Agency Work For Singers: The Road To Becoming A Full Time Performer with Rachel Beasley

When people imagine “making it” as a singer, they usually think of viral moments or big record deals. But there are many singers out there making a great living as a full time performer without being famous or dealing with running a band. How? With agency work.

Rachel is on the roster of 2 agencies that books live events all over the country. She gets a call a couple times a month to hire her as a singer together with other musicians and all she does is show up and perform - and collect her check.

I invited Rachel to tell us more about agency work - what it is, what skills you need and how to get on an agency‘s roster.

How She Got Started

When Rachel first started performing she was singing at a small Mexican restaurant in downtown Indianapolis along to Karaoke tracks. This helped her get comfortable singing in front of strangers and entertaining a crowd.

Her mentor quickly realized her potential and introduced her to agency work. She taught Rachel all the different skills she‘d need to one day be able to take on agency work. And then when her mentor needed a sub one day, she called Rachel because she was ready to take that next step.

Now Rachel has done hundreds of these agency shows, performs with her own band and as an acoustic duo. She‘s been a full time musician for a while now, living comfortably off of performing, which has always been a goal of hers.

What Is Agency Work

I used to always think that the bands that play at private events like weddings and corporate gigs are actual bands that always have the same members. Turns out, that‘s not always the case! And that‘s where agencies come in.

Agencies have a roster of musicians - lots of guitarists, drummers, pianists, saxophone player, etc and of course singers! The agency is also responsible for getting the gigs. So let‘s say you have your wedding coming up. You reach out to the agency with your date and what you‘re looking for. The agency then sends out the gig information to a couple people on their roster and creates a band based on the musicians that are available that day.

Rachel says that she almost never plays with the same people. Most of the time she doesn‘t know half of the other band members, if not more. She says that sometimes guests come up to her after a set and ask for the band‘s contact information because they want to book the band for their own event. But this is when they have to say that they‘re not a “band” in the traditional sense and that they’re always different musicians. But that when they reach out to the agency they can request the same musicians as at the current if they want.

No Time For Rehearsals

All the musicians who are on the roster of an agency are excellent at what they do. They have to be, because there is no time for a rehearsal before the gig. You have to be able to show up and play with people you’ve never met before and deliver a great performance.

Right now you might be thinking “how on earth is that possible?”. Well, here are a couple things that help them all deliver a great performance each time:

• They’re all very skilled at their instrument and experienced performers

• They have a set list that they’ve worked on on their own

• There are hand signals the lead singer uses to keep everyone on track

The Responsibility Of The Lead Singer

The lead singer doubles as the Emcee and vibe keeper at a gig. They have to be able to adjust the set list on the fly based on how the crowd reacts to their songs. They’re also the ones that communicate with the band if there are any changes to the set list or to check if they all know a song that’s been requested. And don’t forget, they’re also singing and performing their butts off!

When Rachel first told me about this, I felt stressed just at the thought of doing all of this at once. She said that you don’t start out as a lead singer so you get to watch other’s do it and learn from them. Once it’s your turn it’ll take some time to get used to it, but it’s so fun.

What About Memorizing The Lyrics?

“You’re a performer first and a singer second.”

This really stood out to me and makes total sense. As the singer you have to entertain the crowd and deliver a great show. That doesn’t mean that you need to have every song memorized, but you can’t be reading the lyrics off of your screen and never look up either. So make sure you’re really familiar with the songs and only need the lyrics to help you remember what comes next. No one wants to watch you read a screen on stage.

The Business of Being Bookable

Rachel is very clear: being a gigging singer isn’t just about being good—it’s about being reliable, showing up and saying yes to every opportunity possible.

“I’m not always the best singer in the room, but I always show up prepared.”

That means knowing your set list. Communicating clearly with your band or client. Showing up on time. Having backups for your backups.

It also means reading the room. Learning how to shift energy. Knowing when to lead, and when to blend.

She reminds us that the singers who get hired again and again are the ones who make the entire event better—not just their own performance.

Be Ready At Short Notice

When you’re new to agency work, you’ll get a call last minute to fill for a spot no one else could do. That means you need to be able to get ready for a gig with just a couple days notice.

Rachel’s tip is to have a black dress or nice suite ready to go in your closet for when that call comes. That way you’ll have one less thing to worry about next to learning all the songs and figuring out how you’ll get to the

That small bit of prep makes a big difference. Because when opportunity knocks, you want to be able to say yes with

Final Thoughts

Rachel is a reminder that artistry isn’t just talent—it’s time, trust, and tenacity.

Gigging singers aren’t always flashy. But they’re consistent. They’re prepared. And they make people feel something.

Whether you’re working with an agency or booking yourself, the rules are the same:

• Show up prepared

• Be kind to work with

• Make the room better because you’re in it

That’s how careers are built.

🎧 Want to dig deeper into agency work and see if it’s right for you? Watch the full conversation with Rachel here!

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