Decide on some key questions and call each candidate that looks interesting. Get a feel for the individual and find out where they plan to go with their musical career. You don’t want to interview and audition someone who only plans on playing music through college and then go on into another profession.
I have created a step-by-step guide through a typical phone screen conversation to help qualify musicians to continue the screening process for your band. It is important to note that although you should plan and prepare for each step in the screening process, real life conversations do not follow templates perfectly. This how-to guide is meant to help you prepare to present yourself professionally and ensure you cover everything that you want to cover in an initial conversation. If you can eliminate a candidate here, then you will not waste time meeting and auditioning them.
Step One: Introduction Script
This phone call is the first impression that you are giving each candidate and you want to come across as a professional who is taking this seriously. You also want to be courteous of the individual’s time and situation.
Sample Intro Script:
- Hi, my name is David and I am calling from BreakthroughBand.com, how are you today?
- Am I interrupting anything?
- Great, I received an application from you in response to our posting on craigslist.com for a new bass guitarist and I would like to take a few minutes to go through the application with you. Is now a good time to talk?
Step Two: Find the Interest
The first question that you should be asking is why this musician applied in the first place. The ideal answer here will be in response to the type of music and direction the musician wants to go. Look out for answers such as “I am a bassist and want to play” or “I applied to 5 or 6 bands this week, what is your bands name again?”
Step Three: Find out about Band Experience
Band experience may or may not be important to you. Someone who has been in a few bands will know more about the industry and could have potential contacts. The converse to this is that the bands he or she was in obviously fell apart and you will need to dig into the reasons why.
Step Four: Music Training
While looking for musicians, musical training is important to understanding the individual. Personally, I have played drums for 13 years. I only took drum lessons for 1 year and self-improved from there. However, I also played in band at school as a trumpet player, I know how to read music and have been taken the initiative to expand my skills.
Step Five: Band Style and Genre
The most important question you can ask a musician is what they are looking for. Let them speak freely about the type of music they want to play and where their aspirations are. It is imperative that this one lines up with your band.
Step Six: Analyze a Career Path
Build off of the previous discussion point and find out where this musician plans to take their career. Look for interest and musical desire that aligns with the goals of the band.
Step Seven: Talk about the Band and the Opportunity
Explain further where the band is at, where it is going. You want to paint a clear picture of what context the musician could be stepping into. Perk his or her interest and if things line up, use the discussion to sell the opportunity and the next step in the process.
Step Eight: Initial Lock Down:
Ask the candidate for their thoughts and pre-close the conversation by saying something like, “based on our conversation, is this something that you want to pursue further?”
Step Nine: Set up Interview:
If there are green lights all over, explain the interview process and set up a time and date to talk further. Ask the musician to prepare some questions and review your band further at your web site. Send a confirmation email to the candidate to make sure that your instructions for the next step are clear.
Just as each conversation will never go as planned and predicted, the individuals that you take through the process will likely not be absolute perfect fits. While you are looking for ideal answers and a strong alignment with your band, a bad answer should not end the conversation but raise a red flag to the situation. Take notes during the phone call so you can ask follow up questions later or raise concerns before moving forward.
If the conversation warrants it, end it. If you can quickly eliminate a candidate, don’t waste your time or the candidates. Simply point out the clash, whether it is personality, goals, or experience you need and tell the candidate that you don’t think it will be the perfect fit. Encourage them to stay updated at your web site and offer to stay in touch.
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