You've no doubt heard it before: Athens boasts one of the most tight-knit, supportive music communities in the world. Still, some local bands find it tough to carve out their own niche. In a town with so many music genres, how do you go about really making your mark?

Here's a guide to doing just that. From practice to self-promotion, these are some of the steps on the path to super-stardom. Maybe. Probably not. But at the very least, this should help you book a gig or two.

Be Decisive!

What kind of music do you really want to make? It doesn't have to jive with the micro-trends of the day; Athens is notoriously open-minded when it comes to stylistic heterogeneity. But the worst thing a band can do is play "everything." You're not Ween. If you veer from punk to funk to alt-country to heady psych jams over the course of one set, you'll only come off as a hot mess. And go easy on the covers. Be confident: write your own material. You'll be better for it. (This is moot if you want to spend your weekends playing "Sweet Home Alabama" for the bar crowds, which, OK, does bring in the bucks, but think of your pride!)

Rehearse!

Precious few groups can pull off the whole band thing without some serious time spent practicing. (I'm lucky enough to have been in several of 'em. Of course, many might say we didn't really "pull it off," but that's another story.) Your audience will appreciate the difference. In Athens, it's easy to find practice space on the cheap. Nuçi's Space, a nonprofit musicians' resource center on the eastern edge of downtown, rents rooms by the hour for peanuts, while Pigpen Studios offers 24-hour rehearsal rooms for lease for the more established set.

Network!

It's a necessary evil: you simply have to promote yourself if you want to get anywhere. It starts by making friends. Go to shows! Talk to musicians! Cozy up to club owners! (Not too cozy. Back up a little bit. That's good.) Hand out copies of your demo! Don't force them on people. Make sure your web presence is, well, present. Speaking from a press standpoint, there's nothing worse for folks who are trying to write about your band than that band being nonexistent digitally. It renders you all but unreachable and forces those generic, uninformative band descriptions ("Local rock band.") Flagpole has gotten so much grief for over the years. Help us help you.

Play shows!

It's a no-brainer: in order to get your music out there, you have to, y'know, play it. In front of people. Often. But not too often! Yes, there's a fine line between a band that gigs regularly and one that over-saturates the club scene. But live music is the heart and soul of the Athens community. Start with house shows. There's nothing more fun than doing your thing for 50 drunk, ecstatic revelers who could care less what you actually sound like, as long as it's loud and energetic. Graduate to the small clubs. Play Monday nights for no one. It builds character, and when folks recognize your work ethic—and your gigging has chiseled you into a lean, mean machine—you'll get the call up to the big leagues, free PBR and all.

Have fun!

This is one of those things that everyone says. "Just have fun!" Well, it's true. Music, art, it's fun stuff, despite the fact that everyone involved likes to whine about it a lot. So what if you're not raking in the big bucks? You'll have plenty of time for a "serious" career later in life, or you'll realize that this is what you're meant to do, man, and you'll stay in Athens indefinitely, slinging burritos, renting a shitty house with five other people and playing music with folks you've come to call your best friends. Either choice is equally valid. Free your mind and follow your heart. Your soul will thank you for it.