Music - Backstage Circle

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A collection of 273 posts

Band performing on stage under blue concert lights

Your Band Is a Brand: What Your Look Says Before You Play a Note

Before you play a single note, the audience has already made up its mind about you. Here's how to make sure your look tells the right story.

Drummer performing on stage under intense concert lights

How to Own the Stage When You're Not the Front Person

The singer gets the spotlight, but the audience is watching the whole band. Here's how drummers, bass players, keyboard players and guitarists can own their part of the stage.

Drums, guitars and amps set up on a nightclub stage for soundcheck

Yes, It's a Real Job: Answering the Question Every Musician Hears

"So what do you do for a real job?" Every musician, tech and crew member has heard it. Here's why the question misses the point, and how to answer it with confidence.

Guitarist performing alone in a spotlight on stage

Building a Recognizable Image as a Solo Artist

When you're a solo artist, you are the brand. Here's how to build an image people recognize at a glance, on stage, online and everywhere in between.

Silhouette of a singer performing on a blue-lit stage with smoke

Stage Presence Lessons from a Career in Music

Talent gets you on the stage. Presence is what makes people remember you. Ten lessons on stage presence from a career in the entertainment business.

Crowd watching a rock concert under blue stage lights

What the Audience Notices First (It's Not the Music)

You spend hours perfecting the songs. But the audience is picking up on a dozen other things before the music even registers. Here's what they're really looking at.

Van cargo area packed full of suitcases, duffel bags and backpacks

Packing List for Your First Tour

Heading out on your first tour? Here's what to pack, what to leave home, and the small things that make life on the road a lot easier.

Backstage door with a taped sign reading band and crew only

Survival Tips for Long Gig Days

Load-in at noon, soundcheck at four, show at ten, load-out at one. Here's how musicians and crew stay sharp through a gig day that never seems to end.

Band playing on a club stage in front of a crowd

How to Get More Gigs

Talent alone doesn't fill a calendar. Here's how working musicians make themselves easy to book, build the relationships that lead to more dates, and keep getting called back.

People chatting and mingling at a warmly lit indoor event

Networking Tips for Musicians and Crew

In the entertainment business, who you know really does matter. Here's how musicians and crew can build genuine connections that lead to work, without feeling like a salesperson.

Guitar sitting in front of a lit Christmas tree

Gift Ideas for Musicians and Crew

Shopping for a musician, sound engineer or road crew member? Here are thoughtful gift ideas they'll actually use, from practical road essentials to experiences they'll remember.

Faders on a mixing desk with stage lights glowing in the background

Gifts for the Crew Who Make the Show Happen

Sound engineers, lighting designers, techs and stagehands make every show possible, and rarely get thanked. Here are gift ideas for the people behind the scenes.

Close-up of a guitar pick resting on guitar strings

Holiday Gifts Under $40 for Musicians and Entertainment Pros

You don't need a big budget to make a musician or crew member happy. Here are thoughtful, useful holiday gifts that won't break the bank.

Person holding a wrapped holiday gift box

Last-Minute Gifts for the Musician Who Has Everything

Out of time and shopping for someone who already owns every piece of equipment they need? Here are last-minute gifts you can still pull off, many of them without leaving home.

Musician in a white dress shirt playing acoustic guitar

What to Wear to a Gig, a Session and a Music Industry Meeting

The right outfit depends on where you're going. Here's a practical guide to dressing for club gigs, private events, festivals, studio sessions, crew calls and music industry meetings.

Stage lighting rig hanging above an empty outdoor amphitheatre stage

No Show Without the Crew: The People the Audience Never Sees

The audience sees the artist. Behind every show is a team of skilled professionals who make it happen. Here's a look at the crew, and why they deserve more credit.

Close-up of the faders on a professional audio mixing console

Hero of the House: A Salute to Front of House Engineers

Every note the audience hears passes through one person's hands. Here's a salute to the front of house engineer, and what it really takes to do the job.

Backstage hallway lined with black and red equipment flight cases

The Unofficial Dress Code of the Crew

Nobody hands crew members a dress code, but everyone in the business knows it. Here's what to wear when you work behind the scenes, and why it matters.

How To Stand Out

How To Stand Out

An artist finishes a set and someone asks, “How would you describe your music?” For musicians who find that question harder than the performance itself, Toronto vocal, performance and career coach Lorraine Lawson is offering How to Stand Out, a live Zoom workshop on November 28 and 29. “Success starts

Arkells

9X JUNO Award winners Arkells release their surprise single “Handshake Thugs”. The track marks their first new music since their latest album, Between Us, arrived earlier this spring. Featuring the No. 1 singles “Next Summer” and “Money,” Between Us asks blunt questions about the noise of modern life and where

CON THE ARTIST

Following a cross-Canada tour with LØLØ and being named the iHeartRadio Future Star earlier this summer, alt-pop upstart CON THE ARTIST makes his full-length debut with THIS IS A BREAKUP ALBUM, a candid, colourful look at love coming undone and life carrying on. Out now via Wax

Why Your Band's Origin Story Is Marketing, Not Just Trivia

Why Your Band's Origin Story Is Marketing, Not Just Trivia

In 1981, a young drummer named Lars Ulrich placed an advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper looking for musicians who shared his enthusiasm for heavy metal. James Hetfield responded, and the two began playing together. What started with a classified ad eventually became Metallica, one of the biggest bands in

Chantal Kreviazuk

Chantal Kreviazuk

GRAMMY and JUNO Award-winning artist and internationally acclaimed songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk has released Rockstar Joy via Wax Records, an emotionally charged collection of ten new original songs that captures the passion, complexity and contradictions of love and life in the spotlight. With her unmistakable voice and expressive piano at

Tia McGraff's Brand New Adventure Book

Not long ago, Jake was waiting in an animal shelter in Nashville, Tennessee. Today the Husky rides shotgun on tour with two of Canada’s most celebrated folk musicians, and now he’s the star of his own book series. ‘In Your Dreams, Jake: The Trail Goes On,’ the second

The Andy Kim Christmas

The Andy Kim Christmas

This year, luminary musician and Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee, Andy Kim returns to Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall on Wednesday, December 2 for another unforgettable evening celebrating the magic of the season with performances from iconic Canadian artists. The Andy Kim Christmas will bring some of the nation’