Strategies that involve focused listening and practice are key to learning new material quickly, and looking closely at song structure can lessen the amount of time it takes you to get from first listen to a strong, quality performance. Read the post.
If you’re in a situation where you have to learn lots of new music in a very short time, these tips can help you develop a strategy so you can tackle the task and perform with confidence. Read the post.
Trying to be everything to everyone, or changing your style to fit the mood du jour, is not a recipe for long-time success. You have to focus on being the best you that you can be (or be a wanna-be). Read More.
Whatever happens on stage, you can take it in stride if you remain detached from specific outcomes. Here are four thoughtful tips for managing music performance anxiety. Read More.
If you want success as a singer/songwriter, I already know these five things need to be addressed without even seeing your show. Read More.
If your goal is to find band members who are compatible with your musical style, personality, and work ethic – and who share similar short and long-term goals – these tips can help. Read More.
Music theory is a set of tools you can lean on to help you write and compose, and being deliberate in how you arrange your parts can translate to a better sound on stage. Read More.
If your music practice routine has plateaued, it’s time to challenge yourself and try something new. We’ve got tips to get you out of your creative rut. Read More.
Your audience wants to respond, they just don’t know what you want them to do – they don’t know what’s going through your head when you’re on the stage – so you have to use verbal, visual, and musical cues to lead them where you want them to go. Read More.
Your music audience is at your show for different reasons, and one is to experience moments – emotional and musical. Let them relive those moments with your CDs and merch. Read More.
Whatever your style of music or size of your ensemble, there’s a lot I learned watching the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra that you can apply to your next band rehearsal. Read More.
Being intentional with different visual presentations for the variety of moods your songs invoke is part of what Tom Jackson calls changing the pressure on your audience during your live performances. “I’m not talking about acting or choreography, I’m talking about thinking, “What should this song look like?'” Read more.
It takes more than just great songs and great performances to get people excited about your music career, especially when you’re just starting out or you want attention in a competitive city like Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville. A musical artist must produce a live show experience that excites the audience and reinforces its brand. Read more.
Albums often come to life after great amounts of planning, practice, budgeting, and coordination. On the other hand, sometimes great albums are made without the artists even realizing they’re doing it. We study Oz Noy and Scott Healy – two cases where an unintended live tracking session turned into a live album release Read more.
If you want to perform live more than just once a month, there are plenty of ways to fill up your performance schedule without saturating a particular market. Four basic strategies you should consider include: 1) A club residency, 2) Alternate format performances, 3) Dual territory performances, 4) A tour. Read more.