1. Prepare and rehearse. Know everybody else’s lyrics, so that you can fill in and define parts of the song to get or keep the crowd hyped. Rehearsal is important in order to show that your a professional or on the brink of becoming a pro, you’d got to know where the other person should be onstage.

2. The lead vocalist should almost always take center stage, then move from right to left interacting with the crowd. Always, go center stage when your verse starts this brings the attention to you, especially if you have multiple people on stage.

3. When being the leading vocalist of a song whether it’s a hype song or mellow, use apart of your body to keep the beat or rhythm of the music such as; dancing, moving the mic to the beat, move your hips to the beat, etc…. This shows the crowd your into it, and pulls them into your world.

4. Setting up your song- People want to be able to connect with you as a performer. Talk to them, tell them a short story about yourself that leads up to a song. Either, the story can be funny or serious, as long as it leads into a song that emphasizes the feelings of the story, your audience will be able to connect with you.

5. Have fun- the audience knows when your nervous or having a bad day. Being able to perform in front of people should get you amp’d anyways. But most importantly have fun, show the crowd that your enjoying yourself, and they will enjoy right along with you.

TIPS:

A. Rehearsal is the building block of all performances. It can bring you great ideas and x out the bad ones. Rehearsal is important because it makes your shows tight, meaning like a well taught karate move, you do it without thought or thinking. Rehearsal is the only thing that can make your show cohesive and eliminates the stars from the fakers.

B. Mirrors- If you have the means to do it. Mirrors can be great in fine tuning a act. As in step 1 on this “how to”, in a mirror you can see where everybody is and what there doing when your in the middle of your verse.

C. Back to rehearsals- If you ever get pre-stage jitters rehearsal can fix that. Just when you rehearse imagine yourself and how’d you want to feel in front of a audience, even the nervousness. It will help you cope with.

WARNING

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT turn your back to the audience unless it’s incorporated in your show plans. If you turn your back it may show that your disinterested in the performance and you may loose touch with your audience.

DO NOT try to get the crowd hype and follow you if the crowd is honestly not feeling you yet. You may totally loose touch and you may be faced with a crowd full of blank stares. Or worse, you may loose your mojo totally and get the infamous booooooooooo…

http://www.lokey210.blogspot.com

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Every once in awhile a guitar student will express a desire to be in a band someday. If this is your ambition too, then read on. Whether you’re a guitar player or not doesn’t really matter.

If you are a talented singer or musician then the question is, do YOU want to be in a band? In this article you will find some helpful ideas on how to get started in that direction.

One of the first things you will need to do is gain exposure for yourself. This can be as easy as following three simple steps:

1. Tell everyone you know that you want to start a band.

(Word of mouth is one of the best advertising strategies)

2. Make a flyer to put up around town (in music stores, at schools, on bulletin boards, etc.)

3. Place a classified ad in all the local newspapers

Here is an example of something you might say in your advertising:

“Lead guitarist seeking individuals interested in starting a Christian Rock band. Looking for a lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, bass guitarist and drummer. The emphasis will be on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through music. If you have a desire to use your musical gifts in this way, please call (give your name and phone number) for an interview.”

You can make the ad as detailed or generic as you need to. The important thing is to have a clear idea in your own mind of who you want in your band. Do you need a bass player, singer, drummer…? What type of qualifications or experience will you expect? Is age a factor? Jot down a list of questions to ask and keep it by your phone. When someone does call, you will be ready to have the interview right on the spot.

Try to make your questions require a yes or no answer, or a very short reply. That way, it will be easier for you to take notes. If someone looks like a good potential band mate, get their phone number and tell them you would like to call them back after you are through holding your interviews.

Try not to keep people waiting too long (between 2-4 weeks) if possible. When you’re ready, review your notes and decide who you want to call. Set up a time that is convenient for everyone you’ve selected to meet at YOUR CHOSEN LOCATION. This is important if you want to establish yourself as the originator of the band in order to maintain an influence on its direction.

I should insert a word of caution here. You might want to “play it safe” by not inviting them to your home until after you get to know them a little better. After all, they are strangers, but it’s your call of course.

You may want to keep the first meeting with your new band members very low key. Use the time to make introductions, share past experiences, set goals, discuss ideas, etc. This will give you the opportunity to gauge whether you think each personality is going to be able to work together and get along.

Avoid egocentric people like the plague as they will just create friction with other members of the band. Assess everyone fairly, but realistically. It’s better to get rid of a bad apple right away, rather than allow them to spoil the enthusiasm for the rest of the group.

After your first band meeting, you can aim for the next one to be an informal “jam” session. At this time you will be able to get a feel for whether the group is going to gel or not. But don’t be too hasty in your decisions! I remember one time “auditioning” for a band and being so self-conscious that I just couldn’t relax and enjoy the experience.

It was a local band that I had known of for some years and often desired to be a part of. Even though I had already acquired quite a bit of experience performing on my own, this was different. It was someone else’s “thing.” Nothing seemed to go right!

After I got home that evening, I was sure they would never call me back. The surprise was, they did! However, the second time wasn’t much better, but they decided to give me another chance and invited me to come back one more time. It’s a good thing for me, because the third time was the charm.

Our voices and music blended so perfectly that I just knew I was in. I share this story so that you might give your new fledgling band some time to get off the ground. If nothing seems to ignite a spark after giving it a fair amount of time, then you might want to reconsider your options. That’s something only you will be able to determine.

Well, that’s about all there is to it really. Once you’ve got your band members picked, you’re ready to start making music! If you have some original tunes, be sure to share them with the others. See if anyone else in the group has written any songs too.

Be open, honest and ready for almost anything. If you establish your own priorities first, it will help you to stay focused through whatever ups and downs may come along. And always remember, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

FREE Reprint Rights – You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:

Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: ABCLearnGuitar.com

Copyright Curse Buster Sound

Let’s talk about sound. Not just any sound though. Let’s talk about YOUR SOUND!

Ahh!…The power of sound, … The things that are possible to do with sound, … All of the people, and places that sound can reach. Yes, sound is a very powerful force.  Sound can heal, or, sound can destroy.  Sound can pass right through most things, or, sound can be totally abrasive, and bounce off of just about everything.

Sound can tell you many things, it can reveal things, and it can tell blind people were they are.  Sound is a very complex thing, yet, it is also one of the simplest things.

I personally, love the texture of sound.  I love its richness.  I love to experiment with it.  I love to surround myself with it when at all possible.  As a blind person, sound is a very important aspect of my day to day life.  As a musician, it is doubly so!

Now, … As a solo musician, solo artist, solo instrumentalist, or vocalist, … probably the one most important thing, aside from your health, is your personal sound. Yes, … Your personal sound! This is what will set you apart from others. This is what brands you as desirable, or undesirable. This is what will make, or break you.

This is what will get you into the many doors, and venues that you are seeking. Yes, … We have those people who inspire us, … we have the mentors who guide and teach us. We all have the ones who we admire and would like to mold ourselves after.  But, … when it comes down to it! When it comes to the moment of truth! When it comes to the moment of the solo, … there is only you.  You are the one in that final moment that the sound you have molded and shaped, comes from.

What comes out of your heart, … your instrument, … your mouth, is the end result of your efforts, or, lack of efforts. Your personal sound will tell the whole, and true story of your inner most being.  Your personal sound will draw people to you, or, repel them away from you.  That is the important reason for practice! You can never get enough practice, … there is always room for improvement, and there is always room for perfection.

So, … we have the musicians, artists, and vocalists that inspire us.  That is a great, and important aspect of the learning and growing process.  The accomplished musicians, artists, and vocalists are on top of their particular niches because they spent the time, and put forth the ultimate effort to get there.  There are no shortcuts here my friend!  I can guarantee you that fact!

There is nothing wrong with admiring the talent of the artists who inspire us.  In most cases, that is what we need. Sometimes we need to listen, study, and learn just how it should be done. But, … be aware that there is a big difference between admiration, and envy! The former is constructive, and the ladder is destructive. You definitely want to stay away from destructive influences.

Remember, … the artists, instrumentalists, and vocalists who are on top of the industry, and most successful are who they are, and you are who you are! They have their own personal sound, and you have your own personal sound.  You can desire to sound like them, but, you are not them!  They are where they are because they know this fact.

You need to find your personal sound. You need to find that something that says … Yeah! This is who I am! … That is, as you already know, or will find out shortly, an ongoing process. Once you find the direction you want to pursue, … once you find your personal sound, … you will be nurturing it for the rest of your life. That is, if you want to be successful like those you admire.

One thing though, is the positive, and proper attitude. I personally think the best attitude to adopt, is one of humbleness. We must remember that we do not hold the monopoly on talent! There is, … and will always be someone who can do it better, play it louder, faster, higher, or lower. When you can realize that we are all different, but we all live on the same planet, … we will be better off.

I personally don’t like competition. I realized some time ago that everyone has something to offer.  I love to hear someone who has paid the price, and put forth the sacrifice, and made the extreme effort to show themselves worthy of the praise, and admiration of others.

They have in fact, found their personal sound! They have bridged the gap between their soul, and their instrument, or vocal chords! That is what it is all about.  The world needs these ultimate artists, instrumentalists, and vocalists!… The ultimate soloists. This is just as important as a great teacher, a doctor, an engineer.

The Ultimate Soloists, Instrumentalists, and Vocalists are in fact, … the embodiment of all that makes us human.  What sets some apart from others, … What makes some worthy of that high calling, and responsibility is their total commitment, passion, determination, and sheer desire! They realize the Power of Sound, … and they take their responsibility seriously.

Kevin is a blind, jazz saxophonist. His intense, improvive style of playing is both soothing, and captivating to the listener. Kevin owns, and operates a Texas based recording studio: Curse Buster Sound. You can hear, and contact Kevin at: CurseBusterSound.com or
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