Two days ago I returned from a performance bootcamp in Nashville, run by Tom Jackson. Over the last 20 years he has coached tens of thousands of performers, from indie startups to top commercial artists like Taylor Swift. I have been following Tom for a while now, and I thought I understood what he meant […]
What makes your band sound good at a gig? Great vocals? The band playing nice and tight after some productive rehearsals? Good room acoustics? The biggest baddest subwoofer in the city? Crispy clear highs? The perfect guitar tone? Yeah yeah yeah, these things all contribute. But there’s one factor that will make or break you, […]
Which of these rules of the stage should NEVER be broken? Never turn your back to the audience Never apologize or recognize a mistake Never start a song over, or go back and fix any mistakes Never criticize or belittle the audience Never criticize or belittle yourself … … The main idea is to know […]
The placebo effect: The proven phenomenon that sugar pills are sometimes as effective as real medication for curing whatever ails the test subjects – headaches, depression, arthritis, you name it. And sometimes, they’re even more effective than “real” medication. Why? Because belief is reality. And that’s even more true when you’re dealing with a […]
Last week we had a student performance with a live band. We had only one rehearsal prior to the gig, so we had to pick songs with low “train wreck” risk! If you find yourself in a similar situation – where you have the chance to sing with a live band with little to no […]
You know how animals can smell fear? Well, we humans may not have canine noses, but we have very sharp eyes and excellent mental capacity for reading faces. Especially eyes! So, having the right kind of eye contact can make you seem more confident on stage. And even better than that, it can make you […]
The first time I played drums at a live gig, I was so nervous that I dropped beats several times throughout the song, and forgot where the transitions between sections were. The first time for anything can be scary. Your first time singing in public? Your first audition? Your first time as lead singer? Your […]
Are you a good singer? Yes? Great! But are you a good performer? What’s the difference? A good singer has good vocal technique, and interprets a song with feeling appropriate to the song. A good performer is also a good singer, but is also so much more! A good performer knows how to move around […]
You know left brain vs. right brain, right? Left brain: organized, analytical, judgemental, ego-driven, individual, critical, mathematic, language center, logical, aware of time, tends to rush, tends to live in the past and future, tends to get caught in cycles of thought, likes to classify, sense of personal identity, aware of details, multitasker, tells stories […]
It happens… Those nights when the audience just isn’t that into you. Maybe you were booked in the wrong venue for your genre. Maybe you’re having a really off night. Who knows. But what do you do when it happens? Change It Up First, why isn’t paying attention? Are you being boring? You may […]
