Music Business

Look on the "Pollstar" website. If you have the $, order up an "Artist Management Directory" or the "Booking Agent Directory" You need management or some agency to book you.
Make a portfolio, with a CD to give out to those managers. Or you can also, look up a "Talent Agency" in your area. They will book you for different events. They can book you for community stages at fairgrounds. Have you heard of "Reverbnation" A website where you can upload samples of your music. I wish you luck.. Hopefully oneday I can rent you a kick-*kitten* sound system or microphones or instruments, when you have your fly dates. One more important tip. Make sure you treat the crew like family. If you become very famous, still remember, its the little people doing alot of work, to help your show sound good. Be nice to the people behind the scenes. I would say you need portfolio and management first.

Look for a theatre group... Audition.....

thanks! and now brings on another question

should I join a band (not much in my area, even if I go into the next town) or find one of my own? I don't think many people are as serious as I am and may not want to put in the work at lot of them like to party, hookup, drink, ect ect how am I suppose to find them and manage it? that's what I'll be dong now

I'm in small town NC who can I network here with? no one in the industry is within 100miles from me that I know of, perhaps just have to rely on the net?

eta: unpublished authors are called self-publishers when they sell their books, what what is a unsigned singer/songwriter called? indie? that's what I thougt it was and how do I find others? I googled but no luck

Put together your own band, but you gotta have the material. Or, join an existing band.

Partying, drugs, flakes, and more is in your future, and it doesn't change like you think it would as you move up the chain. When you're up there at the top, it's just as childish as it was when you were playing in small time bars to 3 people. It never changes, and it gets a little more whacked out. People freak out from all their drugs and money and alcohol. That part is present and it will always be present. You can try and make rules about it, no drugs or alcohol during rehersal or playing live. You can do that, but you have to understand that that stuff is all part of it. You have to learn how to deal with it.

Since you're starting out, I'd join a band that needs a singer. That will get you out there meeting people and all that. And, getting experience. Once you feel like you can do it, form your own. Many people do both. They have their own band, and then they also play in another band. And, you'll leanr about all the "pay to play" bars and all that. It takes a very long time to make money at it. But, it's all possible. There are other avenues too. that's why most musicians teach, and they do lots of little things that help with income.