We're back and I can finally download my pictures. I saw something that really caught my eye while away. Let's see if you can figure it out.
New Daddy A Go Go video
Everybody's favorite rockin' daddy, John Boydston, just released a video from his Rock of All Ages CD, "School Bus Driver (The Stop Song)". Crank it up!
Preparing For A Performance
You have hired a children's musician for your venue. What next? It is time to prepare the venue and audience for the performance. Here are some items to consider:
Weeks prior to the performance:
1) Inform the staff and child audience that the musician is coming (date, time, purpose of visit, etc.).
2) Publicize the event with flyers and photographs. Many musicians have Media Kits for publicity purposes. This kit may include a press release, publicity flyer, photograph and sample songs or video clips.
3) Invite the local media to cover the event. The media is often looking for "good news" photos and articles to put in the paper, on the radio or on TV. The media is your friend!
4) Ask for artist study guides if available. Copy and distribute the guides to staff and audience. Study guides offer pertinent information about the artist, their work and how the scheduled performance relates to curriculum.
5) Ask for order forms for the musician's products (DVDs, CDs, videos, books and merchandise). Many venues pre-order musician's products and use them prior to the performance in order that the child audience may become familiar with the musician's work.
6) Contact the musician a week prior to the performance to re-confirm and go over final details.
7) Discuss audience etiquette and behavior expectations with venue staff and child audience.
Day of the performance:
1) Make sure the performance space is clean and clear of debris and furniture.
2) Make sure the musician has total access to the space 30-60 minutes prior to the performance to set up equipment and sound check.
3) Reserve a parking space nearest the performance location for easy loading of equipment. Ramp access is preferred.
4) Make sure the musician has access to an electrical outlet.
5) Be available or assign someone to direct the musician to the performance space.
6) Discuss the best seating arrangement with the musician for optimum audience viewing and enjoyment. Be flexible. The musician knows their show best and often has a preferred seating arrangement in mind.
7) Provide a sales table for musician's products and assign a person to staff the table during the performance if possible.
8) Allow ample time prior to the performance to assemble the children in the performance space.
9) Begin the performance on time.
10) Introduce the musician to the audience.
11) Remind staff and audience about audience etiquette and behavioral expectations.
12) Assist with audience management and audience etiquette during the show if necessary.
13) Enjoy the show.
14) Assist with audience dismissal.
15) Confer with the musician after the performance to brainstorm ways to make the next event even better.
16) Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
-Johnette Downing
Copyright 2003 Johnette Downing
Weeks prior to the performance:
1) Inform the staff and child audience that the musician is coming (date, time, purpose of visit, etc.).
2) Publicize the event with flyers and photographs. Many musicians have Media Kits for publicity purposes. This kit may include a press release, publicity flyer, photograph and sample songs or video clips.
3) Invite the local media to cover the event. The media is often looking for "good news" photos and articles to put in the paper, on the radio or on TV. The media is your friend!
4) Ask for artist study guides if available. Copy and distribute the guides to staff and audience. Study guides offer pertinent information about the artist, their work and how the scheduled performance relates to curriculum.
5) Ask for order forms for the musician's products (DVDs, CDs, videos, books and merchandise). Many venues pre-order musician's products and use them prior to the performance in order that the child audience may become familiar with the musician's work.
6) Contact the musician a week prior to the performance to re-confirm and go over final details.
7) Discuss audience etiquette and behavior expectations with venue staff and child audience.
Day of the performance:
1) Make sure the performance space is clean and clear of debris and furniture.
2) Make sure the musician has total access to the space 30-60 minutes prior to the performance to set up equipment and sound check.
3) Reserve a parking space nearest the performance location for easy loading of equipment. Ramp access is preferred.
4) Make sure the musician has access to an electrical outlet.
5) Be available or assign someone to direct the musician to the performance space.
6) Discuss the best seating arrangement with the musician for optimum audience viewing and enjoyment. Be flexible. The musician knows their show best and often has a preferred seating arrangement in mind.
7) Provide a sales table for musician's products and assign a person to staff the table during the performance if possible.
8) Allow ample time prior to the performance to assemble the children in the performance space.
9) Begin the performance on time.
10) Introduce the musician to the audience.
11) Remind staff and audience about audience etiquette and behavioral expectations.
12) Assist with audience management and audience etiquette during the show if necessary.
13) Enjoy the show.
14) Assist with audience dismissal.
15) Confer with the musician after the performance to brainstorm ways to make the next event even better.
16) Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
-Johnette Downing
Copyright 2003 Johnette Downing
Performing Biz
Hey Musicians!
Do you need a little help with the performing biz? Well look no further! Check out Jeri Goldstein's Performing Biz.com at http://performingbiz.com/. Her book, workshops, seminars, consultations, retreats and weekly hot tips guide musicians step by step into booking and managing their own careers with ease. Also check out her contracts and forms resource which helps organize and simplify the day to day paperwork of running your own music business. Your clients will love you and applaud your business savvy!
Do you need a little help with the performing biz? Well look no further! Check out Jeri Goldstein's Performing Biz.com at http://performingbiz.com/. Her book, workshops, seminars, consultations, retreats and weekly hot tips guide musicians step by step into booking and managing their own careers with ease. Also check out her contracts and forms resource which helps organize and simplify the day to day paperwork of running your own music business. Your clients will love you and applaud your business savvy!
time to relax
It's been a few days since I posted last. We are on vacation, and I needed some private time with my family. It's so important to take time to refresh yourself mentally and physically. I'm not just talking about vacations either. You should take time out of each day to relax. You will reap the benefits of lower blood pressure and a clearer mind. If you include your children in some of that time, they will be able to learn some great relaxation tricks too. Learning how to relax is not an instinctual thing. Here are my top 10 favorite things when I'm looking to relax. Feel free to post your favorites here too!
- singing
- the sound of rain on a tin roof
- the smell of a campfire
- the sound of a babbling creek
- rocking on a porch swing
- taking a walk
- the sound of a whippoorwill
- bubble baths
- the smell of evergreens
- reading a book
Friday Free-for-All # 14
Dustin Type, Dustin and the Leftover PancakesUncluttered, VERY happy rock and roll songs from LA-based children's music teacher Dustin Tiep. Lots of rip-roarin' guitar solos from Glen West on songs about colors, numbers, letters, pets, trains, and food. One of the best lines comes from "The Number Song (Something Special)": 'The number 16 likes expensive jeans'. Tiep's style (like a low-key Brady Rymer) and lyrical content make Leftover Pancakes one of the few CDs aimed at preschoolers that really hits its target audience.
Steve Pullara and His Cool Beans Band, Zooboogie!Pullara's Broadway-like tunes celebrate a veritable encyclopedia of animals on Zooboogie! This Pennsylvania-based kids' music veteran covers habitats, animal features, and animal baby names, as well as getting in a little metaphor and simile practice. And listen for covers of Sammy Kahn and Jimmy Van Heusen's "High Hopes"; and "The Mouse", written by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer for Soupy Sales!
I knew network TV was a bottomless pit of crap, but...
Here's a response from the Zero To Three organization about summer "entertainment" offered up by one of the major television networks:
Yosi live @ Shipyard Park
The family and I saw Yosi tonight at Hoboken's Shipyard Park. Beautiful night, big crowd, and flying bicycles (see below).
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