So the question from last week (Red Pill or Blue Pill) was “I saw you work with that artist, but what should I do?” Thanks for weighing in on what you think artists are really asking!
There were some great comments:
“We can’t stop learning…I’ve been to several of your conferences…I think the biggest thing I have learned is to go into a gig with a plan.”
“I go to that music school in Texas, and actually recognized one of those pictures as my ensemble’s set list!”
“It might be a matter of different learning styles…You have to hit people from all sides. Read, observe, apply, teach, & repeat.”
“Being one of the people that has asked that question of Tom, I can say my desire was not for a quick fix…When I ask the question…I would like a small tidbit of information to get me started in the right direction.”
“All of us feel themselves different…but the principles are the same for everybody: give the audience what they want…find your unique way to do it. Simple, but difficult.”
“Give me the red pill!! We have been using Tom’s methods since they were on VHS…Keep sending the info – we are your sponge!”
(Read all the comments here.)
I sense most artists want to get better, but it’s frustrating when many don’t realize there’s no 3-minute answer about how to change their live show. So I sound like a broken record: learn these principles and make them your own – get my DVDs and get sick of me!
You can’t hear or see something one time, and immediately “get it.” I’ve never ever had an artist do this! It takes education, woodshedding, rehearsal, and developing the skills over time.
There was one event I recently taught at that was different than any of the others. It was the Music & Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA) conference in Miami. Hundreds of students and educators were there from all over – Berkeley, University of Miami, Belmont,…
After I taught, no one came up and asked me the question! What they asked instead was “how do we learn this stuff?” “Do you have a book or DVDs?” “This would be very valuable for us, and they don’t teach it in our college courses.”
It was really, really refreshing; although I didn’t think much of it at the time. But in the last weeks (after my busy teaching schedule was over) it struck me that these young college students know they are there to learn.
In some cases, they’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to prestigious schools to learn how to sing, perform, play better. And they don’t expect to learn it in a 90-minute workshop. They take semester after semester of music business classes, music theory, applied performance lessons, and on and on. They know they don’t know, and they’re not looking for the quick fix!
The more I do this, the more I look at my Live Music Method as a “master class” for people who want to learn.
You may or may not be in college. But here are my thoughts about the question “what should I do?”
Can you imagine watching a contractor taking months to build a house, then walking up to them after they’re done and saying “I love what you did with that house; but I’d like something a little different…what should I build?” They know nothing about you or your needs.
Can you imagine walking up to a record producer who just finished a record with Michael Buble or Lady Antebellum or The Black Eyed Peas, and saying, “I’m different than _____…what should I do?” He doesn’t know you, your style, what you know, your capabilities, your songs…
But I CAN make one recommendation without knowing you: learn these live music principles from the planning through the fundamentals, learn how to create a moment, technical skills, onstage tools,…teaching those things is my calling, and I want you to get this!
I wish I had an easier answer.
By the way, for those of you looking for a direction to get started, or for those who can’t find the answer without a little one-on-one help; we can provide that one-on-one help at a great price with a Video Critique!
And if you’re looking for a little in-depth teaching, we provide that as well, with our Workshops here in Nashville.
Tom Jackson
Tom is uniquely talented and skilled at transforming an artist's live show into a magical experience for the audience; helping artists at every level create a live show that is engaging and memorable, teaching them to exceed their audiences' expectations and to create fans for life. Tom has taught indie and major artists of every genre. He has worked with Taylor Swift, Le Crae, Home Free, The Tenors, Shawn Mendes, The Band Perry, Francesca Battistelli, Jars of Clay, & many more. Tom also teaches at colleges, conferences and events worldwide.
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I just had my CD release concert a few weeks ago and my band and I started practicing for it back in January. We wanted plenty of time to take Tom Jackson’s principles from his DVD’s and make them our own. It took a lot of thought, experimenting, risk taking and mistakes. We had to take everything and then for each piece of advice, think for ourselves “what could that look like for the CD Release?” The result was that we got a standing ovation, an encore, and people facebooking and tweeting about how it was the best show I’ve ever put on.
Thanks Tom for the advice!!!
Tom, I think you hit the nail on the head right there.
“The more I do this, the more I look at my Live Music Method as a “master class” for people who want to learn.”
That’s the reason I started teaching this stuff to my guitar students. They are already in learning mode and are very open and excited about it. A lot of my other artist friends & colleagues – while also very interested – have a harder time jumping into a student mindset. Studying is work. Playing gigs is work too, of course, but a different kind… I also wonder if for some people they feel they are taking a step back somehow by admitting they might not know everything and have to start re-learning. People who have been at it a while really have to be able to put their ego on the back burner (why the red pill is hard to swallow!)
Target the constant learners of all ages, but if young people adopt this stuff while they are learning their instruments and writing, we will have a new generation of performers!