Getting Booked on a College Campus

College students are a great demographic for musicians to target because they are big time consumers of the entertainment industry. They watch music news and videos, attend concerts, go to clubs, buy music and the latest music technology – often obsessively. For any band looking to build their fan base, a college presents an enormous potential marketplace.

Many colleges have committees appointed specifically to book entertainment on their campuses. This article is going to give you the 4-1-1 on everything you need to know about getting booked on a college campus, from the college booking agents themselves.

Finding The Booking Agents

This first step will require some research. Not every college has a direct link to their entertainment committee on their homepage. Chances are, they may not even be called the “entertainment committee,” that’s just the term we’re going to be using here, so don’t Google it. Search the college website and call the campus hotline for information. There could be several departments that book entertainment, so make sure you find the one right for you. Often, the best way to track down booking agents is to talk to other bands that landed college gigs. When you confirm that you’ve reached the right department or individual, store your contacts in a little black band book.

Press Kits

Sending out a press kit? Keep in mind that you’re sending something that’s representative of your band. You want to appear professional, and convey who you are musically. Keep the press kit simple by including:

• Plenty of music samples,
• A paragraph of information about the band
• A blurb about your desire to play for the campus
• Contact information
• And a photo or two

Keep in mind that college booking agents have a lot of kits to look at. Too much stuff is more likely to overwhelm the booking agent than invite them into your music. “Why should we bring you here? Just answer that question,” says Nathan Kogut of Colorado State University.

The prettier press kit is not always the belle of the ball, so invest in press kits only what you’re able to comfortably spend. DO NOT OVERSPEND on large, overly detailed press kits full of articles, various photos, show reviews and page long bios. When a booking agent has a pile of kits to review, chances are all that extra stuff is going to go unnoticed. “We receive so many press kits, we can’t even review them all,” reveals Paul Spella of the University of New Mexico. The best thing you could do is condense your information. No one should need to read a novel to get to know your band.

The majority of mailed press kits consist of a CD and a one-sheet (a single page) containing band information and contacts. Not every college reviews bands the same way, so feel free to call them up or look online for each college’s press kit requirements (include that in the little black band book too). Some colleges may only want CDs, so if you send them a DVD of one of your shows, you could inconvenience them by making them find a DVD player to watch it on.

Do your research and you might even get away with not paying for postage altogether. Many colleges will gladly accept an electronic press kit (EPK) or emails with links to your band’s personal website. Not to mention that this will vastly decrease paper waste and save the booking agent from storing your CD.

If you plan on using a MySpace page to send to a booking agent, keep your page simple and professional. Watch out for comments, pictures or other posts that could give booking agents the wrong impression of you. Too many photos or graphics on your profile page could also lead to technical problems, so clean it up on a regular basis. John Rios of Montana State University says that MySpace can be very convenient for reviewing bands because he can listen to music, read information, look at photos and follow band schedules. “I can catch bands in between major cities,” he says. Paul Spella agrees that there can be advantages to maintaining a MySpace page, “It’s an easy means of connection to the college demographic.”

What A College Wants

What do colleges want to hear? What are their expectations? It’s hard to list specifics; colleges are as unique as the bands they book. Some may only want conservative, squeaky clean, ambient music, while others push the boundaries with experimental, free-form concerts. If in doubt, ask. Spend your time focusing on the colleges that want your style.

How prominent you are in the industry may also be a factor. Some colleges want the rising, but still underground artist that students will find refreshing and new. Others may prefer bands with a history in the music industry that will be recognized by their students. At the same time, there are colleges who don’t care who you are, where you come from, or what you’ve done in the industry – it’s the quality of your music that gets you booked. “We have to feel like they’re going to put on a good show,” says Colorado State’s Nathan Kogut. Don’t take offense if a college decides not to book you, just move on.

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