Everyone benefits from critiques, but not enough artists receive them. The Young Performers Club show competitors top input from our showcase series is that they want to receive both live and written performance critiques. We have provided written critiques from the judging panel in a few of our showcases, but the hardest part is that we sometimes get asked questions on specific comments which we can’t answer since we were not involved in the judging process. Setting up a consistent critique structure is highly recommended.
Many performers receive feedback from their teachers, family and industry professionals, but they don’t as often receive feedback from their own band members or peer musicians.

In a coaching session with a band in our development program, Catching Arrows, the national touring band, The House on Cliff, commented on how important their critique sessions are to the development and success of the band. They will review band footage after their shows and openly discuss weaknesses, strengths and opportunities for improvement. Many times they were unaware of the observations made, so they feel seeing the performance footage is super helpful. The videos also provide them information on the crowd’s engagement and interaction with the band and their music.

The Catching Arrows Band has set up a collaborative practice with another peer band, Far Reach, for the purpose of doing a stage presence clinic and critiquing each other’s performances. This is an easy session to set up, and it can prove to be very beneficial for all participants.

Critiques don’t always need to focus on the band’s weaknesses, but should also focus on the areas they are strong so they can make sure they incorporate those strengths into each and every gig.

What to look for in your critiques:

•Is the band having fun?
•Does the band look happy to be performing at the event?
•Do the band members connect and engage with the audience and fans?
•Do the band members see and look out at the audience or could they just as well be performing in a basement?
•Are the band members connecting with each other?
•Does the band use the stage space well?
•Is the band relating to the music and rhythm of the songs?
•Are there any recognized technical mistakes?
•Do the vocalists connect well on harmonies and with their stage presence?
•Does the band look confident throughout their performance?
•Are the band members paying attention to each other so they are in sync?
•Does the band show their personalities?
•Are there too many unnecessary guitar or drum fills?
•Does the band feel the music?
•Is the set well balanced and does it keep everyone’s attention?
•Are the band dynamics recognizable?

Some of the most valuable feedback can come from your bandmates, and making this a routine exercise will strengthen the overall band relationships. It is exciting to see the band make progress, and the critiques will only contribute to the progress made. The critique process can also help band members demonstrate the respect they have for each other, and being open with each other will help the band be tighter both on and off the stage. Play hard and critique harder!

The Young Performers Club receives calls from bands all over the country regarding band challenges that get in the way of band success. It is difficult to escape band drama completely, so there needs to be a system in place for managing it. Allowing discord to get out of control will most definitely take the fun out of the process and ultimately could result in the band members parting ways.

Below are some of the issues that can ignite band drama along with some suggested solutions.

• Lack of commitment by all band members. When one band member is not serious and shows up late, and misses gigs and other important events, it impacts the whole band.

• Parents exercising control over every move the band makes. It is difficult to get a consensus when you have 15 or so individuals involved. We recommend that the bands work out as much of the decisions on their own. This is great for social development and negotiating skills

• Disagreement over song choices. Everyone wants their song choices to make the set list, but the set list is always evolving and with patience everyone will see their chosen songs performed live and make it on the set list. We suggest making a master set list and listing all the songs under consideration, along with a timeline for when they will be tested out with the band.

• Lack of agreement on the practice schedule. If you have no consistent practice plan, you will see little progress made in the band’s development, so it is advisable the band establish a schedule for at least three months, so everyone understands the overall commitment and can plan their calendars accordingly.

• Differences of opinion over performing covers versus originals, and how the time will be allocated to each. This is typically be a hot issue will all band members and it determines the type of band you want to be. Having a discussion on these plans before the band begins to practice is a good idea.

• Jealousy when some band members get more stage time or attention than others. Sometimes this is driven by the specific role the band member has in the band. It is best to select songs that allow each band members to have the spotlight on specific songs.

• Band members outside commitments. Many young musicians are in multiple bands so they need to prioritize their commitments. If a band member misses a gig due to having another gig with another band that will not be easily accepted by the bandmates. Knowing about these commitments early on will help, and having a backup plan in place is strongly recommended.

• Parents being overly aggressive and booking events without discussing it with the band and parents who invite specific band members to do other music events without letting all band members know. This can cause major unrest and havoc within the band. Feeling left out can result in challenging relationship issues and uneasy emotions. When these cases evolve, the parents need to have a parent meeting so there are no lingering hard feelings.

• Not being on the same page on gigs, financial commitments, training, song choices, recording, etc. Managing a band is similar to managing a corporation so you need an infrastructure in place for managing the process.

Having been in the management/development process with bands for over fourteen years, our number one recommendation has always been to address issues as they happen, and be consistent with parent meetings. Coda Sky has been managed for five years, and our newest band, Catching Arrows, has been together for seven months. These two bands have a great group of parents and the performers and parents all respect each other. Both bands operate by a detailed Communications Agreement which addresses day to day band management and future decision making processes.

The band members know when there is band drama, even if the parents try to keep it quiet. This causes silent stress and can get to the point where the band members don’t want to continue with the band. All it takes is for one parent or band member to make a comment about another member, and have it get back to the band. This creates trust issues, causes major insecurities and overall paranoia. Bands need to focus on the positives and let that energy drive the band forward.

Parent meetings and band member only meetings are critical to the band’s success. It provides a great forum for discussing the band’s progress and addressing any issues that could cause unneeded band drama.

It is about having fun, getting recognition, celebrating success and establishing powerful relationships. Band drama eats away at progress and stalls the band’s success. Avoiding drama will be challenging, and it requires focus and open communications every step of the way.

“Youth musicians need greater exposure, and to be seen and heard loud and clear. These hard working young performers deserve much more support and attention than they are getting.”-Founding partners of All You Got Tour

Our performers, sponsors and All You Got Tour Team will give it all they’ve got to make the debut All You Got Tour tour a standout, one-of-a-kind entertainment extravaganza. We are empowering teens and young adults about the value of giving back to society. Being able to inspire and entertain thousands of young adults, benefits all who participate. Music education and participation is known to have positive effect on academic performance, sense of community, confidence and self-esteem. Collaboration with other artists and audiences, inspires creativity and emotional commitment.

Patty Duffey, President of the Young Performers Club, and Jackie LoGiudice, President of Next Generations Concerts, created the tour based on their dedication to showcase talented and hard-working 21 and under youth musicians to provide them unique opportunities to demonstrate their love of music and performing to engaging audiences. The tour shows will be a powerful mix of the arts along with influential speakers passionate about important social issues; anti-bullying and youth drug prevention.

The All You Got Tour’s name was inspired by the following tour objectives.

• Motivate, inspire and educate young musicians
• Present impressive high achieving musicians/artists to all types of audiences and events
• Support music charities focused in the arts
• Obtain sponsors to support young musicians participation in the tour
• Expand awareness on important social issues facing our youth
• Improve the visibility and opportunities in the young performer market
• Change the future direction and resume content of every tour artist that participates
• Provide artists supportive services to strengthen their brand
• Make every artist feel like proud tour stars
• Enhance communities with a diverse mix of the arts

Patty and Jackie recognize the ongoing struggle to locate quality performance opportunities for young musicians ages 21 and under. There are few all ages’ venues and most large festival stages are filled by older well-known artists. For almost ten years we have been calling venues, clubs and event managers to find performance spots for talented young performers, only to not be taken seriously or be told definitively “no, we don’t don’t do all ages shows”. With our mission to keep the performers motivated and happy, we have been fortunate to locate a few venues, that have welcomed our performers and provided them unique opportunities. Our universal love for music, passion for seeing young performers advance their careers, and commitment to showcase outstanding talent to our communities and give back to society, has gotten us excited to build the tour into a well sought after entertainment event.

Positive Message

Because the team at All You Got Tour understands the power of music combined with a captive audience, we are dedicated to present performances with a positive message. We build relationships with organizations that promote healthy lifestyle choices and educate on topics such as, addiction, bullying and positive support. We will be placing some speakers, artists and community leaders in between the sets of our youth bands. All the time is filled all the while embracing the opportunity to teach something. We only maintain sponsorship relationships with companies and products that are held high in moral standard.

The Tour’s Mission

• Offer a successful youth music tour for 21 and under artists and bands that offers quality performance opportunities, career enhancement, artist development growth and exposure to important social issues.

• Inspire, motivate and educate young artists and tour audiences by combining music and positive messages shared by community speakers and role models.

• Offer a unique career changing experience for young performers, and inspire them to make healthy decisions by embracing the art of imagination and creativity.

• Present spokespeople for anti-bullying, drug prevention and education, and healthy lifestyles. Tour artists will connect with their audience in a fun, positive way.

The All You Got Tour has many tour stops booked with new stops being added each week at camps, venues, festivals, schools and more. Tour performer auditions will take place in Boston in April 2017, and all genres are welcome. On March 19^th the tour will have its Pre-Tour Kickoff Show at Breakaway in Danvers, MA. The show will include musicians, bands, singers, artists and special speakers.

We are confident everyone who sees our tour will recognize the power of the arts. This excitement will provide us great momentum and growing opportunities for young performers and artists.

We will give it all we’ve got to make the 2017 All You Got Tour an experience which will change the careers of young musicians and excite audiences with talent from musicians and artists that will give it all they’ve got to entertain audiences throughout New England and beyond.-Patty and Jackie

What is a stage parent?

We hear the term “stage parent” every day. Usually it is in the following context:

• That mom is a total stage parent!
• Stay away from that performer. You won’t want to deal with the kid’s stage parents.
• The kid’s stage parents think their kid is going to be the next Justin Bieber.
• The kid’s stage parents think they can do everything on their own, and better than anyone else can.
• The kid’s stage parents think their kid is going to make millions and get signed by a major label.
• The kid’s stage parents don’t recognize the value you add to their kid’s artist development.
• The kid’s stage parents put themselves and their young performer first more often than not, with little consideration or respect for others involved.

But what does the term “stage parent” really mean? Here is the Wikipedia definition.

“The mother will often drive her child to auditions, make sure he or she is on the set on time, etc. The term stage mother sometimes has a negative connotation, suggesting that the individual is prone to obnoxiously demanding special treatment for her child, or suggesting that the individual has placed inappropriate pressure on her child to succeed. Some believe that a ‘stage mom’ is vicariously living out her own dreams through her children.”

Every parent with a young musician is seriously involved in managing their child’s performance, practice, and engagement activities, so in this sense all parents are stage parents. There are, however, wide ranging classifications for stage parents with some considered accommodating and respectful, while others are considered high maintenance, burdensome, abusive, and self-serving. One entertainment lawyer indicated that she had to fly to LA for a parent meeting since the manager could not meet alone with the parents due to their obnoxious behavior. Another prominent artist management group out of NYC informed us they were dropping a young artist due to the fact the mother was a bully and outrageously abusive. The mother wouldn’t take “no” for an answer and expected the young performer to get booked with every interview or showcase presentation. In this case, she interfered with the management company so much that they couldn’t move in a positive direction. Nothing was considered acceptable and every gig booked required over a hundred pieces of correspondence. The scrutiny was on every level, from the smallest of details like photo cropping to the show production details. It required a team of managers to address all issues. With one issue, the mother saw a friend of the performer get her music on a local TV station, so the mother contacted us and demanded we have her child on the show that same day. This stage mom’s reputation carried with her and her young performer on both a regional and national level. Once the reputation is established, it is very difficult to reverse the damage. This young performer has not achieved the level of stardom they were after, but maybe once she is an adult and can work independently that will change.

In the Young Performer Showcase events, we have had parents push and swear at other parents in line waiting to get into shows, speak inappropriately to judges and show staff, and demonstrate poor sportsmanship openly by speaking unfavorably about other performers. It is shocking behavior that is not forgotten.

The stage parent stories continue on a daily basis and many are hard to hear. We hear from band parents across the country and, in some cases, have counseled them on the best way to manage tough situations. It is important to help anyone that is trying to help your child succeed. Being supportive, respectful, and realistic of the team you are working with will make it easier to achieve success. There are artists who simply are not contacted for gigs based on their parent’s reputations.

As Patricia Duffey, President of the Young Performers Club states, “managing a band is like managing a major corporation.” You have up to five sets of parents plus band members, and everyone has their own opinions and agendas. Arriving at a consensus on simple decisions can be a taxing and frustrating process. With twelve years’ experience in managing artists, we have experienced both highs and lows along the way with each and every decision requiring careful management. Bands break up because everyone wants to control and dominate the decision making and band development process. Below are some examples of this behavior.

• Band member wants to make all the gig and practice decisions.
• Band member feels he/she contributed the most to the project and deserves to be compensated more for it.
• Band member feels he/she is above needing to practice and attend all band sessions.
• Band members refuse to comply with management requests and are disrespectful in the process.
• Band parent feels the gig is not big enough for the band to do.
• Band members dominate decision making and don’t listen to other band member ideas and views.
• Band parent feels their young performer is better and wants to move more aggressively.
• Band member feels he/she can direct the band on the song choices and genre direction.
• Band member’s ego takes over and his/her vision is not in alignment with the band.

Without a manager overseeing the band development process, emotions and relationship challenges can interfere with progress. Bands should work together, and all that they do should be a collaborative effort. Band agreements are helpful in defining the expectations, management process, and overall relationships of the band.

People will promise you stardom for their own financial benefit, but all opportunities need to be thoroughly researched. If a management company tells you your child will get signed with a record label if you leave the group you are with and join their new group, you better have an agreement executed. This scenario happened with a young artist we worked with years ago, and five years later the young artist is still not signed. This happens all the time and you need to be very cautious. A new band we formed five years ago had band members approached directly by industry contacts after just one gig. While this is exciting, your excitement needs to be tamed and proper research needs to be done.

The Young Performers Club works with amazing parents. Some advice to avoid being classified as a “stage parent” that people will not want to work with follows.

• Be respectful and appreciative of each and every opportunity.
• Be open-minded and listen to all opinions, plans and ideas.
• Be helpful in any way you can, without interfering with committed plans.
• Be supportive of all other artists and refrain from showing jealousy over another’s success.
• Be considerate of all band members and others you engage with in the development of your young artist.
• Be professional and mature, and avoid showing emotion over insignificant details.
• Be low maintenance and well organized, having all important information maintained in an easy to find location.
• Be careful to not verbally attack other artists or artist development professionals.
• Be realistic and if the present situation is not meeting your expectations communicate your reasons directly to management. Gossiping with other sources versus providing direct feedback is very unprofessional and disrespectful.
• Be open with your opinions, ideas, and suggestions for ways to support the band or young artist.
• Be aware of the various artist management roles and don’t step on others’ toes.
• Be interested and responsive to management and others involved in the development process.

Industry professionals work with challenges every day, but if they can avoid working with a confrontational and difficult to manage stage parent, they will pass on working with some outstanding talent. Talent is only part of the equation for achieving success in the music industry as parent manageability is just as important. Supporting the artist development team is key in maintaining positive momentum, and negative interference will only delay progress and stir up emotions. Time is valuable and needs to be used productively at all times.

The Young Performers Club has been booking shows for almost ten years, and we continue to be stunned by the lack of seriousness and effort in responding to gig opportunities. Of the 700+ shows we have participated in, there have been commitment issues more frequently than not. It is better to respond you are not available than to not respond at all? People have taken the time to consider you for their show or event, so it is entirely disrespectful and unprofessional to ignore these calls and emails. Why is this important?

• There are so many connections in this industry and you don’t know who is connected to who
• You don’t know what other future opportunities this contact may have for you
• By not responding, you drop down or get deleted on that contact’s prospective performer list
• You create an unfavorable reputation for yourself as a performer and can appear as arrogant, unprofessional, uncommitted and not serious enough
• You create the reputation you are already too busy so people will think twice before they call again
• This type of behavior will not go unrecognized and will be remembered!

It takes minutes to provide a timely professional response either through text, email or leaving a message. An example follows:

Thank you for inviting us to perform at your event. We unfortunately have other commitments on that date, but would love to hear about other performance opportunities you may have in the near future. It sounds like an exciting event to be a part of. Thank you for your interest in having us perform, and we hope your event is successful.  I have provided my direct contact information for future reference.

Not showing up for commitments is behavior that is remembered. We have no shows or cancellations moments before show time at many of our competitive showcases, which is very disturbing since it is a spot another performer would have loved to have had.

We get calls frequently for performance opportunities, and contact the performers who we are confident will respond and follow through with their commitments. Many of the gigs are paid gigs and are gigs that will enhance your resume.

We recommend all performers respond within 24 hours, and preferably 12 hours of receiving a call on a performance opportunity. Showing your appreciation for each and every call is extremely important.

At the end of our recent showcase one band, came up and thanked me for doing the show and then all members shook my hand and showed how appreciative they were to have been a part of the event. Believe it or not, this is not a common occurrence. It really made the day that much more special knowing how much it meant to them to be a part of the showcase.

Every call you make, and text or email you send matter. Put some thought into them and say “thank you” any opportunity you get.

Once you get on the back of the list, you will have to battle your way back to the front of the list. Many artists, decline all unpaid gigs and so much as tell you they only do paid gigs. This is very narrow thinking as some of the biggest gigs you can do can be unpaid. Those types of gigs can have a significant impact on your resume and could result in other referral opportunities.

Don’t be one of the “he/she is hard to get a hold of” type performers! How you manage your engagement opportunities is as important as your talent itself.

We want you all to succeed, but without practicing…

• your progress will suffer,
• you will be less motivated,
• you will have a hard time reaching your goals,
• you will appear as lazy and uncommitted.

Young performers have a wide range of practice programs, from casual independent jam sessions to a more committed schedule of training with industry professionals. We love to ask young performers how much they practice, and are amazed at the different responses we receive. Some young performers get more focused when there is a gig or competition on the schedule, while others have a consistent, defined plan and are focused every day on their music training. Practice includes at home sessions, gig rehearsals and music lessons. Live gigs are a form of practice, but should not replace regular practice time. We feel, regardless of your talent level and success with your instrument, that having a well-defined practice plan will benefit you. If you have had a big year winning awards and achieving your short-term goals, that doesn’t mean you should stop practicing or practice less.

We love it when we hear, “I know what I want to do with my life; I want to perform and have a career in music.” Wanting this is not enough, as it requires a monumental commitment and sharp focus if you are going to realize any success in music. It is a good idea to revisit your goals frequently and devise a plan to achieve them. Look around you and see what artists have had success. Just because you get an audition on American Idol or The Voice, or even end up on a TV show, you still need to promote yourself and grow as an artist. Performing at the same types of venues/events may not be enough, so you need to reach high each and every day. What did you add to your resume this year? We just posted our new blog on 2015 young artist accomplishments on our Facebook page and asked for people to email us their information for our next blog. Shockingly, we received a handful of responses. This is FREE PR, so it is crazy to think that people can ignore these opportunities for greater exposure.

We searched our market region for a young performer we feel has a great system in place for making sure he gets sufficient/quality practice time clocked in each day. Ian Tengler, Coda Sky’s lead guitarist for over two years, composer, and college music student, has designed a very serious plan for practicing. He believes critiquing his own practices makes a huge difference in his skill development and that you can be your own best judge. What is most interesting about Ian’s program is that it is entirely self-directed. He is motivated and always has an eye on his goals to assess if any adjustments need to be made. Ian credits his practice consistency with changing his quality of playing. He also utilizes the metronome a lot and works on his timing and rhythm every day.

While working with the band, Ian always came to practice prepared and ready, even if he had a week of exams to study for. He never complained and was always excited to be there. We often hear bands are not in balance in terms of each member’s commitment level, and as a result little progress gets made. Oftentimes, bands break up when the members can’t agree on when, how long, what and how to practice.

Ian loves to watch other famous guitarist videos, as it helps him take on new challenges. He has been doing this since he was 12 years old, and enjoys taking on the best of the best to see how fast he can play. According to Ian, “You can’t take your talent for granted, or you will lose valuable skills along the way.” As Ian explained, being in a band enabled him to be challenged, not only by learning new songs, but also by how to relate to the band and let it all go on stage. “Being able to look out to the audience and not visually focus on my instrument was very difficult in the beginning, but the at home video critiques and having full confidence in knowing the songs helped a lot.”

This is the quote Ian lives by each day: “You have to work hard to achieve greatness and if you set your mind to do something, anything is possible.” Ian’s Instagram videos got our attention as he posts frequently and takes on complex songs. He explained he sometimes does twenty takes before posting a thirteen second video, so he can feel confident he is posting the best video possible. Each video post is a reward to him and every like/comment on his posts really means a lot. Ian feels he has grown a lot as a musician over the last few years and has broadened his world of music by taking on songs in other genres. In the beginning, he was all about heavy metal, but now also regularly plays a wide range of genres, including pop.

In terms of duration of practice times, Ian indicated he practices 2-3 hours each day and 5-6 hours on the weekends and occasionally time just gets away from him. It is all enjoyable time, and he feels confident his program will help him stand out as a lead guitarist and help him reach his goals. “Practice is the key to bumping my skill-set to the next level.”

We frequently ask area bands how much they practice and it seems it is once again wide-ranging, with some practicing one time each week and others 2-3 times each week and more when they are recording or doing gigs.

In addition to his independent practicing, over the course of Ian’s ten years of playing the guitar he has been both self-taught and has trained with fantastic teachers and players that have helped turn him into the musician/performer that he is today. Even to this day, he takes guitar lessons, which is in addition to the training he does in school.

Ian responded to additional questions on advice to other young performers and how much practice has helped him.

Do you feel your practice program has helped you become a stronger guitarist?

Without a doubt!  There is no downside to practicing! It allows me to improve on many dimensions. If I do have questions while I’m practicing a new “lick” or I’m stuck on a cord progression, I can always ask my guitar teacher, or look it up on YouTube, or just keep at it.  Practice is the key to bumping my skill-set to the next level. I also submit for online contests as it is a good motivator and winning and placing is a great reward to my hard practicing.

Who inspires you to be a better musician?

Over the years, I have been inspired by many guitarists (John Mayer, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, BB. King, and Joe Bonamassa). But these past couple years, I’ve really been inspired by John Petrucci of Dream Theater. John has such phenomenal technique and just has great musicianship. When I saw Dream Theater, live in 2014 in Boston, it was amazing to see one of my guitar heroes play onstage.  Keep in mind, I was in the ninth row from the stage and I was in shock pretty much the whole time because John Petrucci is not “human” when he plays guitar (and that is a good thing). I truly believe that he has made me a better musician.

What recommendations do you have for other young performers?

My advice to other young performers is to always keep trying to make your dreams a reality, because if you try, and work hard enough, your dreams will come true. This tip is for all musicians: don’t just listen to one genre, listen to all the music you can find, because it will make you more versatile and it will only help you in the long run. That one thing alone has helped me tremendously. I say this because when I was first starting to play the guitar, I listened to, and only wanted to play exclusively, heavy metal. But as I progressed in my playing, I got into jazz, funk, blues, classical, R&B and good old Rock n’ Roll. I still listen to and like metal, but I wanted to be more versatile and play all different genres. Last but not least, do not be afraid to critique your own work.  Really listen to yourself; watch yourself on video and break down your sound as well as your performance!

I noticed all your videos on Instagram. Do they help you to critique your development?

I have made hundreds of videos on Instagram, and as I watch them over again, I can critique my work so the next video will be even better. I make guitar videos on Instagram for the fun of it, and I like sharing music with others and hopefully the people watching will enjoy it as well.

You may follow Ian on Instagram @lespaul16 and on YouTube.

We hope this blog helps motivate young performers to work hard and be goal oriented. We feel with focus you can make tremendous progress.

Steps to organizing a practice program

• Establish a realistic time of the day and amount of time for your practices
• BE CONSISTENT!
• Keep a practice journal so you can follow your progress and track how you are meeting your goals
• Work smarter, not necessarily harder
• Find others to critique your practice
• Videotape yourself and critique your own performance
• Post videos online and see what types of comments you receive
• Switch things up here and there to take on new challenges and make it more fun
• Practice with other musicians and take on new, challenging songs

In summary, being goal oriented and focused will make a huge difference in your development and success as a musician. Music is no different than any sport; you need to get those goals and touchdowns, and without practicing the competition will push you aside and win.

How can you be successful if you don’t have ambition? Can you skip practices, miss gigs because you have a more important social event, not participate in the development process for new music, not come prepared to gigs and practices, not do any social media promotion, not return emails and calls for performance opportunities, and still believe you have ambition?

Our organization is challenged to find performers who are talented, passionate and also ambitious. We frequently hear people saying, “I haven’t practiced since the last gig.” Imagine how much better they would be if they were ambitious? It doesn’t mean you need to practice ten times more, but it does mean you need to make every practice meaningful and goal oriented. Don’t waste your bandmates time if you are not on the same page as them. Faking it will only hurt everyone else. The worst thing you can do is let your band and development team down.

Another common issue is getting all band members together to practice with a committed schedule. Is it all worth it if it causes discord and relationship challenges just getting practices organized? Everyone in the band absolutely needs to be passionate about their music career and be on the same page.

Below are some young performer comments added to our Facebook post when we asked what
ambition means to them.

• Continuous commitment and dedication to reaching your goals
• Being passionate about every note you perform
• No excuses! Just getting out there and pursuing every opportunity presented
• Knowing what you want to accomplish and doing what you need to so that you accomplish your goals
• Performing with the same passion with or without an audience
• Having a positive demeanor through every step in the process
• Having a daily commitment to getting better and utilizing resources to support your development
• Being happy and loving every minute of your music career
• Being able to look beyond the roadblocks and staying focused on your progress

We have worked with performers who don’t answer phone calls, texts or emails, who make a face if things don’t go their way, who complain if sound is not perfect, who don’t watch the other performers performances, but instead walk out when it’s their time on stage, who rarely practice, who attack with criticism before they know the facts, who are bullies toward other performers, who have egos that are ugly and taint their reputation, and who simply feel they are already stars and don’t need to go through the motions to be famous or get a big break.

You can have talent without ambition, and ambition without talent. Seeing both aligned is not as common. Ambition is powerful, so those who don’t have prodigy talent but have a strong ambition to learn and succeed will see great results. Many with natural talent waste it and don’t feel the need to work hard. If you have other interests pulling you in other directions, you need to sort through it all and devote your time to what makes you happy. Be honest with yourself, and do what is best for you! It has to be your decision and not your teacher’s, band mates, friends or family.

Without ambition it will be an uphill battle! If you don’t love everything about a career in music, you won’t be able to hide it. Ambition, talent and passion are the triple crown to stardom.