by Dejen Tesfagiorgis
More internet browsing, more resource discovery. This weekend I was looking at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music website and found a great beginner’s resource to gigging and freelancing. Click Here to view the page yourself.
In a snapshot, Oberlin’s Gig Referral Service offers the following:
- Procedures to join the Oberlin Referral Service (Oberlin students only)
- A Musician’s Guide to freelancing
- Faculty Referral Form
- Sample Contract
- Links for Clients to assess, hire, and evaluate Oberlin musicians.
I’m an advocate for schools and organizations providing these resources for students. Anybody who wants to freelance should have a look at these documents as a good starting point.
The area to caution is when an artist expects opportunities to just fall in his lap. Meeting and collaborating with other artists is as important as studying your craft. I would say that Networking with new people and artists is a CRUCIAL element of being a professional artist that is missing from Oberlin’s “Guide to Successful Gigs.” Without entrepreneurship, the arts cannot survive.
The links above are a good place to start, but as a beginner getting gigs and performing is a matter of letting people know what kind of art you create, not a matter of waiting for someone to book work for you. 
That being said, Oberlin has a fantastic website. Lots of news, RSS Feeds, and a great snapshot of what this school has to offer. I especially like the designation of “Practice Rooms With Windows (150).
Twitter feeds and student stories also help prospective students get into the culture behind the institution. Oberlin is on point about hosting AND INFORMING PEOPLE of events on campus. Also, embedded videos on teacher bio pages give a visual representation of teaching methods and theories behind selected instructors. Oberlin tuition isn’t cheap (~$50,000/year sticker price) but the school is surely making an effort to connect with young artists before they even step on campus.
Regardless, Oberlin’s ability to tell their story and integrate with social media on their website serves as another model for arts organizations to emulate.
