★ Why This Course Exists

Talent gets you noticed. Professionalism gets you rebooked. Most musicians never get taught the business side of gigging - how to price a set, build a repertoire that actually works in a room, talk to a crowd, set up a PA without feedback squeal, or send an invoice that gets paid on time. That's exactly what these 12 weeks cover, step by step, so you walk out with real skills, real materials, and a real plan - not just a certificate.

★ What You'll Walk Away With

★ How The 12 Weeks Flow

Each week builds on the last - mindset and industry knowledge first, then your music, then your business, then your stagecraft, then putting it all together live.

★ Before You Start

• Head to Personalise & Save My Course next and set up your name, colours and brand - it'll follow you through the whole course
• Your Gigging Musician Vision Board is built together in Week 1 - come ready to think big
• Fill in the workshop answer for every week as you go - your certificate unlocks once all 12 are complete
• Keep the Gigging Essentials Handbook and Resources & Templates pages bookmarked - they're built to keep using long after Week 12
• There's no such thing as a silly question - bring it to class

You don't need to be the most talented person in the room.

You need to be the easiest to book. Let's build that, one week at a time.

Find Your Quote - Pricing Discovery Questionnaire

Answer a few quick questions about your experience and the gig, and we'll suggest a starting price range.

Solo / Duo Performer - Café, Restaurant, Bar

Beginner starting point: $60 per half hour / $120 per hour, performance only - travel and equipment are quoted as extras on top (see note below).

Weddings & Private Functions

Corporate & Festivals

What Changes Your Rate

Using the ranges above, set your own starting rates.

Your Brand

Set on the Personalise & Save My Course page - the Canva searches and previews below update automatically to match.

Suggested Starter Palette

Headings: Poppins Bold. Body text: Poppins Medium. Icon: a bold black or white star - use it as a bullet, a stamp on photos, or a logo mark.

Canva Templates To Search & Customise

Canva templates can't be auto-generated here, but these are the exact searches to run inside Canva, personalised to your name, colour and font choice above.

Rate The Course

Tap a star to rate your experience

Your Full Name

Your Written Review

We'd Honestly Love a Video Testimonial 🎥

Even 10 seconds means a lot to us - just a quick word about your experience in the course. Totally optional, but it genuinely helps other future students. Send it two ways:

• Record it below and attach the download to your completion email, or
• Send it straight to our Instagram DMs: @thevocalacademy_ (if that link doesn't open your app, search @thevocalacademy_ on Instagram and send it as a DM)

🎓 Congratulations - Generate Your Certificate

Your certificate unlocks once all 12 weeks are complete. Enter your name above, then generate your certificate.

★

Certificate of Completion

This certifies that

[Your Name]

has successfully completed the 12-week
Gig Ready Professional Musician Course

The Vocal Academy

⬇ Download Certificate (PDF)

✉️ Step 1 - Send Your Completed Course to Us

Click below to open an email to The Vocal Academy with your name, star rating and review pre-filled. Attach the PDF you save in the step below (and your testimonial video, if you have one) before hitting send - this part still needs your own email app, since browsers aren't allowed to send emails or attach files on their own for privacy and security reasons. Your completed course details go to info.thevocalacademy@gmail.com.

If clicking doesn't open your email app, your device may not have one set up as default - you can also just email info.thevocalacademy@gmail.com directly, attaching the PDF you saved, with your name, rating and review.

💾 Step 2 - Save Your Course as a PDF

This saves one PDF to your own device - styled to match the course's black & white branding, with your certificate as the cover page (once all 12 weeks are complete), containing everything you filled in across all 12 weeks. This is yours to keep, print, or attach anywhere you like.

Set-Up Checklist

• Compact PA (2 speakers or 1 powered speaker + sub) positioned to avoid feedback
• Mixer or multi-effects unit tucked neatly - no cable spaghetti visible
• Mic stand at correct height, boom angled slightly down
• Backing track device (phone/laptop) fully charged + backup battery
• Cables taped down across any walkway
• Tip jar / QR code / merch small and tidy, not blocking the bar
• Dressed appropriately for the venue and occasion
• Water bottle, spare strings/leads, tuner within reach

PA & Sound Basics

You don't need to be an audio engineer, but you do need to know this much:

• Gain staging: set your input gain first (on the mixer or speaker), then bring up the master volume - this avoids distortion and keeps your headroom before feedback
• Feedback prevention: keep the microphone out of the direct line of the speaker, never point a speaker at a mic, and lower gain gradually if you hear a ring building
• Speaker placement: angle speakers across the room rather than straight at your own mic, and raise them on a stand where possible - sound travels better above head height
• EQ basics: cut before you boost. If something sounds harsh, try reducing that frequency rather than boosting everything else
• Sound checking: always arrive early enough to test at performance volume, not just talking volume

Microphones 101

• Dynamic mics (e.g. Shure SM58, Beta 58A): tough, forgiving of loud volumes and handling noise - the standard choice for live vocals
• Condenser mics (e.g. Shure Beta 87A): more sensitive and detailed, better for quieter, controlled settings, but pick up more background noise
• Mic technique: work close to the mic (2–5cm) for warmth and volume, pull back slightly on loud notes to avoid distortion
• Polar patterns: most vocal mics are cardioid - they reject sound from the rear, which helps prevent feedback if you position speakers behind you
• Phantom power: condenser mics need 48V phantom power from your mixer or interface to work - dynamic mics don't need it

Cables & Signal Chain

• XLR cables: balanced, 3-pin, used for microphones and connecting professional audio gear - your most-used cable
• TS / TRS (jack) cables: TS ("instrument") cables are unbalanced and used for guitars/keyboards over short distances; TRS cables are balanced and used for line-level or stereo signals
• DI (Direct Injection) box: converts an unbalanced instrument signal (like acoustic guitar) into a balanced XLR signal, so it can travel further without noise and plug straight into a PA
• Balanced vs unbalanced: balanced cables (XLR, TRS) reject interference over long runs; unbalanced (TS) cables should be kept short
• Cable care: always coil over-under (not around your elbow), keep leads off wet ground, and label your own cables - gear grows legs at share-house gigs

Professionalism On The Job

• Arrive at least 30–45 minutes before your set to load in, set up and soundcheck without rushing
• Confirm gig details (time, address, parking, power access) the day before - don't rely on a text from three weeks ago
• Dress for the venue and occasion (see the Gig Attire Guide)
• Keep breaks tight and stick to agreed timing - venues run their whole night around your set
• Always have a backup plan: spare cables, a charged phone, a second playlist if backing tracks fail
• If something goes wrong, stay calm and solutions-focused - how you handle a problem is what gets remembered, not the problem itself

Networking & Building Relationships

• Introduce yourself to venue staff and management every time, not just the person who booked you
• Get to know other musicians on the circuit - most gig referrals come from other performers turning down dates, not cold outreach
• Follow venues, other musicians and local event pages on social media, and genuinely engage - comment, share, turn up to their gigs
• Carry business cards everywhere, not just to gigs - you never know who's planning a wedding or corporate event
• Say yes to smaller or lower-paid opportunities early on if they put you in front of the right audience - visibility compounds

Turning One-Off Gigs Into Repeat Bookings

• Send a short thank-you message within a day or two of the gig (see Email Templates)
• Ask directly: "Would you like me to hold a regular date?" - venues rarely offer this unprompted
• Read the room and adjust - a venue that rebooks you is telling you what worked; do more of it
• Be the easiest performer they deal with: on time, no drama, sorts their own problems - this alone puts you ahead of most competitors
• Check in periodically even when you don't have a gig booked, so you stay top of mind for their next event

Getting Paid - Invoicing & Chasing Payment

• Send your invoice promptly - within 24–48 hours of the gig, while it's fresh for both of you
• Include: your name/business name, ABN (if you have one), gig date, fee, payment method and due date
• For bigger gigs (weddings, corporate), ask for a deposit to secure the date, with the balance due on or before the day
• If a payment is late, send a polite, direct follow-up - most late payments are oversight, not refusal
• Keep simple records of every gig, fee and payment date - it makes tax time and future pricing decisions much easier

See the Rate Cards page for pricing guidance and the Email Templates page for invoice and follow-up wording.

Your Gig Bag Checklist

• Microphone + backup mic clip/windscreen
• XLR cables (bring a spare) + instrument cable + power leads
• DI box (if using acoustic guitar or other instrument)
• Mic stand + spare batteries or charger
• Backing track device, fully charged, plus backup battery pack
• Tuner, spare strings/reeds/sticks (whatever your instrument needs)
• Set list, lyric sheet or tablet with your repertoire
• Business cards, QR code sign or tip jar
• Water bottle and a change of shirt for load-out
• Gaffer/electrical tape for taping down cables

Optional Add-Ons (When You're Ready)

You don't need any of these to start gigging - add them one at a time as your bookings grow.

• Mic stand + XLR/instrument cables (grab these early, they're cheap)
• DI box - only needed if you're plugging in an acoustic guitar or other instrument
• Second speaker for stereo sound or as a monitor
• Small mixer for more control over multiple inputs
• Wireless mic system for moving freely around a room
• In-ear monitoring for bigger or louder stages

Design Tips - What Makes A Card Actually Get Used

• Legibility first: a bold, clean font at a readable size beats a clever font nobody can read across a bar
• Only essential information: name, what you do, phone or email, and one link (Instagram or website) - a crowded card gets glanced at, not read
• Add a QR code: link it straight to your Instagram, EPK or booking form so a venue can act in one scan
• Consistent branding: match the fonts and colours you set on the Personalise page - this is what makes you look established, not amateur
• Card stock & finish: a thicker card (350gsm+) feels more premium in hand; matte finish looks modern, gloss shows fingerprints
• Standard size: 85mm x 55mm is the Australian standard - anything unusual may not fit in a wallet or card holder, which means it gets thrown out
• Double-sided: use the back for a QR code or a second contact method rather than leaving it blank

Where To Print - Australian Providers

Design your card in Canva (see the Brand & Canva Kit page), export as a print-ready PDF, then upload it directly to either printer - most accept custom uploads alongside their own templates.

What To Include In Every Bio

• What you do in one line (genre + solo/duo/band)
• Where you're based / willing to travel
• What kind of gigs you're available for
• A direct way to contact or book you (email is more professional than "DM me")
• A link or arrow pointing to your best video proof

Highlight categories to keep at the top of your profile: Gigs / Live Clips, Reviews or Testimonials, Booking or Contact, and anything specific to your niche (Weddings, Corporate, Originals).