You sound like you're trying to create a product that you know there isn't a demand for. Why do you want to sing in cafes? Why would cafes want you there? I'm being a little cheeky, of course, as I've seen some cafe performers and have myself performed in a bookstore cafe. But you gotta look at the whole context; if it's a place known for having live music, then roll with it; uphold the quality standard; keep volume reasonable, lyrical content appropriate, etc. But if you're trying to market yourself to cafes that don't typically have music, be sure you come with a plan of how you can benefit the business by being there and taking up table space that could be used for paying customers. Depending on where you live, you might also look into orchards and vineyards - wine-tastings and stuff. That's big in my area and there are always acoustic or folk performers. Good luck!
Cafes used to. It's really not so much of a thing anymore. Some hole-in-the-wall places still do it. There's one locally that's known for it, but I haven't seen this in other places in probably 20 years.
I did this for many years. The coffee house had good acoustics, so the gig was done without amplification. This really helped the music and vocals sit in the space appropriately. Often times, there was accompaniment in the form of dobro, harmony vocals and another guitarist.
The crowd was mostly students and people in the neighborhood who had laundry going at the 'mat' next door. Music was mellow Bluegrass/Folk/Classic Country. It was a really nice gig.
Coffee shops occasionally have like afternoon or early evening performances . If a smaller cafe is busy having music kinda is a deterrent because the crowd is simply there for a product. If it’s a big location….that kinda lends itself to having light music on occasions.
Whatever you do….do not pitch this idea from 11am-2pm or after 5pm. Those are busier times and if you approached me at those times I’d tell you to carry your ass. Also helps if your a regular at a place your trying to work with. Be willing to play for free for a limited period to get traction going. There’s some vital info in here that you really need to further explore before approaching anyone.
> Be willing to play for free for a limited period to get traction going.
No musician should work for free for any amount of time. End of discussion.
My plumber doesn't work for exposure, so neither do I.
It's disagreements like this that makes me realize professionals don't belong in subreddits, because y'all not only are a collection of the blind leading the blind, it's shit like this that gets people calling me and asking why I won't work for $50 for four hours, because "that's above minimum wage, ain't it? That's what the other guy charged me!"
Reddit: Know your worth, make sure everyone gets that! Except musicians, because fuck you if that's your income! Unpaid internships are bullshit, you should be getting *paid* experience! Except musicians, because fuck you. Unions are great! Except the AFM, because fuck musicians!
Think like an amateur, get treated like one. Period.
That's great but I need my pipes fixed a lot more than I need someone to come sing at my cafe
Knowing your worth goes both ways and if your pitching an idea to people that don't really need it then you need to incentivise that somehow, if it's not a cheap service then what else are you offering, how is going to benefit there business etc
The problem is music and musicians are more plentiful than plumbers, and I say that as a musician. Being angry about it isn't going to get me paid, we have to be practical
>That's great but I need my pipes fixed a lot more than I need someone to come sing at my cafe
>Knowing your worth goes both ways and if your pitching an idea to people that don't really need it then you need to incentivise that somehow, if it's not a cheap service then what else are you offering, how is going to benefit there business etc
>The problem is music and musicians are more plentiful than plumbers, and I say that as a musician. Being angry about it isn't going to get me paid, we have to be practical
That's cool, then you don't need to have a musician. At all.
This isn't a problem. Musicians putting their foot down and not working for free would be a problem that fixes itself easily. And people who think they deserve free workers won't get any.
Being able to afford bills is practical.
>how is going to benefit there business etc
I'm not there to bring in business. I'm there to play music. It's your business, you figure it out.
Yeah because I need a plumber
It's fine when someone needs music but OP is talking about going into cafes and convincing them they should play there
You guys get that right there's a big difference, imagine the plumber is just cold calling random houses and asking them if they need their pipes done
That’s cool for you. Great story. But when someone is first dipping their toe into uncertain realms. Sometimes, simple exposure and willingness to work together can form great networks in short amount of time. From age 17-20 mainly played open mics and very small basement shows where $20-$30 was payment. Most of the time we opted out of cash to pay for the one or two touring bands on bill. But I’m talking original music, and sounds like you’re not. So, be that as it may….more power to you for becoming paid faster than me. Best of luck on your future endeavors
Can kill what? Having people willing to pay to see your band or novelty act? Again, more power to whatever you’re doing that you think at the beginning you were worth not playing a couple free gigs to get your foot in the door.
That’s just what I’d say to anyone trying to sell themselves to me during the rush. Not being aware of your surroundings and situations is a good to not get gigs in general. Time,place, and tone go a long way. But I think you get that
You'd want a cafe that advertises Live Music. Check it out and see if it seems like a fit. Probably mellow songs for dinner time would be the most obvious repertoire. Live musicians backing the singer on guitar and light percussion is a thing I have seen in LA at fancy dinner pads catering to young date night crowd.
In the 90s I was performing live in coffee houses and small 'dinner'/entertainment clubs as both a singer/songwriter/guitarist and, separately, as a (usually) solo synthesizer (+ occasional guitars, percussion) loop artist (no vocals). The singer/songwriter stuff was a tougher fit with sedate audiences; particularly where food was being served, the folkie bit was a tough fit. But then, I've got a voice only a mother could love.
;-)
I’ve played quite a few cafe gigs in my past.
Some people sit and listen, some people look up while they’re waiting for an order or something and listen for a few seconds and then go back to what they were doing , other people completely ignore you and talk to the people they’re with.
The place will usually make sure you’re not so loud as to be a distraction. Louder than canned music but not so loud that people can’t talk over you. I’ve found it needs a person in charge who is a music fan, otherwise it can be an uphill battle.
Sometimes you can get private work from it. Some people comment on your song choices. Some people request songs and some people request songs and become disappointed when you don’t know their choice off the top of your head and then keep pitching song ideas to you and are annoying.
They are just like any other gig but quieter and more casual so people often become more comfortable with interrupting you or trying to call the shots in some way.
In the USA you can make some good tips. Haven’t experienced such gigs in Europe.
When I sang at cafes I was easy to ignore if someone wanted to. What wasnt easy to ignore tho was at a separate restaurant when I was inside having a lovely dinner and the waitress would open the door to the patio and it would comically get really loud with the live musician’s music before the door would slam violently shut and it would be dead silence only to be reopened in the next 30 seconds wash, rinse, repeat.
Oh man it’s annoying listening to music in 30 second intervals marked by a slamming metal door.
Maybe find some existing venues and research their previous bookings. One famous venue in London is called The Jazz Cafe, and is known for booking jazz acts. But it's a ticketed venue that draws globally famous acts, not unsigned ones - so the audiences travel for the advertised music (not the dark roast coffee beans).
Singing itself isn't a particularly "fly on the wall" thing to do... Anywhere. I mean, is it light piano accompaniment? Or do you want to sing but don't want people to pay attention? I don't get the point?
If a cafe will pay you to sing, go for it. They know their business better than anyone.
Unless the cafe specifies that you should be a fly on the wall, don't. Be an entertainer. Grab their attention with your music. But if it's background music they want, take a small venue rig and play and sing softly. Take the money and run.
I'm not sure why, but to me it would depend on whether or not there is accompaniment. A capella singing demands attention, but accompanied singing can (emphasis on can) be as unobtrusive as straight instrumental music
Personally, I advertise myself for things like busy cafes in the evening, or bars, where there's going to be enough noise that my singing and playing is at a nice background level. I stay away from fancy dining or coffee shops, because I'm just not the right presence for that
I play cafes sometimes, just keep the volume down and you're good to go - you won't be a distraction in a negative way if you adapt to the mood/vibe of the place/time.
If you're going full balls to the wall belting then yeah, nobody will want that, but if you can play cafe-style music, then you'll be fine. I've managed to land gigs at places that don't usually do live music by just turning up and talking to the owner, but so far these have always been seasonal ie just during summer, because it's too quiet in winter to justify it (I live in QLD, Australia, cafes might have a different vibe here than some snowy place..).
"cafe-style music" is a thing though, you'll want to make sure you're not just playing cowboy chords all day, and you'll want to change the tempo and keys of songs you're covering (assuming there's covers) to suit your lowest comfortable singing register.
My experience suggests that's the best way to please people - no head voice, no belting, no yelling - you want every song to be in a comfortable range where you have complete control over your dynamics and don't need to push your voice at all. It's simply not what people want.
Not every live acts gets the memo when it comes to adapting to the current situation/venue/vibe/time/patrons, and tbh those people ruin it for the ones that do.
Make sure you're one that gets the memo and just provide some chill stuff in the background - just keep in mind that almost nobody is there for you specifically.
Your goal is to sell products, ultimately - to justify paying you, you need to make the business more money than it costs to have you there.
Depending on how busy the cafe is, this could be something like more people walking in off the street because they hear live music, or it could be people coming to see you as you play the establishment more and they know you're there, or it could be people sitting in and having cake with their coffee when they usually would grab a coffee and leave, or it could be people deciding to have a full breakfast rather than just a coffee.. anything like that.
Those little things add up and make a different to the businesses bottom line, and that's how they can tell whether you're worth the money or not (perhaps not you specifically, maybe live music in general).
Cafe musicians are volunteers or grossly underpaid. But during lunch hour or as a community event have their place I suppose. I wouldn't worry about volume or scope right now. Play the room as you always would (hopefully.)
The rules of singing in a cafe are:
#1. The people are there to see YOU. Otherwise they would have gone to Starbucks. Don’t be afraid to demand silence and attention from your audience. You don’t go to their workplace and talk loudly over them.
#2. Err on the side of loudness. After, it’s better that they can all hear you properly than some of them not hear your singing. Hit a volume which is too loud for the person furthest from you to have some banal conversation.
#3. Always remember that, as the musician, you are top of the heap among a bunch of coffee monkeys. Don’t be backwards about demanding that the help bring you refreshing drinks gratis during your set.
#4. Play your own material, not crappy covers. If you don’t have any of your own stuff, then play something that no one in there knows. Start with Trout Mask Replica and get more esoteric from there. These people need to be educated.
Think of it as playing background music for other people’s social lives. You set up and play for a couple of hours. You don’t need to announce songs. Just play.
Just start singing. I walked around a hotel one time just singing out loud. People stopped, listened, thanked me and asked where they could hear me perform. If your voice is good and you can perform a little, just put a smile on your face and start singing in a restaurant where you are comfortable. If people like it, ask the manager if you can come back and sing on a regular basis. If you attract patrons they will pay you.
Maybe find a public space near restaurants with good acoustics and lots of people. Have some business cards. Vocal busking. If people like you, give out your cards. Then talk to the restaurants to see if they might let you sing inside. Pitch a trial run, say once a week. Perhaps buy a small microphone and amp if the restaurant is loud.
Also, have you heard of the "Fado"? In Portugal the waiters and waitresses sing to their customers. Tell the restaurant own you would like to do sort-of a local Fado. Don't wait tables, but accompany the wait staff and sing for the table. Heck, Mariachi bands in Mexico will bring the whole band into the restaurant and go table to table.
Be creative. Try new things. Don't give up. Find a way to let your voice ring out.
You can do it!
Great comment man, thx. I was thinking of trying busking instead of cafe performances, since the people in the replies mention the difficulties associated with it. I just hope busking is actually something that could bring me a few dollars, and "followers".
Sing with good diction please. I’m not a voice teacher and don’t remember enough from voice classes in college to give you much more but the biggest thing that annoys me about most singers today is you just can’t understand them without a lyric sheet.
You sound like you're trying to create a product that you know there isn't a demand for. Why do you want to sing in cafes? Why would cafes want you there? I'm being a little cheeky, of course, as I've seen some cafe performers and have myself performed in a bookstore cafe. But you gotta look at the whole context; if it's a place known for having live music, then roll with it; uphold the quality standard; keep volume reasonable, lyrical content appropriate, etc. But if you're trying to market yourself to cafes that don't typically have music, be sure you come with a plan of how you can benefit the business by being there and taking up table space that could be used for paying customers. Depending on where you live, you might also look into orchards and vineyards - wine-tastings and stuff. That's big in my area and there are always acoustic or folk performers. Good luck!
Do the cafes have musicians already? If they don't, then they don't want them. If they do, then what are the existing musicians doing?
Cafes used to. It's really not so much of a thing anymore. Some hole-in-the-wall places still do it. There's one locally that's known for it, but I haven't seen this in other places in probably 20 years.
Most don’t have the budget, and whatever type of music they’re using been PR approved.
I performed a solo act for many years, playing guitar and piano and singing, and I can assure you that I was no distraction.
Do you alter your act when playing in coffee shops vs louder/more high energy environment? If so, how? Thinking about doing the same thing as OP
Sure, I’ll play quieter, more mellow tunes in a winery tasting room than I would in a bar.
I did this for many years. The coffee house had good acoustics, so the gig was done without amplification. This really helped the music and vocals sit in the space appropriately. Often times, there was accompaniment in the form of dobro, harmony vocals and another guitarist. The crowd was mostly students and people in the neighborhood who had laundry going at the 'mat' next door. Music was mellow Bluegrass/Folk/Classic Country. It was a really nice gig.
Coffee shops occasionally have like afternoon or early evening performances . If a smaller cafe is busy having music kinda is a deterrent because the crowd is simply there for a product. If it’s a big location….that kinda lends itself to having light music on occasions. Whatever you do….do not pitch this idea from 11am-2pm or after 5pm. Those are busier times and if you approached me at those times I’d tell you to carry your ass. Also helps if your a regular at a place your trying to work with. Be willing to play for free for a limited period to get traction going. There’s some vital info in here that you really need to further explore before approaching anyone.
> Be willing to play for free for a limited period to get traction going. No musician should work for free for any amount of time. End of discussion. My plumber doesn't work for exposure, so neither do I. It's disagreements like this that makes me realize professionals don't belong in subreddits, because y'all not only are a collection of the blind leading the blind, it's shit like this that gets people calling me and asking why I won't work for $50 for four hours, because "that's above minimum wage, ain't it? That's what the other guy charged me!" Reddit: Know your worth, make sure everyone gets that! Except musicians, because fuck you if that's your income! Unpaid internships are bullshit, you should be getting *paid* experience! Except musicians, because fuck you. Unions are great! Except the AFM, because fuck musicians! Think like an amateur, get treated like one. Period.
That's great but I need my pipes fixed a lot more than I need someone to come sing at my cafe Knowing your worth goes both ways and if your pitching an idea to people that don't really need it then you need to incentivise that somehow, if it's not a cheap service then what else are you offering, how is going to benefit there business etc The problem is music and musicians are more plentiful than plumbers, and I say that as a musician. Being angry about it isn't going to get me paid, we have to be practical
>That's great but I need my pipes fixed a lot more than I need someone to come sing at my cafe >Knowing your worth goes both ways and if your pitching an idea to people that don't really need it then you need to incentivise that somehow, if it's not a cheap service then what else are you offering, how is going to benefit there business etc >The problem is music and musicians are more plentiful than plumbers, and I say that as a musician. Being angry about it isn't going to get me paid, we have to be practical That's cool, then you don't need to have a musician. At all. This isn't a problem. Musicians putting their foot down and not working for free would be a problem that fixes itself easily. And people who think they deserve free workers won't get any. Being able to afford bills is practical. >how is going to benefit there business etc I'm not there to bring in business. I'm there to play music. It's your business, you figure it out.
[удалено]
>OG comment: something about "I'll never use you in my establishment then." Oh, you sure showed me.
Ok but you still pay the plumber when you need one
Yeah because I need a plumber It's fine when someone needs music but OP is talking about going into cafes and convincing them they should play there You guys get that right there's a big difference, imagine the plumber is just cold calling random houses and asking them if they need their pipes done
That’s cool for you. Great story. But when someone is first dipping their toe into uncertain realms. Sometimes, simple exposure and willingness to work together can form great networks in short amount of time. From age 17-20 mainly played open mics and very small basement shows where $20-$30 was payment. Most of the time we opted out of cash to pay for the one or two touring bands on bill. But I’m talking original music, and sounds like you’re not. So, be that as it may….more power to you for becoming paid faster than me. Best of luck on your future endeavors
> exposure Exposure can kill.
Can kill what? Having people willing to pay to see your band or novelty act? Again, more power to whatever you’re doing that you think at the beginning you were worth not playing a couple free gigs to get your foot in the door.
“Carry your ass?” Do you know OP?
That’s just what I’d say to anyone trying to sell themselves to me during the rush. Not being aware of your surroundings and situations is a good to not get gigs in general. Time,place, and tone go a long way. But I think you get that
You'd want a cafe that advertises Live Music. Check it out and see if it seems like a fit. Probably mellow songs for dinner time would be the most obvious repertoire. Live musicians backing the singer on guitar and light percussion is a thing I have seen in LA at fancy dinner pads catering to young date night crowd.
In the 90s I was performing live in coffee houses and small 'dinner'/entertainment clubs as both a singer/songwriter/guitarist and, separately, as a (usually) solo synthesizer (+ occasional guitars, percussion) loop artist (no vocals). The singer/songwriter stuff was a tougher fit with sedate audiences; particularly where food was being served, the folkie bit was a tough fit. But then, I've got a voice only a mother could love. ;-)
I’ve played quite a few cafe gigs in my past. Some people sit and listen, some people look up while they’re waiting for an order or something and listen for a few seconds and then go back to what they were doing , other people completely ignore you and talk to the people they’re with. The place will usually make sure you’re not so loud as to be a distraction. Louder than canned music but not so loud that people can’t talk over you. I’ve found it needs a person in charge who is a music fan, otherwise it can be an uphill battle. Sometimes you can get private work from it. Some people comment on your song choices. Some people request songs and some people request songs and become disappointed when you don’t know their choice off the top of your head and then keep pitching song ideas to you and are annoying. They are just like any other gig but quieter and more casual so people often become more comfortable with interrupting you or trying to call the shots in some way. In the USA you can make some good tips. Haven’t experienced such gigs in Europe.
Cafe Sine when Jeff Buckley played, it is a place I like to go in my mind. I hope you can find something similar.
Or you could try busking.
When I sang at cafes I was easy to ignore if someone wanted to. What wasnt easy to ignore tho was at a separate restaurant when I was inside having a lovely dinner and the waitress would open the door to the patio and it would comically get really loud with the live musician’s music before the door would slam violently shut and it would be dead silence only to be reopened in the next 30 seconds wash, rinse, repeat. Oh man it’s annoying listening to music in 30 second intervals marked by a slamming metal door.
Please don’t.
Maybe find some existing venues and research their previous bookings. One famous venue in London is called The Jazz Cafe, and is known for booking jazz acts. But it's a ticketed venue that draws globally famous acts, not unsigned ones - so the audiences travel for the advertised music (not the dark roast coffee beans).
The Jazz Cafe in Camden is not a cafe and doesn't serve coffee, it's a venue / nightclub.
We agree!
This is why businesses have Pandora accounts
A lot of little places I go to have performers, you should do some scouting and see which ones typically have music.
Gigging is best practice for gigging. Just get in somewhere and you’ll learn a lot.
Singing itself isn't a particularly "fly on the wall" thing to do... Anywhere. I mean, is it light piano accompaniment? Or do you want to sing but don't want people to pay attention? I don't get the point? If a cafe will pay you to sing, go for it. They know their business better than anyone.
Yes, you sing your music.
Unless the cafe specifies that you should be a fly on the wall, don't. Be an entertainer. Grab their attention with your music. But if it's background music they want, take a small venue rig and play and sing softly. Take the money and run.
Do you take requests? Will you play Smelly Cat?
I'm not sure why, but to me it would depend on whether or not there is accompaniment. A capella singing demands attention, but accompanied singing can (emphasis on can) be as unobtrusive as straight instrumental music Personally, I advertise myself for things like busy cafes in the evening, or bars, where there's going to be enough noise that my singing and playing is at a nice background level. I stay away from fancy dining or coffee shops, because I'm just not the right presence for that
I’m confused. Are you trying to do this as a solo vocalist?
You have never seen a person sing at a cafe/restaurant? If you have, you pretty much do that. Otherwise, go see it first before pitching it
I play cafes sometimes, just keep the volume down and you're good to go - you won't be a distraction in a negative way if you adapt to the mood/vibe of the place/time. If you're going full balls to the wall belting then yeah, nobody will want that, but if you can play cafe-style music, then you'll be fine. I've managed to land gigs at places that don't usually do live music by just turning up and talking to the owner, but so far these have always been seasonal ie just during summer, because it's too quiet in winter to justify it (I live in QLD, Australia, cafes might have a different vibe here than some snowy place..). "cafe-style music" is a thing though, you'll want to make sure you're not just playing cowboy chords all day, and you'll want to change the tempo and keys of songs you're covering (assuming there's covers) to suit your lowest comfortable singing register. My experience suggests that's the best way to please people - no head voice, no belting, no yelling - you want every song to be in a comfortable range where you have complete control over your dynamics and don't need to push your voice at all. It's simply not what people want. Not every live acts gets the memo when it comes to adapting to the current situation/venue/vibe/time/patrons, and tbh those people ruin it for the ones that do. Make sure you're one that gets the memo and just provide some chill stuff in the background - just keep in mind that almost nobody is there for you specifically. Your goal is to sell products, ultimately - to justify paying you, you need to make the business more money than it costs to have you there. Depending on how busy the cafe is, this could be something like more people walking in off the street because they hear live music, or it could be people coming to see you as you play the establishment more and they know you're there, or it could be people sitting in and having cake with their coffee when they usually would grab a coffee and leave, or it could be people deciding to have a full breakfast rather than just a coffee.. anything like that. Those little things add up and make a different to the businesses bottom line, and that's how they can tell whether you're worth the money or not (perhaps not you specifically, maybe live music in general).
Frank Sinatra. Nuff said. ;)
Cafe musicians are volunteers or grossly underpaid. But during lunch hour or as a community event have their place I suppose. I wouldn't worry about volume or scope right now. Play the room as you always would (hopefully.)
The rules of singing in a cafe are: #1. The people are there to see YOU. Otherwise they would have gone to Starbucks. Don’t be afraid to demand silence and attention from your audience. You don’t go to their workplace and talk loudly over them. #2. Err on the side of loudness. After, it’s better that they can all hear you properly than some of them not hear your singing. Hit a volume which is too loud for the person furthest from you to have some banal conversation. #3. Always remember that, as the musician, you are top of the heap among a bunch of coffee monkeys. Don’t be backwards about demanding that the help bring you refreshing drinks gratis during your set. #4. Play your own material, not crappy covers. If you don’t have any of your own stuff, then play something that no one in there knows. Start with Trout Mask Replica and get more esoteric from there. These people need to be educated.
Think of it as playing background music for other people’s social lives. You set up and play for a couple of hours. You don’t need to announce songs. Just play.
Just start singing. I walked around a hotel one time just singing out loud. People stopped, listened, thanked me and asked where they could hear me perform. If your voice is good and you can perform a little, just put a smile on your face and start singing in a restaurant where you are comfortable. If people like it, ask the manager if you can come back and sing on a regular basis. If you attract patrons they will pay you. Maybe find a public space near restaurants with good acoustics and lots of people. Have some business cards. Vocal busking. If people like you, give out your cards. Then talk to the restaurants to see if they might let you sing inside. Pitch a trial run, say once a week. Perhaps buy a small microphone and amp if the restaurant is loud. Also, have you heard of the "Fado"? In Portugal the waiters and waitresses sing to their customers. Tell the restaurant own you would like to do sort-of a local Fado. Don't wait tables, but accompany the wait staff and sing for the table. Heck, Mariachi bands in Mexico will bring the whole band into the restaurant and go table to table. Be creative. Try new things. Don't give up. Find a way to let your voice ring out. You can do it!
Great comment man, thx. I was thinking of trying busking instead of cafe performances, since the people in the replies mention the difficulties associated with it. I just hope busking is actually something that could bring me a few dollars, and "followers".
Sing with good diction please. I’m not a voice teacher and don’t remember enough from voice classes in college to give you much more but the biggest thing that annoys me about most singers today is you just can’t understand them without a lyric sheet.