OK! So, I’ve come to the realization that I want to perform for a living. What’s next? And don’t say just go out and play because if it were that simple, a lot of us would be doing great right now. Fact of the matter is, there’s a “players” way of thinking and then there’s a “performers” way of thinking.
I’ve seen a lot of players get in front of an audience and play beautifully and I can honestly say I was entertained, to a point. Nothing overly impressive or memorable though. Then, I’ve seen performers who didn’t play all that great but the performance was something that left you with a lasting memory. Once you put the player/performer together, I leave a show thinking that it was one of the greatest shows I’d seen in a long time.
It’d be great to hear from some of our long time teachers/players/performers on this subject.
I’ve heard people say that old stuff like, “I just go out and play” or “Just go out and play for yourself”. WRONG! If that were the true mindset, you could just sit in your studio, bedroom, office or wherever it is you practice and be completely satisfied. There’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what you’re shooting for. A player can do this. A performer cannot. As teachers, you “perform” all the time, whether you want to believe/admit it or not. Some of you will most likely say, “I just show some things that will help the student”. OK let me ask you this? Are you just going through the motions or are you putting something more, (performing to some degree), into the lesson to make it more interesting? I’ve taught martial arts for a little over 25 years and the truth is, every lesson, to some degree, was a performance. The thought processes are different when playing for yourself verses playing for someone else. (i.e. try for no mistakes, try for more energy, try with more feeling.) The mood of the audience helps with some of this but then again, who sets the mood?
The goal, I’m sure, is to become as comfortable playing for someone else as you would be playing for yourself. But then, this is not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about, what you go through to bring out that “extra” to make things interesting.
So personally, I’m going by that old saying that goes something like, “Find someone successful at what you want to do, then do what they did”.
What others, and I, am looking for is for our teachers/players/performers to delve a bit on what you personally go through mentally to prepare you to perform. What message do you try to get across? Sure, everyone has their own thing, and should have. I don’t have a need to imitate anyone else. But when it comes down to it, imagination, determination and inspiration come from the most unlikely places and sometimes all you have to do is ask.
So, Emmett C, Greg H, Don S, Tom G, Steve A, Glen P, Bob C, Kevin K, Gary J, Jim L, Virna S, Larry T, and a host of you others. Let’s hear from you please. Hey, Brett B and Rob M, chime in as well. We want to know.

Burnis

Great post, just curious with the answers as I already wanted to begin this kind of discussion!

I'll bite.
First, I think when performing, be true to yourself. Being artificial will only be transparent and take away from your performance . If you want an image or certain choreography on stage, then make that part of the art. Don't do it just to look cool. Personally, I'm not very animated on stage, but I do feel comfortabe telling a joke. You can even incorporate a bobblehead (highlight of my show)
And don't just present what you know, play what you feel. Don't ask the prospective audience to "support the arts". Ask them to come out and have a good time. And you should have a good time as well. Just enjoy the moment, even if there are mistakes involved. Share your joy of the music with the audience.
And indeed just go out and play. You can't figure out what to do till you experience the situation. And every situation is different. Every set is a learning and growing experience.
Have fun. Remember, it's called "playing".
Steve A

Learn "Happy Birthday"!!

I think the answer to this question varies vastly, depending on the musician. Some players offer a "package" of sorts. Take someone like, say, Eddie Van Halen. Sure, he had all the fretboard dazzle that you could want, but an equally impactive component of his performance was the physical energy he gave away every night. Running around, throwing the guitar and catching it behind his back, jumping off the drum riser in the middle of a solo, etc. His fiery and unpredictable phrasing was mirrored by his physical performance. Same with Steve Vai. He once said "Let your face express what's coming out of your speakers".

The other side of that coin are the players whose musical spirit emanates from their very being. They stand still or sit on a stool, but their energy is almost luminous. The music is so enrapturing that you never realize they hardly moved at all. A couple of examples I would cite would be Adrian Legg and Pierre Bensusan. They both sat down and proceeded to teleport me another world. You could see the stories they were telling like pictures hanging in mid-air. All they needed to do was play and the communication was complete.

I might not be a heavy hitter like Steve, Bob, or Greg, but I do play the Stick for a living. When I play for people, I just take myself out of the equation. I try to be a pure, wide-open channel for all of the magic to pass through. If I impose myself on the music, the conduit is broken. Look at Emmett and Greg closing their eyes. That's what I call an open channel! I think that if you're honest with yourself, at peace with who you are and what you're trying to communicate, the "performance" will take care of itself and you're audience will feel it. Best of luck to you - Matt

Whew! This is tough.

Personally I've never considered myself much of a performer (as far as providing any additional visual stimulation). I just play and am kind of a stiff. Truth be told, I could easily withdraw and just make recordings. But I have to admit that on the rare occasion when everything happens just right, a great gig is a sublime experience.

I think most people in a place like this forum are generally looking to make music and cater to an audience who wants to hear music. So for that, a lot of what Steve says makes sense. I would also add not to get too caught up in perfection. Nobody wants to watch somebody who looks like they're practicing and still ironing the kinks out (unless you're at an open mic). Looking like you're confident and at home with what you're doing is, in my opinion, much more important than whether or not what you're doing looks "difficult."

Obviously what is expected of you and what you need to provide will vary quite a bit depending on what you're doing and who your target audience is. If Britney Spears does a concert and just stands there strumming a guitar and singing, it would probably be a disaster. If Jewel does the same thing, it's what her audience came to see/hear so it's a great show. I've heard it said that the absolute last thing the Blue Man Group wants is a Stick player who can actually play.

All in all, I don't think there is an easy answer to this. I remember a show my band did a couple of years back. There was an opening band. Young guys just getting started. They were ok but I remember watching their front man work the room and commenting to our guitar player "I don't know what that intangible quality of the ultimate performer is but whatever it is, this guy's got it." Magnetism? I don't know. I do know that many of us who focus entirely on music (including myself) tend to unfairly dismiss this quality when if you really think about it, it's as much of an art as anything else you're doing. Like any other aspect of a performance though, the degree of importance is directly proportional to how much you can fill in with other aspects of your performance. In other words, if you play like a virtuoso, it's probably not as important that you have a flashy costume and backup dancers.

I am a relatively new Stick performer, but doing it a lot more lately... this year I've been focusing a lot on gaining live performance experience, and have been performing almost weekly at various events like open mics and art exhibits.

Some things I've learned so far:

- stage presence is part of the whole package, and I admit to being more on the boring side while actually playing. But I try to talk between songs, say something humorous, engage people in some way other than just the music. From watching folks at open mic, I'm always impressed by people (even with minimal musical abilities) who are engaging and entertaining. I am also one of many bald solo Stick performers! I so I need to think of something to differentiate myself- Peter Gabriel-esque face paint? Medieval/roving minstrel garb to compliment the English, folk type tunes I seem to play? An Ian Anderson style codpiece is right out.

- I'm still a ways from being able to fully "get into the music" and pour myself completely into a performance... my body feels a little tentative. I don't feel as free to move about as I do when practicing, perhaps a bit of self-consciousness. There are still distractions I struggle with (less than ideal sound in the venues, awareness of the audience or loud conversations going on, etc.) that compete for my attention, but I'm getting better at it.

- when things go well with a performance, it's one of the most satisfying experiences I've had. It's quite a thrill when a crowd responds enthusiastically to something you're putting out there. Playing in front of people is a weird combination of being addictive and nerve-wracking.

- My approach in developing material is to do things I have a passion for, rather than pieces I think will be popular, because I feel like I can be most "honest" with these tunes... I suppose this rules me out for certain types of gigs and I would probably never be able to do a "request", but in general people seem to like what I do even if my covers are fairly obscure.

- Would I do this for a living? Yes, I think so, although the realist in me isn't aiming for that. I think I would definitely have to be doing music on my own terms rather than playing at places where certain kind of thing is expected (particular tunes or mood). Simply doing this part time would make me happy.... it's time, more than income, that is more important to me as far as my Stick endeavors (so going from two software development jobs to one in the future would be a step in the right direction for me!)

Like some of the other guys, I'm not a "guru", but I do make a living from playing my Stick. I also spent the younger years of my life playing bass in bands. I'll admit that the only times I ever feel truly confident as a performer is in situations where I'm allowed to be myself.

Virtually all musicians I've met, even great ones, have a love-hate relationship with playing live. Most of them have started out with something to offer musically, and have gradually grown into the role of presenting that music to an audience.

As with anything else e.g. teaching martial arts, you have to actually perform, a lot, before you can start to understand your own strenghts and weaknesses. Once you've done it enough times you will start developing an almost "out-of-body" ability to watch your own performances. It's about being aware without being too self-conscious. Busking has been a great way for me to perform constantly, and to fast track my understanding of how people react to my music.
Great topic, let us know how you go.

Cheers,
Andy

Okay Let me turn the table on you. Is there a Stick player or NSstickist whom you think is a great "Performer". If not can you give an example of a (other inst.) performer you think is outstanding?

For me the greatest performances I've ever seen involved very little "Showmanship" in a "song and dance type of way". Just a brilliant musician pouring his heart out on a piano or a bass or a stick. I think when the performer is honest and totally involved with the music that translates to the audience. just doing this in a natural way is enough.

As far as preparation, Have you read Kenny Werner's "Effortless Mastery" or "Free Play" or "A soprano on her head" these are all good sources for coming in contact with your inner musician. With me I sit down close my eyes and play. I try to totally become one with the music.
Goofy looking, probably- entertaining, I don't know - honest and intrinsic, Yes.

Brett

K I'm new to this forum and awaiting on my 1st Stick... I'm buying an 80's 10 string Stick from a friend this week, just waiting on him to get and put new strings on it.

BUT I can comment on this topic from being a "Blue Collar Musician" for over 20 years. I've had the luxury of less then 1 year total of some really odd day gigs.

Guitar and Lead Vocals has been my main thing, also held gigs on Bass & Keys. Got half a BA in Music. I would call my self a musician at heart but have made many decisions to be an entertainer in order to make money. The words performer and player have been used many times in this thread, in my cold hearted opinion, throw those words out and think "Entertainer"... maybe listen to Billy Joel's song "The Entertainer".

I was in house band at Disney for a while. Disney measured us (and I think every entertainer) something like a score out of 10 in three categories and if you failed one, you got canned:

1. Performance - Can you really play or sing, remember all your parts and be in tune?
2. Presentation - Got to act it out, whether you are feeling it or not. You can't you look bored out of your mind. Presentation depends a lot on the gig requirement so I won't go into much detail.
3. Appearance - Got to look good. My experience is sadly most people hear with there eyes before there ears. Especially when you are a "no name".

I got a closet full of clothes for different gigs: Tuxedo, Suits, Tropical shirts, jeans & cool T's, casually dressy outfits and full custom made outfits for a famous act I impersonate but don't want to mention on this forum cause I'm sick of it... in fact my signature guitar of this artist is up on eBay right now, I'm putting the money towards my stick.

In my 1st week of Music History in university my professor went off on something I'll never forget. The book we had made the 1st separation or division of defining music into two parts:

Popular Music - written with the intent for the mass public.
Classical Music - written with the intent to be artistic.

Luckily the next division or definition is "Classical Popular Music" which was written with the intent to be artistic but somehow the public grabbed onto it. IMO a good example would be Metallica.

Then there is Popular Classical but I can't remember how to define that. Maybe an artistically performed Elvis or Beatles track would be an example. The artist was already popular and gained the freedom to do what they want... hmmm think about Van Morison's "Brown Eyed Girl" (most requested song ever with an outstanding residual income) and then think of all the other really great songs he recorded.

Anyways.... what I'm getting at is it's about being an Entertainer and selling a service "Live Music" or product "recorded music".

I've played both band leader/front man roles and side man roles.

IMO a sideman should #1 be a nice guy and play nicely with others. A-holes get calls for gigs last. Networking and who you know as a sideman is very important. Ego's can loose gigs too. My advice is to be as nice as a typical drummer or bass player.... historically 90% of drummers and hmm 80% of bass players I've worked with are really nice guys. Keyboard players, guitarists and especially lead singers % is lower.

It would be great if the proof to get the gig was just in your playing ability (yes sometimes it is) but as a sideman I'll repeat the networking & being a nice guy can make or break you.

Now what if you are the show, the front man, band leader or if your a stick player you should be part of what makes the act a draw... right.... something about your live or recorded music has to entertain. I'm only going to talk about live and give a couple of examples of solo acts new to my area.

Solo Act A - Guy came off working Cruise Ship shows for 10 years. He can play the guitar but nothing crazy. Plays over Karaoke tracks. Has a decent but not spectacular voice. What he does have is a HUGE personality and presence. Plays popular songs. Looks good and shows up on time. After two years he's giggin 5 to 8 times per week.

Solo Act B -Did a tribute act house gig for years. Plays guitar like piston engine grinding with no dynamics, same patterns. OK voice. Big overweight guy. BUT again a HUGE personality and presence. After 6 months he's giggin 5 to 6 times per week.

Hmmm I'm not sure if all this typing and kinda ranting is helping you guys so I'll try to summarize.

This is all my opinion BUT if you want to make a living playing music your either going to have to wait till your talent gets noticed for it's strength and people are willing to pay to hear it OR you'll have to bend yourself levels of degrees to produce something that people will buy.

I constantly think every gig I do is an audition for the next one.

I always try to "sell" what I am playing, whether I like the music or not. If I have to think mechanically to appear like I am feeling it, so be it. I'm grateful I'm not irrecoverably numb from playing Brown Eyed Girl at least 1,500 times and I do still very much enjoy playing.

Playing music for a living obviously means becoming a business. No business will succeed with out sales. I am constantly ABC'n (Always Be Closing) deals. When I get calls direct from potential clients I qualify them to figure out the right price. Promo is important and not just a myspace or even a website. Real Physical Media (even VHS Tapes sometimes) are still needed, there is a certain age range out there who will not listen to music on there computer because they just can't figure it out. If you work for agents and/or event planners be nice to them and respect that they booked you on a gig, don't hand out your cards at a gig an agent got for you, refer potential buyers back to the agent who booked you (on that gig). I always want "win, win scenarios". And if you land a regular house gig... bleed it like a pig.

And don't forgot most people listen to the words of a song and the singer 1st, who knows if they even listen to the music. Pro mixed tracks pronounce vocals through all speaker systems where the music can get left behind (like elevator speakers). A lot of people can not tell you the difference between a bass guitar and a guitar.

Hope all that helps someone