My name is Bill McGoldrick and I graduated from Berklee with a Degree in Music Education in 1978, a long time ago! I stayed in the Boston area and I have been gigging in Boston ever since. Right now I have my own thing going on, which is my Acoustic Duo, “The Bill McGoldrick Acoustic Duo”. I started this project in the summer of 2011 and since then I have booked more than 110 gigs, right through to December of 2012 at some of the best venues in the area. When I was asked to write this blog, I was told that many Berklee students consider staying in the Boston area, but they worry that there are not enough gigging opportunities. Well I am here to tell you, if you are good, if you play music people can relate to, if you are versatile, then yes you can gig and you can gig often.
I have pretty much done everything when it comes to music in the Boston area: rock bands, cover bands, some musical theater work, GB Gigs, oldies stuff working with Herb Reed and the Platters and now this new acoustic duo. The key for me has been being versatile. I often joke that I am “The Swiss Army Knife” of guitar players and that has worked out for me. Berklee had a lot to do with getting me to that level and I have always said that you can get what you get out of Berklee if you gig for 20 years, but Berklee will get you there much more quickly. Regardless, I have always prided myself on really being able to pull off almost any type of gig or any type of tune. So having the skills is the first requisite and then you have to get your name out there!