The New Economy in Entertainment

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

You’re in entertainment and you’re nervously watching your bank account as compared to the monthly bills that for some reason don’t seem to stop coming in.  (I know, how dare they keep sending those, right?)  You keep working hard and are hoping and praying that music sales will (finally) pick up and/or that more fans and followers will buy merchandise.  You’ve tried crowdfunding, Patreon, an electronic tip jar, and anything else you can think of to make being a performer your full-time job.

But still it’s a case of, “Show me the money,” right?

Stop it.

No, I don’t mean stop being an entertainer.  Keep writing songs or jokes or movies or whatever it is that you do.

However, do it with the knowledge that all those you see who you think are just doing music for their career are actually involved with other ventures too.  You’d be wise to take a page from some of these folks.

For example…

On Episode 222 of “Now Hear This Entertainment” when I interviewed Scott Page, a multi-instrumentalist who has performed with Supertramp, Pink Floyd, and Toto, he talked about also being CEO, President, and Co-Founder of Ignited Network.  And then I saw him in Anaheim this past January at the Winter NAMM Show where he was – being a speaker.

“Gimme a break, Bruce.  I’m a ‘starving artist’ and you’re telling me to suddenly be the co-founder of a company or become a speaker?!”  Not necessarily.

On Episode 238 of NHTE I talked to drummer Mark Schulman, who was calling in from Australia because that’s where P!NK was touring.  But playing in her band isn’t all he does.  He takes being a speaker to another level because of the structure of his talks, but – wait for it – he also has a book he can promote.

Still maybe a little too lofty?  Okay.  Let’s come at this another way.

When I interviewed drummer Chad Cromwell, it was because he had come onto my radar as a drummer for Joe Walsh.  Good gig, right?  But even musicians like that aren’t exclusive.  More recently he has been playing on Kenny Chesney recordings and you’ll see social media posts where he’ll refer to other artists that he’s working with, sometimes even in a producer capacity.  Heck, on our interview he even talked about having played with Neil Young and Mark Knopfler, among others.

Then there are the folks who are helping others in a teaching capacity.  For example, singer/songwriter Whitney Doucet had been on Episode 59 of NHTE, but it wasn’t until she and I chatted prior to my hitting the Record button for what would be Episode 272 that I found out that she also gives voice lessons.  And similarly, Chris Donohue plays bass for Emmylou Harris (and has performed with many others), but during the pandemic I saw him posting about giving lessons online.

And then, yes, there are artists like Shannon Lauren Callihan who I sat and interviewed in Music City – right across the street from the arena where the NHL’s Nashville Predators play and where she gets a steady paycheck from for her full-time Monday-Friday 9-5 job.  I see how tremendously popular her episode of NHTE has been and the fact that she has 118 thousand Instagram followers and it’s easy to assume that she’s doing music full-time.  But folks, exhale, and breathe that sigh of relief that you can stop putting so much pressure on yourself and do something in addition to your entertainment pursuits – and be okay with it.

Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets with what you’re doing in addition to your singing, your songwriting, your recording, your acting, your comedy, or whatever entertainment pursuit you’re mainly focused on.  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email to continue the conversation.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

The Online Cream Will Rise to the Top – Production and Performance Counts

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

I wish that I didn’t have to write about this topic.  And I actually wouldn’t mind being proven wrong about this – sooner than later!  But for now, revisit what you’re doing online-performance-wise, and fine tune every aspect until it’s a well-oiled machine.

When you perform live in a traditional live music setting, you want the attendees to have a good experience, right?  You recognize that they’ve taken time to put themselves together, drive to a venue, devote their night to seeing you, and for that you want them to get enjoyment from it and, of course, buy your music and/or merchandise as well as stay engaged with you (i.e., email list, social media).

So, you need to create an equally memorable experience when you’re performing online – even if the attendees didn’t have to leave their house and likely aren’t dressing the same way they would’ve to go see your show in-person.

Why am I writing about performing online – especially only five weeks after I published a blog along similar lines?  As much as we’re all sick of hearing about it, the Coronavirus is not going away anytime soon.  Maybe some numbers will help you see it more clearly.

Here in Florida the numbers have gotten bad.  Real bad.  According to the Tampa Bay Times, the sunshine state “added nearly 3,500 new cases (yesterday).  In just ten days, infections tracked by the state Department of Health have more than doubled.  If recent trends hold, Florida will surpass 100,000 today.”

While it has been encouraging to see live music starting back up as restaurants and similar establishments have reopened – albeit at reduced capacity – it’s not to say that everything is better.  Three notable music venues in the greater Tampa Bay area that were to reopen this past weekend ended up taking a pass and will stay closed, all because of Covid-19 reasons.

Just under two weeks ago a truly alarming statistic was reportedby NPR, who said that 90% of independent clubs, festivals, and other music venues could close – permanently.

So, if you thought that Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Instagram Live, and other livestreaming platforms were just band-aids to get you through the pandemic that you thought was over (or ending), think again.

By this point everyone has heard of Dr. Anthony Fauci.  He and well-respected medical professionals like him are not issuing an optimistic forecast for the rest of the calendar year, never mind the start of 2021.

So again, check your broadband connection, your hardware, and your software.  Look at your home “stage.”

I had a guest on “Now Hear This Entertainment” tell me recently that they’re planning to make online performances a standard part of their regular schedule even if/when things do open back up.  Don’t be naïve and think you can just wait it out and that lots of venues will be throwing their doors open and their arms to welcome you back.

Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets with your thoughts.  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email to continue the conversation.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

From Performance Reality Shows to Out-of-Sight, Out-of-Mind?

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

Can you name five “American Idol” winners since the show’s inception?  What if I said that you can’t include Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood?  Then could you?

The truth is, it’s what you do with your time on and, more importantly, after those shows that can keep your name top of mind, whether you have that number 1 entry on your performance résumé or not.

Consider Brielle Von Hugel (pictured) who was one of the Top 12 girls’ semi-finalists on Season 11 of “American Idol.”  You’d be tempted to stop me right there and say, “Top 12?  After I just came up empty trying to name five winners on the show?!”  The singer/songwriter has stayed relevant because she parlayed her appearance on the show – and her great talent – to a spot in Postmodern Jukebox.  (Hear my interview with Brielle Von Hugel here.)

Sports fans can name league champions, but can they remember the runner-up?  On the eighth season of “American Idol” (2009), Adam Lambert was the runner-up.  Yes, the same Adam Lambert who went on to front the legendary rock band Queen.

On “NowHear This Entertainment” I have interviewed a great number of participants from “American Idol,” “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent,” and “The X Factor.”  Some folks have been on more than one of those shows, including one who, at last check, was selling cars.  Oops.  On a couple occasions I’ve also met someone who was on “The Voice” and touted that for many years, only to now be a lifestyle blogger whose music website no longer comes up, nor is the link for their music page on Facebook working anymore.

These are TV shows.  They are looking for participants who will stand out.  That’s only half the job, though.  You also need to make sure you’re building up your fan base.  But, concurrently, timing is everything.  This is not the time to procrastinate.  In our what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, short attention span society, you will quickly be forgotten if you delay in trying to leverage your appearance to get other opportunities OR if you think that by being on the show you can just sit back and wait for the phone to ring and/or your email Inbox to fill up.

This is where connections, your team (publicist, manager, etc.), and your willingness to work tirelessly and say Yes to (almost) everything have to be firing on all cylinders.

Alisan Porter (who, as seen in the accompanying photo, I interviewed earlier thisyear) has done it all – actress, singer, songwriter, dancer.  And oh, by the way, she WON “The Voice” Season 10 but that’s not all she’s known for.  You use the reality show platform so that you can also get acting gigs, modeling gigs, and yes, singing work, but – and here’s the key – without having to always be “As see on American Idol” (or “As seen on The Voice”).

Your goal should almost be to get so much work, so many other bigger and better opportunities that your reality show TV appearance just becomes one more entry in your long bio – not the lead item.

You thank people, you reply to comments on your social media posts, you pose for pictures, you answer emails and texts in a timely fashion, you do all the interviews that come your way, you sit in on meetings and listen to what someone might have for you, and you do all of this (and more) with humility.  The “I’m on (insert reality show here).  I’m too big to sit and listen to this” attitude will get you nowhere – fast.  Ask those who’d now just as soon forget they were ever on there.  And then ask yourself, do you want to be them, or do you want to be Brielle Von Hugel, Adam Lambert, and Alisan Porter?

Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets with your thoughts.  Alternatively, use Facebook, LinkedIn, or even email to continue the conversation.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.