Deadlines looming - Session Bassist Market Research

[cgg199]

Hi, I'm currently studying music at uni and am in the middle of a business module. As part of this module we have to create a musical brand and work out how to market it through market research and other forms of marketing theory. I've chosen to go down the route of a session bassist, as this is what I aspire to do in the future and therefore am collecting market research for this. I know we're all mainly bassists here, but it would be much appreciated if you could fill in the survey, particularly anyone with experience of producing, songwriting or leading a band.

The questions are pretty basic and it should only take a few minutes. If you think I have left anything important out, please let me know!

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TJ7MPS2

Many thanks!

[lowdown]

Done.

👍

[oldslapper]

Done.

[dmccombe7]

Done

[Burns-bass]

This is really interesting. I hope you don't mind me making some points... (This comes from spending time as a music lecturer when we would set assignments like this). 

I think you're confusing your own career aspirations with the demands of the assignment. A session bassist themselves isn't a brand, but a company that provides session bassists - or deps - could be a brand. 

'Deps on demand' or something like that could be a good model.

You could test the market on how much people would be willing to pay for a stand in. Say a gig pays a band £1000 but the bass player has gone. What do you do?

This situation you could jump in and provide a service that ensures the gig goes on, keeps the client happy and the band earning. 

Looking at your survey, you're already collecting useful information. 

Apologies if this is seen as critical, it's certainly not meant to be.

[Burns-bass]

16 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

A session bassist themselves isn't a brand.

This isn't technically true. Some session bassists are brands (Will Lee, Pino Palladino etc.) but they develop their brand through years of playing and exposure, not because they simply tell people they're great. 

[oldslapper]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

This isn't technically true. Some session bassists are brands (Will Lee, Pino Palladino etc.) but they develop their brand through years of playing and exposure, not because they simply tell people they're great. 

Love the fact that you're disagreeing with yourself on the thread 😊

IBTL (before this escalates between yourself.)😄

You're right though, it took these guys a while before they were brands in their own right. 

[Burns-bass]

12 minutes ago, oldslapper said:

Love the fact that you're disagreeing with yourself on the thread 😊

IBTL (before this escalates between yourself.)😄

You're right though, it took these guys a while before they were brands in their own right. 

Someone else would have said it at some stage,  I guess. My point was that these guys become first-call for a reason - they've established a formidable reputation. It would be impossible to brand themselves without this, which makes the whole task difficult for the OP.

As I said, I'm just offering what I hope is constructive and helpful feedback to help the project, not to be a smart derrière or know it all (because I certainly don't).

[oldslapper]

It's OK, I was just being silly.

I thought you're point was valid and helpful IMHO. A mate of mine has just finished Paul Young tour & we both discussed "Pino lines" which, as you said, is a case in point, they're recognisable as brand Pino 😎

[cgg199]

Thanks very much to everyone for helping me!

It is rather difficult with the whole branding myself as a session musician without being part of this industry on a professional level. The idea of the task is to show us all how we can research the current market in order to find where we fit in and how we can succeed in this field. Naturally the majority of people are going down the route of live performers, such as bands, which usually serve in an entity in themselves, whereas I'm looking at more of a portfolio career. It's clear having spoken to my tutors that completing this task with session musicianship in mind is slightly harder,  however much of the research is the same process. 

I have never seen myself or any other aspiring musician in my position to be a brand, however with the assignment and the way it is constructed, I have to take this route. The suggestions above about session players who are brands is useful as I hadn't considered researching those particular players in that way!

Once again, thanks very much everyone!

[roblpm]

4 hours ago, cgg199 said:

Thanks very much to everyone for helping me!

It is rather difficult with the whole branding myself as a session musician without being part of this industry on a professional level. The idea of the task is to show us all how we can research the current market in order to find where we fit in and how we can succeed in this field. Naturally the majority of people are going down the route of live performers, such as bands, which usually serve in an entity in themselves, whereas I'm looking at more of a portfolio career. It's clear having spoken to my tutors that completing this task with session musicianship in mind is slightly harder,  however much of the research is the same process. 

I have never seen myself or any other aspiring musician in my position to be a brand, however with the assignment and the way it is constructed, I have to take this route. The suggestions above about session players who are brands is useful as I hadn't considered researching those particular players in that way!

Once again, thanks very much everyone!

You have passed the first test. I am on a few forums where students post questionnaires, people fill them in and the student never returns to thank them or discuss. So rule one is keep coming back....... 

[JBP]

Done

[lownote]

Can't fill in the survey cos I didn't read to the end of your email and now see I don't qualify.

But if it helps Scott Devine has done many podcasts with top session players and asked most of them what it took to get to the top.  You might want to explore that resource.   Going by my ancient and faulty memory the 3 top tips seemed to be :

1/Be very good at what you do

2/ Be very flexible and adaptable

3/ Fit in super well

4/ Know or get to know lots and lots of people

5/ Never turn down anything

6/ Be prepared for it to take years

7/ Exploit modern media - much session work is conducted via the web

8/ Don't expect miracles, the market is far smaller than it used to be.

Um... that's 8, sorry.  

I'm closely following Seth Tackaberry who's only 20, still a student, finalist in the BBC Young Jazzist of the Year, and seems to me to have virtually all the requirements of success buttoned down already. He's very approachable.   

Edited November 28, 2018 by lownote12

[cgg199]

Thanks Lownote, that's great help! I need to include as much research as possible, and the points you have raised seem to back up my survey completely!