Advertise on podcast: The Gigging Musician Podcast

Stephanie Sims Flack built the String Quartet of Northern Virginia after seeing musicians underpaid and overlooked — then turned a local quartet into a $100,000-plus BookLive business. In this episode, Stephanie shares how she: Built a library of roughly 1,500 pop arrangements and a roster of about 16 long-term players Learned to price for the business — not only for the musicians onstage — after years of absorbing overhead herself Used networking, referrals, WeddingWire, her website, and BookLive to create a steady flow of wedding and corporate work Raised the quartet's floor to $1,750 while taking fewer, higher-fee gigs — including a $2,350 ceremony-and-cocktail-hour booking Stopped chasing follower counts: with roughly 330 Instagram followers, Stephanie says her website drives more inquiries Built a trusted team, including cellist and business manager Diana Flesner, so the group can serve clients consistently Stephanie also talks about teaching, Paragon Philharmonia, student tours, and why musicians do not have to choose between being an artist, entrepreneur, educator, collaborator, and organizer. Learn more at northernvirginiastringquartet.com, paragonphilharmonia.org, or stephanieflackviolin.com. Remember: your music will not market itself!

Roger Harrison leads the Harrison Jazz Ensemble out of Tampa Bay — and he's booked over $300,000 in gigs through BookLive in just the last few years, with a career total likely approaching $1 million. But the wildest part isn't the number. It's how he scales: Roger books jazz combos in cities he's never even visited, hiring local musicians who've never met each other, because jazz has a shared "canon" that lets strangers sit down and play a full gig together with zero rehearsal. In this episode, Roger and Jared dig into: Why jazz combos are uniquely "plug and play" across cities — and how Roger builds bands out of musicians he's never met The manila-folder-on-the-desk follow-up system Roger used for years (and what replaced it) Why corporate and wedding gigs are "where the gold is" — and how to spot a client who can't actually afford you before you waste time on the call How Roger 2–3x'd his solo gig rates (from $150 → $350 → $800+) just by scaling up the *type* of gig, not his chops Using Viktor, BookLive's AI agent, to run an automated outreach sequence to event planners — and land a warm reply without lifting a finger The mindset shift behind "10x Is Easier Than 2x" and why underpricing is a bigger risk than most musicians realize Roger's also one of the first names invited into BookLive's new Gold Record Mastermind — a high-level group for musicians who've hit at least $100K booked through the platform. Learn more about Roger at harrisonjazzensemble.com. Want to go deeper? Grab the Gigging Secrets book at giggingsecrets.com or book a free High-End Gig Strategy Call at fulltimemusicacademy.com/call. Remember: your music will not market itself!

Jared is fresh off a $1,500 Thursday-afternoon wedding at the Grant Humphreys Mansion in downtown Denver — one hour of (Disney-themed!) ceremony music, a $150 cash tip, and a happy bride. In this solo episode, he breaks down the exact system that booked it: the High-End Gig Booking Engine. You'll learn: Why cold leads only ask about price — and how to turn them into "flaming hot" leads who want YOU specifically How venue referrals and preferred vendor lists start every lead off warm What a "performing site" is, and why it beats a brag-page website The Virtual Showcase Video (VSV) — a 17-minute presentation Jared borrowed from wedding DJs that answers every question, handles every objection, and gets couples booking him on the spot without a single sales call Want to go deeper? Grab the Gigging Secrets book at giggingsecrets.com or book a free High-End Gig Strategy Call at fulltimemusicacademy.com/call. Remember: your music will not market itself!

Mike Zabrin built two Chicago-based entertainment companies — Funktastic Productions and DJ Hybrid Chicago — and just hit $100K in bookings on BookLive to earn his Major Sixth Gold Record. In this episode, Mike breaks down the "old money vs. new money" approach to marketing, why your musicians matter more than your clients, how he uses BookLive workflows to stay out of "the weeds," and why Instagram is NOT your main revenue source. Contact Mike: [email protected] Try the platform Mike uses every day: booklive.com — free 30-day trial, $40/month after that.

Jeff Celentano has spent 30+ years in the music industry — performing on the Vegas Strip, running touring tribute bands, and working with names like Grant Cardone and Alex Hormozi. In this episode, he shares how he thinks like a Broadway producer instead of a band member, why musicians should 'Disneyfy' their performances, and the sales philosophy that books high-end gigs without pressure tactics.

Matt Ferree was working toward his PhD in chemical engineering at Ohio State when he realized his real passion was in the weddings he'd been performing at for a couple hundred bucks as a favor. He quit grad school, dove in headfirst with his piano + DJ company Seamless Sounds, and built it into a multi-op wedding music business with employees, an exclusive venue partnership, and over $100,000 booked through BookLive. He's now also a coach inside Full Time Music Academy. In this episode, Matt shares 6 business lessons behind his success: Winning Beliefs, Winning Habits, Winning Attitudes, High-End Image, High-End Service, and High-End Music.

Celeste Vee is an electric violinist who built V Entertainment — a multi-city agency placing trained violinists at South Asian weddings. In this episode, she shares how she went from solo gigging to coordinating 180+ gigs a year across New York, DC, Dallas, Atlanta, and beyond — and how she's training the next generation of Bollywood violinists.

Jen Cancio just became the third BookLive user to earn the $500K Award — and she did it without social media virality, touring, or a record deal. Just smart gigging at high-end private events. In this episode, Jared Judge interviews Jen to unpack exactly how she built a full-time music career, from landing her first premium gig to running a band that books out months in advance.

Pendra Lee Snyder of Viva La Strings joins Jared Judge to share how she grew her string ensemble from a nameless trio to a multi-city business generating over $500,000. Learn how she built a repeatable model across Dayton, Cincinnati, Nashville, and Cleveland — and why NOT focusing on the money was the key to making it.

In this episode, Jared sits down with harpist Carrie Tollett to share her inspiring journey from a full-time teaching job to building a growing high-end gigging business. In just a few months, Carrie has booked nearly $10K in gigs by taking consistent action, overcoming introversion, and following a proven strategy. They break down how simple actions like sending emails, going on venue tours, and doing sales calls can create a ripple effect of opportunities—and how she’s preparing to go all-in on music as her primary income source.

In this episode, Jared sits down with Alison Suell of Electria Strings to break down her incredible journey from $100K to over $500K in booked gigs. They dive into the real drivers behind her success—strong relationships with planners, simplifying her offer, building systems, and shifting her mindset around money and growth. Alison shares how niching down, raising prices, and treating music like a true business allowed her to scale without burnout. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to build a high-income music career, this episode pulls back the curtain.

In this episode, Jared explains why musicians should position themselves as high-end services rather than just artists. Using Apple vs. Chromebook as an analogy, he breaks down how to target corporate events, weddings, and galas where clients value the guest experience and are willing to pay premium rates.

Jared shares a deeply personal story about how charging premium rates allowed him to afford a $7,000 emergency surgery for his cat Nori—something he couldn't do years earlier when he was charging only $500/gig. A powerful reminder of why your rates matter beyond just income.

In this episode, Jared shares a critical mindset shift that separates struggling gigging musicians from those who earn full-time incomes from their music. He breaks down why doing more isn’t always the solution — and how a shift in strategy, positioning, and pricing can unlock high-end performance opportunities without burning out. Whether you’re tired of playing in bars for peanuts or wondering how to finally get off the hamster wheel of low-paying gigs, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you a smarter path forward.

In this episode, Jared reflects from the top of his favorite mountain in Scottsdale and shares a powerful message for musicians who want to break free from the starving artist mindset. He opens up about his journey from $250 gigs to consistently booking $2,500 high-end performances—and the mindset and skills that made it possible. If you're tired of hustling for low-paying gigs and ready to earn what you're truly worth, this is the wake-up call you’ve been waiting for.