Prepping For A Performance – Part 6: The Show

Countless articles have been written about the professionalism needed to maintain a career as a working musician. This includes concepts such as “punctuality,” “getting along with others,” and “not vomiting in the artist’s dressing room or getting arrested at the airport.”

Assuming we’ve already read and internalized these nuggets, I’ll just skip ahead to showtime. Hint: I like to write my own set-lists and tape them where I can see them. It’s a habit that makes me comfortable. On these set-lists, I will often scribble a note for each song such as “count off the guitarist for this one,” or “switch to mallets,” or “don’t forget those crazy hits at the end.” These are just reminders to glance at from time to time.

Beyond learning the songs, I also take the time to walk through the moments that occur between the songs. For instance, does the singer tell a story or joke between songs #2 and #3? Or, is there a non-stop segue between songs 7-8-9? I like to be in charge of time between the songs so as to keep a good flow. It’s almost a choreography that I develop (tighten the loose snare drum lugs here, drink a sip of water, fix the hi hat clutch, switch to brushes, add a sizzle chain to the ride cymbal, switch the patches on my sampler, crack an inside joke at the bass player). This all happens seamlessly during the few seconds between songs.

Beyond that I would say, (1) shake hands with all the band and crew members before you go on. So many people are in their own worlds before a show. Smart phones, ugh! This is a team effort. (2) Expect that things will go wrong on stage, and embrace those moments. They can be a whole lot of fun! And, (3) hug and celebrate with your gang of musicians once the show is completed. It’s not just a collection of songs. It’s an event!

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