Special Events

Taught by Carey Rayburn

A hands on training on how to succeed in the PAC, special events, and entertainment markets in the United States and Canada.

Live music is back! Are you ready?

This course will prepare you for some of the highest paid gigs for emerging acts in the industry.

Performing Arts Centers (PACs) are located in most major cities around the US. There are around 1,400 PACs in the US and each one books around 50 acts a year. You do the math. Needless to say, there are a lot of opportunities for musical acts in this space. Each PAC pays anywhere from $1,000 – $15,000+ for unknown acts (of course, they pay tens of thousands for the known acts). It is not uncommon for a 5-piece band to make $15,000 for one evening of music. And, like colleges, PACs pay for your expenses.

The corporate band market similarly pays quite well for unknown acts who can serve the purpose of entertaining their company.

Booking for 2025 / 2026 starts now.

Even though you may not be thinking about booking and touring for this moment, booking for these markets starts 1-2 years in advance.

Breaking into this market takes time, money, planning and some rejection. It's definitely not for everyone.

Before you apply, pay attention to this next part. You may not be right for this market. That doesn’t mean you suck. It doesn’t mean you won’t go on to have a very successful music career. It just means that these scenes may not be the right avenue for you.

This course is by application only, because we only enroll students who are right for the course.

Acts that do succeed in the Special Events gigs

This course is extremely hands on.

Our instructor and moderators will guide you through the process of putting together a bulletproof package for special events and help you secure showcases at the biggest conferences around the country.

This isn’t just dumping info into your lap and wishing you the best of luck.

We will be with you every step of the way.

Additional Information

APAP, Arts West, Folk Alliance, Arts Northwest, etc

There are many PAC conferences around the country. Our instructor Carey has showcased at many of them and has the full rundown on how to crack em. We have also teamed up with agencies in this PAC market who will be lending their expertise to make sure you succeed on your performance journey with PAC, corporate and other special events gigs.

Don't waste tens of thousands of dollars and years of your life attempting to break into these markets on your own.

Yes, this market is incredibly lucrative, but they are incredibly competitive and insanely complicated. It took Carey just as long to master the PAC and corporate markets. Do not waste time and money on attending these conferences blind. If you show up with little to no idea of how they work, you will return empty handed. Zero gigs booked.

One gig covers the cost of this course. Let us show you the way. And get your live music game back on track.

We vet out applicants to make sure they are the right fit for this class. If accepted, the appllcation fee is deducted from your enrollment fee.

CURRICULUM

COURSE INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS

CHAPTER 2: CORPORATE EVENTS

CHAPTER 3: WEDDINGS AND OTHER PRIVATE EVENTS

CHAPTER 4: HOW TO GET THE GIG

CONCLUSION

LIVE Q&As

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Carey Rayburn

Trained under world renown Trumpeter Allen Vizzutti and Seattle Symphony Principal Trumpeter David Gordon, Carey attended University of Washington to receive his Bachelor’s Degree in the field of Orchestral Trumpet Performance. Deciding the Orchestral route was not for him, upon graduation Carey began performing as a side man in the Seattle music scene and teaching music lessons privately before starting his own project, the band ‘Good Co’.

Good Co is now one of the premier acts in the Performing Arts Center market with major agency representation. Good Co has showcased at most of the major Special Events conferences around the US and they have played over 500 shows in the Special Events market alone and make over $200,000 annually performing in this market.

Special Events
Course

APPLY TODAY

Over 6,000 musicians, industry professionals, and students trust Ari's Take Academy.

Where you've seen us

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

"Jazz is NOT dead. Trying to maintain a career in one of the least popular genres of music proves to be an incredible challenge. I was considering throwing in the towel, but thanks to the Special Events course from ATA, my Jazz band has found a pathway to sustained success! The Special Events course has been worth every penny and, at the time of this writing, has paid for itself four times over - in less than a year! The instructor, Carey Rayburn, doesn't limit himself to content creation for the course; instead, he continues to guide anyone willing to do the work. If you think you're a good fit for the PAC/special events circuit, do yourself a favor and join the course!"

Jake Spinella

Musician and ATA Student

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where are you located?

Ari’s Take Academy is completely online. Our instructors, moderators and students are all over the world! The core ATA team is based in Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, and Nashville, TN.

When is enrollment open for ATA?

We open enrollment twice a year for about a month at a time for our master courses. Make sure you’re on the email list to be notified at next open enrollment period.

When does this course start and finish?

This course begins as soon as you’re accepted and enroll, and will run ongoing with agency showcases throughout the year.

If accepted, how much do these courses cost?

Special Events costs $1,272 up front or 12 monthly payments of $127. If accepted, the $25 application fee will be deducted from your enrollment. Remember, in this market, 1-2 bookings covers the cost of the course. Current ATA students, as always, get 20% off the course price.

I am an agent, will this cover how to go about booking my acts?

Special Events will teach musicians, managers and agents how to get showcases at conferences and master the marketplace.

Is this applicable for artists outside the US?

These courses are specifically for musicians and managers based in the US. and Canada. All of the conferences and booking agencies are based in the US and you will be required to attend these conferences. It will not be worth the cost for you to fly overseas to attend the conferences and shows.

Where does this course take place?

It is an online course. We will have regular video calls.

How much time will I need to allocate to this?

Anywhere from 2-10 hours/week is recommended.

I’m currently an ATA student, do I get a discount?

Current ATA students get 20% off the course price (not the application price).

DISCLAIMER

BY ENROLLING IN THIS COURSE YOU ARE GAINING FULL ACCESS TO THIS COURSE MATERIAL FOR AS LONG AS WE KEEP IT AVAILABLE (YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE COURSE FOR AT LEAST 1 YEAR FROM TODAY’S DATE).