You’re an artist and you want to make art. Creativity and expression is why you love to do what you do!
But every path forward seems to involve selling your work to others!
Every time you work to support your artistic work, you need to pitch your project, your offerings, or yourself, whether you are…
- Applying for Grants
- Booking Concerts and Workshops
- Selling Tickets and Recordings
- Signing up New Students
- Finding a New Collaborator
Of course your artistic work should speak for itself. Others will definitely want to see directly what you do by watching a video of your concert or workshop.
But they will also need to understand…
- Who are you and what do you do?
- What’s special about you and your work?
- What can I do to support you?
That’s why every artist and every project needs the Perfect Pitch.
Clear, understandable, exciting, intriguing…how do I craft the perfect introduction to my work?
THE ELEMENTS OF A PERFECT PITCH
Every great pitch includes 3 essential elements
- THE DEFINITION – The Who, What, When, Where, Why of the Artist or Project
- THE ORIGIN STORY & UNIQUE SELLING POINT – How did this come to be and what is uniquely special about it?
- CALL TO ACTION – Move your audience from appreciation to action
DEFINITION
The biggest struggle artists face in defining themselves or their art is being specific.
The start of your pitch is the place to hone in on clear, identifiable elements of what you do.
This is the “just the facts” part of your pitch but the details will make you stand out.
Here are a few ideas of what to include so that someone new understands quickly who you are and what you do….
- An ensemble: Style(s), Instruments, Geography
- Composer: Style(s), Type of or Major Compositions, Headline Award/Fellowship/Appointment
- Music School: Location, Number of Students, Programs of Study
Your listener or reader should understand who you are and what you do in just the first few sentences.
ORIGIN STORY and UNIQUE SELLING POINT
This is the part of the story where the poor, sickly orphan is bitten by a radioactive spider and develops super powers, turning him into Spiderman.
Seriously.
Every person and project comes from somewhere. We have a dream for something wonderful to happen and we start making art.
That’s the story you have to tell. How you went from a dreamer to an arts superhero.
Tell us the story. That story is what makes you and your art unique.
CALL TO ACTION
How many times have you come across an artist or organization and thought WOW! They are amazing and doing wonderful work…and then forget about them.
We run the risk that we can inspire and then lose touch with our listeners.
That’s where the Call to Action is crucially important at the end of your pitch. Tell your listeners or readers how they can…
- Subscribe to stay in touch
- Buy music, tickets, or book a show
- Sign up for lessons
- Support with a donation
You’ve got their attention – don’t forget to ASK FOR WHAT YOU NEED!
HOW TO IDENTIFY A PERFECT PITCH
You’ve heard thousands of fantastic, spot on, clear and persuasive pitches in your time. Let’s read a few and analyze the parts…
Case Study #1 Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles
- “YOLA—the LA Phil’s music education program—currently serves close to 1,700 young musicians across five sites, providing them with free instruments, intensive music instruction (up to 18 hours per week), academic support, and leadership training.”
*DEFINITION – the who, what, when, where of the program and who they serve.
- “The program began as an adaptation of Venezuela’s revolutionary El Sistema music education program, but it is now an innovative model in its own right, often looked to as a guide for students and teachers from music programs around the country.”
*ORIGIN STORY and UNIQUE SELLING POINT
- “Come Make Music with Us!”
*CALL TO ACTION
Case Study #2 Amanda Palmer Biography & Patreon Tier Pitch
- “Amanda Palmer is a best-selling author, feminist, songwriter, community leader, pianist and ukulele-enthusiast who simultaneously embraces and explodes traditional frameworks of music, theatre, and art.”
*DEFINITION of the artist including artistic roles, inspiration, and genres
- “She first came to prominence as part of the punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls, earning global applause for their inventive songcraft and wide-ranging theatricality.”
*ORIGIN STORY and UNIQUE SELLING POINT
- $3 Patreon Tier Pitch: “this one’s for keeps. you’re supporting me, my team and my collaborators and you are awesome. thank you. you’ll get access to the patron-only posts, and you’ll also be DIRECTLY emailed keepable/playable/readable downloads of any content (PDFs, MP3s, MOVs, etc.).”
*CALL TO ACTION – Subscribe Button, How You’ll Help, Appreciation, What You Get
Case Study #3 Nick Seluk, Cartoonist
- “The Awkward Yeti and all of its work are authored and illustrated by cartoonist Nick Seluk.”
*DEFINITION – Who makes these cartoons?
- “It was his dream since he was a kid to be funny, and someday he hopes to be. His New York Times Bestselling series Heart and Brain has brought popularity to the Awkward Yeti on social media, and he now copes with the pressure of trying to entertain millions of fans online.”
*ORIGIN STORY and UNIQUE SELLING POINT
- “In 2018, his first children’s book was published by Scholastic, titled The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal, the first in a 3-book series. You can find it in bookstores and Scholastic fairs in schools.”
*CALL TO ACTION – What you can buy and where to find it
YOUR TURN
Now it’s your turn to write the perfect pitch.
Don’t just sit at your computer and rack your brains, though!
Developing a pitch is a process that should be refined as you go.
Try your pitch on others. Look for when their eyes light up or they start to nod.
Try, try again and refine as you go. See what gets others excited and how often they respond.
