I Work For A Dot Com

Do you play air guitar in your apartment or attempt to sing in the car or shower? I do.

Before I went to college and graduate school, and long before I became a schoolteacher and employee at Mashable, I wanted to be a rock star. Yes, those people who sell/sold millions of albums, travel the world, and play to arenas full of fans. That was my fantasy job, but then came mp3s, record label layoffs and decreased budgets, rehab facilities, and an increase in ticket prices. Oh, and my ability to sing.

Today, while reminiscing about my rock star dreams, I thought about how musicians make an impact on people. I quickly thought of a few things, wrote a few notes, and decided to focus upon three personalities musicians should possess that compliment each other (in no particular order). These personalities are “recorded”, “live” and “offstage”.

”Recorded”

Whatever format an artist or band chooses to release their work on, this is where the biggest impact will be made. Whether you’re a first-time listener or have seen him/her/them perform live, the recorded music is the one that everyone will refer to (even if it’s not their best material). It’s important that all vocals are in range, all the right chords struck, and the beats are programmed accordingly. You don’t want to become the next Milli Vanilli, so please make us proud.

”Live”

The on-stage presence of a band is what everyone looks forward to. Are you going to stand behind a microphone, or are you going to use every inch of space on the stage to take in the energy of the crowd? The latter is what works. I’ve seen Fiction Plane’s Joe Sumner jump around and off instruments (a drum-kit) on a stage that’s the size of a studio apartment in New York City, and then once again at Madison Square Garden (about the size of an entire floor of an apartment building in New York City). Take advantage of what is offered, and everyone will have a great time. Some other suggestions include:

-Pointing/Sticking out the microphone to the audience to let them sing.

Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan is the best example. Check out how he works the audience!

-Asking the crowd what songs to sing.

This depends on the size of the crowd. I witnessed Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins performing this action at Central Park’s Summer Stage. He received a great response, and then played about 15 of those requests. Epic.

-Try to sound somewhat like the music you record(ed).

16 Volt’s Eric Powell and Filter’s Richard Patrick both have an interesting vocal range. I’ve seen both bands perform live in New York City, and am always blown away by their ability to match the recorded material. Richard Patrick also has one hell of a scream!  

”Offstage”

What you do when you’re not in the studio or touring is your own business. Actually, it’s not. We live in a world where we need to be updated on the current rehab facility that Lindsay Lohan is staying at or what Britney Spears is eating. We don’t care, but we really do. People look forward to the day that you make the ultimate mistake and fall into a downward spiral of pills and hookers. In return, please do us a favor and be a positive role model for the people who listen to your music, especially the children (if they are listening/watching). I don’t think you will ever understand what it was like to teach sixth graders who admire Lil’ Wayne and 50 Cent.  

I do understand that the above is open to interpretation and is missing some important elements. Please feel free to add any comments and/or suggestions, or tell me who your favorite musician is and why.