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Boo! How to Deal With Your Worst Music Nightmares

Monday, October 31st, 2011

You get up on stage.  Adrenaline is rushing through your body.  You’ve been working on a solo for months, and now’s your time to show it off.  The band is counting on you.  And as the crowd screams your name, you grab the microphone, take a deep breath and… you’ve lost your voice?!

Sound like a singer’s worst nightmare?  It’s enough to give any musician a scare!

Luckily – with the exception of this nightmare – most of the time when you make a mistake, it’s much more noticeable to you than to your audience.  But for someone just starting out, we know how traumatizing it can be.  Making mistakes is a natural part of learning – and it shouldn’t scare you.  Here are some pointers to think about, courtesy of Gerald Klickstein from The Musician’s Way Blog:

1. Errors are not failures
An on-stage mistake resembles a stutter: it doesn’t bar listeners from hearing and feeling the larger phrase.  When we miss a note or drift off pitch, if we keep up the musical intensity, listeners will stay immersed in the music and don’t notice the flub.  Even when bigger mishaps occur – say, a singer misses an entrance or has a sizable memory slip – we can still keep the mood alive.

Failures, in contrast, result in lasting loss: a driver who causes a fatal car crash fails as a driver and citizen.  Just remember: an on-stage error can’t become a failure unless a musician turns it into one.

2. Errors are not shameful
Musicians who confuse errors with failures often harbor shame. Not only do they view slips as disasters but also conclude that their missed notes prove that they’re untalented.  Of course, mistakes aren’t fun. We might even feel guilty if our blunder alters a special moment in show.  But there’s a world of difference between guilt and shame.

It’s human nature for us to feel guilty if, for example, we accidentally damage a friend’s instrument. People who feel shame, though, believe that their mistakes indicate that they are inferior.  When musicians perceive errors as shameful they also wrestle with stage fright because if on-stage slips seem catastrophic, their possibility triggers fear.

In truth, every musician, no matter how gifted, makes errors on stage.  As we build up our abilities, we make fewer and smaller errors, and we mask them more gracefully.  Nonetheless, our errors alert us to things we need to learn, so if we treat them positively, they can actually aid our development.

3. Errors are information
When we rid ourselves of any negative emotional baggage associated with errors, we can then see them for what they are: information. Errors don’t come with emotional strings unless we strap them on.

Memory slip? Enjoy ad-libbing through it, and then explore the possible causes in practice. If you discover a flaw in your memorization procedures, modify your learning habits accordingly, and your on-stage security and artistic power will grow.

In sum: Instead of running out screaming the next time you miss a note, think of it as a learning experience, keep calm and keep on going.

Readers, what do you think of this advice?  How do you react to mistakes and what do you learn from them?  Check out our Facebook page and join the discussion.  Happy Halloween!

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Find Out What It Takes to Rock Beyonce-Style Confidence

Friday, October 28th, 2011

It’s hard to ignore the stage presence and larger-than-life personalities of divas like Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Tina Turner.  They’ve certainly made a name for themselves, and this year on December 19th, VH1 will be celebrating these women at the VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul concert series.  The show will pay tribute to the “great cities of soul music,” recognize the impact soul music has had on the 21st century’s music and pop culture, and feature performances from the likes of Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, and Florence + The Machine.

As our own tribute to these fearless females, today we’re exploring how you can become a more confident performer – something that these divas radiate with each breath – courtesy of Bulletproof Musician (see also: our tips earlier this week for overcoming stage fright).  Learn how to strut your stuff and you’ll be sure to make a Beyonce-style impression at your next audition or performance.

First off, let’s discuss the misconceptions of self-confidence.

The good news is that confidence is something you can change – and that you actually have quite a bit of control over your level of self-confidence. This may come as something of a surprise to you, as there are many who believe that confidence is largely a character trait, that you either have it or you don’t. Others think that only success or positive feedback can build confidence, and that you can’t make mistakes or experience “failure” if you want to become more confident.

Well, it turns out that these are all just misconceptions. Many musicians suffer from a great deal of self-doubt and insecurities, despite great success.  So what do you have to do to become more confident, you ask?

Ready to be like Beyonce?

One of the keys to becoming a more confident performer is mastering your self-talk.

Self-talk is the term that psychologists use to describe that internal dialogue we all have with ourselves throughout the day. You know, the one that calls us clumsy when we stub our toe on the bedpost, or an absent-minded idiot when we get back from the grocery store and realize we’ve forgotten the one thing we went there for. Some of us talk out loud or mumble to ourselves, others keep it all inside, but we all have that voice inside our head that is often very difficult to turn off.

Mastering Self-Talk

Keep in mind that your subconscious mind is listening to everything that you say to yourself, and that it doesn’t have a filter. It will take in everything that you say, and over time, unconditionally accept the most consistent messages as reality – whether this is actually true or not.

The vast majority of the thoughts that your mind generates when you are under pressure are unhelpful. They are often irrelevant (“Hmm…I wonder what I should eat for dinner”), overly analytical (“Keep your thumb unclenched, fingers light, elbow around, shoulder down…”), or self-destructive (“Uh-oh, here comes that passage that I screwed up in rehearsals”).

If you can identify these thoughts, the next step is to create a self-talk log.  Pick a piece that you’re working on that’s particularly challenging, and record yourself performing it.  While playing, pay attention to anytime you have a thought – pause, and repeat it out loud so your audio recording captures it.  When you’re done, take note of all of the thoughts you had throughout your practice session.

How many of them were critical, unsupportive, irrelevant, distracting, and the type of remark that you would never say to a friend? Did you insult yourself or make personal attacks? Were you able to keep your mind rooted in the present, or did your thoughts linger on mistakes or even review past incidents when you’ve made that same mistake? Did your thoughts project into the future?

If you notice a pattern, it’s time to make a change.  From now on, each time you hear yourself engaging in negative self-talk, “overwrite” it with more supportive, constructive and self-supporting thoughts.  For example, instead of thinking “Why do I always rush that passage and mess it up? I’m such a screw-up!”, think  “Hey, take it easy. Even the best make mistakes too. Get refocused and move on. Plenty of time to figure out why this happened later.”  Even if the positive thoughts seem corny or fake, the idea is to come up with thoughts that help you feel more positively inside, and ultimately keep you moving towards success.

Follow these steps and your new-found confidence will help you with auditions, performances and more – in fact, it might be the most important facet of your success as a musician!

Readers: what strategies do you use to keep your confidence level up?  Do you practice these tips of monitoring your inner voice?

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How to Break into the Music Biz Without Even Playing a Note

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Do you dream of someday working in the music industry, but consider yourself tone deaf? If you don’t have the musical chops necessary, it doesn’t mean you need to give up on that dream.  Today, we’re taking a look at a few behind-the-scenes career paths that might be right up your alley.  For example…

Booking Agent (or Talent Agent)
Booking agents work to secure performance engagements for musical artists and groups. They work to find talent to book and may be involved with developing the talent toward a goal. They must possess good communication skills to sell talent and develop contacts in the music industry. They often work closely with an act’s manager and may be involved in setting the fee and negotiating with promoters or clubs. A booking agent is paid a percentage of the negotiated fee for an act’s performance.

Entertainment Attorney
An entertainment attorney handles any contractual matters conceivable within the entertainment industry. Entertainment attorneys can be freelance, hired on retainer, or an employee of a company or business within the entertainment industry. Entertainment attorneys generally specialize in one of three separate fields within the entertainment industry: sports, film and television, and music. An attorney that specializes in the music industry usually has a solid depth of understanding with regard to copyright laws and artist/band agreements with managers, publishers, record labels, booking agents, etc. Successful completion of law school and a state bar exam are requisites for being an entertainment attorney, as well.

Publicist (or Staff Publicist, Press Agent)
A publicist handles the publicity and press needs of acts signed to a label. Publicity helps the label sell records and produce income. A publicist must be able to get an artist’s name in the news (magazines, music trades, TV, radio, etc.) as often as possible. This is accomplished by writing press releases, sending them to the correct media, talking to media about acts, and arranging interviews. The publicist often arranges a series of print interviews, radio interviews, and TV appearances in conjunction with the release of a new record. Staff publicists spend a lot of time on the telephone and are usually the first to send out promotional copies of new records and other important materials to the media. After a new record is released, a publicist may work with the A&R or promotional departments on a showcase booking of the group, and make arrangements for a press party.

Music Publisher
Music publishers are responsible for acquiring the copyrights to songs and publishing them. They may work for a very large music publishing company and perform one or two specific duties as a music publisher. They may work for a relatively small firm and fulfill a variety of functions. Many individuals in music publishing or songwriting become independent music publishers, running their own music publishing firm. The goal of the music publisher is to find and acquire potential hit songs (copyrights) and songwriters, promote them for financial gain, and serve as copyright administrator whereby tracking, licensing, and payment collection can be done efficiently. A good music publisher has knowledge of all facets of the music business, an understanding of music industry dynamics, an ability to hear hit tunes, knowledge of copyrights laws, and contacts in the music business.

Tour Coordinator
The tour coordinator is responsible for coordinating the many facets of an act’s tour, including travel, lodging, arranging for services, and budgeting for expenses.

Sound Technician
Sound technicians are responsible for high-quality sound during the live performance. They usually arrive at the concert site before the performers and are involved in unloading and setting up the equipment and instruments along with the road crew. The sound technician supervises the placement of equipment and works with the talent during the sound check to achieve the best sound. They may even work a soundboard during the actual performance.

The list goes on and on: music supervisor for TV and movies, music journalist or critic, music therapist, and of course, radio DJ.  The NAfME Career Center page and the Careers page for Berklee’s College of Music are great resources to check out if you need some guidance.  So if you’re in college now – or ready for a career change – consider these options if you can’t carry a tune!

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Top 5 Musicians That Used Technology To Make Music Awesome

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Musicians making documentaries is nothing new.  But making a 3D documentary?  Now more and more groups are following suit – and Metallica is the next to jump on the bandwagon.  Following a collaboration with Lou Reed (Lulu‘s official release date is October 31st), Metallica is now planning a 3D feature film.

Will 3D music documentaries be the next big thing?  Who knows – with how fast technology is growing, the music industry has to think fast to keep up. Last week, we discussed a few iPhone apps to help the modern-day musician.  So what other ways has the digital world intersected with music?  Check out this list of 5 musicians who have used technology to break boundaries and change the way we think about music:

1. Lil Wayne

Technically, Cher was one of the first artists to use auto-tuning to make a hit. However, Lil Wayne has made an entire career of that crazy phase vocoder. Still, and although it’s become a very popular tool, many artists have rejected it, including Jay-Z, whose song “DOA” (Death of Auto-tune), is a direct backlash against the sound. However, Lil Wayne will not cave. He told VIBE magazine auto-tuning “ain’t dead.” If that’s not good enough for you, that’s too ba-a-a-a-a-ad.

2. Duran Duran

I’m not sure if music videos put Duran Duran on the map, or if Duran Duran put music videos on the map. Considering their banned “Girls On Film” video and the fact that they were the first to have their music videos shot on 35mm (rather than videotape), it’s a toss up.

Since the introduction of video to the music world, Duran Duran has been making waves. In 1984, they introduced video technology into their live shows by being one of the first acts to provide video screens above the stage. They have recorded concerts using iMAX and 360 degree panoramic cameras with 10.2 channel audio. They are on MTV’s “100 Greatest Videos Ever Made” list with “Hungry Like The Wolf,” as well as VH1’s “100 Greatest Videos” with “Rio” and “Hungry Like the Wolf.” In fact, MTV named “Hungry Like the Wolf” the fifteenth most-played video of all time.

3. Kraftwerk

If you ever wondered what it would be like for robots, both in look and sound, to compose music, check out Kraftwerk.

Kraftwerk, German for “power plant,” is known as a pioneer in the world of electronic music. The signature Kraftwerk sound has repetitive rhythms with catchy melodies, a classical Western style of harmony, and a minimal and strictly electronic instrumentation. The group’s simplified lyrics are at times sung through a vocoder or generated by computer speech software. Their videos are also cutting edge in both art and visuals. Next time you make a song on your computer, be sure to thank those crazy Germans!

4. Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound

Spector’s signature technique, known as the “Wall of Sound,” was revolutionary. It consisted of a dense, layered, and reverberant sound that reproduced well on AM radio and jukeboxes popular at the time. He accomplished this by having many electric and acoustic guitarists perform the same parts in unison, then added orchestras, and then recorded everything using an echo chamber. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Queen, and The Ramones all utilized this sound.

5. Les Paul

What did Les Paul do? He made rock n’ roll possible. He pioneered the solid body electric guitar. Les Paul also innovated guitar playing itself with a particular fretting style and guitar licks. He has many songs and singles on the charts, but he’s best known for giving rock stars something to smash on stage – making our music louder and more dangerous.

(See the full list here.)

Artists everywhere are amping up to revolutionize the way we play and listen to music.  What do you think will come next? Leave a comment below! Like these posts?  Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox!  Click here to subscribe.

 




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How to Break your Songwriter’s Block and Get the Girl

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Twenty years ago in 1991, when Justin Bieber wasn’t even born yet, soulful crooners like Whitney Houston and Color Me Badd topped the Billboard charts.  It’s also the year Boyz II Men released their first album, Cooleyhighharmony. Today the group released their latest album, Twenty, featuring an array of new songs, as well as a few of their old-school classics.

For those of us who spent the 90s swooning over Boyz II Men, you know that the majority of the songs – like most of the R&B genre – have a theme of love and relationships.  For songs with so much emotional material, lyrics are especially important.

And as pop culture has showed us time and time again, music is a great way to woo the object of your affection (just look at John Cusack in Say Anything – and he didn’t even have to play an instrument!).  But what’s a musician to do when you want to get the girl, but can’t find the lyrics to say it?  Don’t fret – we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves to help you overcome your “songwriter’s block”, courtesy of Disk Makers’ blog, Echoes:

1. Start with a title
“Find an interesting title and most of the song will often write itself,” says songwriter, guitarist, and producer Tommy Marolda, who has written tunes with Richie Sambora and Rod Stewart. “That’s something I’ve used in a lot of my songwriting.” Successful song-crafters like Bon Jovi and Diane Warren have used this strategy, and songs like “Living’ On A Prayer,” “Bed Of Roses,” and “Dead Or Alive” were written this way. “With most songs, the title tells the whole story,” he continues.

But where can you get an intriguing song title if the ideas just aren’t flowing? “Try looking at magazines,” says Marolda. “You can flip through the table of contents and sometimes they use interesting hyperbole or plays on words that can spark something in you. Or go to a poetry section in a book store and look at the titles of poems.”

2. Look and listen everywhere
“Whether you’re on a train, walking around, or just having a conversation, you never know what you’re going to hear,” says independent singer/songwriter Natalie Gelman. “When I’m really in the moment and paying attention to what’s happening around me, sometimes I’ll hear someone say something random and think, ‘That’s a great line! I should use that.’”

3. Carry a notebook, voice recorder, or both
This may seem basic, but since you never know when inspiration will strike, it’s important to have a way to document a great musical idea whenever it comes along.

If you’re comfortable with traditional musical notation, a small notebook with staff lines can be all you need. If you prefer to sing your melodies, a voice recorder on a smart phone or another small recording device can do the trick.

4. Keep unfinished ideas
Even if you’re only able to come up with a verse here and a chorus there, save everything you write, recommends Marolda. “A lot of famous songwriters have a suitcase full of ideas that they pull for different songs when they get stuck,” he says. “Go back into your own catalog of unfinished work and see what’s hanging out. You’d be surprised that a bridge you wrote years ago might fit perfectly with a song you’re working on now.”

5. Write a lot
For Gelman, more hours spent writing music means an easier overall creative process. “Writing constantly helps you become comfortable with the act of crafting songs — and with yourself as a songwriter,” she says. “As songwriters, we have to accept the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes out when we write. It’s important not to reject anything that you write, and to keep writing.”

Part and parcel of writing a lot is working on whatever inspires you at any given moment, regardless of whether or not it fits into your genre of choice. Are you a shred-metal guitarist who suddenly comes up with a great Zydeco accordion line? Write it down. Even if it’s totally unusable for your current band or project, you never know when such a creative tidbit might come in handy down the road.

This is just the start to the full list of tips, which can be viewed here.  After you’ve tried your hand at writing, let us know how it goes.  What are your own strategies for writing songs?  How many of you carry around a notepad for when inspiration hits?  Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

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