Website Design by Batelman Illustration
(from conversations with John and Vicky)
We've been performing music for most of our lives and we've developed a few guidelines we generally follow, along with some cosmic observations. If you are a performing musician, here's some food for thought:
1. Practice, practice, practice.
Sounds simple, but this must be said first. We don't love practicing, but the results are so obvious. The better we prepare (both individually and together), the better the show. We won't go into How To Practice. That's a whole subject by itself. Just make sure you practice daily. If you have a place where you regularly go to practice, put up a small note in your own handwriting saying: Did you practice today? The importance of hand-writing the note is that you see your own writing each time you look at it. Makes it much more personal. Tack the note to the door of the room in which you practice. Each time you see that note, something specific happens: If you haven't practiced yet that day you feel a bit guilty. Maybe you'll make the extra effort to practice that day. If you have already practiced that day you'll feel great! John likes to get scales and arpeggios out of the way early in the day. "It's like doing pushups. Gets your blood pumping right. Gets you focused." Every player on the bandstand must thoroughly know his/her own stuff. Be very prepared. Then you can relax, enjoy the gig and make great music.
2. Demonstrate Mastery.
This came out of a philosophical conversation between John and Randy Bradley (friend and mad inventor). So you practice all your life. Now you think you're pretty good. Many people claim that they are expert in this field or that. Unfortunately, it's not enough to just claim that you are a master of something; you must actually do it. If you claim to be the best auto mechanic, then fix cars better than anyone. If you are a writer, then make sure you write often and on a consistently high level. If you claim to be the best guitar player, you owe it to yourself and your audience to play your absolute best every time you pick up the guitar. Just do it. Too many people get lazy and assume that what they've accomplished in the past is good enough for now. Sorry, but you're only as good as your last gig, no matter what you do in life. Work hard then show others what you've mastered. That's human achievement at its finest.
3. Never underestimate a gig.
This is the first rule once you walk out your door to play anywhere. Every club is different than the last and every night is different from the night before. We can't tell you how many times we thought, on the way to a gig for instance, that things were going to be a breeze and then something horrible happens. It could be anything. You really can't take anything for granted in a live situation. You must be prepared and comfortable with your own individual chops and your act, then just go with it. Mentally prepare yourself a couple of hours before show time, regardless of how unimportant you may think that gig may be. Be happy for the opportunity to do what you love doing most in just few hours. In other words, get psyched. Look at each gig as an entity unto itself with huge inspirational opportunities. Let the night embrace your musical spirit and just have fun with it.
4. Relax Within the Style.
We got this one from woodwinds wizard, Michael Gold. Players are often called upon to perform various styles of music, sometimes within the same show. Few people are comfortable playing in every style. Of course, the surest way to become comfortable playing any given style of music is to (see #1) practice, practice, practice, but be that as it may... The idea is to put yourself in a mental state of awareness within the specific style you're about to play. Before you play one single note, think of the elements that make up that style of music and try to focus your playing on those elements. At the same time, try to block out any elements that are not within that style, without giving up any musicality. Then relax playing fluently within that style and have fun. If you don't, you run the risk of sounding like you're attempting to play something that you're uncomfortable with or you don't know. You'll hear the difference, as will your fellow players and the audience. By relaxing within the style you contribute to the groove, play less stressed and make better music.
5. The Show is The Show.
Prepare as you might, stuff happens; sometimes good, oftentimes bad. The good news is that the audience is usually unaware that anything is amiss. Whatever you do that night is The Show and that's absolutely OK. If you are properly prepared and having a great time performing, this will immediately translate to the audience and your spirit will reach them. Don't sweat it. Don't obsess on, "Oh, I blew a line", or played a wrong note. To paraphrase guitarist, Skunk Baxter, "Once a note is released into the Universe there's no pulling it back." Just accept it and move on. During the show don't look back, but do keep it in your memory to fix later so you won't make the same mistake twice. We play and sing a lot of notes in the course of a show. The show is really a document of how you're doing in a particular setting on a particular night. You are out there baring your soul in front of a live crowd. If you get weird or uptight the crowd will immediately sense that. Again, just relax and have fun with it. If you've done your homework the show will be great. If you didn't get it absolutely right, go home and practice and fix it. There's always tomorrow night.
6. The drunker people are, the closer they dance to the band.
Not all gigs are on a big stage. If you're playing a private party, chances are that you are set up near or on the dance floor. People love to dance in front of a live band. It moves them. Unfortunately, sometimes it moves them into the same tiny space that you happen to be occupying. Close proximity to your audience is fine and often unavoidable, but drunken people tend to get out of control while dancing and this can be dangerous to the player. Don't panic and don't push back; this just encourages them. You need to place some object between you and the dancers. Don't use a mic stand as protection. (See John's chipped front tooth.) We use a big, heavy music stand. It not only keeps people at a safe distance, but you can put stuff on it too! If the crowd is dancing far from the band you can ignore this tip. They're probably sober anyway.