There are a lot of things that you can plan in life, but just as many that you can’t. In music and in business, a lot of opportunities may come your way – whether planned or unplanned. The key is not to miss out on them. Timing really is everything, and in the digital age it’s easy to say “email me” or “text me” and assume that will be enough. But sometimes, it’s not. Consider this:

• Booking: You’ve been waiting and waiting to book a show at the most killer venue in town. You’ve been going back and forth with the booking agent for four months trying to nail down a date, to no avail. Then, your phone rings on a Friday while you’re at happy hour and it’s a number you don’t recognize. You ignore it and don’t listen to the voicemail until the next day. It was the booker and they had a last minute opening for a show next week. By the time you call back, they’ve found someone else. (Don’t let that happen to you. Answer your phone.)

• Licensing: An editor decides they need a 15 second outro for a love scene in a major motion picture. The piece they had initially chosen fell through and now they’re on a tight deadline. The music supervisor calls your manager; your manager then calls you. You’re not in the mood for a long business conversation with your manager at the moment, so you decide to let it go to voicemail. You call him back the next day and by then the music supervisor has found another artist to work with. (Don’t ignore the people who work to elevate your career. Answer your phone.)

• Media Requests: A reporter from the biggest newspaper in your town is writing a story about up and coming musicians in the region. They plan to interview four artists and you’re one of them. The reporter tracks down your number and calls you directly, at 8am. You’re still in bed, getting some rest after your late show the night before. You wake up at 10am, but don’t listen to your voicemail until noon. You call her back, only to find that she was on deadline and had to find another artist to interview because she hadn’t heard from you. (Always listen to your voicemail as soon as you can. Don’t miss out on potential news coverage!)

As an indie artist, you can make or break your own success. It’s important to recognize that sometimes, the best opportunities come out of left field and happen fast. Do your best to keep up; timing really is everything.

Tell us what you think! Do you have any good stories about opportunities that you were able to take advantage of just because the timing was right?

The SongCast Crew