Still Promoting, After All These Years

 

By Amy Rasdall, [email protected]

From the time I started playing guitar and was consistently ‘gigging’ as a teen, I’ve always promoted and attended live music events. My bandmates and I would spend hours drawing posters, photocopying them a few hundred times and then hit the streets with tape and a stapler to plaster every public spot with news of our show.

 

In college, the process ramped up a few notches when I switched to the Music Business major: I began learning how to target specific markets, write press releases, network, and apply guerilla marketing tactics – all just to get a band heard by the right people, who might sign the band to a record deal. After college, I went up yet another level and promoted shows and artists on a professional level.

When I moved to Los Angeles, I eventually landed a job at the Key Club on Sunset Boulevard as the Public Relations Coordinator. I learned in-depth venue promotion, both inside and outside. In a nutshell, I promoted every event individually, while also promoting the club itself. Sort of like inbound and outbound marketing.

Moving to Wyoming gave me a short breather from the music industry… but not for long. I started getting into the local music scene and grew to know most of the musicians in Rock Springs. I managed local rock band ZamTrip for a few years, and taught them what I know about the business of music (it’s 20% playing/creating music, and 80% business management if you do it yourself). I created a Facebook Group called the Rock Springs / Green River Musicians’ Alliance, which now – after a decade – has over 600 members consisting of local musicians, venue owners, and music lovers.

 

I’m lucky to be able to carry what comes so naturally to me into my job at WyoRadio and Wyo4News. Every Thursday, we post the Live Music and Entertainment Scene Report on Wyo4News.com and share it on Facebook. I spend each week collecting information about which bands are playing and where, and compile a list for the public to see. This report reaches over 3,500 people per month, and since we began the listing, I’ve watched show attendances grow more and more every week.

I’m getting older, and love snuggling on the couch with my kiddo and my dogs in the evenings; however, I don’t get to on weekends. My week is not over when I clock out at the end of the day every Friday. My job is to promote – I run around, cover events, take photos, and make sure I share the incredible diversity of music and entertainment in this community.

If you’re a musician, a venue owner, or would like to help sponsor the Live Music Scene on Wyo4News – get in touch with me, and we can all promote together!