When you're out on tour, it might seem like it's mostly downtime or dead time – but that's only if you allow it to be. Personally, I believe that no time should be dead time in any life endeavor. We're all here for a finite period, so we need to make the most of every precious second we are given.
Sorry, I didn't mean to sound all philosophical, but the point remains that you need to be productive when you're not onstage and while you're traveling to the next gig. Don't just count yellow cars that go by or play iPhone games to kill time. Time should not be something you slaughter; it should be something you master. Stay productive and stave off the boredom by taking what could seem like dead time and turning it into quality time where you get shit done.
Here are nine things you can do to make use of your time while stuck in a tour van.
Cell service may be spotty, and there may be a lot of people in your van talking loudly. Oh well. Who cares? Stop at a rest stop. Pull over. Plunge your finger into your ear and do interviews, be it radio or print, record radio liners or IDs. Yes, it will be challenging for reasons already mentioned, like service is often shitty or the roads are icy. Do whatever it takes, but do something! This is not the time to sit back and toss back beer (which is illegal).
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Maybe there's a retail promotion going on where you need to sign CD booklets. Fulfill your obligation, put your John Hancock down, and get it over with. Or why not autograph some posters, which you can sell at your merch table and make a few extra bucks, in addition to giving the fans some added value?
Read magazines, see what bands are being covered and how, and find out where your band might fit. Get to know your scene and its bands by reading up on it, and then come up with ideas for your team, since you're the creative spark! Email your manager, update your website, and post on your Facebook. Leave a digital footprint, and communicate with your people or your fans.
Learn more: 9 Must-Have Apps for Touring Musicians
Do an Instagram takeover for a media outlet showing fans what's going on while you're on the road, and give them a view they would not get otherwise. Post a bunch of Vine videos singing cover songs. Social media allows for every minute to be something of value or something creative. Don't do boring shit. Try to have fun. The fans are kids in the middle of nowhere who have no keyhole view or understanding of this life. Give it to them. Pose, show off your craziness, and offer that real-life look at the road!
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Document life as you live it with video cameras. It's your life on the road, and it may not be in the multiplex or on TV, but it can give people a glimpse of a band pounding the pavement, and that sort of thing tends to go viral.
You and your bandmates are all together. Why not create or be clever and crafty? Don't waste this opportunity, even if you're just cobbling together rudimentary ideas.
Learn more: 3 Lessons You Learn About Songwriting Collaboration After Doing It for 30 Years
You miss them. They miss you. Take some time to communicate with them to keep you grounded and longing for home a little less. If you have a kid, make sure he or she is a part of your daily life.
You can't work 24/7 or you will burn out. The only question is when! So take a few hours out of the day in the bus or tour van to catch up on your Netflix queue. If you get motion sickness, pop a Dramamine.
Take some time to look out the window as you drive through the country. Who knows when you'll do it again! So take nothing for granted, in your life and your work.
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Amy Sciarretto has 20 years of print and online bylines, from Kerrang to Spin.com to Revolver to Bustle, covering music, beauty, and fashion. After 12 years doing radio and publicity at Roadrunner Records, she now fronts Atom Splitter PR, her own boutique PR firm, which has over 30 clients. She also is active in animal charity and rescue.