I’m a teacher at heart. Nothing thrills me more than to know I’ve shared good information in a useable way to help someone succeed.
This time of year, seeing everyone go back to school, it reminds me just how much I enjoy teaching a room full of singers and musicians.
When I meet talented, emerging artists new to the industry – or when I get to know experienced, great musicians & singers, but who are new to my Live Music Method – when I see the light go on for them, see them have that “ah-hah” moment… when they realize my Method is not performance coaching, choreography, or drama… when they realize it’s about an emotional connection with their audience… it makes everything I do worthwhile!
I am so interested in educating artists that I get a little frustrated when I’m only given a short time to speak at a conference or event. Don’t get me wrong – I love speaking at places like Canadian Music Week, New Music Seminar, Camp Electric, CCMAs, etc. But even 2 or 3 hours is hardly enough time to scratch the surface of my Method.
It’s why I do a yearly 2-day event in Nashville (our Bootcamp for singers and bands). I get 2 full days to go through many of the basics of why your audience comes to your show, what your rehearsal should look like, what emotional struggles you need to deal with, how to use tools & fundamentals to help you communicate to your audience, what you can do to create moments, how you can make more money through your live show, what moments go where in your set list, and on and on and on…
I have to admit that 2 days still isn’t enough time – but then the process of learning and mastering onstage performance is a lifetime endeavor (just like most good things!).
So, as a teacher, I try to do 3 things for my “students” at Bootcamp: (1) inspire, (2) give immediate practical advice, and (3) give conceptual advice that will last forever (because if you understand concepts, you can apply them to each specific situation that arises).
I hope you’ll see the value in taking 2 days (about 20 hours of scheduled activities) and a few hundred dollars to invest in your live show. I’d love to meet you in September!
Oh, and about that… for those of you who haven’t been to Bootcamp, you should know this isn’t a huge event in a big theater. We typically have 60-80 people in a great little venue near downtown Nashville. I get to meet everyone there, and I try to answer as many questions as possible throughout the 2 days. After all, I want to teach you how to establish a relationship with your audience; so I’m looking forward to establishing that same kind of relationship with you.
If you’ve been to a Bootcamp already, leave your comments below, and let others know what you think of this 2-day event. We’d love to hear from you and get your opinion on whether it helped you or not.
Photo courtesy of S G, thanker212 on Flickr
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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Hi Tom, do you ever come to Europe? I’m an independent singer-songwriter based in Switzerland. Although I’ve got a lot of mileage playing live, I think there’s a lot more that I could learn about giving my fans the ultimate and repeatedly unique live experience. I’ve got your videos and find them very useful but don’t trade-off first-hand “lessons”.
Cheers, Ajay