There’s something rather intangible that we look for in musicians, that thing that gives them their “star quality.” Sometimes we call it the “X-Factor” (which is the name of Simon Cowell’s new talent show); I sometimes refer to it as the “oomph” (which is what I’ve named my other blog). But whether or not you think you possess this intangible quality, there are things you can do to stand out from the throng of mediocrity. For lack of a better term, I’m calling this the “WOW” Factor.
Photo: Jeff McQ.
Musicians, when you’re playing live onstage, your stage presence is key to your success. In my experience, bands and performing artists are generally doing one of two things when they are onstage: they are either commanding the stage, or they are demanding attention. And there seems to be a fine line between the two.
What’s the difference?
To some of you, what I’m about to say might sound like Musicianship 101–but you’d be surprised how many bands miss this point:
When you’re in a band with other musicians, you have to play together, not separately.
What I mean is this: when you play an instrument alone, it’s an open field; any sounds you want to hear, you have to make. But when you play in a band, you’re sharing the musical space with other musicians; if you don’t play differently in that setting, you’re guaranteed to run over one other. Unless, of course, everyone else just stops and lets you take it. 
Okay, musician friends, time to make your brains hurt a little. If you were to describe yourself as a musician, who you are, what you’re about, what your particular niche is…what would you say? Who are you, really?
As I’ve been covering the music scene as a blogger, I hear a lot of independent acts, both live and on record. A lot of them are fairly good, actually. Lots of talented people out there, and I respect and admire good talent when I see it.
Last night, I watched a documentary of Johnny Cash called “Johnny Cash’s America.” (Oh, the power of DVR.) Johnny Cash is one of those lifetime influences for me, and he continues to inspire me even after his death.
One thing that’s interesting about Johnny Cash is that when he and his band first started, they could hardly play; they didn’t start out as iconic or anything. But Cash became known as a symbol of stark honesty in his music, a symbol of counter-culture. Years after country music stopped paying attention to him, punks and Goths started celebrating him. To this day, Cash defies categorization musically–his sound is instantly identifiable, even before he starts to sing. We remember him as a sort of dark horse, a man who stood up for the downtrodden even as he battled his own demons.
Today we’ll start an ongoing series thread called “Polishing Your Performance.” This topic will discuss ways a musician can improve his/her live performance, as well as make better recordings. We’ll start with one of my pet peeves: rhythm.
In covering the music scene, I get a lot of music submissions from various artists–people who want me to hear and review their recordings in the hope of getting some exposure. (ALERT: I’m about to give away one of my secrets.) I get more of these than I have the time to cover.
