The good thing about needing experience is you can always get it
…a little at a time.
You can never get lots at a time but always a little.
But lots of littles equal lots. So a great wealth of experience is available to you if you’re willing to keep experiencing.
I’m sure there’s many avenues we can go down about what type of experience you need right now, but I’ll leave that to you. I’m sure something has already occurred to you.
The main thing is that you GO and get it…a little bit at a time.
That was/is the cry of many an artist when show after show in Nashville, the amount of people they wanted to be at their show didn’t show up.
Saying “Nobody in Nashville goes out to shows anymore” is a great way to minimize the feeling of failure. Because after all, it’s Nashville’s problem not yours.
But if that’s truly true, now you also have to admit that you’re acting like an idiot by booking a show in Nashville and expecting people to be there, “knowing full well” that Nashville is a city where people don’t go to shows anymore.
If you want people to come to your shows it’s best to book shows in cities where people go to shows.
If you’re correct in thinking “Nobody goes out to shows (aka the type of show the I put on) in Wherever-ville”,then never ever ever book a show there.
However, if you’re honest (about Nashville and most markets) and looking to learn something you would change your reaction to:
“Nobody in Nashville came out to THIS show tonight. Why?”
With this new statement and question, you now open yourself up to things that you could do better and also what factors might be out of your control on a given night that you need to plan around. And you’ll do better next time.
And that’s the great thing about shows…there can always be a next time.
p.s. The next step of this idea is to not have to play in a city before you find out if there are an adequate number of people in that city who want to go to a show like yours…in turn saving an immense amount of time, money and emotional energy.
You need to be with the manager who cares about you and has the most relationships that will benefit you.
Both of those things. Care and relationships.
Be honest. You know in your gut if you’re choosing to blind yourself to an obvious deficiency on one side or the other.
The big shot manager has tons of beneficial relationships but doesn’t care about you. But you REALLY hope this manager will magically begin to care.
Your manager buddy who loves you can’t do much more than tag along while you hang up show posters. But your buddy is REALLY passionate and might be able to go meet some people in the biz.
Find someone smart. Someone connected, who understands you and cares about your career as an artist.
I know I know…all your songs are your babies and you love them equally.
Yeah right.
You know good and well which songs are the best and which ones are further down the list and which one is 10th on the list.
So on your ten song album (if you’re in the business of putting out albums)…why put your 10th best song on the project?
The 10th best song is not going to be a single. You’re not going to shine a spotlight on it. It’s not going to be a fan favorite. It’s never going to be played live (especially if you have more than one album). There are people in the band and on the team who can’t even remember what it’s called.
It’s just not going to get any love.
Now, there are plenty of valid reasons to put the 10th song on there…but I’ll argue that most artists don’t think about them or employ them. (Artists tend to give excuses for that song being on there as opposed to reasons)
If you don’t have a purpose for adding your 10th best song to the album, cut it to 9.
If you don’t have a purpose for adding your 9th best song to the album, cut it to 8.
In order for Steph Curry to pretty consistently hit 5/10 from three-point range game in and game out, he has to be able to hit 30 in a row in practice. And then hit 25 in a row in practice, and then 33 and then 43.
He knows his shooting in practice will be exponentially better than what happens during the games, so he makes sure he can hit a bazillion 3’s in a row during practice.
To consistently have great games he has to have even better practices.
And yet I know very few (if any) artists who prepare in such a way.
Most artists think the reverse: If I have a pretty decent rehearsal, the show will be AMAZING.
What would it look like to try it Steph Curry’s way for a while? You can always go back to what you’re doing now…but I don’t think you will.
