Johnette Downing Interview

By: October 12, 2020 – Posted in: Get Great Gigs Podcast Interviews
Johnette Downing Interview

Johnette Downing is a multi-award-winning children’s performer, early childhood educator, author and an ambassador of Louisiana Roots culture and arts around the world. She shares her heritage and passion for teaching children.

In this lively episode Johnette talks about her roots, her projects, her recordings, and books. Often referred to as the pied piper of Louisiana music traditions, Johnette’s concerts, author visits and educator workshops are now being retrofit to work live and online. I’m excited to share a peek into this artist’s work.

Check out this week’s episode: Johnette Downing Interview- Episode 011

If you have topics that are challenging you in your career and would like to suggest a topic for future podcasts, please leave your suggestions in the comments section below or on the Get Great Gigs Podcast website.

Don’t forget to subscribe and tell your performing friends about the podcast.

The podcast is live on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes and many others.

You can find the show notes for each episode on the Get Great Gigs website: https://getgreatgigs.com

Each new episode will be live on Monday morning, just like my Biz Booster Hot Tips.

Next week I’ll be sharing my Live Gig Procedures COVID style. Join me and get your PDF to help you get the answers to the questions you need to know to play your live gigs safely.

Now check out this week’s interview: Johnette Downing Interview – Episode 011

Stay well, be creative and keep smiling behind your mask!

Jeri

Thanks to Carol Ehrlich for designing the Get Great Gigs website and this week’s graphic image. Check out her work at v360.com  

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Bravo!

…nothing that I have experienced or read thus far has come close to the knowledge that I have learned from your book. Bravo! I was merely expecting a "tips for booking a tour" type book. The fact that you took the time to include what most would consider a "career...

Kellen Ross,
Opium Symphony/Man or Machine Records

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-02T21:15:09-04:00

Kellen Ross,
Opium Symphony/Man or Machine Records

…nothing that I have experienced or read thus far has come close to the knowledge that I have learned from your book. Bravo! I was merely expecting a "tips for booking a tour" type book. The fact that you took the time to include what most would consider a "career outline" is incredible, and reflects how much you really want to help artists out. Even though our paths may never cross, I want you to know that I am very grateful of your work, and now look forward to using your book for a business plan for our new record campaign/career outline for 2012, and beyond.

The most inspiring and influential music business book

How to Be Your Own Booking Agent by Jeri Goldstein, has been the most inspiring and influential music business book I have ever had the privilege of reading.  The book is very well laid out and has such great information that I have stopped reading all of my other music...

Becky Coke,
Musician

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-02T21:40:40-04:00

Becky Coke,
Musician

How to Be Your Own Booking Agent by Jeri Goldstein, has been the most inspiring and influential music business book I have ever had the privilege of reading.  The book is very well laid out and has such great information that I have stopped reading all of my other music business books and have started focusing solely on the content of this book.  The chapter on funding sources gave me many helpful resources for the artists I have been working with.  I especially love all of the inspirational quotes on each page and all of the resources located at the end of each chapter for further in-depth study.  How to Be Your Own Booking Agent not only gives essential information for the performing artist/booking agent but helps break it down into very manageable, concrete steps so that the reader is not completely overwhelmed by all of the useful knowledge that has been discovered.  I recommend this book to anyone interested in having a career as a musician or who is interested in learning the business side of music and the performing arts.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISION I’VE EVER MADE!!

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent was the missing link to my future success as a performing artist. I was at a pivotal moment in my life where I was either going to hold a regular job or excel in my true profession. Jeri's book was recommended by my...

Christine Dominguez,
Musician

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-02T21:50:24-04:00

Christine Dominguez,
Musician

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent was the missing link to my future success as a performing artist. I was at a pivotal moment in my life where I was either going to hold a regular job or excel in my true profession. Jeri's book was recommended by my digital distribution company and I was smart enough to take their advice and buy a copy. THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISION I'VE EVER MADE!! It launched me to a professional level and solidified my work as my own Booking Agent. This book teaches you everything you need to know and includes important web links and contracts that we need to be self-sufficient. I feel like I owe a lot Jeri Goldstein-Thank you for sharing all that you've learned in your years of experience!

Any band leader or manager simply must read this book.

Any band leader or manager simply must read this book. Those that do will become among the best-organized bands and people in the business. It’s also great to help you focus your activities on the things that will help you to achieve your goals in life as well as music....

Martin Lawrie,
Musician

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-02T22:03:53-04:00

Martin Lawrie,
Musician

Any band leader or manager simply must read this book. Those that do will become among the best-organized bands and people in the business. It’s also great to help you focus your activities on the things that will help you to achieve your goals in life as well as music. Very readable, well laid out in relevant chapters, great forms, and worksheets to get you organized and the "hot tips" every couple of pages are great. I keep referring back to this book whenever I feel I'm letting things slip and going off track - so I'm reading it a lot!

Required reading for any professional performer

"How To Be Your Own Booking Agent" is required reading for any professional performer whether you have an agent or you wish you had an agent. While I've read a lot of "marketing for artists" books in the past, Jeri Goldstein's is by far the best. She distills her decades...

Kevin Strauss,
Author, Storyteller

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-02T23:29:36-04:00

Kevin Strauss,
Author, Storyteller

"How To Be Your Own Booking Agent" is required reading for any professional performer whether you have an agent or you wish you had an agent. While I've read a lot of "marketing for artists" books in the past, Jeri Goldstein's is by far the best. She distills her decades of agent experience into terms that any performer can understand. But she doesn't sugar-coat anything. She starts you out by asking you to do what most artists hate doing: setting some goals. While that seems like a simple step to take, most performing artists don't do it until they are forced to do it, by an agent. Once you have goals, then it is a lot easier to plan how to market yourself. Goldstein then takes readers through the steps she has taken to help her clients take their careers from flat to fabulous. Unlike some books written by performing artists that primarily show you how they market themselves, Goldstein has enough marketing experience to give you the marketing "big picture" and to help artists find effective marketing techniques that work for them. While this book discusses examples of how to market musicians, as a professional storyteller and keynote speaker, I found Goldstein's advice equally applicable to my line of work.

One of my most used reference books!

I have read this book cover to cover 3 times and reference it many times a month since I first bought the book almost 2 years ago. Being an independent booking agent, I have been able to increase my business dramatically by following the guidelines that Jeri has laid out...

Matthew Rizor,
Booking Agent

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-04T05:19:00-04:00

Matthew Rizor,
Booking Agent

I have read this book cover to cover 3 times and reference it many times a month since I first bought the book almost 2 years ago. Being an independent booking agent, I have been able to increase my business dramatically by following the guidelines that Jeri has laid out for the reader, step by step. In addition, this book will inform the reader on many more topics than just booking shows. From planning to setting oneself up as a business, to creative ideas on how to make the most money on the road, she covers it all. I have recommended this book to many artists in the business as well as managers and agents. One of my most used reference books!

You’ll find yourself reaching for this book over and over again.

I've been working as a full-time musician for going on 15 years and I still find valuable information in this book. Right off the bat it helped me re-vamp and streamline my promo kit, and that was just the beginning. From practical tour planning to negotiating the deal to executing...

Judy Pancoast,
Children’s Musician

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-04T05:21:59-04:00

Judy Pancoast,
Children’s Musician

I've been working as a full-time musician for going on 15 years and I still find valuable information in this book. Right off the bat it helped me re-vamp and streamline my promo kit, and that was just the beginning. From practical tour planning to negotiating the deal to executing the contract, you'll find yourself reaching for this book over and over again. I own a ton of books on the music business but I only keep four on my desk and THIS is one of them. If you want to make a living in the touring music business then it should be on YOUR desk, too!

Jeri Goldstein doesn’t miss a beat.

Jeri Goldstein doesn't miss a beat. This book was so informative that I read it once, put it away for a short time, and then read it again. I couldn't believe how many details I had missed! The most recent time, I studied it with highlighter and pencil in hand....

Rebecca Fuller,
Musician

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-04T05:24:30-04:00

Rebecca Fuller,
Musician

Jeri Goldstein doesn't miss a beat. This book was so informative that I read it once, put it away for a short time, and then read it again. I couldn't believe how many details I had missed! The most recent time, I studied it with highlighter and pencil in hand. (*My favorite information-discoveries were in the side-bars*) I believe this book is very important for those looking to help their music career along. As a musician, I need to learn to get my foot in the door to new venues. I have implemented several techniques and ideas already this week. Read, then re-read my friends. You'll be glad you did.

I highly recommend this book

I think Jeri Goldstein wrote How to be your own booking agent for folks like me who fell into booking bands. After I read it from cover to cover I began using it as a reference manual and it has helped me keep The Medicine Men booked consistently. I highly...

Lance Boyd,
Musician

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-04T05:26:17-04:00

Lance Boyd,
Musician

I think Jeri Goldstein wrote How to be your own booking agent for folks like me who fell into booking bands. After I read it from cover to cover I began using it as a reference manual and it has helped me keep The Medicine Men booked consistently. I highly recommend this book for bands that are beginning to play out and for seasoned vets with a few miles under their belts.

This is the best personal and highly professional tour guide in book format

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent by Jeri Goldstein is the best personal and highly professional tour guide in book format, on the market for career musicians, written by someone who has all the necessary credentials and expertise as an agent herself. Every detail of the booking process is...

Sharon Riggen,
Musician/Teacher

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-04T05:31:24-04:00

Sharon Riggen,
Musician/Teacher

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent by Jeri Goldstein is the best personal and highly professional tour guide in book format, on the market for career musicians, written by someone who has all the necessary credentials and expertise as an agent herself. Every detail of the booking process is shared in a very understandable, readable language. There are many forms and suggested steps to follow for each necessary process. Here are excerpts of many of the topics you’ll master: Cold calls; Promo package and an EPK; Negotiation techniques & types of deals; Tour budget & contract forms; Local, regional, and national tours & the types of venues & concerts available; Crossing our U.S. borders with your tour; Role of the road manager and working with agents & managers; Expand your markets at conferences; Find funding resources from grants; sponsorships and record company tour support; Create your marketing plan and create all media print; Get your music heard on radio and TV; How to make the internet work for you; Create the ultimate one-year or more touring plan. We must become independent entrepreneurs if we want to survive in this business since there are no safe umbrellas out there. Jeri will teach you how to book the next gig and plan for the entire year ahead. If your goal in life is a professional career in music, Jeri's book will help you produce results. I’ll look forward to seeing you out there at the next venue, community event, festival or concert hall.

There is no better book that I can think of that covers this material

I have used this book in courses that I teach. This book is well written, and well thought out. It has a pragmatic focus that identifies the steps needed for an artist/band to present themselves professionally. If you are experienced, the resource guides at the end of every chapter are...

David Herrera,
Professor-Music Business, Belmont University

How To Be Your Own Booking Agent
2018-10-04T05:34:56-04:00

David Herrera,
Professor-Music Business, Belmont University

I have used this book in courses that I teach. This book is well written, and well thought out. It has a pragmatic focus that identifies the steps needed for an artist/band to present themselves professionally. If you are experienced, the resource guides at the end of every chapter are worth the price. The book's perspective is for a musician or band and is delivered by organizing and presenting the nuts and bolts of content and process. There are no shortcuts. This is a great reference to measure your needs, as well as a basic process on how to get it done. Interestingly, I am aware that both career development and artist management courses use this book, as well as concert promotions courses. There is no better book that I can think of that covers this material--Good job.
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How To Be Your Own Booking Agent