- Confidence. This comes from doing it, repeatedly. It comes from knowing the songs, inside out.
- Dress the Part. It’s not just about looking good–the way you dress needs to reflect the music. Just from one glance at you, an audience member needs to be able to know what kind of music you play, and be whisked away into your world. You are an actor. Dress for your character.
- Rise to the Occassion. No matter what the gig is, rise to it. How excited you are about the gig, and how much respect you give the gig, will be transparent in everything you do.
- Keep a Straight Face. Problems? No problem. Solve them after the show. Debrief later. The show must go on.
- Don’t Turn Your Back. Only in a rare moment might you turn away from the audience. It’s like grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend at a cafe: face them, engage them. The. whole. time.
- Banter. Be ready to fill the dead air if needed with some casual quips, but this isn’t a dissertation. Let the music speak for itself whenever possible. If you have a heartfelt message for the audience, speak it because you are giving them a deeper connection to you and the music. If it’s not as heartfelt as a speech at a wedding, then keep talking to a minimum. If you need to give the musicians or yourself a break, have some intros (or whole pieces) that are airy, minimal instrumentals. The point of banter is simply to fill dead air if needed, and it’s a genuine skill to hone. If the talking and storytelling is truly part of your show, then rehearse your stories and make the moments between songs extra meaningful.
- Pre-game Ritual. What’s yours?
- Decisions. Know when to engage an animated audience member and when to ignore them. Know when to keep a song going when the spirit is there, and know when to end it for maximum impact.
- Applause. No, this isn’t about getting applause, it’s about opening up space in the show for applause. It’s knowing how to let the audience applaud and telling them when to applaud with subtle clues. The audience actually wants to applaud and they want to know when to do it. End your songs in such a way that applause is inevitable. Go to a show and listen to the endings that get the most applause. You’ll see what I mean.
- Your Gut. You’re either ready, or you’re not.
Photo by Nishant Jain on Unsplash