Band Hunting

HGinCT

Junior Member
So I've gotten to a point where I feel comfortable enough breaking out of my basement and can put the high school bands behind, but ever since I've started looking about 3 or 4 months ago, I've had some major difficulty looking for a single band to play in.

(for some background, I'm an Engineering student near the CT/NY border and I live in CT when not in school. started when I was 19, practiced 5 hours a day and I'm almost 22 now.)

at this point, all I have been using is craigslist, but geographically, it is difficult where I live. the "local" listings for my area include all of NYC and Long Island; traveling from Norwalk, Connecticut to the closest point in Long Island is a 7 hour round trip and just isn't feasable, yet most of the people responding to my listing are from Long Island, so I have been stuck just continually turning people down.

I don't know whether I'm not looking in the right places, saying the wrong things in my ad, or CT just likes to pretend anyone between 16 and 30 doesn't exist (I'm leaning on the first and and the third).

Is anyone aware of craigslist alternatives I can use or other resouces that are available, or a way to improve my search?

here is my ad for reference:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/muc/4559861982.html
 
+1 to the open mic nights. You'd be surprised who shows up to those.

Also, music stores sometimes have post-it boards just for situations like this. It's like a local gigging-musicians job center. I was going to say "almost always have", but it's been ages since I've been in a mainland music store, and that practice might never have existed in your area.

Go beyond Craigslist.
 
Hi, did you check out the Hudson Valley/Hartford/New Haven sub-listings? Often times people on the fringes will check them out. I'm in NH in a very "dead zone" and often check out NW Boston or Worcester ads, for ex:. The one downfall to living in the country..
 
I live in Eastern CT, which only has a slightly better music scene than the moon, and I drive to Hartford for rehearsal once a week. I would say from Wilton you should be able to find something in Bridgeport, Danbury or Stamford. Those are all pretty big cities so the bands are definitely out there, you just need to patient and try different avenues. I have used CL in the past with varying degrees of success. As others have mentioned, get into the local music scene at open mics, record stores, music stores, anywhere musicians hang out and get your name out there. Drummers always seem to be in high demand, you just need people to know you exist. Remember its not who you know, its who knows you.
 
also try Bandmix. it may help with find others not listing on craigslist.
 
I am on Bandmix but have had even less success there than craigslist. That's just the Fairfield ad I linked, I also have ads up in Westchester, New Haven, and Hartford. searching much farther isn't practical, even Hartford is a stretch.
 
Whenever I've found myself in a position where I needed other musicians, and CL wasn't working out, I've always hit the local open mics. Try to find some that have a house kit so you can do demonstrations or back someone if asked. When I was a working musician, I would open an e-mail account just for my guitar work ( [email protected] ). I'd then get $20 worth of business cards done at kinkos with the MyName_Guitarist e-mail on them. I'd then hit open mics, play, network, meet people, scout for singer/songwriters I thought I could contribute something to.

Basically, finding work 'is' your full time job.
 
I have no experience with Craigslist other than looking. But now Band Mix did bring me an offer to play in a Celtic band recently. So I think you just have to get out there. Good luck in your endeavors.
 
I have no experience with Craigslist other than looking. But now Band Mix did bring me an offer to play in a Celtic band recently. So I think you just have to get out there. Good luck in your endeavors.

Hahahaa, me, too! You must be in the Republic.

By the way, were you in "Star Wars"?
 
I hosted the weekly open mic at a bar last night. Had a lot of new faces turn up and play, and closed with a fairly massive blues jam.

Result: Gig. ;-) Feller I'd never seen before turned up with his keyboard and we had fun, so I've been invited to make his jazz duo a trio. Every Friday night at a local resort. I'm stoked! :-D

The moral of the story is not that I'm tooting my own horn. It's that getting out there and actually mixing with musicians, playing with musicians, talking to musicians, drinking beer with musicians, gets gigs.
 
Maybe you can find a good local practice spot in town, like a 24-hour lockout room, and start your own band by inviting other musicians to your place for jamming/auditioning. Let them do the drive, right?
 
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