Most musicians do this already by meeting for a coffee and a chat before a rehearsal, going for a pint after the gig or chatting in rehearsals. It is my belief that few musicians actually bother to network without their already being a rehearsal, gig or concert as the main motivation.
I remember when I studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire that there were students who came from Birmingham and only attended lectures and rehearsals, disappearing home shortly afterwards. I felt they must be missing out on so much of the college experience. The majority of us used to hang around in the coffee bar and chat. I formed bands and ensembles based on the people I met and talked to. This was networking.
Since leaving college and working as a professional musician, networking opportunities have been few and far between , not counting meeting people at rehearsals etc. My involvement with the committees of the Musicians’ Union was a real start in the right direction – groups of music professionals from different backgrounds coming together to discuss issues relevant to us and the wider music industry. My eyes were further opened by attending Birmingham Music Network and the sundry other events organised by local agencies such as Digital Central and Creative Networks.
Meeting other people working in music is useful for broadening your view. You can learn things about how to develop your own work, gain insight into facts about the industry and also make friends and new contacts. It can be a tool for support or a sounding board.
It is that face-to-face interaction that is the key to networking effectively that can never be replaced by social media software like Twitter. Facebook and Twitter are useful for online networking and should be another way of interacting when face-to-face isn’t possible. They also are useful for organising real world meetings.
Do yourself a favour, when you hear about a music or creative industries real world networking event, come along. I am sure you won’t regret it and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Birmingham Music Network runs on the last Thursday of every month in Room 436 at the TIC in Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham from 4pm – 6pm. There are free refreshments kindly provided by the Musicians’ Union. If you are a musicians or run a music business or other related organisation, it is free for you to attend. Visit www.birminghammusicnetwork.com for more information including minutes of the previous meetings.
What do you think of network meetings? Have you had a positive or negative experience from attending networks? Share your experiences by commenting below.