This is what it's all about

You've worked hard on your music, your artist profile, and you're ready to take it to the stage. Let's say you're just getting started, so it’s a grind and it's a rite of passage. The sooner you get comfy on stage and master the art of pitching yourself, the faster you can get into the rooms you've been dreaming about.

Entry-level stage opportunities can be genre-specific, but we'll try to keep it broad here.

Your first move should almost always be open mics. In just about any city, town, or municipality, you can find at least one weekly open mic. Find these by following local venues on Instagram, checking event sites for postings, and watching what fellow artists in your region are getting up to.

The good thing is that open mic events are generally pretty forgiving; you get to choose between original songs and covers, and you only have to perform 1-2 pieces that you've really nailed down. Depending on the venue, they might even have backline or at least a communal guitar you can borrow if you don’t yet have an instrument.

The most valuable part of an open mic event is the network. You're at a live music venue, playing with local musicians; this is a goldmine for connecting with the industry. Make sure you're following the other musicians on social media, and are leaving with a venue contact and a business card (or two).

One more thing: pick one open mic and show up consistently for 6-8 weeks. The host runs that room every week, influences the venue's paid slots, and will start passing your name along once they recognize you. Familiarity beats variety here.

Once you've got more material ready to play, busking is your next move. It's stage time on your own terms, you get paid (surprisingly well), and it forces you to learn how to hold an audience that didn't come to see you.

Most cities require a permit, but they're usually cheap and easy to get. Search "[your city] busking permit," and the application should be easy to find. Check the website for any regional-specific rules or regulations.

This one is criminally underused. Most new musicians have no idea their own city is actively looking for performers, and the application forms are usually right under their noses on a public website.

Look for: summer festival programming, farmers market performance slots, public library concert series, community association events, neighbourhood block parties, civic celebrations like Canada Day, and parks & recreation programming. Your city's arts and culture department usually has a page listing open calls for performers AND a quota on local artists they need to hit.

Best part: these gigs pay!!

Retirement homes, hospitals, church coffeehouses, school events, charity fundraisers, hospice programs. These are some of the most forgiving rooms you'll ever play, often pay at least a little, and the audiences are genuinely happy you're there.

You probably won't book a record deal at a seniors' home, but you will get reps, get comfortable on a mic, and learn how to read a room when nobody's drunk. Reach out directly: most of these places have an activities coordinator or events lead, whose email is on the website.

If you're sick of waiting for permission, stop waiting. House concerts, splitting a bill with another new artist at a small venue, renting a community hall, performing at a friend's gallery opening or pop-up shop, busking inside a local cafe with the owner's blessing, all of these are real options.

The best part: when you create the show, you control the room. You pick who plays, who's invited, and what the night feels like. This is also where you start building a tiny audience that's yours, not the venue's.

❓ Not sure how to go about booking on your own? We’ll cover that in our next newsletter! (Now is a great time to make sure you are subscribed!)

Here's the part most new performers skip, and it's the actual unlock.

Stages don't compound. Relationships do.

Thanks for your attention! I know it’s a big ask these days.

If I missed something important, or if you have a recommendation on what I should cover next, just hit reply ⌯⌲

-Lauren (saying it into the mic 🎤 )