Let me tell you something nobody told me when I was coming up.
When a contractor needs a player, they usually don’t hold auditions.
They pick up the phone.
And the name they call isn’t always the most talented player in town.
It’s the one they trust.
I’ve watched this play out for years. Great players practice for hours, show up to every jam, hand out business cards to anybody who’ll take one, and still watch the calls go to somebody else. Nobody ever tells them why. So they keep doing more of the same and wondering what they’re missing.
I know that feeling.
In 1993, I walked up to a stranger outside the Winter Garden and asked him what it was really like. I didn’t know it then, but that was my first real lesson in how this business works.
Thirty-three years later, after Memphis, Ain’t Too Proud, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, that lesson hasn’t changed one bit.
I call it the Trust Economy.
Every hire in this business comes down to a few questions nobody says out loud:
Can I count on this person when it matters?
Will this person make me look good?
If I send this person in, will I get a call about it later?
Contractors ask them. Chair holders ask them before they hand you their book. And most musicians have never been taught how to become the answer to those questions.
So I’m going live to teach it.
THE TRUST ECONOMY
Broadway Bound and Beyond: LIVE
Thursday, October 29
5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT, live on Zoom
What we’ll talk about:
How trust really gets built in a small industry, and why it has so little to do with networking
The Ramada Inn lounge gig that started my path to Broadway
How to reach out to people in a way that actually gets you working
How the reputation you’re building today shapes the calls you get tomorrow
You’ll walk away seeing your own career, and the people already in it, a little differently.
Choose your seat:
General Admission: $97
The live session plus lifetime access to the replay.
VIP: $197 (only 10 spots)
Everything above, plus a private 30-minute follow-up call with me within 30 days to talk through your own career.
Group License: $497 (up to 10 students)
For teachers and music programs. Live access plus the replay for your students.
Questions:
Can’t make it live? Every seat includes the full replay, and it’s yours to keep.
Who is this for? Students, early-career musicians, and anyone trying to break into theater or professional work. You don’t have to be a drummer.
How do I join? Your Zoom link appears right after checkout, and I’ll send a reminder the day before.
Other questions? Email info@broadwayboundandbeyond.com.
Talent gets you noticed. Trust gets you hired. Let’s work on the part nobody teaches.
See you on the 29th!
Clayton