How to Get On Stage When You're Too Young for Most Venues

Many open mic nights, jam sessions, and karaoke opportunities take place in bars, where students under 21 can't usually enter (in the US, anyway).  Consequently, several of my students were wondering how to get stage experience when they are too young to enter establishments where they could perform.

The idea of coffee-shop style open mic nights came up, but since these students also don't accompany themselves, there was the complication of finding musicians to play for them, scheduling rehearsals, etc.

Then I thought of Rock & Soul Cafe.  They do weekly open mic nights, with a raised stage and a good sound system, and they sell beer and wine, but they are also an all-ages cafe.  I called them in advance to make sure that it was OK to bring karaoke singers to the open mic night, and it was.

If you are under 21 and looking for a low-hassle way to get on stage, this kind of place - a coffee shop that is built to support live music - is a great option.  Some things to plan in advance:

1) Call the venue and ask some questions to make sure karaoke style is okay with them.  You want to feel like you're in a supportive environment!

2) Ask when signups are, and how long each performer gets to play.

3) Ask if they would like your tracks on CD or mp3 player.

4) If you or a friend has the expertise, you might consider mixing all your tracks into one long track so that you know how much space you have between songs.

5) If you or a friend has the expertise, you probably want to cut out or shorten extended instrumental solos so that you don't have to stand around alone on stage waiting for solos to end.

6) If you think you're going to bring a huge crowd, you might want to give the venue a heads up.  (We overwhelmed Rock & Soul Cafe... one student brought about 40 people to watch!)

If you are in the Boulder, Colorado area and would like to join us at the next open mic night along with other students of mine, the next one will be Monday, August 1, and approximately monthly thereafter.  (Of course, you can go by yourself any Monday you like.)

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(c) 2011 Adrienne Osborn

Adrienne Osborn is a vocalist and performance coach based in Colorado.   For more free articles and tips, visit http://PerformanceHigh.net.