The NJ Musicians Network allows bands to make contacts and share information.
By: Kristin Boyd
As a lead singer and guitarist for SunDog, a cover and originals band that has performed rock, pop and country rock music since 2003, Debbie Sansanelli says she quickly learned the road to Garden State stardom isn’t paved with platinum albums. And there certainly is no golden handbook explaining how to make it big or even book a gig, for that matter.
After trial-and-error, some mishaps and some successes, Ms. Sansanelli noticed she was continually asking herself the same question: OK, what do we do now?
"I didn’t realize there was so much I needed to know as far as the music scene in New Jersey," says Ms. Sansanelli, a Hillsborough resident who also plays flute and violin. "Even though music is a passion, we’re putting out a product, and you have to market and promote that product. Networking these days is really important."
To answer her own question, Ms. Sansanelli founded the NJ Musicians Network, a free Yahoo message board and e-mail group, in November 2005. The group allows Garden State bands to make contacts, find venues, swap information and forge camaraderie with area performers.
Her initial purpose, she says, was to learn how to successfully manage and promote SunDog by talking with experienced musicians. But the network has taken on a life of its own, with members becoming friends, selling equipment, offering advice about gigs and watching each other’s shows.
"The number of bands in New Jersey far surpasses the number of clubs offering live music (so this) naturally creates a competitive atmosphere. Member bands support each other," says Ms. Sansanelli, who views other New Jersey bands as valuable allies, not competitors.
The NJ Musicians Network now boasts more than 140 members, including the Jersey Shore band Boothill Express, which plays Southern rock classics, and the Hoboken-based band Snack, an alternative rock trio.
"Membership has increased thanks to word of mouth," Ms. Sansanelli says. "People now know where they can find us."
John Knapp, lead singer of Beyond Reason, a five-member classic rock cover band, was one of the first musicians to join the network. He learned about the group through the grapevine, he says.
"I’ve gotten some interest about the band and some ideas about venues that might work for us based on experience of other bands," says Mr. Knapp, a Piscataway resident who has performed with Beyond Reason for 11 years.
Ms. Sansanelli, the executive director of a Princeton-based non-profit organization, says group members often discuss vocal and recording techniques, promotional ideas, good and not-so-good venues and how to make a stand out demo CD. "Most bands don’t have conversations, so this is a really great way to meet other musicians and foster relationships," she says. "You learn so much."
Piggybacking on interest in the NJ Musicians Network, Ms. Sansanelli recently created a complementary online directory, where nearly 30 network members have posted their names, photos, logos, Web site links, upcoming shows, contact information and descriptions about their musical style.
For example, The Dennis Peters Band writes it performs "the best of Cream, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King, Hendrix and more," while Liscune keeps it simple by writing "traditional and contemporary Celtic music."
Ms. Sansanelli says she’s still looking for a few or maybe a few hundred good bands to join the NJ Musicians Network, which is open to all Garden State bands and performers. However, she adds, a free Yahoo account is required to join the group, and musicians must be members of the network before posting their information on the online directory. Spam or mass messages are not permitted.
"There are so many bands in New Jersey, and there are so few clubs that actually play live music, the more we know about each other, the better," Ms. Sansanelli says, before adding, "and the more we can help each other, the better."
For information about the NJ Musicians Network, call Debbie Sansanelli at (908) 285-0491 or e-mail [email protected]. NJ Musicians Network: www.yahoo.com/groups/njmusiciansnetwork Jersey Bands Directory: www.thejerseybands.com.

