You've spent years practicing, studying repertoire and developing your skills as an accordionist. But how do you actually find opportunities to perform? In this solo episode of "Everything Accordion" Podcast, I tackle one of the questions I receive most frequently from young accordionists: how do you find concerts, approach festivals and concert organizers and turn your artistic ideas into performance opportunities? Drawing from my own experience as a professional musician, I share my practical seven-step framework for finding and proposing concerts. We begin with what I believe is the most important element: a change of mindset. Instead of approaching organizers simply as an accordionist looking for work, we need to think of ourselves as artists offering valuable musical projects that can contribute to a festival, concert series or cultural institution. I explore the relationship between the artist, the presenter and the audience and why a successful concert proposal should consider the interests of all three. From developing a clear artistic concept and researching suitable venues to building professional relationships, preparing promotional materials and writing personalized proposals, we go through the process step by step. We also examine two examples of concert proposal emails, discussing what makes one ineffective and how the other communicates a clear artistic idea, relevance to the organizer, and an invitation to collaborate. Finally, I share my approach to following up with presenters, maintaining professional relationships, and tracking concert opportunities using simple organizational systems and tools, such as HubSpot. This episode isn't about finding a shortcut to getting booked. It's about approaching your music career with greater clarity, preparation and professionalism, while looking beyond the traditional accordion environment for new opportunities. Whether you're a student preparing to enter the professional world, an emerging accordionist looking for your first concerts or an established musician searching for new ideas, I hope this episode provides some useful perspectives and practical tools. And here's my challenge to you: send one personalized concert proposal this week. Find a festival, concert series or venue that genuinely fits your artistic project, research it and take that first step. If you enjoy these conversations and educational resources, you can also support "Everything Accordion" through Ko-fi with a one-time or monthly contribution. This podcast is supported by listeners and friends who believe in the project. A special thank you to Herbert Scheibenreif, a longtime friend of "Everything Accordion", for his continued generosity and support, and to Martin Šidlovský for supporting the podcast through Ko-fi. Links & Resources Free resource: I've prepared a Concert Pitch Starter Kit, including a sample proposal email, a checklist and a diagram illustrating the relationship between the artist, presenter, and audience. You can find it for free on the Everything Accordion Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/post/How-to-Find-Concerts-as-a-Musician-A-Practical-Gu-H1A12A1KT9 Concert Opportunity Tracker (Notion): https://tr.ee/wZWsp6 Modern Musician's Survival Guide podcast: https://linktr.ee/modernmusicianssurvivalguide HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/ Support the Podcast → https://ko-fi.com/everythingaccordionhub Stay Connected Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/everything_accordion_podcast/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083336361734 Website → coming soon Subscribe to the Newsletter→ https://tr.ee/AFkhOVMuE7
