“We were given 10 to 15 dates, but we ended up playing only four or five because of conflicting member schedules… I knew I needed a change”: My band has 35 members in five countries – and it’s actually made my musical life easier

Have you ever canceled a show due to bandmates’ conflicting schedules? Missed an opportunity because someone wasn’t available? Or just lost rehearsal fees because of a last-minute call-off?

Those are some of the reasons my band consists of 25 musicians from five different countries. I’m the founder of an international Black female rock collective called the TxLips Band (pronounced ‘tulips’) and our mission is to empower and educate the next generation of rock stars.

Growing up, I taught myself how to play guitar. I was inspired by the sounds and elements of rock music, but I didn’t see many Black female musicians in mainstream spaces.

It wasn’t until later in life that I learned the history of rock and began seeing more women of color in rock spaces. It inspired me to start The TxLips to fill the void of lack of representation while maximizing the voices of a diverse collective of musicians.

Having 35 musicians to draw on, I build my team based on the type of opportunity – live performance, studio, film or education – not to mention style, timing, location and overall need.

So how did I wind up with 34 bandmates? In 2016 I was asked to play guitar for former Crime Mob rapper Diamond ATL, who needed an all-female band for her music videos and an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) college tour.

I jumped on the chance to build the band, because I remembered being that little girl, opening magazines and going to concerts, wishing I could see someone who looked like me doing the things I wanted to do.

I called several musicians in the Atlanta area who’d be a great fit, and we got to work. During the early stages of the band we called Gurl Code I was unsure of what direction to build in. I’d already been in several bands, which all had two things in common – I was the only woman, and we had the same musicians at all times.

I wanted the experience of creating music with other women. I wanted to feel empowered. So I began establishing the TxLips as a safe space for other women who felt what I felt.

After a few months of the band being together, we began filming music videos and touring with Diamond and her team. While her team did their best to organize and structure things to include a band, there were often moments when the band did not have certain needs met – tour itineraries, backline, setup or even soundcheck time.

I stepped into being the band's manager – a valuable lesson. As I began learning the art of management, my eyes began to open to the possibilities of how I’d want to set up my band. I began applying the principles of running a band like a business and soon we had the first steps that, would transition us from Gurl Code to The TxLips Band.

The band is set up like a business, with three faces of operation. The first face is The TxLips Gang which focuses on live performances, film (production and acting) and studio work.

The second face of the operation is TxLips Academy, which focuses on music, law, and sustainability education (we partner with camps and universities to teach the strategy behind building creative careers). The third face of the business is TxLips Consulting Group which focuses on providing legal education and support to musicians and business entities.

During the early months of my first independent tour, I received an invitation to open for the Indigo Girls. We were given about 10 to 15 dates, but we ended up playing only four or five because of conflicting member schedules. The stress that came with finding people, teaching setlists and coordinating last-minute rehearsals became what I spent most of my energy on. I knew I needed a change.

I reorganized Guitar Gabby & The TxLips Band to become an international collective, opening doors for the TxLips Gang to showcase diverse perspectives and approaches to music performance on stage and in the studio.

Now, instead of missing opportunities, TxLips has had features in Netflix’s The Harder They Fall and Jordan Peele’s Wendell & Wild, music videos with Young Thug, Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa, appearances on TV shows like Ordinary Joe, headlining Seattle Pride Festival and Afropunk, opening for Usher and Maroon 5 in The Beloved Benefit, and much more.

Meanwhile, this new direction allowed TxLips Academy to partner with camps and universities everywhere rather than one city at a time. It opened the door for TxLips Consulting Group to grow its client base to work with musicians, provide strategic consultation to boards of directors and work with companies to build sustainably.

It’s a step away from your traditional rock band. But music is all about connecting with people – and the format has given me so many new approaches to do just that. They say life is about taking risks to achieve your dreams. TxLips was indeed a huge risk. I’m fortunate that the risk was worth the reward.

I often challenge musicians to think about their longterm goals and consider whether their mode of operation is hindering or pushing them. Is your current setup making the most of your connection with supporters?

It makes me happy to look out into a crowd and see the faces of people who feel seen through the lens of music – and to know that, by thinking a little differently about how we run things, we can make the most of each moment.

• Discover more about Guitar Gabby and The TxLips Band.