Solo Musician Podcast

In this episode of the Solo Musician Podcast, host Dave Gates takes a vulnerable look at the slow, silent experience of losing touch with your creativity as a solo musician. There’s no big breaking point — just a gradual drift, until one day you realize you feel miles away from the music you used to love. This episode seeks to unpack the emotional flatline that often follows: the numbness, the self-doubt, and the quiet questions that echo louder when you’re creating alone. Do I even want this anymore? Was I ever good enough? Would anyone notice if I walked away? Dave tries to reframe disengagement not as a failure but as information — a signal that something needs to shift, not stop. You’ll hear thoughtful guidance on gently reconnecting with your art, from rediscovering music as a listener to lowering your creative expectations and remembering what first lit the spark. “Disengagement” is a reassuring reminder that creative seasons ebb and flow. If you’re feeling disconnected from your music, you’re not alone — and your return will be more powerful than you think.

Booking gigs doesn’t have to be painful — or embarrassing. In this episode of The Solo Musician Podcast, we’re breaking down a no-BS, modern strategy for booking more shows in 2026. Learn how to build a gig-ready online presence, craft messages that actually get replies, and stop wasting so much of your time chasing the wrong outcomes. From open mics to the almighty follow-up, discover where the real opportunities are hiding this year. Whether you’re tired of unanswered emails or just want to fill your 2026 calendar with paying gigs, this episode will show you exactly how to stop sucking at booking gigs — and start performing as much as you want.

In this episode of The Solo Musician Podcast, host Dave Gates takes you behind the scenes of his first-ever trip to New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes region — a two-day, boots-on-the-ground mission to scout potential venues for his 2026 tour. With a HUGE shoutout to his friend John, Dave recounts the experience, the lakeside drives, and the 45 venues he visited around Keuka and Seneca Lakes — all part of the grind of booking gigs as an independent artist. You’ll hear how Dave approached each venue like a pro: walking in with confidence, starting genuine conversations, dropping a card (and sometimes a tip), and keeping notes in the parking lot after each stop. He shares his honest reflections on nerves, persistence, and people skills, plus key takeaways on what worked, what didn’t, and why the “don’t be annoying” mindset might just be your best business strategy. Stick around for bonus tips — including Dave’s Facebook group hack for finding venues in new regions — and get inspired to take your own music hustle on the road. Perfect for: Independent musicians, DIY bookers, and anyone curious what it really takes to get gigs when you’re a one-person operation.

From historic taverns to open mics and hometown bars, this week was all about playing live and connecting with people through music. I’m talking about: • Penn’s Tavern — why I love historic venues and that tough-to-get booking convo with the owner. • Wednesday Open Mic — my most-viewed post ever, a full signup list, and a mix of mandolins, violins, and political songs. • Friday at Liquid Noise — hometown crowd energy, a glitchy request system, and those epic 2-hour sets. • Saturday at the Horn Pub — first pedalboard run, big crowd interaction, and the reminder that if you’re having fun, they are too. Plus: a quick rundown of my next adventure — scouting venues in the Finger Lakes. Hit play to hear the stories, the lessons, and the laughs behind a week full of gigs.

Ever wonder what it’s really like to make a living as a solo musician? Dave Gates and Colin Alvarez get real about low pay, burnout, unreliable gigs, and the unseen grind behind the music.

This week's guest is Kevin Raubenstine. Kevin is a solo acoustic musician from the Lancaster, PA area. We chat about our similar experience with entry model Taylor guitars, what draws us to perform, the importance of open mics, the effect of the pandemic on live music, and a bunch of other music and non-music related topics in between. As always, thanks for listening, make sure to follow Kevin on all the things and share this podcast with your friends! For guest booking inquiries or suggestions, hit us up at solomusicianpodcast@gmail.com

This week's guest is Ariana, lead-singer from the powerhouse band RUINESS. We chat about our shared experience in the West Side Singers program, tour life, social media hater kink, gear, chasing goals, and sooooo much more. Check out RUINESS on all the things, you'll be glad you did!

In this weeks episode, Megan Miller ( from the Megan & Dave Duo ) RETURNS to the podcast to chat about open mics, learning guitar theory, live sound mixing, and so much more. Dave talks about band shows, acoustic-solo-act venue saturation, and frankly, anything else that pops into his double Red Bull fueled head. For more info on the Megan and Dave Duo, check out their link tree: https://linktr.ee/megananddaveduo

In this special VIDEO episode of Thursday Thoughts, I dive into my 2024 Year-In-Review. You can check out the video on my YouTube Channel at https://www.YouTube.com/DaveGatesMusic. I outline 9 observations from 2024, and 9 goals for 2025, including: 2024: 1. The best decision I made 2. If I could travel back in time to 2023, what would I tell myself? 3. The best way I used my time this year 4. My biggest waste of time this year 5. Something I regret doing in 2024 6. The Biggest A-HA moment I had this year 7. Three things in 2024 that brought me Joy 8. What I'm most grateful for 9. Who I'd like to thank for their support 2025: 1. My word for the year 2. What I'm most excited about 3. What experiences/people I'd like to manifest 4. What I will say YES to 5. What I will say NO to 6. What I'm devoted to creating 7. My TOP THREE intentions 8. Who I need to become to reach my goals 9. What gifts I will share Do you have your own list? Share it with me in the comments!!

Crowds suck, People that request music and don't tip suck, Bookers suck, Booking agencies suck, double bookings suck, expected draws suck, my stupid throat care regime sucks..... All the hits. Learn my views on the things that suck about this awesome job I have!

The importance of music, the memories it makes you hang on to, and the environment it creates when it's around.

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who sent in a topic or question for the “Peoples Choice” episode. 2 weeks ago, I asked for suggestions from Facebook followers on what topics they were interested in, and you guys came through with some awesome things to chat about. I continue to be blown away every single week when I see the amount of people listening to this podcast or reading the blog. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’re here. Here's the 6 topics covered in this episode: 1. Smoking vs. Non-Smoking venues and how to cope as a non-smoker. 2. Doing covers how they're written vs. your own version. 3. Work/Life balance. 4. Music vs. Entertainment 5. What are venues ACTUALLY paying you for when they book you? 6. Gear talk. Expensive vs. cheap and current setup.

“Allow yourself to be proud of yourself and all the progress you’ve made. Especially the progress that no one else can see.” ~ Anonymous This week, I want to talk about PROGRESS. About my views on making progress, and how the simple act of being aware and grateful of the progress that we make in our lives will lead to more progress. I’ve come to find that most progress in my life is the direct result of my actions, and retrogression has been the direct result of my inaction. The only thing that makes me different from a solo musician just starting out is time, and the willingness to be terrible at something long enough to get good at it. With enough time and dedication, I believe we are capable of doing anything we aspire to. The biggest barrier to achieving our goals is not giving up, and sometimes that’s extremely hard to do. I’ve found that by being aware and celebrating every moment of progress, no matter how small, I’ve been able to steadily progress at anything I set out to do.

In the gigantic landscape of music, solo musicians stand out as a singular force, capable of holding audiences attention with just their performances. From the troubadours of medieval courts to the current stars gracing global stages, the evolution of the solo musician is a fascinating tale of the need for individual expression. Our solo performances, whether with an acoustic guitar, a piano, or standing alone on a stage, offer a raw and unfiltered connection between the artist and the audience. In my opinion, it’s the most intimate way to experience music in a public setting. So, join me as I do my best to give you a detailed, and hopefully entertaining, account of the history of solo musicians, tracing the threads that connect the troubadours of the past to today's chart-topping solo artists. Now let’s go wayyyyy back.

My thoughts on the local music awards and live shows

Today, I’m going to cover my live-stream setup. My equipment and software, my techniques and platform hacks. I’m going to cover everything I think you’ll need to broadcast a professional, and hopefully profitable, live-stream straight from your home to the entire world. I’ll include links in the show notes to the equipment that I currently use, so you can purchase the same items if you feel so inclined. And if you’re just an observer of live-streams, today’s episode will give you a glimpse behind the camera so you can better understand what artists do to bring the show inside your home. So, let’s get into it. The list: Sound Equipment Video Equipment Lighting Computer Software/Apps Other miscellaneous equipment Internet connection Monetization Consistency Audience and Post-Audience

This is the story, all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down. In 2018 a man outside of an auto parts store fundamentally shifted the path of my life. I’d like to tell you his name, but I never once heard him utter it. I’ve spent many nights wondering who this man was, what made his path intersect with mine. How things could’ve gone differently that day if I hadn’t been in a mindset to receive the message. What would’ve happened if I ignored him? Or tossed him a couple dollars and got in my car. Today, I’m going to share the origin story of this beautiful music career of mine. It’s a unique and powerful story full of inspiration, at least to me. Triumphs and defeats, hard lessons and moments of absolute bliss. It’s a story of taking a chance when I thought I had already used all of mine up. It’s a factual account of an impractical journey, all started with one simple act from a stranger. This is my story of The Homeless Man.

When covid appeared and shut down all the venues I was playing, I turned to the world of live-streaming for the ability to perform in front of people. My show at Hook and Flask on Sunday, March 22, 2020 had been canceled due to the lockdowns, so I made the decision to take it online for the first time. I was about 45 pounds heavier than I am now and I was wearing a yellow hat that didn’t quite fit my bulbous head. I was nervous and not sure that anyone would even watch. The computer I used was occupying a lonely, drafty and cold room in my newly empty house. My ex-wife and I had recently separated, and I was really struggling with understanding what I was even doing with my life anymore. And then the pandemic hit. So, with not much to lose, and a burning desire to be heard, I adjusted the lighting, stared into the camera, checked the levels one more time, and started the intro music.

In Episode 3 of the Solo Musician Podcast, I’ll identify some key building blocks for a solid base of professional appearance, no matter where you are in your music performing journey. These tips are the result of countless conversations with live music bookers concerning what they are, and are not, looking for. Some of these will illicit an eye roll or may feel reminiscent of a corporate powerpoint, and I would completely understand if someone revokes my street cred for treating all this fun music stuff like a business. Rock and roll is supposed to be cool, man. I get it, and it is cool, man. But I’ve found that by personally implementing the steps I’ll outline in this episode, I’ve been able to feel more fulfilled, play the music with more passion, and get the highest paying gigs I’ve ever had. And that’s pretty cool, man. So, strap in for a bit of a long one…… That’s what she said Solo Musician Podcast Foundation to Succeed in 3……….2………..1

A rambling about current interests.