Most musicians perform daily, working in foreign countries to earn a consistent living. They carry the bare necessities of clothing for stage and day-to-day living, accessories, make-up, toiletries, shoes (and more shoes), laptop, music equipment for performance and little memoirs from family and loved ones. Often traveling nonstop from one destination to the next, jumping off a plane and stepping onto stage - there is no stopping the show for anything.
Body:-With each move from location to location new challenges are faced as each culture in each country is different; some prefer to hear certain songs or genres more than others, some are forbidden to dance or drink and some have a strict dress code. Regardless of all these challenges, the musicians need to find ways to connect with their audience and bring the party to life.
Each day mindsets need to be positive to deliver a daily show, the slightest distraction is not worth any negative influence whilst giving happy energy to an audience that came out to relax and forget their troubles for a while by losing themselves in the music. There is not much time for thinking about what does not work, rather more focus is placed on what can be better through rehearsals and reviewing what can be done differently to capture the audience even more.
Consistency is the key in order to maintain a well-paced life in this environment. Add alcohol and drugs to this and it will not be right for a healthy headset. No-one can survive drinking and drug-taking excessively whilst working every day. These excessive measures will eventually take a downward turn and begin to affect the standards of performance of a musician. Part of the consistency required is the many hours of preparation required before taking to the stage.
Here's a snapshot of a live music artist's daily schedule whilst performing every night:
3am-2pm Sleep
- Female and male singers require a good 10hours sleep per day to heal their voice overnight from the extent they are singing, speaking and hyping out to the audience in order to perform at the same standard for each show. Drummers need to let their bodies rest from the physical impact that constant drumming takes. Other musicians tend use their fingers, hands and arms so much that it can cause strain in upper and lower backs to so need to rest just as much.
2pm-6pm Daily Duties
- Schedule - travel arrangements, luggage weight checks, daily schedule, and meet client of venue for show set-up
- Song preparation - lead vocals, backing vocals, musician parts; song research for choreography; creating forms & sequences; constant reviewing material, rehearsals with band and choreography - 3 hours daily
- Wardrobe and make-up preparation - clothing and laundry, shoes, make-up, nails, hair
- Eat: Staple Diet of ginger, honey, fruit, vegetables, non-fatty meat, herbal tea and eating no-no's of spicy and fatty foods
- Exercise: 3-4 x weekly, strength building and stretching
6pm-8pm - Eat and sleep
8pm-9pm - Dress and Make-Up for Show
9pm-9:30pm - Vocal Warm-up
9:30-10pm - Setup at Venue
10pm-2am: Showtime
- 4 x 45 minutes sets, 3 x 15 minute breaks
- Clothing: 10-12 outfits per week = 2 wardrobe changes per night
- Shoes: Dancing - 4 hours per night in 5-inch stiletto pumps = 1 pair of new shoes every 2 months
- Make-Up (Clinique/MAC/L'Oreal): Apply Make-Up 4 x daily
- Hair: Every 6-8 weeks haircut & highlights, blowdry hair = 2 x daily & styling 4 x daily
2am-3am - Chill time after show
- Massage: Body and feet need TLC after 4 hours of dancing
- Phone and email: Calls to family and friends
- All other spare time: Leisurely activities which are non-stressful
***NB: Each musician has their own schedule***
To live the life of a rock star may seem easy from the outset, but to be a brilliant performer requires commitment and daily stamina to give your full potential. Dedication, determination and delivery are the real elements of a true superstar.
Have you got what it takes and are interested in a job as a live music artist? Female or male singers, drummer wanted and all other musicians' jobs can be found in the classifieds of any global or local magazine, newspaper or on the internet, depending on the area you require to work. Some agencies cover all these regions, so it may be worth sourcing a well known reliable music agent.
No comments:
Post a Comment