The History
Tom Jackson started in the music business decades ago – performer, band member, touring artist… studio producer, engineer, mixer… band business manager – learning a lot about the industry through mentors, friends, & firsthand experience in the LA area.
But when it came right down to it, Tom knew his favorite part of music was the live show!
With some great teachers and excellent “ah-hah” moments on the road, Tom became well acquainted with what made an artist/band connect emotionally with their audience. One of those “ah-hah” moments happened like this:
One night before playing a show in a small town, his band played a little sandlot football, and their drummer broke his arm. There was no time to get a replacement, and since the show must go on, the drummer played with one arm. That night something amazing happened. As Tom says, “We were awful. We weren’t tight. We were all over the map. But after the first song we got a standing ovation. Why? Because none of the things that mattered to us as musicians were important to the audience.”
“That was the moment when my eyes were opened to see what the audience was paying attention to and experiencing, versus what we on stage were paying attention to and experiencing,” explains Tom. “And it changed my whole perspective about what it means to connect with the audience.”
The Live Music Method
Over the years, Tom was asked time and time again to help bands prepare for showcases, concerts, and tours, and while working with those artists, Tom developed his Live Music Method. He compares that Method to building a house.
The highly abbreviated version:
1. Plan it
2. Lay the foundation
3. Build your home
4. Move in
It sounds simple – but if you’ve ever built a home, you know it’s anything but simple! That’s where Tom’s Live Music Method can help you. Tom has developed teaching tools like his Live Music Method Book, and DVDs.
The Bottom Line
Tom believes artists invest much time, energy, and money, into practicing, writing, recording, buying equipment, promoting, courting record companies, creating websites, etc… but ultimately, all those roads lead to the stage.
Our job is to help you be the best you can be BEFORE you get there!
