How Good Is Your Bio?
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How Good Is Your Bio?
How Good Is Your Bio?
By Bob Popyk
"Bio" is short for biography, and that's exactly what it is. It's a short summary of your musical life.
You need an effective bio for your press kit, CD, brochure, and every other print or public relations piece you put out. You also need to constantly update it. It's like a resume when looking for a new job. Since chances are that your entire musical career will be spent looking for more and better work, you want it to reflect your best and most current achievements.
To keep your bio sharp, you need to constantly keep an inventory of your background, accomplishments, goals, and objectives as a musician. You are in competition with a lot of other musicians who may be seeking the same type of gigs. Today there are a lot of non-union "wannabe," "has-been," and "never-will-be" musicians out there. You need to stand out from the pack.
You are a professional, an AFM member, and someone who earns a living playing music, so make your bio informative, upbeat, and filled with useful comments, descriptions, quotes, and motivational language that can make whoever reads your bio want to listen to your music, help you on the path to success, and also help keep your calendar full.
Your bio should be short, and right to the point. Keep it to one sheet of paper. Never have more than three or four paragraphs, and keep each paragraph down to only three or four sentences. Here are some tips to consider when writing your bio:
First Section or Paragraph
Include a thumbnail-sized picture of yourself, and start with an introductory sentence that clearly defines who you are, your specific genre of music, where you are from, and a positive quote about your music from a contact you have made in the music business.
The better known the reference, the better off you will be. If Willie Nelson thinks you are the hottest new picker, drummer, or keyboard player in the business, put it down. Just make sure Willie really thinks so and always get permission when naming references.
Second Section or Paragraph
This section should address what you are currently involved in, the latest places you've played, and an up-to-date client list. If a new CD is coming out, that should be the main topic of the first sentence of the second paragraph. Also, hints about any promotional or current public relations activities should be in this section.
Third Section or Paragraph
This is where you want to put information about other band members, and background information on the forming of the group. Include past experience, and recognition you've received. If you've played some well-known places or venues, television shows, or major concerts (even if they took place many years ago) list them.
Places like Madison Square Garden, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Blue Note Jazz Club, will get people's attention, but make sure you've really worked there as a musician. State fairs, jazz fests, and clubs known as entertainment venues will get you more credibility than listing your local VFW or neighborhood bar, but the most important thing is to let those reading your bio know that you get work, people are hiring you, and you are good at what you do.
If you've developed a plan for your career path, elaborate on this a little bit, and show how you are reaching your goals.
Suming It Up
Your bio should not waste words. Make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. Misspellings can reflect on you negatively, so be careful. Have someone proofread it for you. Then get a few other people who know you to critique it to see if it is a positive and accurate reflection of you.
Keep It Simple
A one-page bio is sufficient to get the job done. If you've been playing for years and have major concerts and several CDs to your credit, plus you have done major media promotions and played well-known venues, a page and a half to two pages should be the maximum length. So, ending the bio in a condensed way should be the aim. Another couple of quotes or references would be good here.
Mentioning you're an AFM member also shows you're a professional. Including your AFM local number as well won't hurt. It also shows you don't play for free.
Your bio should be on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, so whoever receives it can reproduce it quickly and pass it along if necessary. That same razor-sharp bio can be used on your next CD, concert program, or press kit. This is the one thing in your press kit you always want to keep current—maybe not up-to-the minute, but at least up-to-the month.
People want to know what you are doing now, even more than what you've done before. It's important for anyone looking for more and better work. How does your bio reflect on you?
–Bob Popyk is a member of Local 78 in Syracuse, New York, and Local 47 in Los Angeles, California.
