SO, YOU WANT TO BE A SINGER? by Diva Joan Cartwright
CHAPTER 8 - PHOTOGRAPHS AND RESUME
Photographs are essential for any entertainer. Small 4x6 photos are as useful as 8x10 photos. Your photo should be expressive, black and white, and should have your name on it, at the bottom or on the back. A three-fold brochure with your photo, work experience and biography is handy and inexpensive. They will save you the expense of giving your photos away to people who are not ready to book you. (100 - 3x5 photos cost $100). Always keep the negative. Unless you have lots of money to spend on photos, be sparing in the way you hand them out to your family, friends and fans.
Until you get a hit song, don't quit your day job. Entertainment is an expensive venture. Someone must pay for your wardrobe, phone bill, photos, demo tapes, promo packages, postage and travel to out-of-town gigs. If that someone is you, you won't owe anyone when you make it big. Also, a day job keeps a roof over your head and food in your refrigerator. You may want to have a beer or a glass of wine while out looking for that gig. Don't rely on the money you expect to make from singing. It takes years to do that well.
Two resumes are in order: one for the skills you use in the working world - slinging hash, typing letters or skin-diving. The other resume lists gigs you've done from month to month. Keep track of all promotional material from your engagements, including concerts, festivals, club dates, benefits, no matter how small the gig is. You may sing for 30 elderly people at the community center. Put it on your performance resume. Also, include music studies you take or provide, awards, certificates and honorary mentions you receive, any volunteer work you do with children, at church, etc. It's great experience and looks good on your resume. List the songs you've written, including lyrics to songs by other musicians. List venues, cities and countries where you work and musicians who accompany you. If you act as an M.C. (Mistress of Ceremony), list it.
This book is available at: http://stores.lulu.com/divajc
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