Building A Solo Show That Works
Improve your show, get better gigs, make more money, have more fun.
What if you got paid to hang out and play music?
You know, eating & drinking for free, meeting interesting people, having a blast, making great money...
Sound like the kind of part-time (or full-time) job you'd be interested in?
Here's the thing:
Talent can be developed.
Luck can be reverse-engineered.
And if you do it right, good old-fashioned hard work is actually a shit ton of fun.
I've done all three of these things in a big way.
But easily the best piece of luck I've ever had was meeting my mentor: a guy ten years my senior who was already doing what I wanted to do.
He'd been living the "gainfully unemployed" life for years, and the things he taught me shaved a decade off my learning curve.
That was a few thousand gigs ago, and since then I've added my own hacks, tweaks, and experience to this body of knowledge.
And now I want to share everything I've learned with you.
It's called Building A Solo Show That Works.
This ain't a guide on how to be like me, it's a course on developing you and your show.
Check out the syllabus below for a list of topics we'll cover, or take that video above for a quick spin.
Your Instructor
Hey, I'm Josh.
I developed pro-level guitar skills... by being a stubborn dumbass. It took a really long time, and I don't recommend it.
Instead, I'm hoping to shave years (if not decades) off your learning curve.
I took all the things I wish I knew three decades ago, and packaged them up into these courses.
Course Curriculum
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StartNostaglia: Playing Cover Songs Is About Memories
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StartRepertoire, Part One (2:36)
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StartHow To Learn A Song
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StartCover A Cover (0:54)
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StartKill Your Book (4:31)
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StartWhat Gear To Avoid (2:54)
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StartWhat Gear To buy (11:34)
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Start80/20 Soundguy: Overview (1:52)
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Start80/20 Soundguy: EQ (11:11)
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Start80/20 Soundguy: Compression (8:40)
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Start80/20 Soundguy: Reverb (6:54)
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StartMoney Strums & Dynamics (6:51)
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StartThe Magic Of The Weekly Gig
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StartThe Weekly Gig, Part Two
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StartUpgrade Your Tip Jar
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StartSong Menus (5:49)
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StartText Request Line (3:32)
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StartSocial Media (6:54)
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StartYour Dropbox (1:17)
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StartWin Win Win (2:11)
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StartLearn How To Speak Bar Manager (3:15)
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StartHow Much To Charge (4:38)
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StartUnderpromise & Overdeliver (1:16)
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StartFancy Restaurant As Sales Pipeline (2:45)
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StartPrivate Party Contract Template
Frequently Asked Questions
I really could have used this 15 years ago. You're doing God's work, my friend.
—Chelsea Lynn, Technical Director, Harper College
Damn... I wish I would have had a teacher like you when I was in school!
—Mike Church, guitarist with Kevin Purcell & The Root Doctors, Anderlik Otto & Church, Desperate Bastards, and others
I’ve been playing almost weekly gigs with Josh for 5+ years now, and absolutely no one has taught me more about being a world-class musician (and a world class human), whether on stage in front of thousands of people, or in your hometown bar. He has it figured out. I'm still constantly learning from him, on and off stage.
If you’re wanting to be a “gainfully unemployed” musician, a weekend warrior, or want to just have the stones to step in front of a microphone and pour a little of your heart out, this course is for you. Check it out!
—Jasper Smith, singer/guitarist with Gentleman's Rule, Straight No Chaser, Brothers Smith, Mid By Midwest, Standing Room Only, and others