Scroll down for real life examples on bio editing, press release dos and don’ts, and understanding the anatomy of a press release.
As a musician, you have a brand. You have a story. You have something to share that is uniquely you. The question is, how do you market your musical style to the world?
The answer: create a digital press kit. With a few vital pieces of information, your press kit represents you, your artistry, and your skill set. When you share news with media outlets, your press kit sets you apart as a musician. When you’re asking an event manager to host your concert program, your press kit has the credentials to back up your proposal.
Every press kit has a few essential elements. Your bio and press releases tell your story: who you are, how you play, and what you’ve been doing recently. Professional photos express a different side of your personality through visual creativity. When you’re looking for performance opportunities, you’ll have proposals ready for concert and outreach programs. Audio and video demos help people know what to expect when they hire you. Your website is the gateway to all the other parts of your press kit. When someone’s looking for a harpist, they’ll check your website to decide whether you’re the person they’re looking for.
In this installment of our new “Build Your Brand” series, we’ll look at bios and press releases. By the end of this article, you’ll have the tools you need to create the first part of your digital press kit.
What is a bio?
“Bio” is short for “biography,” and it’s your chance to share what makes you stand out. Think about your audience. Who is reading your bio? In a concert program, your bio helps your listeners get to know you. On your website, your bio might be the deciding factor for a potential student, event manager, or bride looking for just the right harpist. If you’re sending a newsworthy press release, you want your bio to give credibility. Competition or audition applications often have specific requirements for bio submissions.
Brainstorm your bio
Think about your accomplishments, debuts, competition wins, and quotes from media outlets or well-known musicians. Write down everything that comes to mind. You can trim your list later. If you’re having trouble getting started, pretend someone who knows you well is making a list of your accomplishments.
- Principal harpist of the Big City Symphony
- Debut at Gold Standard Hall
- First prize at the International Harp Competition of Antarctica
- “Mesmerizing performances” —The Top Musician Times
- “Elegant playing, dazzling artistry” —Ms. Esteemed Flying-Fingers
Get organized
Now it’s time to organize your list. Your best, most important, and most recent accomplishments belong at the top. Think of it this way: What are you doing right now? Why are you a big deal? This is not a time to downplay your achievements. Don’t be afraid to shine the spotlight on yourself.
Next, list the info that’s worth mentioning, but that could be deleted from your bio if length is an issue. For example, what are people saying about you? Where did you get your harp education?
A great bio will make you stand out as a harpist, and it’s well worth the effort. Keep it short, keep it up-to-date, and always keep your audience in mind. Check out these sample bios to see how you can avoid some common pitfalls:
A bio for every occasion
Once you have your bio written, you can tailor the style and length to fit your needs. Bios can be formal or informal, depending on the setting and your personality. Here are some examples:
Share your news
One of the ways you’ll use your new bio is at the end of a press release, which is how you share news about your harp career. When you release an album, win an audition or faculty appointment, or receive an award, other people want to know about it. Think of it like a cycle: media outlets like Harp Column are looking for news, which you’ll provide in the form of a press release. If your press release is successful, they’ll print your news. Ideally, when other people read your news, your harp career will benefit.
Putting it together
A good press release follows a standard structure. You’ll need a short, catchy headline that communicates exactly what the news is that you are sharing. It shouldn’t be a teaser or something people have to click on to understand what your news is about. You can add a subhead, or secondary heading under your main headline, to provide more details.
Next, you’ll need to decide when you want your news to be shared (or “released”). Most press releases are for immediate release, meaning they can be published the same day they’re sent out. But sometimes you’ll want to keep the news a surprise, meaning the press release is “embargoed for release” until the date you choose.
Begin the main part of your press release with your biggest news—an engaging hook, or “lede” in news lingo, that draws readers in. Keep in mind that editors can always shorten your news to fit the space they have. Starting with the most important details makes it easy for editors to cut paragraphs from the end as needed. Editors call this concept the “inverted pyramid.”
A press release should be structured like a bio, with the most important and timely information first, but the tone of a press release should be more objective than that of a bio. While you can use subjective wording in your bio to tell the world how great you are, in a press release, any subjective language should only be included if it is a direct or indirect quote. For example, you can call yourself a “rising star” or a region’s “premier harpist” in your bio since it is essentially a written advertisement for you and your music. In a press release, though, only use subjective descriptions if you can attribute them to another source: “The New York Times declared him a ‘rising star.’” Or, “The region’s ‘premier harpist’ (Mainline Gazette, July 2023), Suzy is performing this weekend.” See our chart of what to do and what to avoid in a successful press release below.
Sending it in
Once you have your basic press release written, think about where you’ll send it. Who do you want to read your news and why? What groups of people might have a connection to the location or program of your next concert, or the story behind your new album? A few ideas to consider are Harp Column magazine, the local newspaper, radio and television stations, arts organizations, school music teachers, area churches or retirement communities, and anywhere you might draw an audience or generate interest from readers.
After you brainstorm a few possible organizations that might be interested in your news, look up their contact information to try to get it in front of the right person. Many media outlets post staff directories. Check for pages on their websites labeled “Contact Us” or “Staff.” You can also try Googling the name of the paper plus the words “press release submission” or “press release contact.” If the organization gives instructions for how to submit your press release, be sure to follow them. If all else fails, pick up the phone and call the organization and ask to whom your press release should be addressed.
Don’t forget to tailor your press release for each organization’s specific audience. If you’re sending your press release to the arts or music editor at the local publication, find as many local tie-ins as you can. If you’re sharing your news with Harp Column, throw in some harp-specific tidbits since your readers are familiar with the instrument.
While it goes without saying that everything in your digital press kit should be in digital form, rather than the hard copies of the press kits of yesteryear, it’s important to understand what digital forms are best to send. For your bio and press release, make it available both as a PDF (a universal format everyone can open, read, and print) and in text form so the recipient can copy and paste text directly from your materials. The text format can be a Microsoft Word file, Google doc, or simple .txt file.
Keep in mind that print publications often have deadlines several months in advance of the publication date. For example, this September/October issue of Harp Column had a news deadline in July. Plan ahead: if you have a November album release, for example, alert the media with a press release by the beginning of September to maximize your chances for timely news coverage. Submit your news early and follow up to ask if any additional information is needed.
Next steps
You have your new bio ready and you know how to write a fabulous press release. What’s next? Photos to illustrate your story. Stay tuned for the next installment of our “Build Your Brand” series to find out all the particulars about publicity photos in the November/December 2023 issue of Harp Column. •
Just the facts, ma’am
Tips for a successful press release and what to avoid.
Do this…
Important facts first
Suzy Harpist will release her debut album on November 5. The album features French harp music from the 19th century. Suzy says, “I’ve always loved these beautiful masterpieces, and it was so exciting to record all my favorites.”
Objective info
The Amazing Awards named Suzy Harpist one of its top 10 performers in Musictown. “Her playing was outstanding,” says Rad Ratings, a spokesperson for the Amazing Awards.
Professional (write in a formal tone, check your spelling and grammar, etc.)
Suzy Harpist will release her debut solo album on November 5.
Newsworthy event or accomplishment
Top-Notch Music Conservatory has appointed Suzy Harpist as associate professor of harp, beginning this fall.
Active voice
Suzy Harpist won the Musictown Herald’s 2023 Music Teacher Recognition Award.
Short and simple
Include professional, high-resolution photos
…not that
Take too long to get to the point or burying the lede
From a very young age, Suzy Harpist has loved playing the harp. She especially enjoys French harp music of the 19th century. That’s why she recently recorded her debut album.
Subjective wording (unless you’re quoting someone else)
Fabulous Musictown performer Suzy Harpist is one of the winners of the incredibly prestigious Amazing Awards.
Writing about how great you are
Suzy Harpist had so much fun recording her first album ever–plus, it’s the most awesome harp music you’ll ever hear!
News that doesn’t fit the tone or needs of the publication
Suzy Harpist played for her cousin’s wedding two days ago.
Passive voice
This year’s Music Teacher Recognition Award was awarded to Suzy Harpist by the Musictown Herald.
Longer than a page (or at most two pages if including bio)
Low-resolution, outdated, or unprofessional photos
Bio editing in the real world
Harp Column Music Managing Editor Liana Alpino had a good bio with many accomplishments to tout, but she wanted to give it a refresh for her new website. Alpino was a good sport and allowed us to show the before and after, proving that even a solid bio can benefit from a touch up.
Before
Liana Alpino is a professional harpist based in Nashville, TN where she maintains an active performing schedule and a private teaching studio. She graduated from Belmont University in 2015 where she became the first harpist to achieve a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Music. She also earned a minor in Classical Harp Performance and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Music Business.
Alpino regularly performs for weddings, special events, recording sessions, live shows, and more. She has had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Keith and Kristyn Getty, Kathy Mattea, ABBA’s original band members and Roy “Futureman” Wooten. A seasoned orchestral performer, Alpino performs as a substitute harpist with Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Kentucky Bowling Green, and other orchestras throughout middle Tennessee.
In 2021, Alpino celebrated several triumphs. She won Grand Prize in the Adult Category of The Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra’s Concerto Competition and had her original piece “Sueño” chosen as a winner of the Atlanta Harp Center Composition Competition. She was also elected president of the Nashville Harp Society and had two articles published in Harp Column magazine. Other recent honors include filming for the Lifetime TV show Married at First Sight and being featured on Channel 4 News for her 2020 neighborhood driveway concerts.
In her spare time, Alpino passionately composes new works for harp, as well as working on her signature pop music arrangements for the harp. Her sheet music can be found on Harp Column Music and Sheet Music Plus.
Outside of performing, Alpino works as the Brand Manager and Merchandise Manager for the world-famous songwriter haven, The Bluebird Cafe. She also works as the Social Media Manager and the managing editor of Harp Column Music, where she is known for her music blogs.
First paragraph: Starts strong with important information (who she is), but includes old info (where she went to college).
Second paragraph: Includes good info about the breadth of her career, but sells herself short with some of the word choice and uses some passive voice.
Third paragraph: She has many great accolades to tout, but could leave out some smaller things and rearrange the order to put items of interest for a general audience first.
Fourth paragraph: She undersells her composing as a hobby, rather than an integral component of her career.
Fifth paragraph: Trying to fit all the details of a career into one bio can sometimes feel like a laundry list. Here it might be better to leave out a detail or two and fold others into other parts of the bio.
After
Award-winning performer and composer Liana Alpino is one of Music City’s premier harpists. Equally at home playing in Nashville’s legendary live music scene, entertaining hundreds of guests at an upscale event, or performing on stage with one of the region’s symphony orchestras, she has carved a niche combining her classical training with her passion for creating new music.
Alpino’s versatility makes her an in-demand artist in Nashville’s vibrant music culture. She has performed with Keith and Kristyn Getty, Kathy Mattea, ABBA’s original band members, and Roy “Futureman” Wooten. She’s also a regular with a number of professional orchestras, including the Paducah Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Kentucky Bowling Green. In 2021, Alpino was a soloist with the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra after winning the adult division of its concerto competition. Alpino has also shared her musical talents on screen, performing for Lifetime TV’s hit reality show Married at First Sight, and Nashville’s Channel 4 News program profiled her innovative neighborhood driveway concert series in 2020.
Best-known in the harp world for her thoughtful compositions and signature pop arrangements for the instrument, Alpino loves to expand the harp’s repertoire by writing new music for the instrument. She was a winner of the 2021 Atlanta Harp Center Composition Competition with an original work titled Sueño. You can watch a YouTube video of Alpino performing Sueño at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe where she is also the music venue’s brand manager. Alpino is active on the local and national levels of the harp community. She is the president of the Nashville Chapter of the American Harp Society, and she was recently named managing editor of Harp Column Music, where she curates the digital music retailer’s collection of more than 4,000 titles.
Alpino’s multi-faceted career is no accident. In 2015 she became the first harpist to graduate from Nashville’s Belmont University with a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Music, which she earned alongside a Bachelor of Business Administration in Music Business and a minor in Classical Harp Performance.
You can find Alpino on social media at the tongue-in-cheek handle @harpthrob and on the web at lianaalpino.com.
First paragraph: Showcases her accomplishments, versatility, and connection to Nashville’s renowned live music scene first.
Second paragraph: Illustrates her unique skill set and touts accomplishments of interest to general audience first.
Third paragraph: Combines all the harp-specific details into one place that could be easily cut if needed.
Fourth paragraph: Moves schooling to the end of the bio, but ties in the nature of her career today with her training from the past.
Fifth paragraph: Leaves the reader with a call to action to learn more.
Extra, extra, read all about it!
Understanding the anatomy of a press release.
