Stage Volume

I get to play in a lot of situations from small venues to stadiums and one of the biggest issues is stage volume. Most people will always blame me because I'm the drummer and they will say the only reason the band is loud is because the drums are too loud. All drummers get blamed for this at one time or another. The truth is that we are not at all the culprits. Think about it, especially in an arena or large auditorium setting, we don' have amps. When the other musicians play loud we are sometimes forced to get more drums in the monitors or just hit harder to be able to control and drive the band. The remedy to this is everyone one on stage realizing what's most important. The most important thing is to sound like an ensemble in which the featured vocalist or instrumentalist is the focal point and everything else serves as support. Now most of us are mature enough to understand less is more in terms of notes but a lot of us still don't understand that it also applies to stage volume. I saw Rachelle Ferrell recently and of course the show was fabulous but what most impressed me was the fact that the band was so focused on keeping their stage volume beneath her vocal at ALL times. Notice I said the BAND. The fact that they were all tuned in to this concept as a unit made the whole presentation most enjoyable for the audience and I'm sure for them as well. Now here is the answer to the test. Stage volume usually gets out of whack starting with the bass player. The bass resides at a very dominate frequency and in a small situation if the bass is too loud then the entire band will try to compensate by playing louder. If the bass player keeps his/her volume at a low level then the drummer will also be able to play at a lower volume and can still drive the band. As for guitarist's, please be aware that your instrument resides in the same frequency range as the vocalist and you MUST always played beneath the vocalist and voice your chords and licks to not conflict with the vocalist. The same goes for the keyboardist. Be sure to keep the stage volume down. Bottom line, if you can't hear EVERYTHING going on, you are playing too loud. Keep in mind that the lower the stage volume the better the front of house engineer can make you sound out front. So on your next concert try to approach your stage volume in this manner and I guarantee that you will hear an immediate difference in you over all sound and you will also see a difference in the response of your audience. Have a great show!

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Time Is Still Money

A lot of things have changed in our industry as far as technology and even how we make and market our product but one thing will never change... Time Is Still Money. This is one of the most important concepts of success. If you understand the value of time then you will be a winner. A lot of artists/musicians say they want to be rich, productive and/or famous but they waste a lot of time and they practice bad habits. The truth is that most of us don't even realize what being on time really means. If you are supposed to be somewhere at eight o'clock, showing up at eight makes you late. You should always arrive at least fifteen minutes early if it is a meeting or gathering. If you have an eight o'clock show or rehearsal, you have to arrive early enough to set up, get parked and settle yourself. In most cases it is good to arrive at least an hour early before a gig or rehearsal so that you are prepared. Being time conscious also raises your value with the people you work with. When someone hires musicians for a gig or project, they are dealing with a lot of parameters to make things come together so they want to hire people that will make their job easier. If you have a reputation for being on time and taking care of business, people will always call you first because they know that you will not cause them any stress by being late or unprepared. I've seen cases where guys show up late or in the nick of time and will be upset if you mention that they are late and this causes an uneasy scene because everyone is depending on everyone else to be in place and hold up their end of things. For those who are truly interested in being successful, start by managing and respecting time. This will improve your standing and reputation and for those of us that have to hire musicians...well learning a measure of patience is also in order because I've found that not everyone will understand being on time. But these people should know that as musical directors and contractors we are always looking to replace late and incompetent people at a moments notice. Practice being on time ALL the time because you never REALLY know who is watching you. Time is Still Money so go make yours and find your success.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

What Makes A Good Entertainer?

One of the things I've noticed lately is that there are a lot of artists performing but very few are TRUE entertainers. There is a misconception that just being able to do something well will get you over. Let's face it good musicians and singers, sad to say, are a dime a dozen but truly great entertainers are few and far between. What makes a good entertainer? First of all I believe that entertainers are born not made. In most cases either you have it or you don't but there are some things that can raise every one's entertainment game. Being able to sing or sound good is important but your stage presence is actually a bit more important when it comes to a live show because people can stay at home and listen to your CD if all they want to do is have a listening experience. A good entertainer understands that people want to hear and see something special. You must always engage the audience by making them a part of the show. This can be done by simply talking to them in a relaxed and natural manner and putting yourself in the midst of the audience. Don't ever let the stage confine you especially if you are in a small club or venue. Make the entire venue your stage and be daring. People love to see amazing things. Do your homework! Study the things that all great entertainers have in common. Energy, presence, timing and intuition. A great entertainer can never be lazy. Most artists don't fully connect with their audience because they just refuse to work for it. Some nights are easier than others but great entertainers do what they do no matter what. Your performance should not be based on the size of the venue or audience. Great entertainers put 100% of themselves into every performance and the audience appreciates seeing someone give all they have. This is the secret to building a true fan base. This also sets up how you are perceived. For example, if people consider you a good local guy then you are probably good but you are not anything unique but if people consider you a great entertainer then you are a star to them. You are a star that just happens to reside near them or that they have close and personal access to but a star none the less. A great entertainer is also ALWAYS paying attention to what's going on around him/her and finds a way to make those happenings a part of the show. The key to being a good entertainer is just being honest and passionate about whatever you do. Just be YOU and your audience will be entertained. Now go have a GREAT SHOW!

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011