How to Get Members for Your Band

How to Get Members for Your BandHow to Get Members for Your BandYouve got the songs, so now all you need are the people to help you bring them to life. You know that finding the right formation members is crucial to your success, but where do you begin your search? These tips will point you in the right direction. Ask Around You may already know your kapellemates - you just dont know you know them. Some of your friends already in formations might be looking for a change, or they might know of other people who are looking for a gig. What makes this way of finding a bandmate good is that you already know the deal about someone before they join the band. If so-and-so is a great bass player but has never turned up for a soundcheck on time in their life, now is the best time to find out. Finding band members through your local music scene grapevine means you can be more confident about finding someone reliable- or at least have a heads up about their quirks.? Post at the Record S hop Where do music types like to gather? The record shop, of course Or the instrument shop or another music-related shop. Most of these places, especially the independently-owned ones, will have message boards where you can advertise for band members. Be sure to put a little bit about your music on the advertisement, or at least some info about bands that you like, and dont forget to include some way for interested people to contact you. Asking the staff of these stores is another way to find people looking for a band. Check on the www Websites like Craigslist are filled with ads from people looking for a band to join. Browse through the lists of musicians in your area who are interested in finding a band with whom to play, and place your ad seeking band members. Include the same information you would on an advertisement on the record store message board. You can also visit forums for musicians to get the word out. Contact Local Studios and Rehearsal Rooms Put a call into t he recording studios and rehearsal spaces in your area and let the people there know you are looking for musicians. See if they have space where you can come by and post an advertisement for your band. The staff at these places know who is playing with which band and who is looking for a new gig, and they can be a great resource for you. Even if you havent used the studio or the rehearsal space before, dont shy away from approaching them in your search for your band members. Poster the Town Stick advertisements up anywhere you think like-minded musicians may frequent. Coffee shops, bookshops, college campuses, clubs, and venues - the key is to let people know you are looking. Get the word out there More Tips for Finding a Band These additional ideas can help you manage the process of locating and vetting people for your band Consider setting up a special email account just for people to use to respond to your advertisements, especially if you plan on putting up ads all over in town in non-music related places, so you can avoid that guy who pulled your contact info off your ad on the coffee shop wall to try and sell you an insurance policy.When you advertise, be as specific as possible about the kind of music you want to play. Its a waste of time for the jam band guy to show up at the metal band audition. You want people in your band with whom you share a lot of musical interests, so youre more likely to have the same vision. Take the time to find bandmates who can not only playbut who you genuinely like. Remember, if all goes well, you could be spending quite a lot of time with these people. No one likes spending 12 hours crammed in a van with someone they cant stand. Your shows will be better if everyone likes and respects each other.Be clear about your expectations for a new band member. How many practices a week do you plan to have? Will everyone get to have some creative input, or is there only one songwriter? It is very important to figure these things out in advance. Also, if youre serious about making a go of things with the band, let people know up front that you expect a certain amount of professionalism. Tell people you expect band members to get to the show or practice on time, well-rehearsed, and ready to play. Talk about the money up front. If there will be band related expenses, like traveling to shows, now is the time work out who pays for what.

How to Find a Legitimate Work-from-Home Job

How to Find a Legitimate Work-from-Home JobHow to Find a Legitimate Work-from-Home JobMaybe youve been toying with the idea of working from home for years. But after seeing countless news reports on the number of work-from-home job scams that are out there, youre cautious about applying for a remote position. While its estimated that only 1 out of every 100 work-from-home jobs you might see online, in newspaper, or even tacked to your local bus stop, is actually real, that still shouldnt scare you out of finding a legitimate work-from-home job- and the work-life balance it can bring.Sarah Hiner, president and CEO of Bottom Line Publications interviewed Nancy Collamer, a career coach and author of Second-Act Careers, in a video called Legitimate Work at Home Jobs. Together, they discuss how any job seeker can get a legitimate work-from-home job sans a job scam.Watch the video here, or check out the summary of tips belowBe realistic.Sure, everyone would like to work only a handful of h ours a month and earn $5,000- with no experience required. But its simply not a reality. So if the work-from-home job seems too good to be true from the job posting, Collamer says it almost always is.Network locally.One of the easiest ways to find a telecommuting job is to hit the pavement- literally. Many small and local businesses are in need of help, but might not have the space to accommodate an extra worker. By networking locally with businesses that align with your career goals and skill level, you might be able to find a position that is not only close to home, but one that you can do from home.Assess your skills. While almost any job can have some type of telecommuting component to it, some industries are more flex-friendly than others. Collamer stated that positions in fields such as sales, recruiting, translation, and writing tend to offer more work-from-home positions. Collamer recommends reviewing your skills to see which ones lend themselves to remote work.Know where to look. Savvy job seekers looking for remote work know that in order to land a legitimate work-from-home job, you need to look in areas where those types of jobs are plentiful. Using niche job search boards, such as, can help job candidates find real work-from-home jobs and expedite their job search, advises Collamer.Dont get personal.Job hunting can get frustrating. Unfortunately, the job market is full of scammers who know that all too well and prey on peoples trust and desire to find a job ASAP to rob them. So even though its been said time and again, it bears repeating never, ever release your personal information to a potential boss. You should never reveal your social security number or bank account info until after youre officially hired for a position. Legitimate employers, once they extend you an offer and you accept it, will need certain personal information to file payroll tax forms and employee paperwork.Even though there are many job scammers out there, there are an even greater number of honest employers who are looking to hire remote workers. Use caution and common sense as you continue on in your job search to find a remote job that can give you the freedom and flexibility to work on your terms.Readers, have you fallen victim to a job scam in your search for a legitimate work-from-home job? Let us know in the comments below

The benefits of sewing and crafting for mental health

The benefits of sewing and crafting for mental healthThe benefits of sewing and crafting for mental healthSewing and crafting can be fun pastimes. Even more than that, they can be useful as well After all, when you finish sewing a project or crafting something, you have a knick-knack for your house, a new dress to wear, or anything that you can think of creating.However, the benefits of sewing and crafting dont stop there. In addition, there are a variety of benefits to your mental health when you take time to sew or craft as well. Today, we are going to take a look at some of these benefits.Take Some Time to YourselfThe first benefit we will look at isnt exactly specific to crafting or sewing. Instead, it is simply the idea that you can benefit fromtaking some time to yourself.During this time to yourself, though, you can take the time to sew or craft to also access the other benefits we will discuss here.Taking the time to do something for and by yourself can help you relax. We liv e in a busy world and it can be easy to devote every waking moment to working or studying. By taking the time to sew or craft, though, you are relaxing and you dont feel guilty about it because you can make something you end up using.It can also help to take your mind off things in a stressful situation. After all, giving yourself a little me time isnt limited to everyday stress. In fact, having a distraction during particularly stressful situations can help to ground you and take a break from constant anxiety, stress, or even depression.Confidence and CraftingAnother thing that crafting and sewing can help is your confidence and self-esteem. Remember how we mentioned that you wouldnt feel guilty crafting or sewing because you are creating something that is important to you?Well, this can also help you with your confidence as well When you feel like youre accomplishing something and providing something for yourself or someone else, you are more confident. Its the same concept that g ives you a boost of self-esteem when you successfully complete a big job at work, for example.Crafting Can Make You Feel HappySo, we know that crafting and sewing can help you to reduce some of the stress in your life, improving your mental health. In addition, though, crafting can also make you happy, not just reduce unhappiness.For instance, a survey of 3,545 knitters was taken by a knitting therapist, Betsan Corkhill. In this survey, knitters were asked questions about how they felt while they were knitting. Responding to the survey, over half of the survey takers said that knitting made them feel very happy.Crafting, sewing or woodworking help you reduce negative emotions and stress by allowing you to create unique pieces of art. For example, woodworking is one of the most effective form of art therapy in the world, because itcombines strategies for planning,, getting the supplies, planning your cut list, measuring, cutting, painting.The reasoning given behind this is that craft ing can release serotonin and dopamine chemicals in your brain that relax you and make you happier. The more repetitive your craft is the better A part of what is hypothesized to cause this chemical release is getting lost in the repetitive movements of a craft. This means that crafts such as knitting or sewing are more likely to landsee these results.Bright Colors and Different Materials HelpThe same therapist who did the knitting survey, Betsan Corkhill, also says that usingbright colors when you craft can help your mood.There is actually some science to this claim. Certain colors do, in fact, evoke certain moods for some people. This is why you might feel more anxious in a harshly coloured room or feel calm when surrounded by blue. Historically, color therapy chromology has been used to improve moods. Today, we often see this in the form of light therapy.This has to do with a few different ideas. One of the main concepts is that certain colors are associated with certain thing s such as warm colors being associated with fall.Todays research is less optimistic about the long-term effects of color. It is generally accepted, though, that certain colors can have a great, short-term effect on mood, though.The great thing about crafting is that its multi-sensory too. For instance, if you are sewing with super soft materials, you might find this to be calming just as you would wrapping up in a soft, fuzzy throw blanket.Learning Something New Is Good for YouIf you are new to crafting and sewing or even just improving your skills by learning a new pattern, you will benefit from it. Crafting and sewing give you a chance to learn and learning does wonderful things for your brain.To get scientific, when you learn something, your brain forms new synapses between neurons. In laymans terms, this keeps your mind flexible and ready to learn. This can help ward off problems with learning as you age such as dementia.This article was originally published on Your Coffee Brea k.