A weekend with Ischa and Raffi of Uncle Scam

Wow. I am a lazy bitch. I have been saying for months that I want to go out and see more bands and meet more people but as many of you know, I get severe anxiety with new people so I honestly had a lot of trouble with that.  I have made excuses like everyone. See, there are many for anyone and I am willing to bet most of them are the same for most of us.  Have you said to yourself:

I am tired

I worked a lot this week

I need to relax

I have a lot to do

Ill go tomorrow

Maybe next time

No one comes to see me, I’ll try another time. They won’t care.

I don’t know whose playing

I don’t know where to go

I don’t have any money

I am performing all weekend and just can’t make room

On, and on, and on, and on. I have personally said these several times in the past. And do you know what happens? I am mad at myself later for missing out, or for pussing out lol. These aren’t BAD excuses. They’re completely valid. BUT. I learned something reallllly valuable this weekend that I think you all should know. I think we all KNOW these things but the proof is in the pudding people.

I’m Tired: Sleep when you’re dead. No one knows you’re tired. They don’t even know most of the time you’re NOT there (where ever there is) what they DO know, is when you ARE there. I was in love with how everyone knows Raffi and Ischa because it’s their BUSINESS to be there. AND they’re good friends. Those are HARD to find in this business so why wouldn’t you cherish people like that?

I worked a lot this week. Ya. We all did. It’s not like people who go out on the weekend have been sleeping all week.

I need to relax. See above.

I have a lot to do. Ya. Who doesn’t. Do you know how often Ty and I say things like, we need to practice more and then say ‘oh we have a lot to do though’ and then I sit and watch Netflix? Let’s just say logged lazy hours are embarrassing.

I’ll go tomorrow. An opportunity to support a fellow musician, friend, or just be there for something fun is gone every day. Tomorrow never seems to come when you say this.

Maybe next time. See above.

No one comes to see me…… MAYBE it’s because you don’t go to see them? Maybe it’s because they don’t know you? Maybe it’s because they don’t know you’re performing.

I don’t know whose playing. I loved that Ischa and Raffi knew things going on that I had NO idea about. We went to a photography studio Saturday with pole dancers but not strippers. These people were fit, hardcore serious athletes. It was amazing.  And Friday night we went to a show at The Depot for Mutaytor, a band with dancers, fire dancer, belly dancers, and girls in metal undies and sanders creating sparks!  Find people who have a few ideas, throw in your own ideas and spend some time seeing the night life in your city. Things are going on whether you know it or not.

I don’t have any money. Guess what. This is a bull shit excuse. Know how much I spent Friday night? I went to The Depot, Burt’s Tiki Lounge, and a few house parties.   15$. Know how much Ty and I spend Saturday night combined? We went to the photo studio, Piper Down, The Green Pig Pub, and Fat’s Grill. 40$.  I guarantee there’s something else you will do that spends that much money and you didn’t even know it.

I perform a lot this weekend. I really look up to Ischa and Raffi. They perform a lot, record, practice, they seem to be in print all over the place all the time, and yet always make the rounds to see people and be seen. You may not want to admit this but it’s important to be seen. Out of sight out of mind right? But more than that, I had more ‘experiences’ this weekend with 2 new friends than I have in quite a while. Sure I drank a bit but it wasn’t about partying and getting drunk. It was about experiencing what SLC has to offer which is a lot more than I knew. It was exciting to be a part of such adventure and relationship building.

 I also learned, that because my best friend is my partner and we have had the same excuses as everyone else,  I USED to know a LOT of people. I still know them. They don’t know me. Has anyone ever said ‘its not what you know, but who you know?’  You don’t have to be a total user douche to get what you want. Be a genuine person and meet other people and stay genuine and things will come to you.

Thank you Ischa and Raffi. You guys showed me that I could have a good time, without spending hoards of money, and meet new people even if I get nervous in crowds. It was really good for me to see that the idea of show hopping and meeting new people could be done cheaply, and efficiently and was worth the loss of a 11:00 bedtime. (BTW Make sure to check out their new project Minx)

It’s a never ending truth. If you want to be someone, be someone. Don’t sit at home with your talents alone on all your free time wondering why no one knows who you are. You can be the most talented person in the world and people may not know you. Get out. Support each other. But what’s most impressive to me, is making memories with other people and getting gout of your own way. And you will also learn how many talented bands there are that you have never heard. Loom, and The Suicycles are two of my new faves. And remember my last post? How it was about puttin on a show? One of the things it says is to bring your own lights. Loom does that and its Bad Ass!

Seriously, if I can attend several shows with groups of people I don’t know with my crazy anxiety issues, you can. J

Good luck. Go search for some shows you haven’t ever attended this week and make time. Sleep when you’re dead!

Check the pics.

Stage presence and the importance of people noticing

So.  I have been very aware of something lately.  There is this thing that seems to matter a LOT. People noticing you.

For years, I have been aware that people didn’t seem to remember me no matter what I did. Now, if you’re a musician, guess what…that’s bad.  You want, NO NEED people to remember you. If you are not a familiar face, you are the crowd. How can one become successful and prominent if no one knows who you are?

This has become my mission, to be remembered.

We have, in the past, performed places and met new people who we will run into again later and they remember Ty, but not me. I couldn’t figure out why. We have talent, we have drive, and people enjoy our music.

Then I realized that I have always had an understated style. Even when I tried out for American Idol YEARS ago, I wore a blue polo and khaki pants. Earrings were my only jewelry and my make up was everyday. I looked around me and saw people in sparkles and heels and scarves and some very loud clothing and I honestly thought at the time they were ridiculous.

All of a sudden, it isn’t that way anymore. 

One day, after a meet where Ty was recognized and not me, where we were also introduced as Ty and Melody (Its natural to say your friend’s name first even if it’s not the bands name) I went home and put two blonde streaks in my hair. I started pinning the streak in my bangs back and had a sort of Cruella DeVille thing going on.  Slowly, I saw people noticing me. Something SO simple. The hardest transition is from stage to floor. We rarely have a person at a merch booth for us, so if someone forgets who I am between the time it takes for me to walk off stage and get to the merch, they don’t know who to ask to buy it. Right? See where I’m going with this?

I have been seeing that there are a few things, though silly and seemingly political, that are very important to grow a full fan base when it comes to stage presence.

1: People must remember you.

2: Photographers will come to your shows to take your picture. They take tons of pictures in that time, unless you’re standing still and there isn’t a shot. You WANT them to get good shots of you. Why??? Because attendees of your shows see photographers and say ‘wow, they have photographers’ but then, in the follow up, if that photographer gets good shots, and shares them or you buy them, those are exactly the type of press and promotional material every successful musician needs.

3: Dressing in jeans and t shirts is ok. BUT, you have to perform. People come to your gig to be entertained. There is a HUGE difference between a musician and an entertainer. Entertainers make the most money. If you want to do this for a living, you have to make money.

4: Know your songs. I am SOOOOO guilty of not having this one down. My memory has never been good and it’s hard to keep songs in my brain. BUT your confidence isn’t going past your music book if you have one and therefore the audience gets left out.

5: Watch other bands with great stage presence. I recommend Uncle Scam (##1),  The Wayne Hoskins Band, Royal Bliss, and Juana Ghani.

Here are a few articles I found on stage presence. You will all see some changes with us soon as we learn more about movement, dress, and attitude.

http://www.catch-22productions.com/stagepresence.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Stage-Presence-As-a-Lead-Singer

http://www.rockyourguitar.com/how-to-develop-stage-presence-as-a-guitarist/

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/columns/general_music/on-stage_antics_tips_and_suggestions.html

http://www.ehow.com/info_12136847_acting-tips-stage-presence.html

I highly recommend these articles to anyone who cares about their stage presence.

Also, If you don’t know, our CD release is this coming Friday April 20 at Fat’s Grill. 9pm. Dustin and Dave from The Wayne Hoskins Band will open for us and we will play songs from the new album. We are extremely excited about this album. Its our first full length, and we have put a lot into it. We recorded it at our house, wrote all the parts, and Ty did all the album art himself. It’s a great album and we can’t wait to share it with you all.

Thanks for all your support. We love you all.