Commitment

If you really want to make it as a band, you need to be committed. You can’t treat your band as something you can brush off or put off for other commitments. Barring emergencies, your band is a priority.

Imagine how well you’d do at your day job if you decided it was optional. Sure, you’re supposed to be there at 9 a.m., but you stayed up last night. Go ahead, sleep in until noon then just roll in to work once you’re well rested.

Your girlfriend called you up and said she’d like to go see a movie tonight. You’re supposed to be at work at 6 p.m., but you decide you’ll just not go in and take her to see the movie. You don’t even bother calling to let them know you’re not coming in.

You would probably never dream of doing these things to your day job, but somehow some musicians think these things are okay to do with band commitments. Whether it’s blowing off a practice session, showing up late to a venue, or not showing/showing up late to a recording session, bands or certain members do these things on a regular basis. Often they don’t seem to be aware how counterproductive these behaviors are.

This isn’t marketing related specifically, but it is about professionalism. If you aren’t professional, venues, producers, recording studios, and other bands/artists aren’t going to want to work with you. This will certainly limit your career.
Not only that, but you are wasting valuable time of the others who rely on you for their livelihood as well. It’s not just irresponsible; it can be financially damaging to others who treat their chosen career as professionals.

Think about what you really want to achieve. If you aren’t committed to being a professional, perhaps you should reevaluate your priorities and decide how to proceed.