Lately (and actually, always) a lot of what we get here are newcomers, first timers, and even some older folks, who are really new to the “OPEN MIC/WRITERS NIGHT” phenomenon. Most towns and cities have some form of “open stage, or “talent night”, a LOT of “NEXT BIG STAR” type nights, but most are not quite as plentiful and organized as they are here. Recently I’ve had more and more people come up and mention they read what I write like this, and I’ve noticed more and more people coming here unprepared, or just not understanding some rules or etiquette. So, in an attempt to give people a heads up, I thought I’d offer a list of suggestions to help people maximize their time onstage.
1. LESS IS MORE.
For the most part, there are a LOT of people wanting to play. It’s how you get started, and how you meet most of the people who will be in your social and professional orbit over the next part of your life here. But, at first you don’t have to give your life story. You should let people know your name, where you’re from, and any SHORT intro to your song. Your song(s) should do the talking for you. And if people are interested in contacting you, they will.
In your songs, KEEP IT SIMPLE. You don’t need to go to excessive solos, excessive turn arounds, particularly when you have a place in the song where there is a solo, but if you don’t have someone playing it, you are just playing the same chord progressions with dead air. If you have someone who can play, fine, but keep it SHORT. A lot of people are trying to get on. Be aware of your time.
2. TIME IS ESSENTIAL.
Playing four and a half to six-minute songs are excessive. And there are many songs that might be only 3:30, but get VERY REDUNDANT, sounding alike all the way so they FEEL LIKE 8 MINUTE SONGS. TIME YOUR PRESENTATION. You have about 5 minutes per song, including intros. If you have a more extensive intro, shorten your song. Possibly leaving out
the solo, or whatever that is not essential. And with the general public, they now have a 15-30 second attention span.
Writing and performing longer just means they tune you out faster.
3. LISTEN TO THE HOST.
Be on time, IN TUNE, and have contact with the host. They are usually behind the sound board, and who you sign up with. Find out who they are and what they need. Let them know when you are up there if you need anything like monitors, etc, but DON’T BE OVER DEMANDING. Be EASY to work with. LISTEN to their instructions.
When you get onstage, there is usually a guitar chord (piano chord) on the mic stand In front of you, plug in and wait your turn. Make sure your VOLUME IS UP, BATTERY, IS CHARGED, and set up should be done quickly. When they ask you for guitar/piano signal, PLAY AND SING SO THEY CAN HEAR YOU. Play your loudest part of your song or even a song you are not going to do. They are just trying to get a balance. Check your tuning, battery, capos, straps, picks BEFORE YOU GO ON STAGE.
WHEN YOU GET OFF STAGE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CONTACT WITH THE HOST TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE UNPLUGGED. Those pops can hurt ears and systems.
4. LIMIT NEGATIVITY
People continually hear the terms, “UP TEMPO and POSITIVE” when dealing with songs. It is not exactly that. It is more
“MID TEMPO AND NOT NEGATIVE.” Many writers today are not pro artists nor trying to be. But they will gravitate to the NEGATIVE in songs. If you go to an average writer’s night with 25-30 writers playing, (75-90 songs) you will hear, ANGRY, DEPRESSING, ANGSTY, ACCUSITORY, BITTER, songs in the majority. 85%-90% have some negative tone. The reason is pretty easy to understand. We don’t keep jobs well, make money, keep relationships, and are often not stable. Even people who are reasonably happy, in good places in their lives, will often go to the negative, just because it’s easier to write something angry or negative. They do it because they are emulating other people who do it, but leave out things like irony, humor, sarcasm. They just come off preachy and self-serving. Don’t do that.
ENNUNCIATION.
Being understood in your songs is also Paramount in doing this. Singers suffer from “Mumbalitus” (mumbling their lyrics) ”
“Getawayfrommicitus, (moving away from the mic) or just plain “Songwriter tunnelvision”
(I know what Im saying, shouldnt it be obvious?)
Basically, NO. These are your songs, no one has heard them at first.
Its not the audiences job to figude you out. Its YOUR job to he understood.
If they dont get you, they dont get you.
Girls do “ACSS” (ANGRY CHICK SINGER SYNDROME) guys do “DDSS” (Depressed DUDE Singer Syndrome) and a lot of variations. We all have issues, and it is a musical therapy to put that into song. Very healthy to work through traumatic experiences, break ups, loss, etc. But you don’t have to make EVERY SONG ABOUT THAT, also you are on for a very short time on these nights. I promise you that you will get more flies with honey than vinegar. Now this doesn’t mean you have to write “HAPPY SONGS.” There are a couple of techniques:
ROPE OF HOPE.
Where a depressing situation can lead to learning, soul searching, and have some hope towards the end.
An example of this might be “JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL” by Carrie Underwood. Woman in tough situation but lifts it up to a higher power. And it doesn’t always have to be spiritual. We all have some inner thing within us where we RISE ABOVE ADVERSITY. Channel that. That’s what listeners can appreciate and identify with.
TWIST ON THE TALE” where the story takes you down a dark place, but then in the end, gives you a twist you never saw coming.
Those are the ones we go, “I WISH I HAD WRITTEN THAT!” You don’t have to be ALWAYS HAPPY. But if you want to stand out, the first thing is DON’T SWIM IN THE RIVER OF BITTERNESS, as my buddy and extraordinary writer friend JIMBEAU HINSON used to say.
5. MAKE CHORUS STAND OUT.
One of the devices professional writers do is to ACCENTUATE THE CHORUS. There are BIG SINGABLE CHORUSES, in hit songs, that are easily memorable, definable and sums up the entire song. DRIFT AWAY, AMERICAN PIE, and others have lasted decades because they have a focus for the song. And this is really about YOUR AUDIENCE.
The chorus is YOUR chance to lay out your story, build your action, and explain the “WHAT’S and WHERE’S”
“WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? WHAT IS IT DOING AND WHERE IS IT GOING?
The Chorus is YOUR AUDIENCES TIME TO SING ALONG. It should answer the “WHY’S?
“WHY AM I WRITING THIS, WHY SHOULD PEOPLE BE LISTENING TO THIS?”
Not everything is built for a big chorus. There are “REFRAIN” songs where one line defines the song.
But it is really about HOOKS. That is what “HOOKS the listeners and keeps them there. Make it as easy as you can to remember you.
6. PLAY WITH DYNAMICS. ENNUNCIATE WORDS.
Many people are not trying to be artists. But until they get artists, publishers, or raise their profile, THEY ARE THEIR OWN ARTISTS. So if people can’t UNDERSTAND YOU, they will NOT GET YOU. And tune you out.
Be careful playing your instrument too loud. You can override your vocals. Play a little softer in your verses, a little louder in your choruses. Check yourself. Set up a phone or video camera, about 10 feet from you (your audience’s perspective,) and see if you are UNDERSTANDABLE, if you have dynamics, if you have a good handle on your songs. “Watching the game film.”
7. GHERMING AND GLOW SONGS.
“Gherming” (GURMING) is a term meaning trying to give CD’s, business cards, contact information, downloads, to publishers, hit and established writers, producers, etc. without permission. It’s the biggest unpardonable sin in songwriting circles and has led to lawsuits (YOU STOLE MY SONG ABOUT LOVE” to a person who was writing before you were born and is just bad form until you get to know someone. If they are interested in you. They’ll ask you. Now with people who are doing the same thing as you, people who might be potential co-writers it is the “NASHVILLE HANDSHAKE” and expected.
Just don’t be offended if someone can’t or won’t take what you’re offering. Be polite.
“GLOW SONGS” is a term that I sort of invented. It’s a way that you can find out in real time how well or how NOT well a writer is doing. If you are on a writer’s night, either as a performer or audience member, look around at the audience. If you see a bunch of “GLOWS” in people’s faces, those are people on their phone, texting, checking messages or whatever, TOTALLY TUNED OUT OF YOUR PERFORMANCE. If more and more people are on their phones, you need to re-evaluate what you are doing.
However, if they have the phones UP and aimed at YOU, they are videoing you, or taking photos and that means they are interested in you. Another reason to ALWAYS BE ON YOUR GAME, is because EVERYTHING is a YOU TUBE, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TIK TOK moment. Never know where it’s going to show up.
8. BE CAREFUL WITH “CRYPTACISM.”
Some songs are so metaphoric or “cryptic” it would take a decoder ring or phone app to be able to understand what they are about. If you are trying to be clever, good, but you can be “too clever by half” and people just get lost in what you’re doing. Much of this is also overwriting, with people having multiple verses and even choruses that don’t really reinforce the hook or make the point. They just become “CHARLIE BROWN’S TEACHER…” “wha wha wha whaaaa…..” Today with the short attention spans, you need to be CLEAR in what you are saying. NEVER DUMB SOMETHING DOWN, but just try to be understandable.
This should do it, for now. If you have comments, go ahead. Some will have other suggestions, these are just my top ones that I personally try to live by. Keep it or sweep it, worth what you paid for it, (FREE) I do wish you all the best, and if you ever see me around and have questions or thoughts, don’t feel shy to come grab me and I’ll listen when I can. (Io have to go to the bathroom a LOT, I’m an old guy, so be prepared for that). Good luck to you all.
Marc-Alan Barnette (MAB), is a nearly 40 year veteran of Nashville, and 50 year career as a singer/songwriter/entertainer/Teacher/Mentor/Coach, based in Nashville. He is a dynamic performer, with his style of “IN YOUR FACE COUNTRY SOUL.” And has been lighting audiences up since he was 14. As a writer, he has had songs recorded by GRAMMY WINNER SHELBY LYNNE, country stars DAVID BALL and JON BERRY, classic rock IDES OF MARCH. And many more. As a teacher/mentor, he has helped with the careers of Warner Brother artist, FRANKIE BALLARD, The VOICE’S MEGAN LINDSEY, America’s Got Talent, ALICIA MICHILLI. He provides guidance for artists and writers far and wide and lives by the theme of one of his most notable songs, TABLES AND CHAIRS, that says,
“YOU DON’T CHOOSE MUSIC, MUSIC CHOOSES YOU.”
www,marcalanbarnette.coms ns