Keep Playing…

Another thing that I learned while I was in Nashville was about the beginnings of Elvis’s performing career. I don’t remember who wrote it (it was a band member, or agent) said that, “Elvis got on stage, jumped around and carried on, then the bass player would start carrying on, then the next guy. ” … Continue reading “Keep Playing…”

Another thing that I learned while I was in Nashville was about the beginnings of Elvis’s performing career. I don’t remember who wrote it (it was a band member, or agent) said that, “Elvis got on stage, jumped around and carried on, then the bass player would start carrying on, then the next guy. ” What they were doing onstage was playing around and having fun.


One of the bands I saw in Nashville was had four performers (only three are pictured) and only one of them was having fun onstage. In the band the bass player was having a blast, or at least he did a dang good job acting that he was having a ton of fun. His enthusiasm really carried across the audience.

When you are on stage, have fun and play around. Try something new, be whatever your version of silly is, and whatever your version of comedy is, don’t be so serious.

Have Fun…

Last weekend I went to Nashville and saw some live music at some of the bars in The District. One of the things that struck me was that there were a lot of good musicians, but not a lot of good performers. I guess it’s harder to be both. I think that one of the … Continue reading “Have Fun…”

Last weekend I went to Nashville and saw some live music at some of the bars in The District. One of the things that struck me was that there were a lot of good musicians, but not a lot of good performers. I guess it’s harder to be both. I think that one of the two comes more naturally than the other to most people.


What I noticed was that people onstage looked like they were working, not having fun. What you want in a show is someone that looks like they are having a blast. Yes, there are moments where you should look like you are working, but in most cases you should look like you want to be there.


The easiest way to look like you are having fun is to smile. That’s the most effective way to show an audience you like what you’re doing. Why do a lot of performers not smile? I’m guessing they don’t practice their show while smiling. Their faces default is the face they have when they practice. The simple solution is to practice smiling while you practice!