Learning The Gig...

Is different than being good at the gig.

It takes a while to learn the notes, chords, transitions, steps, lighting cues, and memorize the setlist. But with a handful of rehearsals and shows it’s no problem

But being good at the gig is something beyond learning the gig. It’s what you do with the learning. When you don’t have to put energy anymore into focusing on the mechanics, what do you do with that energy?

»» And if you’re the one offering the gig…

You’ve put time, energy and resources into bringing in someone new, teaching the mechanics of the gig. And you might find out after all that, that they’re not good at the gig. It’s tough to let go of those sunk costs. Not only are there actual sunk costs, but you want to be right about picking who you picked.

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Reduced To A Click

First Monday of the month means a new Hum Love playlist on Spotify and Apple

You spent all that time getting the kick drum to sound just right. Whether you were mic’ing it up or scrolling through sound banks and carving out EQ and getting it to thump just right in the mix…you got it dialed in. It sounds great in the mix.

And then someone, a new listener, listens to your song on their phone. No headphones, no studio monitors, no cranking it up in the car. Just half volume on phone speakers. All that work on the sound of the kick drum has been reduced to a clicky sound on a phone.

All that time you spent was still worth it.

You have some control in the creative process and very little in the consumption process.

That’s the deal.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Learning From The First One

When you try something for the first time you can learn a lot from it.

But before dwelling on it and eeking every last bit of learning you can out of it…go do it again.

Twenty more times.

Then you’ll be able to see some things.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

What To Tackle

When we know what we have to tackle, we’ll do it.

When we don’t know what to tackle, we don’t even try.

We often process difficulty much easier than the unknown.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Coming Up In The Clubs

When you’re coming up in the small clubs you can’t lean on production to look good and win fans.

There’s a few tricks you can pull off but in small clubs you can’t mask poor performance skills. It’s just too small. People can see.

And the good thing is (although it may be uncomfortable at the time), you feel that pressure on stage. The pressure to be better because you have to be if you’re gonna book this club again.

The small club is where you learn to fill a room with your presence and power. It’s scary. There’s no hiding. But when it clicks it’s real and you get to take it with you forever.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Terrible vs Amateur

An amateur is someone who is still learning, a hobbyist, someone who loves the process regardless of outcome and isn’t doing it professionally.

An amateur (or tinkering hobbyist) is never doing a terrible job. They’re simply doing it, and that’s the whole purpose. There’s no criticism.

It’s the amateur masquerading as a professional who is in danger of being labeled terrible.

When you tip into calling yourself a professional, it’s a posture of standing behind your work. Professionals put themselves up for criticism, and will get compared to others in the field. In every field there’s an unspoken undefined level that people believe you’re at if you advertise yourself as a pro. If you aren’t to that level, you might not actually be terrible…but the gap between consumer expectations and reality might get you that label.

»» If your intent is to go from amateur to professional, be upfront about what you can offer and what they can expect.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple