בן מנדלסון הוא אחד מהאנשים המשפיעים ביותר בתחום "מוסיקת עולם", המייסד של פסטיבל WOMEX, מפיק נחשב ומוסיקאי מצוין. הוא גם חבר, שהסכים לבקשתי לשמש בתפקיד כפוי הטובה של חבר בועדה האומנותית שחברה את האומנים שהופיעו באירועי החשיפה הבינלאומית לג'אז ולמוסיקת עולם 2014, אותה יזמתי וניהלתי אומנותית עד לשנה הזו.
האירוע התקיים בבית יפו קרייטיב
לבקשתי, בן מנדלסון גם הסכים להשתתף ביום העיון שקיימנו בסיום החשיפה הבינלאומית ונתן הרצאה בלתי נשכחת עבור מי שנכח בה בנושא: "כיצד ממקסמים הופעות בשואוקייסים."
אחרי הההרצאה, ניגשו אלי רבים ושאלו האם היא תועדה. לשמחתי ואני מקווה גם לשמחתכם, בלוגר המוסיקה יובל אראל הקליט בוידאו את ההרצאה כולה ואף נתן לי אישור להעלות אותה.
במקביל, בן מנדלסון העביר לי את תקציר ההרצאה בכתב. והנה ההרצאה כולה לפניכם:
תחילה הקלטת הוידאו של ההרצאה ואחריה תקציר ההרצאה. באנגלית כמובן.
בן מנדלסון: 29 טיפים למיקסום הופעתכם בשואוקייסים
חשוב לקרוא גם: אמיר רוזנס, מנהל להקת רבע לאפריקה: איך לבנות שואוקייס לפנים
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1.
….just a few 'starter' thoughts and points about presenting and performing at a showcase event
2.
Don’t even propose a showcase unless you know why you are doing it
3.
Be honest – WHY?
To launch, re-launch, expand, sustain your career?
For credibility – to say that you have done a showcase at…?
To promote yourself? to promote your country?
To promote your culture?
4.
Work out what is your priority market / non-priority market and why
5.
Think about your performance and your audience.
Don’t 'second-guess' what you think they want.
Be natural: play what you really do!
6.
Reality preparation: the KEY is research, find out. Don’t leave everything (anything) to the last moment.
NEVER ASSUME
Good preparation = good results
7.
Research the venue, stage, who else is in the programme
8.
Create a 'set' that fits the time allowed
Do you have 45 minutes? Rehearse it exactly ‘to time’. Rehearsing it means all of you actually rehearsing it (and more than once) – not making up a 'yeah, that should work' set-list on the way to the showcase.
Include 'get on' and 'get off' time, and song/band introductions time. Don’t forget to say who you are!
Never over-run, and go off stage gracefully and graciously
Be professional: on stage, on time, in tune
9.
Be 'bookable'
Have a support structure: management, agent, PR/media, and a clear line of contact. What do you offer? Can you 'deliver'?
Are you right for the market – not just in your dreams?
[And be fantastic]
10.
Can you bring a sound engineer? Be realistic with sound levels & expectations – don't confuse volume with power
A quieter but balanced sound is usually better than a loud out-of-balance one.
Be respectful of the technical crew – they have many 'showcases' to deal with
11.
Be focused
Communicate (but don't over-do it) – if not confident in English language : prepare
But not a lecture
12.
Have 'your people' around to motivate & follow-up.
If you don't have any 'your people', then be 'your people'
13.
Understand the special nature of showcase (professional) audiences – they may walk out, but it's not about your performance!
They have other showcases to go to, which may be just as important for their professional needs
14.
'Proposals and stuff….!'
15.
Most showcase events work on the basis of showcase performance proposals made by the artists or their representatives. The artists may be chosen by an artistic director or by a jury system.
Propose clearly – 'read the instructions’ and don't miss the deadlines.
Propose what you perform <> perform what you propose
Find out NOW or sooner: do you need a visa to enter the showcase host country?
Many showcase events use a 'Sonicbids' -style online submission process, and most will expect an 'upload' -style process of your supporting material.
Do you have materials ready to upload? Right/compatible formats? EPK?
16.
The upload materials are likely to be (and you need these anyway):
- Brief clear biography (100 words), including instrumentation, go easy on the self-praising superlatives – they eat up valuable word-count!
- Discography
- 3 -5 songs in MP3 format
- Photos
- A complete stage plan and full technical rider, including backline
- Selected press reviews or other text info
- Your relevant online content links (YouTube, Facebook…)
- Current tour dates and professional contacts
17.
If there is a jury: please think about them! They are working hard to get a great programme and have a short attention span – give them your best 'tools'.
Clear information, best (approved) links, think hard about your photographs!
…people hear a lot with their eyes.
Your photographs have to be as communicative and as planned and professional as the rest of your package.
Note: 0f 850 WOMEX proposals, around 4% of showcase proposals get to a WOMEX 'juried' stage.
18.
Showcases cost money
they are an investment in time, money & opportunity.
what is your return on investment?
in terms of (just) money?
quick returns, or in the ‘long-term’, in terms of career or PR? or cultural income?
what do you want?
Think carefully about funding and your resources. What is realistic?
A showcase is an investment, and is a part of your 'business plan'.
19.
Timing: is this the right time (in your career) to be presenting a showcase? Be honest.
Don’t be obsessed with having a showcase performance if you aren’t ready, and don’t know the market
It may be a better investment to attend an event first: to learn, observe, evaluate…..do the research!
20.
Can you deliver what you offer? – can you meet international expectations?
21.
If you get your showcase – communicate it!
Use all of your social networks and promotional moments.
Do contact the showcase professional delegates ahead of time, sure, but don’t email them to death…
22.
The human stuff:
approaching a professional?: make sure you are talking to the right person
don't annoy people by being too pushy
learn to take 'no' for an answer
The right attitude is also an asset and a promotional tool.
Get relationships as well as gigs
23.
Promotional materials:
Think simple, or at least elegant and efficient. Or memorable. But have something!
CDs, simple flyers (not big books, essays), photos.
Business cards.
lots of business cards; and make notes on business cards received so that you remember people whom you have met
(Get someone-else to) proof-read your text and check all contact details and links and make sure that they are current and correct
24.
Have a portfolio with you (it can be analogue – photo album style), can be digital: headphones, laptop.
If asking someone to look at laptop presentation, make it efficient, clear, and brief. Don’t talk through it.
It has to work by itself as a PR presentation. If it only works with you talking through it, then it's not working.
(And it's also very distracting).
Not everyone wants to take something away with her/him/them
25.
By the way, take time to see the other showcase performances. It’s not all about you.
hear the latest talent, learn ‘ the market place‘ and be moved and inspired. support your fellow artists and celebrate your membership of an inspiring community of performers.
it is music, as well as business
26.
Bear in mind that some professionals don't check their 'event bag' until a long time after the event.
This bag may be very full.
Some don't ever check the stuff
27.
email follow-up:
Send an email the following week with more detailed info, to summarise the meeting about your showcase perfomance, or just to say 'thank you‘.
also follow up unsuccessful contacts.
keep promises & follow-up on ideas discussed
analyse:
what was your direct result? what is the potential result?
were there any problems? is there room for improvement?
28.
We are all in the business of 'management of expectations'
29.
My contacts.
ben.mandelson@piranhawomex.com