Small town band, big talent By Meghan Isaacs isaa0027@algonquincollege.com Students who play in bands often have trouble trying to break out in a smaller town like Ottawa, especially when they’re busy with schoolwork and other commitments. How to book shows, what to do to get noticed, and ultimately, how to get signed are simple enough questions, but to get to the answers can be tough. Algonquin graduate Alex Cossee has those answers, as well as helpful advice for local struggling musicians. The first thing to get on your quest to fame? “Some sort of hype or awareness,” said Cossee, a 2005 grad of the Business Marketing program. Cossee’s first official band, Darker Red, was formed in 2005. In under a year, they’d performed with bands around the arealike Tora, Tora, These Silhouettes, Diecast, and then with big headliners like Atreyu, Thrice, Silverstein, and the Deftones at the Taste of Chaos tour in 2006. Cossee now plays in the band I Call This Safety, who had their first show in October of 2007 and have already played with Fear Before the March of Flames and Stick To Your Guns. One way to spread awareness of your band is through merchandise. “Having merch to sell at your shows can spark other people’s interest... If someone is walking down the street with a cool band logo on it, chances are they’ll check the band out if they remember the name,” said Cossee. “If you play with a band that’s extremely well known, such as a large band on any decent sized record or promotion label, all kinda will flock to that show,” said Cossee. Playing with bands on bigger labels means the possibility of getting noticed by reps who are scouting for new talent. Cossee also suggests sticking to one style or genre of music and perfecting it. “You can’t cater to everyone, however you can build your fanbase within a certain niche of today’s music scene.” With websites like Pure Volume and MySpace, putting your music up for people to hear is simple and accessible, not to mention that the networking possibilities are endless. To get your tunes up on the sites, it’s just a matter of perfecting your sound and making music that makes you proud.
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