A friend of ours, Leanne Regalla, recently wrote a great blog on overnight success.
Her “7 Lessons from the Craig Wayne Boyd School of Overnight Creative Success” is right on the money.
Which of these 2 things would happen to you if you were suddenly to have that “big opportunity”?
What the public perceives as “overnight success” usually comes from an exposure opportunity, which suddenly puts you in front of a larger audience.
Whether you’re a rhinestone cowboy, a reclusive writer, or somewhere in between, when the big exposure opportunity comes, there are two possible outcomes:
1) You’ve laid your groundwork with your supporters and devoted yourself to your craft and connecting with your audience, buyers, readers, etc. You have the creative chops as well as the business chops, and you’ll work your butt off to keep those new fans and make sure you benefit from the exposure.
2) You’ve stumbled into your 15 minutes of fame. Your work isn’t ready for a large audience, you don’t have a solid business foundation in place that will let you turn new fans into loyal fans for life, and you’ll soon fade away.
There you have it… So someone calls and says “you’ve just earned a spot on The Voice!” Or you get a booking to open for [insert famous artist name here]. Are you ready for the exposure?
Radio, TV, internet, live performances, word of mouth, printed or online publications/reviews — all of these can offer an artist a way to be seen and heard by thousands. And they are valuable assets… when they happen at the right time!
Let me repeat that. They have to happen at the appropriate time.
Here’s why. Because the exposure will open doors for you. But if you’re not ready for the exposure it will either not help (that’s the best scenario), or it can actually ruin your chances at a career in music.
In her article, Leanne goes on to list 7 things you can do to position yourself for success — she and I have talked about several of them. Things you can do to be prepared for those open doors so you can walk run through them! (I really like #’s 6 & 7!)
Of course, we’re here to help you with your live show — to be prepared when a big opportunity comes for you. Don’t wait until the opportunity has arrived, because that’s too late.
Be the master of your show. Own it. Bring your personality to it.
Learn the skills of live performance. Woodshed them.
Get a vision. Create moments. Learn how to make an emotional connection with your audience.
Don’t assume your show is already “great” or “awesome” simply because it’s you! Perfect your craft and learn from those who can help you be ready for every opportunity that comes along.
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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Great advice!