Our Next Show date is May 21st in The Purty Kitchen.
Very early on in Rockjam I decided the performance would be an integral part of what we do. Experience told me that the performance was the big win in Music. A reward for all the personal practice, writing and rehearsals. Playing for an audience allows you express the music in a way that is impossible in your bedroom or even in a fully equipped rehearsal space. Yet it is also a terrifying experience for most. Standing up in front of a crowd and being the centre of attention is not the natural state for most of us. The payoff is huge though. A confidence can be gained that is a true superpower, that can be used in all aspects of life.
When you perform, you gain a confidence that is truly transformative, one that can be applied to all aspects of life. As a philosophy, we encourage our students to get on stage as often as possible, even if they haven't perfected their material or mastered their stagecraft. Waiting until everything is perfect is a recipe for never starting anything.
I recently read this conversation between Author Tim Ferriss and Comedian Whitney Cummings which really resonated.
TIM: "If you had 8 weeks to get someone ready to do 5 minutes on stage at an open mic, what would you do?"
WHITNEY: "I would get them on stage the first night [and] every night
for all of the 8 weeks, whether they have material or not. . .. The material
is like 10% of it. Being comfortable on stage is all of it. So I would say, just
get on stage. The first year and a half, two years of standup is just getting
comfortable on stage. Your material doesn't matter.”
So, if your band is preparing for its first performance, don't worry about perfecting your songs. Instead, get on stage early and often. Learn how to perform by performing, and you'll discover the immense rewards that come with it.
Baz
