Band Off

The Elevator Presentation

Imagine what would happen if you combined the artistic competition of American Idol with the funding model of venture capitalism. You would have Band Off, a regional competition that invigorates the local music scene by investing in talented musical entrepreneurs.

The music industry is a very fertile field for entrepreneurs to sow their creative seed right now. The old guard recording studios, steadfastly defending a vanishing business model, are weak and in disarray. The digital highway has made song deliveries instantaneous and almost free, while band and event promotion via social networks and vendors has never been easier. Despite the proliferation of professional studio equipment at garage studio prices, there is one thing still missing for most bands: some form of outside financing to facilitate the creation of quality content.

Successful bands generally excel in three areas: musicianship, showmanship and business acumen. These are all skills that can be taught, to some extent, or at least molded—and also skills that can be assessed. The best judge of what brings people pleasure are the people themselves, so we are going to let them judge the Band Off winner.

The Band Off will be an all day outdoor festival held on the Summer Solstice. Three stages will host three bands in four elimination rounds of an hour each. The winning band will keep playing for another hour or so and then be presented with the grand prize: a three-album deal from Star Mountain Studios, including business boot camp, music video shoots, musicianship instruction, and promotional development. The newly minted artist will be mentored, encouraged and guided every step of the way.

There are several enterprises that use crowdfunding to produce records, like Sellaband, based in Germany, but they are global. We, being local, are tapping into a very different pool of customers. To us, the internet is a tool to facilitate the personal interactions that create lifelong fans rather than the only environment we inhabit. There are people doing similar things, but no one is doing what I describe here.

There are no serious barriers to entering the market. In fact, barriers are falling faster than hemlines in a recession. Some of the money for the first recording comes from crowdfunding, but to maximize our success rate we need startup capital from angel investors. We need angels to invest in our dream to become Music Angels that turn around and invest in others. Together, we can make Band Off happen!