Pro Tip #20: Ways to Support Your Local Music Scene During Quarantine
From Ken Kirkland
COVID-19 is infecting our health and our wealth. That might not be too big of a deal to Wall Street and large corporations but for us normal working-class musicians and venue owners it definitely is.
Musicians who put all their work and money into touring and playing shows have had to cancel gigs and don’t get that money back. Small venues, new and old, which give these working bands a home have also had to close their doors. It’s starting to feel like the coronavirus is more likely to kill the music scene than the people in it.
It’s our duty as fans to help out as much as we can to save our beloved music scenes. Whether that’s here in the wiregrass or in the Florida panhandle, there’s still ways to keep the scene from going broke.
Streaming music on Spotify is an easy way to throw your favorite band/artist a few extra bucks. They don’t make very much but if you hit your mute button and play their album on repeat every night, that’s still a little something that can help them out.
Another obvious way to help is to buy their merch. Selling merch is where a lot of bands make most of their money, so buy their shirts, vinyl, pins, whatever. And if you can, leave them a little tip as well. You can also just straight-up Venmo or cashapp your favorite band/artist a donation to help keep them afloat. If they haven’t already provided a Venmo/cashapp account for fans to reach out and help, I’m sure no one would be opposed if you reached out via Twitter, Instagram/Facebook messenger, or email about it.
Many venues also have their own merch, as well as Venmo/cashapp accounts you can donate to. Also buying advance tickets could be vital to small venues currently taking a huge hit in profits due to this outbreak. Who knows, maybe that ticket you buy for that show in September is the one that helps them make their rent this month?
Because of self-quarantining, live shows had to adapt. It’s irresponsible right now for obvious reasons to attend a live show but that doesn’t mean you can’t see one. Musicians are throwing “virtual” events on their social media outlets like Instagram or Facebook live and providing a Venmo/cashapp account for you to donate instead of paying the door or dropping cash in the ole tip jar.
New ideas on how to keep our local scene alive during quarantine are still popping up. It’s awesome to see our music community come together whole heartedly during this crisis. If you have any ideas don’t be afraid to make it happen. And don’t forget, posting about and giving exposure to your fellow bands and artists is always helpful. Share their stuff.
That’s all I got. I will say this though, our wiregrass area community of musicians is strong. We’re a bunch of badass’s who will survive this. I 100% can not wait to see all you guys and gals again. I love y’all, stay safe and don’t forget to wash your freakin’ hands!
Pro Tip #19: 10 Tips To Becoming A Professional Musician
By Sam Wilder
So you always wanted to be a professional musician? See your name in magazines, your band logo on album covers or postered all over town, hear your songs on the radio, and don’t forget that rock star life you dream of. But without a doubt there are a ton of challenges on the path to becoming a professional musician. Here are some tips to help you reach your goal.
1. Practice, Practice, Practice
Let’s start with the obvious. If your dream is to be the next Van Halen or Satriani but your legato or tapping techniques leave a lot to be desired. Or you are an aspiring drummer who doesn’t know diddley about mastering their paradiddles. Don’t worry! Whether you’re a beginner or advanced you can always progress with regular practice or with the help of an experienced instructor.
2. A Little Patience
The ability to play complex melodies, difficult chords or super fat grooves right off the bat is pretty rare. So it pays off to have patience… especially with yourself. This includes the boring repetitive exercises of going up and down scales or playing that solo over and over for the millionth time to nail that perfect take. Keep in mind that all your idols went through the same process.
3. Perseverance
The previous tip leads us to another good one, perseverance. Set your goals and stick to them. Real pros do not throw in the towel in the face of adversity. While others become dissapointed when problems come up you will be already looking for solutions to move forward.
4. Handling Criticism
As a budding musician, you’ll need “thick skin” to deal with comments and criticism from fellow musicians as well as the general public. They will always have an opinion and different tastes than yours. But Pros know how to use criticism and make it constructive, whether from fans, critics or crappy comments on social media.
5. Guidance
Seeking guidance in a mentor is often critical for growth as a musician. A mentor should be someone who already reached the goals you have set and may often have the relevant advice and contacts you need. Not only will they be able to tell you what works or not, they’ll know all about a musician’s life on stage and in the studio saving you from numerous career disasters.
6. The Pursuit of More
As a professional there’s a lot to learn. Not only in terms of musical skills and theory, but also in the basics of business related issues. Although it’s best to have an expert repair your equipment or get a lawyer for legal issues, a little know-how in these matters as well as promotion know-how can be super helpful.
7. Handle With Care
As my momma always said “take care of your stuff”! A professional musician is aware of the importance of their investments, their equipment, their accessories and the maintenance of all of it. This ensures that their instruments are always ready for use and are reliable for years to come. For example learn how to change your strings, make minor neck adjustments and for the love of God buy a guitar stand. Nothing hurts more than watching your favorite axe crash to the ground because you leaned it against your amp.
8. Be Prepared!
If you’re well prepared for rehearsals, shows and recording sessions you’re already thinking and acting like a pro. And even if you can’t predict everything in advance, it’s a good start. Is there a new set of guitar strings ready in the rehearsal room? Do you carry spare batteries for your wireless system? If so, you’re on the right track.
9. Punctuality
Punctuality is a true professional trait. Arriving ahead of time at the rehearsal room is an indication that you take your professional goals seriously. This is a quality often overlooked by amateurs and it’s certainly not advisable to start in this business with a bad reputation.
10. The Courage to Take Risks
Between all your practice, planning and preparation you should always be willing to take risks. No need to stage dive off the lighting rig or subs but a bit of madness and surprise always pumps up the crowd. An improvised solo, an open jam session, a perfectly timed scissor kick, whatever. Just do your thing!
WHY BANDS PLAY THE SAME OLD SONGS
By anonymous local area musician
Why do bands play the same old tired covers? Lazy musicians? Over the years, I have been surprised at how many musicians cannot put in the time to learn a tune. It could be that they don’t have time, don’t have the ability, don’t want to learn one for whatever reason. Maybe they think they can wing it? In the end, they don’t learn the tune so we have to punt and do a tired old cover instead because everyone already knows it.
There’s lots of older, experienced musicians who still play the same stuff that they played decades ago and think that Bon Jovi is modern rock. There ARE guys who think they can wing it, and it can work until you get the bridge that follows a different chord progression. There’s guys who think a song is just 3 chords, so they don’t bother to learn the harmonies, dynamic changes, etc. because they think it’s easy. Yes, it’s easy, but you can still suck at it. There’s players who don’t even touch their instrument outside of a practice or gig. I can go on and on about the various issues but it still comes down to effort. There’s lots of musicians who won’t put in the effort.
Luckily, in my current band we have folks who will actually learn a tune. What I’ve learned is that there’s lots of covers that aren’t being played that go over really well. It’s just that you need to spend a little time listening to the song and learning it. It’s usually not a tune you learned in the garage 20 years ago. No one specifically requests Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Sweet Home Alabama, and lots of other tired covers from my band. Although we could do those songs none of them go over as well as the songs that lots of cover bands don’t do that we do.
And outside of my band I’ve seen several examples too. Although ‘American Girl’ and ‘Free Falling’ by Tom Petty go over well, so does ‘Running Down a Dream’ and ‘Don’t Do Me Like That’. The way bands cover Aerosmith, GnR, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Skynyrd, and other iconic Classic Rock Bands you’d think they only had 2-3 hit songs. But they actually had a bunch of them. To many bands gravitate towards the 1-2 easiest songs they do. And even though Steely Dan had a bunch of radio hits, very few bands play their material because it takes some effort to learn. Actually, there’s lots of hit songs that would go over well that are left on the table because people won’t bother learning them.
Musicians tend to put a lot of blame on the audiences talking about how much they like these songs. Sure they are part of the equation but I don’t believe that it’s the majority of the problem. The tired covers are like McDonalds. People eat there because it’s convenient, cheap, and they know what to expect. But, it’s rarely their favorite place to eat. I’ve heard plenty of musicians complain about unresponsive audiences, but if you’re being lazy they will pick up on that. Expecting audiences to be passionate about your lack of enthusiasm is pretty narcissistic and unrealistic in my opinion. Although I’ve seen some “non-tired” covers clear a dance floor I’ve also seen many of them work out well and I feel like they are worth doing. A song can be a hit, recognizable, and easy to dance to without being one that every band does.
Pro Tip #18: 9 Tips to Improve Your Stage Presence
By Sam Wilder
“People hear more with their eyes than they do their ears” – Some random musician in Kansas
He’s right though. Here’s 9 things you can do to improve your stage presence:
1. Break the sugar bowl
2. Look interesting
3. Be energetic
4. Involve the crowd
5. Watch other great performers
6. Watch yourself perform
7. Don’t be a jerk
8. Stop caring what people think
9. Have fun
Stage presence, simply put, means you’re present on stage. You’re there, not wishing you were somewhere else. People showed up to your show and probably paid to be there. So you should show up and perform for them. Strong stage presence can make the difference between a boring, forgettable show and a fun show people will tell their friends about. It could help turn a casual fan into a super fan, or a super fan into a business partner. So here are a handful of things I’ve learned about stage presence from my experiences on stage and from watching other artists perform.
Break the Sugar Bowl
Silence is one of the main things that reveals if an artist is an amateur or not. The more silence in between songs, the more it becomes clear an artist is new to this. Awkward silence sucks the energy out of a room. You shouldn’t give the audience a break. Say whatever comes to your head (as long as it’s appropriate for the setting and not dickish). If you’re not going to say anything in between songs, quickly move onto the next song. Start playing before the crowd’s clapping dies down. But if you do want to say stuff in between, plan it out beforehand. During your rehearsal, write down what you want to say and when. If you have a setlist on stage, include a note about your in-between-songs dialogue on there.
Just be sure you break the sugar bowl on stage.
Look Interesting
You are the performer: naturally, people will be looking at you. So give them something interesting to look at. It doesn’t have to be a crazy outfit, like KISS or Prince. But wear something interesting, good-looking, or even funny, just as long as the clothes fit your persona and have been washed recently.
Your outfit should match your style of music and energy on stage. Violinist and singer-songwriters usually wear a suit and tie. Kanye wears his own line of clothing on stage. Rock bands like Metallica or Foo Fighters wear branded T-shirts, jeans, and sweatbands on their arms. Also, shoes. Wear nice shoes that fit your outfit. When you’re on stage, they are much more noticeable than in everyday life. If you have to, go out and buy a new pair just for your performances.
Be Energetic
One of the most entertaining bands I’ve seen live is 311. It’s because they were energetic, like little kids who ate chocolate and drank Mountain Dews in the green room before the show. If they weren’t having fun on stage, they were really good Actors. They used up the entire stage, running back and forth to engage different parts of the crowd and mingled and laughed with their fellow bandmates. They switched instruments. They jumped up and down. They were crazy.
The energy was infectious.
Involve the Crowd
Another thing 311 did well was involve the crowd. They had us singing different parts of different songs. Sometimes we’d sing entire verses for them. They also looked right at us instead of over our heads like some musicians tend to do. (I’m guilty of this). Another person who has mastered the art and joy of engaging the audience is Dave Grohl. Watch any video of him performing live and it’s almost guaranteed he’ll get the people singing together. Watch Other Great Performers. I was able to share the above examples with you because I go to concerts (or watch clips of concerts online). If I hadn’t watched those performers perform, I wouldn’t have learned those lessons. My point is, watch other great performers. You can learn a lot. Steal things you see other artists doing on stage and incorporate them into your performances. You don’t have to learn stage presence on your own. Learning from those who have gone before you is a smart thing to do.
Watch Yourself Perform
You know how collegiate and professional athletes watch film of their games? They do this to know how they can play better next time. They can see things from a more objective viewpoint and make adjustments for future games. I think performing artists should adopt this method. Have a friend (or your mom) film your next concert. It doesn’t even have to be the whole concert, it could just be a handful of songs. That way, you can watch the video later and learn a few things, like:
- How the music and your voice sounded on stage.
- What your energy level was like.
- If you engaged with the audience and how you engaged them. Basically, were you entertained watching yourself?
My guess is that you’ll easily be able to nitpick every little thing you didn’t like about your performance — most artists are their own biggest critic. Then you can take those nitpickings and improve your stage presence for future gigs.
Don’t Be a Jerk
Okay, so you’re dressed in a cool outfit, you’re up on stage where everyone is looking at you, and you’re the one playing and singing the songs. It can be easy to slip into an “I’m better than you” mentality. Look at people in the audience. Thank them for coming. Smile. Just don’t be a jerk. Also, make sure you talk to as many attendees as you can after the show. This can make a huge difference as it helps people get to know you more as a person. The more a person feels like they know you, the more likely they are to resonate with your music.
Stop Caring What People Think
Once I was at an open mic where an old man taught me some things about stage presence. He got up there and said he’d be reading some of his lyrics because he forgot to bring his keyboard. He looked at his notebook through his thick glasses and started reading lyrics. Then he’d flip the page and read some more. But then, out of nowhere, he told us he’d be showing off some of his dance moves. So he had the Sound Person flip on some old R&B music and the old man’s short, roundish body started moving and grooving. He was shaking his hips, waving his arms in the air, and even lip-syncing and it was the best performance of the night. Why? Because he didn’t give a rats ass about what people thought of him. He was just out there to have fun and entertain. As an entertainer, the vibe you give off on stage is contagious, whether it’s energetic joy or lethargic boredom. Take note.
Have Fun
The main reason you should be on stage is to have fun. I know for many musicians it’s their main source of income. But if you have to do a job, might as well make it fun, right?
Plus, if you’re having fun, the audience will have fun too. And that’s what everyone is there for. To have a good time. You set the stage for the night (no pun intended).
Your stage presence can make or break the night. So just go out there, slay it and have some fun!