are you considering music lessons for your child, but wondering if it’s worth the investment? If music is already a part of your life, you may already know why it’s a worthy pursuit, but for those who are new to it, let’s go over a few ways music education is important for a child’s development.

1.
Music education is an exercise in developing communication skills.
Have you ever heard the old adage, “Music is a Universal Language”? Like all forms of art, Music can convey thoughts, feelings, and ideas in ways that words alone sometimes cannot. For some of us, we may not know how to describe what we are feeling in words, but we may know a song that does. Music is a pro-social activity that promotes collaboration and sharing of ideas, whether in a band or ensemble, or by performing for an audience. It is also a way for people of different backgrounds to appreciate each other’s cultural heritage.

2.
Music Education is good for your brain.
To practice a musical instrument is to practice self-discipline, goal-setting, and delayed gratification. You’re not going to master that piece unless you keep practicing until it sticks! To become proficient at playing a musical instrument, it takes commitment and consistent repetition. If this habit is developed and nurtured early, it will carry over into other areas of life. You may see your student’s grades improve after starting private lessons or after joining a school band program. A collaborative article co-authored by two Harvard doctors of Neurology for the Music and Health Exchange Series at Berklee College of Music mentions research that suggests; “The structural thickness and connectivity of certain brain regions involved in processing music increases with music training over the course of several years, and musical training has also been shown to better regulate the executive control sections of the prefrontal cortex in a non-music related task”.*

3.
If the mind is a muscle, Music education is akin to “mental exercise”.
Music is also a great exercise in emotional regulation, which allows us to reach deeper levels of connection with others. Some of us have that one song that hits just the right way. Sometimes it’s an energetic bop that gets us excited. Other times it’s a sad and lonely dirge that we can wallow in for a while. It’s a way of embracing, elevating, and healing ourselves. In addition, music provides a healthy creative outlet where kids can express their thoughts and emotions, either by composing their own songs or performing their favorite ones.

Whether your child is picking up an instrument for the first time or continuing a years-long journey, studying music offers lifelong benefits that support the whole person. As a parent, your encouragement and support can help nurture not just a musician, but a more confident, connected, and expressive young adult.
* https://tinyurl.com/music-for-the-brain

Gone are the days when the only way to record a great album was to go to a high-profile, expensive recording studio. Music technology has advanced so much in the past few decades that now, you can record your music to radio quality standards right from your own bedroom! If you’re a working musician on a budget, there are only a few essentials you need to get started.

1. A Computer
To start, any computer will do, so long as it has a minimum of four gigabytes of RAM. As of 2025, most computers come with at least eight gigs of RAM standard. Most recording software requires at least four gigs, but some programs require more. Ideally, you need a minimum of eight gigs of RAM and at least a quad-core processor to allow your software to run smoothly and without crashing. You can use either a PC or Mac, but that choice will depend on which system you are more comfortable with and what your software requires in terms of compatibility.

2. An Audio Interface
In a commercial studio, the “audio interface” is a piece of equipment that converts audio signals from a microphone or other audio source into digital audio. Your computer processes everything digitally, so you need an audio interface in order to do any recording (unless you’re old-school and have an analog tape recorder). Audio interfaces used to be big, clunky, and expensive, but in recent years many companies have started making smaller, more affordable units specifically designed for small project studios. They can come with as little as one or two microphone inputs or as many as thirty-two or even more. They typically plug into your computer via USB cable and act as an external sound processing unit. Make sure to update your audio settings on your computer when installing your audio interface, as your computer will use its own built-in audio card by default.

3. A Microphone
Of course! How else do you expect to capture sound? There are a few different types of microphones that serve different purposes, but they all essentially do the same thing: capture sound and turn it into audio. For most purposes, a standard dynamic microphone works. They are relatively inexpensive and pretty much plug-and-go. The Shure SM58 has been an industry standard vocal performance microphone for decades and goes for between $90 to $100 brand new. If you want something that can pick up delicate or high-pitched sounds in finer detail try out a condenser microphone. These tend to be a little more expensive than dynamic mics, but the price range is quite wide and you can find them for between $100 to $3,000. There are some subtle differences in features and capability between models, so it’s worth doing your homework. Condenser mics require forty-eight volts of “phantom power” to function. Make sure your audio interface has this feature or else your condenser mic will not work.

4. Digital Audio Workstation Software
Have you ever heard of “Pro Tools”? It was the industry standard software for recording audio for many years and is still used today by most commercial enterprises. A digital audio workstation (or DAW for short) is a software program used for recording and processing audio and music written using digital programming. If you’re trying to produce any kind of modern music, you need one of these. DAWs vary in price and there are many different types each designed for different music production methods. DAWs like Pro Tools, Cubase, and Logic are well-rounded for general purpose audio production, whereas Ableton and Propellerhead’s Reason are more suited toward electronic music production. Some audio interfaces even come with their own starter version of a DAW. Whichever DAW you choose, it’s a good idea to stick with one, as they generally have a steep learning curve and attempting to learn multiple types at once can be difficult, tedious, and time-consuming.

5. Speakers/Headphones
Finally, we need some way to hear the audio we are capturing, or we won’t be able to do anything with it! A pair of studio speakers will take dual-mono outputs from your audio interface and replicate a stereo mix of your audio in the room. Studio speakers come in different sizes, form factors, and prices. Having a stereo-matched pair of speakers is ideal when working on a mix, they give you the most clarity in your sound. If you’re worried about making too much noise for the neighbors, or if your singer just needs to be able to hear themselves better in a recording session, try a pair of stereo headphones. Ideally, a pair of closed-back, over-ear headphones is best for hearing audio clearly and for blocking out background noise from the environment. Avoid bluetooth-based solutions, as they are less reliable overall and don’t provide the same level of sonic clarity as wired speakers or headphones.