It's Called "Show Bisiness" For A Reason

Seeing The Music Industry For What It Really Is

Concert lighting systems that dazzle the optical senses.  Speaker systems that fill the worlds largest auditoriums with massive sound vibrations.  Set designs that entice, intrigue and cost in the millions.  Wardrobes that are carefully chosen and planned.  Actions that are choreographed, memorized and performed repeatedly so that they become completely natural.  Camera shots that are scripted with the greatest attention to detail.  Yup!  That's the Show part of Show Business.  And the music industry is, indeed, both Show and Business.


 I am one of those musicians that has been late to the "Show" party.  I had spent years becoming a seasoned professional, capable of performing on the professional stage and under almost any circumstance, but I had neglected one very important part.  The show.

After watching the reactions of audiences over the years, I've come to place a much higher value on the showmanship side of the music business than I once did.  We have all seen some amazing musicians perform some pretty boring shows.  And in comparison, we've all seen the musician that isn't very good, but that possesses so much stage charisma, that, despite the very evident lack of sincere talent, people just think they are the greatest!  I never wanted to be THAT guy.  And I still don't.  But I recognize that what I DO want is to be able to harness that power of charisma and deliver it to my audience right along with the level of musicianship that I've worked for years to develop!  And so, I've learned to "put on the show".  Although it shouldn't matter, the more ridiculous, outrageous and over the top one makes the show, the more the audience will enjoy the experience of seeing the musician perform live.

There is an art, unto itself, of keeping your audience captivated and entertained for the entire duration of your time on stage.  Knowing what showmanship technique to do and when to do it are all part of your musical performance, whether you like it or not.  A pianist playing a very complicated piece of music will never sell as many tickets as a pianist whose piano catches on fire after the opening song.  And after the flames go out, having the next attention grabber ready is essential planning. 

Today, we take the stage with the assistance of modern technology on our side, and with it, there's no end to the level of entertainment that can be achieved, even on smaller budgets.  So, where does that leave the music?  Music is simply the vessel that is used by the musician to deliver the show.  And if the music is good, the delivery will be that much better!  Just remember, "SHOW" is what the people want.  If you don't deliver that, they will look elsewhere, and your music will go unsung to the masses.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
When looking at the business side of the music business, many artists tend to think too deep, way too soon.  They begin talking about royalties, points, t-shirt sales, ticket sales, swag, endorsements and on and on.  This part of the business can be dealt with when the time comes, and a real management agency (not a booking agent that calls themselves a management agency) will be able to explain all of the in's and out's to you, should it be necessary for the signing of your material.

So what part of the music business should you focus on?  Focus your efforts where it will give you the most traction.  And with the business environment that we live in today, becoming an expert with social media will be your biggest business assett.  With the availability of social media, we can connect with others in ways never seen before in the entire known history of mankind.  The ability to reach large masses of people is now done with a few effortless clicks of a mouse.  This is the very method by which you are reading this blog!  Within seconds, you are able to get your music and information to your audience of hundreds, thousands and millions.  This is a powerful tool that can be used as a business tool to attract your audience, even before they know they are your audience.  It's a sales tool that permits you to sell your music and your show, connecting you with those that are connecting with you through the musical talent that you have honed and perfected over the years.

Paying Your Band - Musicians Are Not Created Equal

Often times, the issue of pay can be a sore subject among band members, and is all too often the underlying reason for band failure.  To eliminate the issues associated with money, there are some simple rules to stand by, and you just might be surprised how well these methods work.

The first concept to grasp is that not all band members are equal.  Despite the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from spinning the "everyone's equal" line, you also get a good dose of dissension in the ranks further down the road.  This is because not everyone is as equal as you or they might want to think.  So do away with this failed method and adopt a better one that is based on the sound business practice that is used to pay employees by nearly every successful employer world-wide.  This is where a fair amount is agreed upon, and that is the amount that is paid.  This method does not fail because it rewards those who bring value to the table and it clearly sets a standard for excellence.  Those whose professionalism is sub-par will, by default, be replaced by an individual whose mindset is one with the others.

I pay all of my bands in this manner, and recommend this established business practice for all bands that are serious about their success.  But there are more considerations to be made in order to ensure the success of this method.  For instance, when planning live shows, the monetary amount that is guaranteed to the band is well established before doing the performance.  It is then logical to take that amount and deduct all known costs associated with doing the show, except for the amounts being paid to the band.  Only then should one calculate how much each band member will make for that given show.

If you are the person executing these actions, because of their very nature, it should be assumed that you are the business leader of the band.  If the band does not consider you as the business leader, then you are acting as such without the full support of the band.  This, no matter how you handle business, will always lead to failure.  It is essential that you establish yourself as the business leader based on the fact that you are the person in a position of authority, charged with the responsibility of these type of business transactions.

In my case, I establish my roll as both the band leader and business leader from the very beginning.  I am the one who gathered the musicians together, who hires them to perform as part of the team, and the one who establishes the business methods used by the group.  Because of the responsibilities I have taken from the very beginning, I will ALWAYS pay myself more than any other member of the group.  In business, it is well established that you ALWAYS pay yourself first.  In regard to a band, if there is failure of any sort, it falls upon my shoulders as the leader to remedy it.  This means that my personal reputation, not only with fellow band members, but with club owners, is continually on the line.  This level of responsibility is not to be taken lightly, and it rightfully demands a pay scale greater than that of a band member that is not sharing in this responsibility.  It is also my responsibility to assess the roll of each member and their level of professionalism, and assign a value to that accordingly.  They are paid the amount that has been agreed upon prior to the performance, and I do not waiver from that agreement unless it is to increase their pay. 

The final rule to remember when paying your band is to NEVER, under ANY circumstances, pay less than the amount you agreed to.  Your honesty and your word are of paramount importance.  I have taken the place of countless others because they made this mistake and caused irreversible damage to the organization of their band, thus resulting in the band members splitting in all directions. 

So there it is, in all of it's glory!  It may not be the method you want to use, but it is the method that has proven itself time and time again, and you really can't argue with success!