TromboneChat

How does one become a brand artist? I've kinda always wondered how people just get these brand deals to represent them.

1. Be good at the instrument.
2. Don’t be bad at the instrument.

Be worth sponsoring in some way. Artists usually don't get much out of the deal- they are there to be walking, playing advertisements for the instrument companies.

There's not a lot of representing going on, unless the company is making a giant push and the artist already has a huge platform. Mostly it involves a discount on products and maybe some small extra $$ for events here and there more than free instruments and performance opportunities. A combination of playing ability, interest in the instrument, and mutual understanding of what's expected is key.

I can only hazard a guess, but you have to be very visible, first and foremost. Companies won't sponsor you if you aren't highly and positively visible:

1. Be a member of a world class orchestra or jazz orchestra. People in the Lincoln Center or New York Phil are getting up and out there at the highest level every day. So they get Shires or BAC horns with their names on the bell. Colin Williams, Alessi, Mason. Like that.

2. Be a highly visible recording artist or soloist. Christian Lindberg and Nils Landgren both have lots of CDs and appear as soloists frequently. They have their own horns. I don't think Lindberg got his deal with Conn until he had 7 or 8 discs out and was already touring full time soloing with big orchestras.

3. Be highly visible on social media. Peter Steiner is kind of a combo of recordings, media, and live recitals. He doesn't put out a ton of content but the content he does put out is some of the best for the trombone. He has 10K+ subscribers, and he nearly won the Tchaik competition. That's around when Bach started making the signature model for him, even if he did sound better on the Thein. Likewise Christopher Bill, love him or hate him, has like 280k subscribers and a constant stream of content, including official stuff for ITA. Guess who has his own BAC model?

So, just do those things and you can have a signature model trombone.

You can apply to be an artist with some companies - I know Conn-Selmer has an application form that you just fill out and send in. Looking over the Conn-Selmer trombone artists on their website, a lot of them are not in any way famous trombone players, just local players you'd only know if you've played with them. You don't have to be a trombone star to get a brand partnership, but you also won't get free horns thrown at you and get your own signature model unless you're Somebody™.