Earn The Return
A Musician’s Guide to Getting Gigs & Being Invited Back
Earn The Return is the essential guide for musicians who want more than gigs — they want a career. Built on lived experience, cautionary tales, and the standards that separate amateurs from professionals, it distills decades of insight into one clear resource.
Chaye Alexander, author, visionary, and owner of Chayz Lounge, has spent decades booking artists, producing live performances, and creating spaces where artistry and excellence meet.
At Chayz Lounge, excellence is not optional. It’s our signature. In Earn The Return, Chaye Alexander draws on more than three decades of presenting world-class jazz and soul to deliver a practical guide for musicians who want more than one-time gigs.
Through lived experience and hard-won lessons, she shows musicians how to move beyond one-off bookings to build a sustainable career.
Inside, you will discover how to approach venues with the right mindset, negotiate with confidence, and deliver performances that leave a lasting impression. You will learn the habits and strategies that strengthen relationships, refine your craft, and position you for greater opportunities.
The goal is not simply to get booked. The goal is to build something worth booking.
Your talent opens the door. Your professionalism keeps it open. Earn The Return gives you the tools to move from playing shows to creating a lasting presence in the music industry.
Available in both paperback and eBook editions.