?>
Lost Password?
You are here: Home / Backstage with Tom Jackson

Using Cues: Don’t Wing It!

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills, Vision & Planning Greenroom: 6 Comments

       I just returned from an AWESOME three week trip to Australia.         I experienced a stunning amount of music at the WOMAD Festival (pictured), in clubs, at my workshop and at the Fringe Festival.  There were artists of all types: from one guy with a guitar to a group of […]

Under Pressure

by Backstage: Making it Your Own, Materials, Tools & Skills Greenroom: 3 Comments

Hey everybody,       Here’s a blog from an artist I’ve worked with in the past, Jessica Ridley. As I mentioned in my book, there are multiple ways to get prepared to walk on stage and she found her way like this… “This is for all my high strung singers out there. 🙂  I think I […]

Wow! There are Giants in the Land!

by Backstage: Sneak Peek Greenroom: 24 Comments

I just had an incredible month! Sometimes my job is a combination of rewarding, fun, great music, great people, relationship building, and work! While a lot of my work is helping independent artists (which I love a lot) and teaching (I just finished seven workshops teaching to thousands of musicians over the last six weeks.), […]

Video Blog #1 – Welcome & Movement

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills Greenroom: 8 Comments

     We work with a lot of different artists, from country to rock to pop to psycho billy punk horror 🙂 .      No matter the genre, the desire in your artistry is to be legitimate to the style you’re performing.  You want to present cohesiveness to the audience so they understand who […]

Tom Jackson Here

by Backstage: Sneak Peek Greenroom: Leave a Comment

Tom Jackson here. Hope all is well! Last week, some of you may have seen that one of the artists I’ve worked with debuted at #1 on Billboard. As I reflected on it, I realized that 3 artists I’ve worked with have topped the Billboard charts this year. That number doesn’t include artists I’ve worked […]

5 Do’s to Optimize Your Success

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills, Sneak Peek Greenroom: 2 Comments

If you are a songwriter, you know… there are basic rules to follow when writing for radio. The normal structure goes intro/ verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus/ bridge/ chorus. It’s important to have it the right length (about 3 1/2 minutes long), and be sure and get to the chorus within the first minute (sooner, if possible). And so […]

Caravan of Thieves: Beauty & Danger of Love on KISS KISS

by Backstage: Spotlight Greenroom: 1 Comment

Gypsy folk troubadours Caravan of Thieves just released their new album, KISS KISS, and have started their spring tour across the US, sharing their passion for all things creative, colorful, and visionary! When Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni of Caravan of Thieves first met, there was an instant spark, an intimate connection and passion for life and […]

3 Parts of Communication: Are You Using them All?

by Backstage: Sneak Peek Greenroom: 5 Comments

As an artist, you know your songs are all different. They have different themes, different rhythms, different tones. They really don’t sound the same at all! I’m guessing they probably have different lyrics, too. Some of them are about a love you lost. Some of them are about something that makes you happy. Some of […]

4 Requirements for a Great Lead Player

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills Greenroom: Leave a Comment

You play lead… lead guitar, lead saxophone, lead mandolin… whatever instrument it is, you play most of the solos in the band. You’re not the main focal point throughout the performance (like the lead singer), but when it comes time for a solo, you’re the main dude! Being a musician, you know that solos are […]

Practical Steps to Take Before Your Rehearsals

by Backstage: Sneak Peek Greenroom: 1 Comment

If you want to build a house, what’s the first step to getting it done? “Lay the foundation!” Ehhhhnnnn… (the best spelling I can come up with for a buzzer sound)  — wrong answer. I ask this question every time I teach my Live Music Method class. And inevitably the artists in the crowd get […]