Quality

There’s something to be said about things moving quickly. It seems as though no matter what we are doing, we’re trying to do it in a speedy manner. The advancement of technology is growing exponentially faster as time goes on, driving to our destinations is typically a race with ourselves even when it doesn’t need to be, finishing projects we’ve started is a task to be done as timely as possible. After all, not one of us is guaranteed any time on this planet so we might as well get as much done as we can. But what are we losing by living with that mentality?

When my grandparents were kids, it wasn’t uncommon to pull up to a gas station, be greeted by an attendant, have your gas tank filled, windshield washed and tire pressure checked. That was the norm, and there wasn’t an extra charge for it. When you walked into a store, you were most likely greeted by name and asked how your day was. If they didn’t know you, there’s a good chance they’d introduce themselves and try to find out a little bit about you as well. When you bought a piece of furniture, it was pretty likely that it was built by hand and checked over several times before being sold. There’s a reason that today we still have furniture that has been passed down from generation to generation. If your Ikea coffee table lasts more than 5 years, I’ll be pretty impressed. Over the years, a shift has happened.  Somewhere along the way, we got smart. We realized that we could accomplish things much more efficiently by getting rid of the extras. Technology began evolving more and more and we were even able to cut out the middle man and have a computer do a human’s job. Sounds pretty good right?

Today, when you buy a laptop, you know in the back of your head that you will only have it for one or two years. While you may just want the latest and greatest piece of technology that comes out the next year, the odds of you actually having a choice and it lasting much longer than that without having some type of problem that needs to be fixed, are slim to none.

We are living in a society with many more luxuries than any previous generation could have even imagined. Hell, you can order a pizza and TRACK where it is up until the moment your doorbell rings. Of course, the pizza’s probably going to be made of styrofoam and laden with as many chemicals as your pool. Actually I take that back, your pool probably has less chemicals.

What once took a great deal of education to accomplish, is now being taught on YouTube in under 5 minutes by a 35 year old dude that still lives in his parent’s basement. Don’t misunderstand me, that doesn’t mean you actually CAN learn how to become an expert at something via YouTube, but try telling that to the “recording engineer” that bought a laptop and Pro Tools and suddenly became the world’s top producer. It’s interesting because I didn’t realize that you could be a top producer and still be living in your parent’s basement at 35. I’m doing it wrong.

It seems that the progress we make with technology keeps taking us further away from real, raw talent. I feel bad for the next few generations. Something really important is going to break and not a damn soul is going to know how to fix it. I really hope it’s not YouTube.  How would anyone know how to fix it without a YouTube video?

The state of the economy has brought on even more problems. With a lack of stimulus in the economy, businesses and industries have lowered their prices. In an attempt to make up for this loss in revenue, there is an urge to get things done more quickly and with less man power. Steps taken to ensure a quality product are being cut down to their bare minimum and in turn, we are allowing piss-poor performance to become acceptable. The slow economy is everyone’s cop out and to be quite honest? It’s pathetic. 

When did “good enough” become the goal to strive for? Why do consumers accept the fact that what we are purchasing, whether it be an item or a service, can be “just okay.” I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard a little kid say that they want to become the most average baseball player in the world. If your kid says that, you should punch yourself in the face for being a terrible parent.

I’m gonna go ahead and call it like it is: laziness. People are becoming lazy as shit. We’ve come so far with technology that there is basically some type of gadget for everything we do. I mean, god forbid you don’t have a Kindle.  If you’re an unlucky soul like myself that has to physically turn the page, make sure you stretch and warm-up first so you don’t pull a muscle.

As it relates to music and recording, I could probably rant all day about it. I’ve barely even gotten my toes wet in this industry and I’ve definitely seen a side of the business that I didn’t expect. I finished school a mere 8 months ago, but thanks to good teachers and some great mentors, I’ve been lucky enough to learn how important the quality of your work is. I may not be as talented and know as many tricks as some of the top engineers (yet ), but I can tell you this: I don’t produce poor quality ANYTHING and I never stop trying to learn. You will never hear a track with unintentional pops and distortion by me and if you do, you can bet I’ll be back in the studio to re-record it. Notice I didn’t say “fix it.” That’s another lazy tactic that people think is just as good. Newsflash: It’s not.

These teachings of quality were solidified almost immediately when I moved to LA. I’ve listened to recordings done by engineers that have been in the biz for 10-20+ years. A lot of times I’m blown away by it in a great way. But to be honest, I’m surprised at how often I’m completely disappointed and appalled.  Let’s just say my initial reaction to some of the recordings I’ve heard have been “Really? You’ve been doing this for 15 years and it still sounds like you were lighting fireworks while you recorded it?”

The scary thing about this scenario is that nobody seems to care. Everyone seems to have an excuse for why they are putting out less-than-optimal quality work and when confronted, just seem to pawn it off on something or someone else. I may not be able to change that mentality, but I can at least bring awareness to it. If it helps, bring yourself back to the days when your dreams were completely reachable. At the age of 5, you were 100% positive that you would become the best at whatever you wanted to do. Whether that was a firefighter, a bus driver, or a musician, you KNEW you would be the best at it. As we age, we tend to lose that fantasy mentality. I’ll be honest, I still live in my fantasy life. Maybe that’s weird or unrealistic, but it keeps me pushing forward to become the best at what I do. It keeps me learning, trying, experimenting, and exposing myself to anything and everything that can make me better. Most importantly, it reminds me how important the quality of my work is.

Whether you’re a cashier at Target or an executive at a Fortune 500 company, make your worth prevalent. We may not notice how lack-luster the quality of our products or services are, but I can guarantee that exceptional quality NEVER goes unnoticed.

Five Bands You Must See Live

There’s nothing quite like listening to a great song that was recorded, mixed, and mastered really well. The moment the music hits your ears, you start to get chills and your adrenaline starts pumping. It’s the sign of something amazing and is why I got into this business in the first place. But regardless, there is something about a live performance that just cannot be mimicked. No matter how technologically advanced our world becomes, a live performance will never be replaced by robots. And if it is, remind me to cut vertically.

When what you’re seeing, hearing and feeling all connect, it is a sensation that cannot be confused with any other. The lights, the sound, and the vibrations throughout the room is what gets your blood moving and your body rockin’. I go to a lot of concerts and while many of them are really good, there have only been a select few that stand out as great.

I have compiled the top 5 bands that you MUST see live in my humble opinion. Regardless of what type of music you listen to, these are all around spectacular performers and musicians. I can’t forget about the behind-the-scenes guys either. Some of these bands have done such a fantastic job in hiring the perfect lighting and sound person for their gigs. It makes such a difference in the overall entertainment aspect.

Without further ado……

5. Incubus

I had to rack my brain a little bit for the number 5 spot. There are several bands that could be here, but I finally settled on Incubus. Brandon Boyd is probably one of my favorite vocalists. His lyrics are actually meaningful, thought-provoking and comforting, his voice is amazing, and his emotion is completely exposed when he performs. To add to the mix, bassist, Ben Kenney and guitarist Mike Einziger are  two of the most talented musicians I’ve ever heard. As a whole, Incubus really puts on a show. I’m not sure that their newest music is my favorite, but they always play the classics at their concerts so it is definitely a performance you won’t want to miss.

4. 10 Years

This is a band that I listened to in high school and somewhat forgot about. But last November I went to a Sevendust show in Anaheim that they happened to be playing. I wanted to watch them play since I hadn’t heard them in so long, and they ended up totally stealing the show (love my Sevendust boys and they killed it as well). Their presence on stage really ramped up the enjoyment factor, but what really caught my eye was the man behind the drums. Matt Brown is a hard hitting, very talented drummer and he really brought the dynamics of the band together. I ended up seeing them again in Tempe, AZ in March and they left the same impression as they did in Anaheim. The band is on tour now, so check to see if they’re coming to a venue near you!

3. RX Bandits

A punk band at heart, the RX Bandits have a way of combining rock, blues, and even some Latin flavor to their music. The use of horns is another factor that sets them apart from others. I listened to these guys when I was in middle school and high school, but didn’t get into them again until a few years ago. A friend of mine had told me that they were playing a two night sweep in Tempe, AZ and that I had to check them out. Their albums are very instrumentally huge and I wasn’t about to pass up seeing how well they could transfer that to the stage. To sum it up, I ended up going to both shows. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Embree shows his talent and passion for what he does and the rest of the band speaks to the crowd with their instruments. I’m not sure how much longer these guys will keep playing shows, but I see they’ve been playing in Southern California quite a bit lately. Make a point to check them out if you know what’s good for you.

2. Eric McFadden Trio

I’m guessing you’ve never heard of this band. I hadn’t either until recently. I went to visit my aunt in San Francisco last month, and she happens to be a big music fan as well. She had been raving about this guy Eric McFadden who was supposedly a mind-blowing guitarist and told me we had to go see them that weekend. I was all for it, but little did I know that I’d be seeing some of the greatest talent I’d ever seen or heard.  The Eric McFadden Trio consists of Guitarist/Vocalist Eric McFadden, Upright Bassist James Whiton and Drummer Paulo Baldi. I saw them in downtown San Francisco at the Boom Boom Room and left wondering if any show would ever be able to top what I had just experienced. To put if briefly, Eric McFadden would give Jimi Hendrix a run for his money(bold statement, but valid), James Whiton could walk a dog with his bass alone, and Paulo keeps them going throughout it all. If you are ever in the bay area of northern California, there is a good chance that these guys will be playing somewhere. Do yourself a favor and just GO SEE THEM.

And finally, the number one live band to see……..

1. Korn

I have never been a hardcore Korn fan. I appreciate what they did to music and the influence that they brought to the table. I have always liked their songs, but was never a die-hard like some. However, I had the pleasure of seeing these guys play in Tucson, AZ this past March. To describe the experience is unfair because it doesn’t do it justice. Jonathan Davis rocks out HARD, Ray Luzier is a MONSTER on the drums, and the rest of the band holds their own with a massive stage presence. In addition, I think their lighting engineer was rocking out harder than most of the fans. He had his shirt off and was jumping around so that he could match the music with the lights. Their sound engineer did a fine job of portraying what the band was doing and I literally had chills the entire show.  Whether you’re a Korn fan or not, there is a reason these guys have been playing together for 20+ years. It is WELL worth your money and will leave you with a new appreciation for their music.

 

Who are your favorite bands to see live? I’d love to hear suggestions!

Just a Few Thoughts….

Thought #1: An instrument is only as good as the player behind it.

I don’t care if you have the most kick-ass guitar on the planet, if the person playing it sucks, it’s going to sound like shit.

This leads me to my next thought…

Thought #2: A good player can make Nickelback sound like a real band. Wait no, that’s not possible. Let me try again. A good player can take trash cans and turn ‘em into a good sounding drum set. (Just ask Steve Smith)

My point is this: Don’t come waltzing into the studio, talking about how great you are, and then start complaining that if only you had the Gibson Les Paul Model POS834 Made in Japan on August 14th 1976 by Johnny Tsunami that THEN you’d sound better. How about spend less time stroking your ego, and more time practicing your instrument? Just a thought.

Clipping

Recording is a probably one of my favorite pieces of the record-making process. Mixing is a lot of fun for me as well, but there is something about relaying a live sound to a DAW (or much rather a nice big analog board!) that fascinates me. It’s a freakin’ cool process, but how you do it, what you use, where you are, and who is doing it can make or break it. The fact that every single minimal change can lead to huge differences is what makes it so exciting.

Most engineers, even amateur like myself, are aware of clipping, but I’m not sure that everyone truly understands it. Clipping can happen at several different gain stages when recording, and each must be monitored carefully in order to avoid distorting your tracks.

The definition of clipping (as taken from the Sweetwater website):

A clipped waveform contains a great deal of harmonic distortion and often sounds very rough and harsh. Clipping is what typically happens when an audio amplifier output is overloaded or its input over driven.

(Minor clipping typically won’t result in a huge loss of intelligibility, but even if you’re just slightly below clipping, you’re left with little to no headroom. Another post for another day, though.)

When getting levels on a pre-amp, whether in the box or out, most people know to check the signal. If they see it’s too hot in their DAW, they might bring down the output level on their pre-amp a bit until they’re seeing green and possibly a bit of yellow on their Pro Tools or Logic session. All is good to go, and we’re ready to record, right?

Not necessarily. Have you checked the level of input into your pre-amp? Because you could be sending too much signal to your pre-amp, causing distortion before you even get to your DAW. Most importantly, have you LISTENED to the signal?

In the past week, I have come across 2 different mixes, recorded by 2 different people that, when played, sounded like a typical un-mixed song. As I began digging into these mixes, and started solo-ing up tracks, I came across several tracks that were CLEARLY distorted (how’s that for an oxymoron). Distorted to the point of being almost unusable. In fact, on some of the tracks, the only salvaging I could do was to create an effect out of them.

This made me question two things:

1. Do people actually listen to what they record? Have we become so reliant on what the signal LOOKS like that we forget to actually find out what it SOUNDS like?

2. Are engineers becoming so lazy, that they can’t take the time to check their signals at each gain stage? Unless you’re running something pretty unique, it’s probably going to be anywhere from 1 to 3 check points. Is that really too much? I understand that sessions can be pretty fast paced and laced with pressure. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather someone get mad at me for being slow than handing them a sack of garbage tracks.

I’ve been out of school for 2 months. I’m barely tapping the industry, and still have so much to learn. I think my best quality is that I keep an open mind and am always trying to get more information. No matter how long you’ve been doing something, there is always more to learn. The minute you think you know it all, you’ve lost the edge. (Finding good information can be tricky, though, so be wary.) However, I’m already finding myself ahead of the game in some areas of this business. I definitely am not an expert by any means, but I am curious as to why some of the “experts” are not recognizing simple issues such as this.

I’m trying not to let this come off as a rant, and instead be more of an informative post. Constructive criticism is always better than an attack, but I can’t help getting a little bent out of shape over it. “Fixing something later” should be your last resort. In the case of clipping, you can’t “fix it later.” It would be like bleaching a black towel and then trying to color it in with a permanent marker. Good luck buddy. It should be your highest priority to get the best possible recording you can get. That’s where your time should be spent. Once you’ve done that, then you can mess with your mixing and work to bring out the best aspects of those recorded tracks later.

Do your pre-production. Listen to what is coming through your microphone, into your pre-amp, to your EQ, compressor, etc. Listen then look, adjust accordingly, and start recording sound waves in their entirety.

As always, please leave any questions, comments or criticism below. I welcome it all!

 

The Importance of Structure

 

 

 

 

 

 

The interesting thing about a song, is that although it seems to just be a mash up of sounds and vibrations, a good song does have some mechanics behind it. Most songs you listen to have a structure to them. Even many of the indie, alternative, electronica type genres. A simple structure might look something like this:  intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, outro, although there are several variations to work with and more complex structures as well.

I bring up this topic for a few reasons, but the biggest is that many growing bands don’t write songs with a purpose. They will take a cool guitar riff, write a few parts and then throw it all together without any thought. Our brains are much more spoiled than that and they expect certain things. Our ears and brain are much more intuitive than we even realize. They expect things that we don’t even know they expect. Have I lost you yet? To put it simply, when our brain doesn’t hear what it wants to hear next, it becomes confused, bored and loses stimulation.

I’ve heard several bands that will have a song “structure” much like this: Intro, verse, verse, verse, verse, Outro. I’m not exaggerating, and it’s pretty frustrating to hear. It’s boring, lacks life, and will give its listeners a reason to multi-task and forget they’re even hearing music.

It’s cool to be creative, and I am a big proponent of coming up with something new, different and “un-natural”, but if you tried to build a house without using any nails, chances are you’d just have a pile of junk. (I’m just waiting for someone to send me a YouTube link to some guy that made a house out of buttered noodles or something…)

This isn’t to say that every song has to follow any certain standard by any means, but it should have a flow and it should follow some type of structure in order to be a pleasurable experience for all.

Feel free to add comments, argue with me, or point out something I may be missing.

Epic Electric Guitars

There is something about a sweet guitar that kinda makes you just want to curl up next to it and be the big spoon. Is that weird?

I compiled my favorite electric guitars in this list. I like how these guitars play, look, smell, feel, and speak to me. Oh yes, they do. Now I just need to learn how to play one……………..

1. Steve Vai’s Ibanez UV 777

 

 

 

Oh how people love to give me shit for being an Ibanez chick, but it’s what I started out on and somehow I always revert back to them. They are great guitars and I only wish that this was mine! I have literally wanted it since the day I bought my first guitar(an Ibanez ). It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine.

2. Gibson Custom: Eric Clapton 1960 Les Paul

 

 

 

Uhh, no words.

3. Gibson Memphis ES 335 Semi-Hollow Body

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guitar produces such sweet tones! It even makes my guitar playing sound good! I especially love the fret board because its super smooth.

4. Anything Fender

Nope, nope that was a joke. Some of my favorite guitarists played Fender(Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray), but I’ve just never been a fan. If you can change my mind, I’d welcome it.d

5. Ibanez ART700 EQM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I almost bought this guitar a few months back, but realized I’d probably be homeless if I did. It’s most likely the guitar I will be purchasing next. It’s got a great feel to it and sounds nice and crisp through a good amp.

 

What’s your favorite electric guitar?

Sunday Ramblings

I ramble most days of the week, but today I thought I’d at least get them on record. Just some random thoughts.

1. “That was good enough, we’ll fix it later.” should never be said in my presence unless you want to be lectured.

2. Well tuned drums are a must in the studio. Or anywhere, for that matter.

3. The grand piano setting on a synth is not equal to a grand piano. Ever, ever.

4. Working with musicians that have an ego is not really fun at all. On any level.

5. There are not many better feelings than taking a song that has only been played on acoustic guitar thus far, and creating the rest of the song, recording it and listening to it in the studio raw.

6. Doubled guitars are awesome.

7. Doubled guitars are only awesome if the guitarist knows how to double himself.

8. Adding tracks can enhance a song. Adding tracks can also take away from a song. Knowing that fine line is extremely important.

9. A lack of song structure is apparent to a listener, even if they can’t figure out what the song is missing. They still know something’s not there.

10. You should always be trying to improve. The minute you think you know it all, can play it all, and don’t need to excel, is when people will stop paying attention to you.

With that said, what are some of your pet peeves, tips, and comments?  Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Piano Man….Woman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure if it’s because it was the first instrument I was ever really exposed to but the piano has a special place in my life. I’ve been playing since I was about 6 on and off, and it’s always been nice to sit at a piano and just play. I remember when I was younger, I would play and our family dog would sit underneath the piano for hours, just listening. I thought it was just him, but each dog I’ve had since then has done the same. The dog that wouldn’t sit still if he had been sedated, would suddenly become a quiet creature underneath the piano. My guess is that they probably like the  low end vibrations that they can feel underneath there.

When I hear a song that has even just a touch of piano, it hits me in a different way. Instead of going through my ears and brain, it goes straight to my heart and soul. I know I sound like a giant weirdo, but I am a giant weirdo so get over it. The emotions that flood over me when I hear piano playing are different than any other instrument. Depending on how the piano is being played and what notes are played, it will hit me in a different way, but it still amazes me how everything else in the world shuts off around me.

Recently, life has been pretty crazy. I just moved 350 miles away from home and have been given some incredible opportunities. Opportunities mean you have to work hard, so needless to say, I haven’t been sleeping much. These are all great things and I’m literally living on cloud 9, but even good stress is stress!

A typical day for me consists of my alarm going off at 4:45 AM. I pull myself away from my bed that I just landed in only a few hours before, and get myself out the door to open up the gym. At about 11, I get a break so I can work out, and by noon I’m headed out the door and to the studio for the real reason I moved to this city. I stay there anywhere from 2 to 6 hours depending on the sessions we have for the day, and then I quickly stuff a turkey sandwich down the hatch as I make the should-be-15-minutes-but-traffic-sucks-so-its-an-hour long drive back to my apartment. After changing into sweats, checking e-mails and of course updating my Facebook status, I usually try to tune out.  This could mean messing around on Pro Tools, geeking out on gear websites, magazines, or articles, playing the keyboard or guitar, or just relaxing to some good music. I’ve been finding more and more that some killer piano tracks have been the best de-stresser for me thus far.

I listen to all kinds of piano from classical to jazz to movie soundtracks to just the random piano tracks that are added to some of my favorite rock  songs. No matter how heavy or slow it is, it brings me to a sense of peace and calm. It forces me to slow down for a minute and just feel the music. I live a fast paced life and don’t stop to smell the roses nearly enough, so I guess this would be considered my “me time.”

If you’re like me and tend to move faster than your brain can keep up, try to find that one thing that slows you down a bit. It could be anything and will be different for every person, but do something that doesn’t involve much thought, just a chance to reflect and relax. It will do wonders for your mind and its important to do, as tough as it may be when your mind is moving a million miles an hour.

What’s your calming pastime?

Drive

It’s always interesting to me to see what drives people. Even people with similar goals are driven by different things. Then there are people who don’t seem driven at all. They tend to live a pretty routine life with no real direction. It’s sad to me, but if they’re happy then I have no business judging them.

I think Brandon Boyd said it best “Lately, I’m beginning to find that when I drive myself, my light is found” This rings very true to me. No matter who is pushing you or what is going on around you, at the end of the day the only thing that can really keep you going is yourself. This can apply to any and all of the goals you set for yourself. If you don’t truly want it or have real passion for it, you probably won’t get very far. Sometimes you think you want something, but you find out that it’s a want, not a need.

I think the separation between what you succeed in and what you fail in stems from what you want and what you need. I know that needs are typically described as pure survival necessities, but I think our brains are in need of some things as well. There are several people with a roof over their head, food on the table and plenty of extra money to go around that are still unhappy. I believe that is because they aren’t fulfilling their inner desires, or personal “needs.”

Throughout my life, I’ve tested the waters in several different activities, hobbies, jobs, you name it. At 18, I got my real estate license and decided that I wanted to be a commercial real estate agent. I’m not sure what really prompted me to do that, but I do think the money had something to do with it. Once I immersed myself in the business, I realized that it didn’t really light a fire in me. Sure, I learned a lot, met great people and found some excitement when a deal went through, but I definitely wasn’t excited to go to work every day.

The next big horizon I came upon was fitness and health. To this day, it’s still a passion of mine. I have been an athlete my entire life and transferred that into a gym rat over time. For the last 4 years, I’ve missed only a handful of workouts. I competed in a fitness competition, became a personal trainer and between working in the gym and working out at the gym, I literally considered it home. It’s not to say that I don’t still love fitness and health, but I don’t like the industry much.

Throughout all of this, music has always been an underlying passion. It was something that I’ve grown up with and always considered a huge part of my life. Since I’ve never been particularly amazing at any one instrument, I never saw myself in the music industry. I figured I would just be listening, critiquing, attempting to play and loving music along with whatever I decided to do with my life…which I still didn’t know up until about 9 months ago.

It wasn’t until I began classes at MCC to learn about audio production that I realized there was something there for me. I may not have been a Jimi Hendrix (although I’ve been called the Lizzi Hendrix of my generation ) but I knew I could handle the engineering side of music. Even still, I saw this as a hobby for me since I was so busy with everything else in my life.

Oddly enough, a bad break up is what really woke me up. Without going into too much detail, this person had a plan for his life and I was ready to run alongside and go with it. I was happy and figured I could find my way wherever we ended up. After that ended, I had to really dig deep and find myself. I was a mess for weeks and just leaving the house was tough. Just like everyone told me, time healed me. I started to rebuild myself and really made myself do the things that I truly love to do. Many people don’t know this, but happiness is actually a reward. It isn’t a gift and you have to take action in order to be happy. Doing what you love and being with people you love is what will bring you the most happiness and I made my goal to do just that.

I followed my heart and really gutted my brain to see where I saw myself in this world. After several trips to Hollywood, the message became all too clear. This was home. It felt more like home than any home I’ve ever had. Every time I’d go back “home” to Phoenix from L.A., I’d feel a gray cloud move over my head. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy there, but it wasn’t where I wanted to be. The energy there is different and it doesn’t match the energy I felt in Los Angeles.

Just two weeks ago, I packed up my life and moved here, to L.A. It’s been only two weeks, and I don’t even know how to describe the happiness that I feel. If someone asked me to describe a perfect life in L.A, I wouldn’t have even asked for half of what I’ve gotten so far. It hasn’t come without hard work, and to say that I’ve been busy is an understatement, but I feel completely blessed and thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given thus far.

I came to L.A with goals and drive. I’ve worked my ass off to be exactly where I want to be, and the hard work is paying off. Funny how that cycle works, because the more I push myself, the more rewards I reap, which pushes me to push myself even harder. I can thank my dad for teaching me to go for what I want and not letting barriers stop me. Instead, I see a barrier is a challenge for me to overcome.

This is happiness, this is what I want to do, and this is what I am doing.

Stage Presence

I know I’ve touched on it before, but I’m going back to it because it’s one of my pet peeves. Also, this is my blog so I’ll do what I want.

If you went to a play and the actors stood on stage and recited lines without moving, do you really think you’d stay? Chances are unless it’s your cousin’s, niece’s, twice removed daughter, you wouldn’t. And honestly, even then I feel like I’d suddenly come down with SARS or mad cow or something…..

The point is that stage presence is not an optional part of a live performance. If you don’t have it, don’t expect people to like you and definitely don’t expect any record labels to give you a second glance. Your music may be great, but that’s only half the battle.

In an era where CD sales are extremely limited, the best way for a band to make money is through ticket sales and merchandise sales. If someone goes to your show and likes what they see, there’s about a 50/50 chance they’re going to buy a t-shirt too. It may even inspire them to actually purchase your album, rather than just having their friend burn them a copy.

Good stage presence doesn’t always mean you need to be jumping across the stage, either. Depending on the genre and mood of the show, it can vary. Stage presence roots from emotion, and if your emotions match your music on stage, your presence will connect with your crowd. It sounds pretty simple, but I see lame performances all too often. A rock band playing fast-paced, upbeat tunes and a guitarist simply playing notes on a guitar with his head hung low and an audience questioning whether he is, in fact, alive or not.

It shouldn’t be that way! People buy a ticket to a show to see a……………wait for it……………………..SHOW!  If they just wanted to hear the music, they’d be listening to it in their car, room, or boom box while walking down the street. Oh wait,  it’s not 1985 anymore. You get the point, though!

When in doubt, over-act. Don’t settle for being a mediocre band that has chops but no poise. The live music industry thrives on energy and as a band or performer, you will “set the stage” for that.