Stop Opening Presents and Listen

Christmas is just around the corner! No matter how you celebrate, it’s a holiday that certainly brings “giving” and “loving” to mind.

A 7-year-old named Bobby once defined love this way: “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”

Kids are smart sometimes.

I’ve had the privilege of working on dozens of Christmas tours for quite a few artists. But the ones I really enjoy working with are the artists and bands who not only love & give, but also include the opportunity for their audience to love & give, too, by sponsoring a child in need!

As you may know, I was on a team of people who helped develop the “artist associate model” for charities. In our Tour Support Program, an artist makes an appeal during their show for the people the charity helps, and in return, the artist gets an honorarium. (If you do at least 25 concerts a year and believe you can appeal to your audience about child sponsorship, let us know – we’d love to get you set up to add this income stream to your gigs!)

Although they may not put it in so many words, an audience comes to your show to experience change. By asking them to reach out to someone in need, you’re effecting a change that will last a lifetime.

I thought this holiday season was a good time to thank all the artists who are making a difference in the world! Whether you are one of the 100’s of artists I’ve brought into the programs for charities I work with, or if you’re an artist who was told about this opportunity by someone else, I appreciate the time and energy you put into this effort.

Here are a few videos featuring some of the artists who work with just a few of our charities… I hope you enjoy their message this Christmas season!

Thompson Square with ChildFund International

NewSong with Holt International

Kortney & Dave with World Vision Canada

Maybe some of you reading this blog might be interested in joining these artists in making a difference on the planet.

If you are a manager or an artist going out on a major tour this year, I’d love to hook you up with one of these artist associate programs for your tour.

If you are a singer/songwriter playing coffee shops, a Christian/Gospel artist singing in small churches, an indie band playing concerts in clubs … if you are a comedian, aspiring country artist, or singer, and you’re doing conferences, women’s events, corporate functions, fairs, etc., the people you are in front of are people that charitable organizations want to reach. For more information about the Artist Tour Support Program, contact us here…

Photo courtesy Ashley Coombs

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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