We’ve all been there…that dreaded valley.  It’s the place where it seems like nothing is working and you’re starting to get tired. Well, if it comes as any consolation, it happens to everyone.  Even Jack Dempsey, the once hobo turned world champion boxer, said that what makes a champion is getting up even when you can’t!  It seems impossible but it’s not, it’s really between your ears.  

Sounds cliche, but so true.  You have to get up one more time, catch your breath for a few moments, refocus your goal, and give it consistent re-calculated effort.  Get around some people who have broken through that barrier, let their words encourage you over a cup of coffee.  I promise you will feel better.  Most people either just keep flailing in the valley or even worse, quit. Could you imagine quitting at the 9,999 failed attempt to invent the light bulb or 100 yds from being the first person to swim across the English Channel in the blind-fog only to realize that you quit not knowing you were that close?  

Here’s what gets you to invent the light bulb:  catch your breath, re-calculate, and give it one more time.  Eventually, you will hit your goal.  Too many have proven it to be true.  Do you believe in your vision?  Then fight for it!  Carry forward with the same disciplines that got you where you are…by the way, you are in a valley because you just came down from a mountaintop.  Don’t lose perspective, this is a marathon not a sprint…finish well!

Practicing for The Big Time and Overnight Success

 Music is fun.  It is a great past time, it is a passion, it is a job, and it can be an obsession.  Most musicians/song-writers have had dreams of making it big.  However, very few of us actually have seen the type of dedication that it can take to be at the top of your game.  Regardless your thoughts of these two entertainers, to be a “superstar” like Taylor Swift or Britney Spears most people have no idea of what they have given up to get to where they are.  Do YOU have what it takes? 

 Talent is NOT enough…here is an eye-opening situation that a friend of ours was in.  Several years ago our friend signed a huge publishing/development deal for $250,000…yes, that’s a good chunk of change… All things pointed to this band becoming a big success (in fact they did have several placements in some blockbuster movies as well as videos and radio chart success). 

 As part of their contract, there were some stipulations that they had to follow.  As a band, 6 days a week, they were required to have 4 hour band rehearsals…They would work on playing together, working on their show, listening to each others parts and how they could play off of each other, etc.  In addition, they were required to practice on their own with nothing but a metronome for 2 hours a day (by the way, this friends’ timing is amazingly solid!!).  This didn’t cover the time that it took to write songs, publicity dates, photo shoots, radio calls, Myspace updates, etc.   There is an immense amount of dedication and work that goes into becoming and overnight sensation.  This is the price that they were expected to pay.  Do you have the focus, desire and passion to put that much in?  There are bands that do, and that is your competition.  If you are a pop artist, entertainers like Taylor Swift and Beyonce are your competition.

 Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers” talks about the amount of work that people on average have to put into something to become proficient at it.  He says that it usually takes about 10,000 hours of doing something before you really start to hit your stride.  That averages out to about 5 years of 40-hour work weeks.  You cannot cheat that 10,000 hours unless you are the “one-in-a-million” persons that is a complete savant.  As musicians and band people we can learn from this.  Talent is never enough, it will get you down the road, but to finish the race you need a strong work-ethic and consistency.

 We live in a day and age of seemingly instant success and money, but ultimately there is nothing new under the sun.  The wise words of “practice makes perfect” still ring true today, but only if you are practicing against perfection…and to do that takes a lot of time and focus.  Be diligent, be focused and purposeful in your pursuit.

What’s next?…Literally, What’s Next??…

So, you’ve got your players, you’ve rehearsed the songs and are ready to go to rock them out.  Here are some of the most overlooked areas that can make a band look professional or resemble amateurs:  intro’s, endings, and what happens between songs.

We tend to play songs over and over in rehearsal, and then stop and talk about how they sounded, and things like “don’t forget the bridge comes here” and all that sort of thing, but we rarely spend time looking at song transitions.  And this is the simplest place to tell if a band has done it’s homework.  Awkward transitions are…awkward…..for everybody!  We’ve all been to a show where there is too much time in between songs and everyone is standing, looking around and all the while momentum is lost.  Don’t give the audience a chance to turn their focus from you, because you may not get it back!  Control your show from before the first note is played to your exit from the stage.  An audience can be like a herd of sheep that are looking to be led.  Lead them thru your show.

So, with this in mind, one of the single most important things you can do before a show is to focus together as a band on 1) How each song starts, (who is gonna start it, who is gonna signal that it is ready to start, if the drummer is just playing a groove, when will everyone else come in together?); 2) How each song ends, (is it a trash-can ending, does it end on the “and of 3”?…or whatever); and 3) What happens between songs (i.e., lead singer needs to grab an acoustic and a stool, there will be talking in between this song, drummer will start a groove underneath talking..etc).  There should always be room for improvisation in a show, but always make sure that you are directing the audience’s attention someplace.  Once they start talking to each other, the band then just becomes an annoyance, especially if they find the conversation more interesting than your performance…and unfortunately that happens…quite often…even to the best.  Don’t give them that chance.

A quick word on talking to the audience.  Have a plan and do your homework.  Prepare things that you want to say and practice them, there is nothing wrong with that.  A lead singer that stammers a lot, loses peoples attention.  If you don’t have some sort of idea what you want to say and some sort of banter down, it is easy for you as the performer to get distracted.  You may be thinking more about the fact that you can’t hear your vocal, or wondering if your guitar is out of tune, instead of  thinking up a clever new set-up for the next song.  This will help develop confidence and eye contact with your audience.

I have seen shows, and been on multi-city tours where the performers say the same basic set ups night after night.  It is still fresh to the audience, as well as security blanket and a resting point for the performer, as they mentally prepare for the next song.  

Remember, most times the crowd is pulling for you and wanting to be led and entertained by you..Lead them.

Playing your position…(ie, knowing your role)

Music in a lot of ways can parallel sports.  Inspiration and lessons can be pulled from studying great players and more importantly great teams.  Putting together a band (or any organization) is a lot like putting together a great Sports team.  

A great team may not have superstars at any position, but they are made of solid players who know their assignments, understand teamwork.  Most importantly, they want to win.  So let’s compare a band to the offense on a football team.

The band leader (coach or quarterback) will tend to have an understanding of everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and how to utilize them properly (ie..if your guitar player isn’t a shredder, don’t ask him to shred).  Set him up for success.  Push your players to get better, but always set your team up to win. 

The lead singer (like the running back) will carry the bulk of the load and it is their goal to do whatever it takes to get the ball in the end-zone.  They are depending upon each player to function in their role so they can score a touchdown.  If there is a “rock star ego” to be seen, it should be primarily from the lead singer. 

A Drummer is comparable to the entire offensive line.  The success or failure of an individual play depends on them performing their assignments well.  They shouldn’t be about the glory.   The line blocks so that everyone else can do what they need to in order to move the ball forward as a team.   If you have a drummer that wants to catch long passes and score touchdowns, then you may want to find another drummer.  They should be all about setting a solid foundation for the other musicians to play to.  If you find your drummer trying to get all the attention by putting in all kinds of fills, or playing way too busy, then the drummer doesn’t properly understand his role in music. 

The Bass Player is probably most similar to a Tight End.  Their main responsibility is being a blocker as well.  They should be most concerned about laying down a solid groove that works in conjunction with what the drummer is doing, to support the goal of the team.  Again, if they are all about being the one in the end-zone with the ball, then they perhaps aren’t filling their role as well.  Occasionally they will get the chance to shine, but that shouldn’t be their main focus.

The Keys and Guitars tend to be more like a Wide Receiver.  Most of the time they have specific blocking assignments….Ie, the guitar player should be very concerned about being  a solid rhythm player as about 85% of what they will do will be just laying down rhythm guitar.  However, sometimes they will be called on to go out for a pass and should be hungry to catch a pass.

In summing up, the bottom line is look for players that want to win as a team.  The ultimate goal is the communication of your music to the audience.   That needs to be the focus.

So, you’ve got a few gigs coming up and are trying to get some musicians to commit to playing with you.  Here’s a great tip…

 Get the best drummer that you possibly can.  If you have $100 to pay your musicians, pay the drummer $85 and buy your guitar player and bass player a chicken sandwich.  (and this is coming from a guitar player!!)  Here’s why…

 A solid drummer who plays appropriate to the style of music can go a long way in making you sound like a superstar.  We have all had gigs where things just didn’t feel right, and even as a band you are looking around the stage trying to figure out why it doesn’t sound good.  Well, it doesn’t, and the audience might not be able to put a finger on it, but they will sense it as well.  You don’t want them leaving the gig with that feeling.

 A Solid drummer will:

 1)         Make everything feel better:  Guitar players are known to rush and play out of the pocket, but they can cover it up with delays, or rock moves or just plain looking cool, and the audience will forgive it or not notice it.  Bass players can do it too, but to a lesser extent, which means if you get more than $100 to pay your band, maybe give the bass player some gas money.  (hint, they will be the next most important one in making things feel good).  A steady, consistent pulse from the drums that has a good feel is the most important step to getting your audience to relax and move.

 2)         Make you more confident as a leader on stage:  You don’t have to worry about keeping the band together, because you know that the drummer will “have your back”, and make it easy for the other musicians to lock in.  It will allow you to focus on delivering your songs and stories with the passion they deserve.

 3)         Make the other musicians “lock in” harder and play better:  They don’t have to worry about keeping time, and they will be able to concentrate on making the music flow and play with dynamics, and ultimately be more focused on complementing the leader, rather than trying to figure out why things don’t feel good. 

 You don’t have to make the discrepancy in pay known to the other musicians and may need to make the drummer keep it quiet, but you only get one chance to make an impression on an audience.  A solid, overall feel of the music can cover up a lot of musical sins on the stage and it will help the people focus on the songs itself.

Zod Tip#1: Music Production Sound Toolbox

It’s a great question…When I was asked this question, I answered it how you probably did…”lemon juice”!  That’s not true though.  You hope it’s lemon juice, but what comes out when a lemon is squeezed is what’s inside.

When you get squeezed, when your stuff gets pushed around, when someone messes with your plans, what comes out is what’s inside…your true character.  If it hasn’t happened already, you’re deal is gonna get squeezed.  What separates you from your competition is what is produced when the squeeze happens?

The pro’s rise above the odds, the pressures, the setbacks, the challenges and they play hurt, but still produce something sweet.  That’s why they are pro’s.  They press on under less than ideal circumstances, persevere, win…and people love that, they love the hero…coming from behind.  It isn’t the winning that built their character, it’s what they did when no one was looking that made the difference.  When no one is looking, what are you doing with your time?  Stop kidding yourself, kick your own butt, and build something great.