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Fiddling Around – 5 Things Violin Players Can Do to Tune Up Their Performance

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

Since most violin players are – as far as I know – classically trained, it takes some re-programming to ‘de-class’ you. You’ll still be classy of course…I just want to take away the formality if you’re playing anything other than classical music. First of all, experiment with the way you hold onto your fiddle and […]

Three Things Keyboard Players Can Do

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

As you know, the visual aspects of a performance are important, and we work on making songs look different from each other.  This is easy for guitar players and singers, but I get approached all the time, by keyboard players asking, ‘What do I do?  I’m stuck behind a piano or a keyboard set-up!’  It’s […]

How Soon Should You Work on Your Show?

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

I’ve gotten both kinds of calls — the kind where I’m asked to help an artist with their show 1-2 months in advance of a tour or showcase, and the kind where I’m supposed to be the “fix-it” guy working with someone a few days before a big, important show. So when is the best […]

When 30 Minutes Is Too Much and 2 Hours Isn’t Enough

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills, Sneak Peek Greenroom: 1 Comment

I went to a show at the arena here in town to see someone I’d worked with – a #1 artist with lots of #1 hit songs. It was totally sold out…lots of excitement in the room. The first opening act had some great songs, lots of energy, and did a decent job onstage.  Unfortunately, […]

First Things First – The Best Way to Plan & Rehearse Your Show

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills, Sneak Peek Greenroom: 4 Comments

We all know by this time in our lives, the importance of doing things in the right order…whether we DO that or not is another issue! Skipping a step or jumping ahead while baking a cake or putting together a piece of furniture will have a sad outcome, and won’t end up looking like the […]

7 Basic Mic Stand Techniques

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

A fig leaf… or a microphone stand. Which one do you use? That may sound like a strange question. But I’ve noticed that most artists prefer hiding their nakedness by standing behind a mic stand (unlike Adam and Eve who chose the fig leaf). You know what I’m talking about: you’re standing on the stage […]

Going from Good to Great

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills Greenroom: 4 Comments

Going from bad to good is easy.  Going from good to great is not. It’s not that going from good to great is so hard, but it’s definitely time-consuming, tedious, and often a little inconvenient.  However, as my friend Robert D. Smith says, “success is built on inconvenience!” I have a favorite analogy, and you […]

Built for the System or Not

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills, Sneak Peek Greenroom: 10 Comments

I was recently inspired by a Seth Godin blog, “Is a famous thinker better than a great one?” Seth’s concept applies to artists and musicians, I think. Only the question for us becomes, “is a famous artist’s music, creativity, & show better than yours?” Because someone is famous, are they more creative, is their show […]

Upping Your on Screen Show

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

I was just watching a replay of MTV’s inaugural show on its 40th anniversary, and chuckling at their choice for first video out of the shoot being the song ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’.  I immediately thought about today’s music world, where at one point I wondered if we’d be singing, ‘Video Killed the Live […]

Your Audience – at Ease or on Edge?

by Backstage: Materials, Tools & Skills, Sneak Peek Greenroom: 18 Comments

Recently, I was part of a private audience at a magic show in a relative’s home. You know…card tricks, disappearing doves, guy-in-a-tux. Fun, right?  Should have been, but turns out it was basically a front-row seat to a train wreck. The magician – whom I’ll re-name ‘Hocus’ –  got off to a rough start by […]