How to Start a Kids Band

Find people to join your bands, such as friends or family. Your band should have at least one singer, guitarist, one bassist, one pianist, and one drummer. If you know other people who play instruments not on the list, (saxophone, violin, etc), make them a backup singer and add their instrument to some of the songs.

• Try having at least one acoustic and one electric guitar.
• Decide if the singer will play an instrument or not.
• Your band should be mostly comprised of friends and family. If you can't find someone, hold auditions for people at your school.
• Make sure everyone gets along together. If they don't the band could be a disaster.
• Remember, the best bands have the best people, not the best skills. If you get along and have fun, you'll sound better than a bunch of snobby professionals who constantly fight.

Pick a cool band name. It should be something that matches your band's style and the type of music you play. If you can't decide, try one of these methods: pick some favorite movies and make cool and names using parts of the movie; or each member picks 10 adjectives and 10 nouns, then you write them down and pick using that list.

Where will you practice? You have to do it somewhere set so that instruments like drums or pianos don't have to be transported. Make sure the owner of the space is okay with you using it.

When will you get together? Try after school once a week or every Saturday.

Professional roles. For this, you're at least going to need a manager. If you want, you can have a head songwriter. If you're making a music video, make sure to have a camera person.

Pick what kind of music your band wants to play! If you like rock, play rock. Or if you like rap then do rap! But as kids, it's probably better for you not to use any profanities!

Write a band contract. It should say that each person is committed to being in the band and doing what you decided above. Make sure everyone signs the contract.

• If one member refuses to sign, let them in the band, but begin to look for a replacement in case they really can't commit.

Get everything you need. Instruments, electronics (amps, etc), microphones, anything! Get the money (save up or get it from your parents) and get what you need to be a real band!

Practice covers. Choose some songs written by other artists you like and play those. This is a good way to start since you can listen to the original and play it well.

Collaborate with your band and brainstorm to start writing lyrics. Everyone should agree on every lyric in the song, and think it's true to them.

Start practicing. Get together on the decided date and practice your new songs/cover songs. You need to be good at playing them if you are going to sell and perform them.

Record some songs. You can record original or covered songs or both. Anything you think will sell.

• Try recording each member's part separately and then piece them together.

Decide on a look. Everyone should like the look they get, but each look should fit together. Make each outfit match, but be unique.

Use online resources. Make a Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, Tumblr, YouTube, Hi5, Sublime, Trig, SoundCloud, Viddler, Flickr, Pinterest, Patch, EventWax, Google, Yahoo, etc.

• Make a website using Weebly, Webs.com, or Virb, or you can make your own not using a pre-made site.
• Some companies let you install an app, approved by Apple, that helps you put your music on iTunes. Some US companies are Catapult, CD Baby, INgrooves/Fontana, TuneCore, and The Orchard. You can go to [1] to find the others.

Advertise. Make posters and hang them around town. Make a booth where you give out fliers to passerby.

• Some stores let you hang your posters in their windows. Try grocery stores, they usually will.
• When you give someone a flier, give them a small stack of little mini fliers (1" by 3") with the condensed information on it.
• The fliers and mini fliers should say the name of the band, the members' names, your social networking accounts, and all the ways to contact you (phone, email, etc).