The Value of a Nontraditional Gig

This guest post by Matt Holland originally appeared on the GigSalad Blog

When you first decided to make money with your talent, you may have imagined the gigging life a little differently. You most likely didn’t have birthday parties, singing telegrams, fundraisers, and other nontraditional gigs in mind. 

But whether you’re on stage or in someone’s backyard, you’re meant to share your talent! Nontraditional gigs expand your opportunities and can help you turn your passion into a career. Here are a few of the benefits!

Earn a living

Perhaps the biggest benefit of nontraditional gigs is the possibility of creating a sustainable living. Waiting for that dream nightly gig or working your way up the local ladder is tiresome and often not very lucrative. If making a living doing what you love is the goal, nontraditional gigs can help you reach it.

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On GigSalad, we see requests for nearly every kind of event imaginable. Among the top events, birthday parties, weddings, corporate events, and private parties show most frequently. Birthday or private parties allow you to invest a small amount of time for a small return but are regularly requested. Larger corporate or wedding gigs offer generally higher pay but are less regular and have seasons. By being willing to perform at a variety of events, you will work more often, continually reach more clients, and do more of what you love.

Grow as a performer

Performing for nontraditional gigs forces you out of your comfort zone. The requests and services required will be different between each client, and the venue could be anywhere. You may be performing at someone’s home, in the corner of a restaurant, in a park, or at a corporate or wedding event where you’re on stage in front of hundreds.

Whatever style of performance you normally do, nontraditional  gigs will, at some point, be different. These differences and challenges push you to become a better performer. As you take on each challenge and gig, you’ll hone a new element of your craft. As a result, you’ll become better prepared for larger or even more demanding opportunities.

Be deeply appreciated

After countless hours practicing and perfecting your skills, there’s nothing quite as encouraging as a truly heartfelt “thank you” after a performance. Nontraditional gigs are often very special events for clients. Proposals, graduation parties, or 90th birthdays are events that clients and their families will remember for years. They’ve chosen you to create a wonderful memory for them and when you do, they’ll genuinely appreciate you for your time and talent.

The importance and personal significance of these events enable you to build stronger relationships with clients. Those relationships can lead to repeat bookings, great reviews, and word of mouth referrals that will expand your career.

GigSalad is a service that connects bands and musicians to top-notch live show opportunities in the U.S. and Canada. Over a million event planners and talent buyers have used GigSalad to find entertainment for their events. It’s a great service to get your band booked for private gigs like weddings, birthday parties, holiday parties, corporate events, and more.

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