#1 My First Broadway Gig

#1 My First Broadway Gig 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is episode one of the Caleb Tell us Podcast. Greetings and salutations, everyone. I'm a drummer trying to make it in the music business in Nashville. I'm currently a security guard downtown on Broadway, at least for now, anyways. Depending on when you're watching this video, I may or may not still be a security guard downtown. My goal in starting this podcast is to offer y'all, the listeners, music business advice, to give y'all a way to kind of follow my own journey as a musician, trying to make it in the music business and trying to have a successful music career. Hopefully, y'all can learn from my own successes and even my own failures. I'm also going to be giving advice and guidance on effective leadership strategies, effective business strategies, and just in general, life advice and guidance. I'd like to offer up some advice and guidance to help other people and whoever else with being successful in life, in the music business, in leadership positions, and in business in general. So on July 12th, 2026, I had my first gig. So I got up in the morning, I was nervous to do this gig, and I even checked my gear multiple times because I didn't want to forget anything. And I wanted to make sure that I had everything that I needed for that day, for that gig. I wasn't super nervous getting onto the stage because I've been playing for ten plus years now, because I've been playing for a very, very long time. I was more nervous and anxious about making sure that I wasn't forgetting anything and that I needed that I had everything that I needed for that gig, and I was more anxious and nervous about making sure that I was gonna get there on time. And I was nervous and anxious about being quick to get on the stage and off the stage. I had a spectacular breakfast that morning. I played with a band that I had never played with before. I knew most of the songs we played. Um we played on the third floor from 2 p.m. to six p.m. at Honky Tonk Central on the third floor in Nashville on Broadway. I knew most of the songs. I made some money. What's really interesting is most of the songs you play on Broadway are very, very simple as a drummer. And most of them are just two or three beats per song. Some of them are just one beat per song, even. The big thing as a drummer is to watch the other musicians be good at reading their body language and detecting when a song is about to end, and to know the songs. Even if you don't know the song, you might still be able to pull it off and play the song even if you don't know it because of how simple it is. Make sure that you're playing at a reasonable volume and that you're not trying to murder the drum set. You want to pace yourself and not gas yourself out within the first few songs. Remember, you're playing for four hours. The musicians that you're playing with also have to be able to hear you and everybody else, and themselves. Most of the time you don't even really have to put that much effort into playing the songs, and you use your fingers a lot when playing on Broadway, and you don't have to play that hard. Make sure that you're being easy to work with. Make sure that you're not being a jerk. No one wants to work with anyone that's a jerk, including myself. Have good social skills and have the ability to get along with other people. I'd be lying to you if I told you that I liked every single person that I work with in business. Because the truth of the matter is I don't. Put your differences aside, focus on the job, put the importance of the job above the egos and the attitudes. Be on time. In Nashville, there's always traffic. If you live 45 minutes out from Nashville, like I do, try to leave your residency an hour and a half before you're actually scheduled to go and take the stage and play the gig. I personally was 30 minutes early to the gig that I was scheduled to play at. Give yourself plenty of time to get there and do not become complacent. Again, I was there 30 minutes early, the first gig I ever played, and I was quick to get on stage and quick to get off stage. Be respectful of people's time. Being late is completely and utterly unacceptable and disrespectful. Your fellow bandmates are going to be on time for you. So be on time for them. When I was in the military, and yes, once upon a time, I was in the United States Army, I was in the military. When I was in the military, I was expected to be at the right place at the right time in the right uniform. And if I didn't do that, I would get in trouble. If you're late enough times in the military, they will recommend you see injection, which means that they will kick you out of the military. Be nice to the people that are helping you to make your dream become a reality. Be nice to the people that are trying to help you to make your dream become a reality. And be grateful to the people who let you play the gig. Have integrity. If you don't care about your bandmates, they will not care about you. If you don't listen to them, they won't listen to you. If you don't respect them, they're not gonna respect you. If you don't care about the sound guy, the sound guy is not gonna care about you. If you don't listen to the sound guy, the sound guy is not gonna listen to you. If you don't respect the sound guy, the sound guy is not gonna respect you. Have integrity. If you think that slitting other people's throats and climbing over other people's backs is actually going to help you to get ahead, you're dead wrong. Screwing other people over is not going to do you any good in the long run. In fact, it will do quite the contrary. I truly believe in the law of reciprocity. And karma is very, very real. Whatever you put out into the universe is going to come back to you. You do reap what you sow. If you screw over enough people, eventually word gets around. If you screw over enough people, eventually, word will get around that you're a crook. People will not be willing to work with you, and you eventually will get blacklisted from Broadway. And this industry called the music industry is a very unforgiving industry. Be disciplined. Like Jocko Willing says, discipline equals freedom. Have self-control. Have a good attitude. Put your ego in check. The truth of the matter is the world does not owe you anything, and you are entitled to nothing. You don't deserve anything. You're not entitled to anything. Don't have any expectations for your first gig. Because expectations are really just a dress rehearsal for resentment. Expectations are a dress rehearsal for you becoming resentful. I don't think it's necessarily what happens in life that upsets people, but rather it's violations of their expectations most of the time. The secret to happiness is low expectations. I'm not saying to not have hopes and goals. But what I am saying is don't have expectations. Whether you like it or not, the music business is extremely competitive. And there's always someone right behind you looking to take your spot and replace you. Show up sober, don't be high or drunk coming into the gigs. You'll end up playing sloppy and it's just straight up unprofessional. Many of the things that I just mentioned are just common sense things, but unfortunately, common sense is not common enough. Common sense is not common. As a matter of fact, common sense is so uncommon to the point where if you have it, it's like having a superpower. Make sure you get people's contact information and start building relationships. When you have your big break or have an opportunity to join a big band, it's probably gonna be because you knew a person of a person of a person of a person. That's what happened with the drummer of the band I Prevail, named Gabe. Gabe was playing at bars and churches and was building relationships with people and working on his YouTube channel. And that's how he met the guys on I Prevail and ultimately ended up joining the band. Now I Prevail is one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world, and they even got nominated for a Grammy. So I figure that's what I need to be doing too. I'm also going to be making an effort to listen to books and podcasts from people who are far more successful than I am, so I can improve myself while I'm working hard to achieve my goals. And if you want to actually make a career out of being in the music business, being really good at your instrument, being a really good singer, having your band being really talented and making great music is just the very minimum that you need in order to be successful in the music business. Because year after year after year after year, this industry called the music business becomes more and more competitive each and every single year. You not only have to be very talented, but you also have to be good as a businessman and really good at your music. You not only have to be a really good businessman, but you also have to be really good at getting your music out there. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes this first episode. Stay tuned for more. If you got something out of this video, this podcast episode, please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Follow me on TikTok, on Instagram, on Facebook. Like this video, comment in the comment section, leave my podcast a five-star review. That will help me to keep this thing going and to build a large following so I can make a living out of doing this podcast. And so I can continue to help y'all out in whatever way I can. Go be great. Do great things. Live a happy, healthy, and prosperous and meaningful life. Have common sense. Don't do anything stupid. Hold on to your peanut butter. And I'll catch you all next time. Have a good one, y'all. Peace.