October 8, 2014
Performance Coaching
What a weekend! We brought up Amy Wolter, of Tom Jackson Productions in Nashville, to help us re-work our shows with some amped-up live music production! Tom and Amy have worked with major artists like Taylor Swift and The Band Perry, but also hundreds of indie artists – to improve their shows and make them better performers. We rented out the Lantern Church in Inglewood (what an amazing stage), where we plan to have our CD Release show in a couple of months.
Why did we need performance coaching? Well, I’ve seen Tom speak at conferences time and time again such as CCMAs, and Canada Music Week, and then I bought his DVDs and book…but EVERY TIME I’ve seen him, he is absolutely amazing working with bands on stage and showing them how to really get their songs delivered with higher impact. (He takes bands as they perform a song and works with them in front of an audience — so you see the band evolve — it’s a stunning before and after!) I have thought over and over WE NEED THIS! And as hard as I’ve tried to apply this through watching the DVDs, I knew we’d never really be able to do it unless we bit the bullet and hired the real pro to show us how the principles can be applied to OUR music. And with our 3rd CD almost ready, I thought NOW or NEVER!
The 16 hours of rehearsing Amy this weekend was amazing. She managed to pull us out of our comfort zones, but not terrify us either! She tried all sorts of things with us – moving us around, switching instrumentation, changing arrangements…..and coached us on how to carry ourselves with authority on stage. We’ve got a whole new outlook on how to make the most of the music and the way we deliver it onstage. It’s like a different band. Like a whole new level of professionalism. Yes, we have to work our butts off to remember it all and settle it in, but it’s going to be a serious game changer. Luckily Gary was there to videotape it all and take notes. My son George also sat in on lead guitar so we’d have that role ready to go for filling when we get that spot settled. He really did great though — knows my songs well, and great input.
Here’s some of what came out of this:
- How to NOT stay behind our instruments all night
- How to make creative and surprising moments in songs
- How to involve the audience at the right moments
- How to re-arrange songs into a longer stage format that highlights the musicality
- How to build a set list that flows in levels of intensity
No, it’s not choreography – it’s live music production. And the effects are stunning. I don’t want to spill the beans on what to expect, but you WILL NOT want to miss our CD Release show! It’ll be a whole new level of IMPACT!
