 
Emerge Already!

The Ultimate Guide to Career Building for Emerging Artists

By Jade Simmons

Cover Photo and Author Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

Published by Jade Media at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Jade Simmons

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Introduction- Be the Boss of Your Own Art

Chapter 1- Carve Your Niche

Chapter 2- To Compete or Not To Compete

Chapter 3- Practice Makes Perfect But Promotion Equals Concerts

Chapter 4- 18 Months: The Seed-Planting Period

Chapter 5- The Importance of Package Deals

Chapter 6- Salon Concerts Are Back, Baby!

Chapter 7- Savoring Small Town America (Or Wherever You May Be)

Chapter 8- Approaching Managers and Record Labels

Chapter 9- How Not to Get Re-engaged

Conclusion- Building a Lifestyle Grounded in the Arts

Meet the Author- Who is Jade?

Introduction: Be the Boss of Your Own Art

The Plight

Let's face it. The field of Classical music is technically over saturated when it comes to viable talent. It's as simple as that. But here is the good news. Even given that much talked about, and often overhyped oversaturation, there is still room in the market for you! By "you" I mean an innovative, thought-provoking artist willing to strategize new points of entry AND put in the hard work to see your dreams become a reality. Now...back to the plight.

Statistically speaking, there are way too many ambitious and extremely talented performers for the small amount of concert stages that exist. Yet, university music schools and private conservatories are still churning out cookie-cutter musicians at a record pace, many without a solid, relevant career development program in place. But let's not just put the blame on music education. That is not at all what _Emerge Already!_ is about. We musicians have held on far too long to the fantasy that if we just keep practicing, some big time conductor will happen across our practice room, fall in love with our playing and whisk us off on a worldwide tour with his world-class orchestra. In the least, we imagine we'll win a big name competition and then of course our career will be born the very next day. As a result of our incomplete music educations and our somewhat delusional mindsets, emerging artists (meaning artists seemingly on the cusp of a great career...that's you!) end up either drowning or perennially "emerging", never seeming to fully break through as notable performers with solid, sustainable careers.

Add to the numbers problem the fact that today's modern-day concert artist is expected to do much more than practice and perform, which is pretty much all they are trained to do. Today's arts presenters, in order to fulfill their own artistic and outreach efforts in a cost-effective manner, are seeking concert artists who will be effective on and off the stage. They want artists who have created a multi-faceted artistic identity that includes traditional performances, lecture recitals, master classes and school and community outreach. It doesn't hurt if artists also happen to be media savvy. Today's emerging artists, in addition to performing and prior to being represented by commercial management, need to know how to promote themselves and need to be given the tools to do so. Even given the abundance of high level music schools and conservatories, there is still a regrettable dearth of hands-on career assistance which guides a young artist in their efforts to build a solid career grounded in the arts. _Emerge Already!_ , intended for aspiring concert artists, other artsy types and creative entrepreneurs, as well as those artists already in the throes of building a career (including those newly or stalely under concert management), is designed to be that guide. The major lesson to take from this guide is the following:

Don't wait around to be discovered. Discover yourself instead.

It's a simple piece of advice, but one that is not often taken. Music students spend hours a day practicing and not more than a few minutes thinking about where they are going to perform all those pieces they have been slaving over, aside from the next jury or student recital.

In the age of Do It Yourself-ism, aspiring concert artists have no good excuse not to take their careers into their own hands, but they need more direction than the old and not-so-true adage "practice makes perfect". I know you do not want to hear this, but even when you land that commercial management you have been dreaming about, the work that you will have to do in the areas of promotion and artist development, in many ways, is just beginning!

_Emerge Already!_ gives specific information on what is expected of artists by arts presenters and specific guidance on how to put together your artistic package. From basics like putting together promo kits, to invaluable extras like building attractive package deals, to getting the attention of management agencies, these ten chapters will help set you on the path to complete emergence. I would be lying if I said it would be an easy path to follow because it definitely is not. In fact, it is quite a difficult path. I dare say we have it even harder than our pop music counterparts. But if performing is your passion as well as your priority, then the hard work will be worth the effort when you find yourself playing an increasing number of venues each season and possibly even making a bit of a name (and money!) for yourself in the process.

**The** _Emerge Already!_ **Difference**

Fortunately, thanks to the bandwagon effect largely caused by the creation of Juilliard's career-focused Academy partnership with Weill and Carnegie Halls, conservatories all across America have added some sort of career assistance or career development program. It might be as extensive as what Indiana University is creating with its _Jumpstart_ program at the Jacobs School of Music or as puny as a simple promise to pass along gigging inquiries to students. But as far as we have come, it is still a bit baffling to me that not many of these programs are directed by current performing artists. I do not care how many DMA's you might have in performance, it is not even close to having the life-experience of performance, especially when it comes to long-term touring experience. _Emerge Already!_ is brought to you by an artist who is performing today and constantly reshaping her own artistic landscape. _Emerge Already!_ tells you which of the experiences you had in school translate to the real world and which old-fashioned, overly academic, non-practical advice to throw away.

**The 'Why' of** _Emerge Already_ **?**

_Emerge Already!_ is for YOU, musical artist or not. It is a book written for those just now leaping off the precipice into a fledgling career, those in the midst of a stalled career, and those enjoying a steady career but sensing the need to upgrade to the next level. So many of us have spent our lives on the cusp of something great but for whatever good reason we have not fully emerged. There is a critical point where emerging artists and others hoping and praying to break out begin to contemplate what they thought they would have achieved by now and compare it to what they still have not achieved. It is a frustrating, often devastating picture. It only worsens when they mentally fast-forward and cannot imagine anything changing because they cannot envision their circumstances changing. Soon after this realization, they give up. This book exists so you will not give up. That is the feel good part.

Here is the ugly truth part, the part I guarantee you will not get in school. You can also think of _Emerge Already!_ as a tell-it-like-it-is book. Lucky for you, I have had quite a few artistic acquaintances that have done things dreadfully wrong. While I have miraculously avoided catastrophic mistakes, you can bet there is indeed a flub or too you can benefit from at my expense as well. To be fair, I have changed the names, but not the stories of young artists who have allowed their diva attitudes (guys included), laziness, corny or phony stage antics, bad business practices, misguided and mean behavior, bitter complaining, inappropriate emails, fraudulent marketing, and ingratitude to lead to stalled careers. The saddest part of it is that many of them still have no idea what went wrong. Even if they read this book they might not recognize themselves. And how do I know about these misdeeds? I know because the classical music world is a small one. You would not believe how much presenters, conductors, board members, volunteers, stage managers and orchestra personnel managers will tell you when they feel that you are wonderfully "different" from the last artist they just presented. So now, I dish the dirt so you don't have to step in the mud.

All of that being said, I initially decided to write _Emerge Already!_ because unlike almost any other profession, classical musicians especially do not have a prescribed pipeline to go through to get to the career they aspire to. This is especially true if we want to perform as solo recitalists. For a performance career, there are no internships and we do not get recruited. We can audition for the few limited orchestral seats that open up each year and we can compete in music competitions that no longer guarantee career success. But aside from that, we are pretty much on our own.

Right out of grad school, I had some early success going it alone, figuring things out by trial and a little error, too. As a result, I had countless musician friends who kept asking me the same thing. They wanted to know how the heck I was getting all of the gigs I was landing fresh out of school. In fact, I do not mind telling you what I know they _really_ wanted to ask me, but did not have the guts to do so. Some wanted to say, " _Jade, you haven't won any major competitions, how the heck are you getting concerts?_ " or they were thinking, " _Hey, I play better than you, why are you the one with the budding career?_ ". Others wanted to say, " _Wait a minute, I was the big dog at the conservatory, why are you getting all the attention now?_ "

As I will talk about in the next chapter, the first thing you need to do before forging ahead in this field is to take an honest assessment of your talent. So here goes mine.

I have not taken home the top prize at any major competitions, though I made a significant splash at the last two very important ones I entered. I am sure, in fact I am absolutely positive, that there are better pianists than myself (there is always someone who is better than you). And no, I was never ranked "#1 Pianist" during college or grad school, if there ever was such a ranking. Nevertheless, the things I have achieved, the venues I have played and the recognition I have received speak for themselves.

Still yet, given those realities, the following questions I asked myself were these: Does not having won certain accolades disqualify me from pursuing a career? No. Do I think I have a talent worthy of hearing? Yes. I derive my answer not simply from a gut feeling or an inflated self-esteem but from the reaction I get from audiences and critics, re-engagements I am offered from presenters and most importantly, I know I am genuinely aiming to perform at a high standard. You will learn in these pages that initial engagements are about word of mouth (AKA hype) and re-engagements are a genuine reflection of your talent, your ability to deliver on that talent and your knack for engaging audiences.

So yes, the plight is a real one. But even given the new demands placed on artists and the small number of venues for which we are all competing, there still exists a mountain of opportunity. You just have to gather the right tools and prepare to climb it. **At the end of the day, no one is going to work harder, more consistently and more persistently for your career than you.**

A PR person took issue with me on this point, claiming that some artists just are not equipped or simply are not inclined to deal with all of these facets. She is right. If I had it my way, I would practice all day and my career would magically unfold to my liking. I don't know about you, but I did not come out of music school inclined to handle promotion and marketing. I was seriously expecting that big name conductor to find me, remember? But _Emerge Already!_ is about GETTING EQUIPPED and BECOMING INCLINED. Now is the time to Be the Boss of Your Own Art. Stop waiting around to be discovered and discover yourself instead. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you can achieve with vision, a little strategy and a lot of hard work.

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Chapter 1: Carve Your Niche

Yes, there are always a few young phenoms who manage to breathe new life into Beethoven or are able to create magic in their renditions of Chopin. And yes, you may be one of them, Ingrid Fliter certainly is. But for the most part, and I apologize in advance to your ego, the world simply doesn't need another performance of the complete Beethoven sonata cycle or the Four Chopin Ballades. One artist got upset with me for saying this because the truth is that there is a public (myself included) that will always want to hear these pieces performed. I'm not saying don't program them, I'm saying don't define your artistry on such narrow terms as parameters set by past or more established performers, especially when others before you have already made a significant name doing so. When audiences decide they want to hear a nice traditional recital spanning Bach to Rachmaninoff they would probably rather pay $50 to hear a living legend instead of $25 to hear you, a relative unknown. **Finding your niche is about NOT reinventing the wheel.** It's about finding your corner of the musical market and conquering it. It's about putting your stamp on the industry by finding gaps in the market place and filling them. Defining your artistry on your terms will be key to being able to compete in an oversaturated field with a limited amount of concert stages.

The Landscape

There are three generations of artists now existing on the scene. The Golden Era Grandchildren made their break through at a time where classical music was a more prominent part of entertainment life. Everyone clamored for Horowitz tickets, people knew the names of prima ballerinas and celebrated major opera singers of the day like Beverly Sills. Still young phenoms at the time, Yo-Yo Ma, James Galway, Emanuel Ax, Andre Watts and Renee Fleming benefited from the glow of Classical Music's prominence during the Golden Era and have easily become today's go-to people for their respective instruments. Any orchestra would love to present them over just about any other artist when it comes to the concerti for cello, flute or piano and opera companies still fawn over Ms. Fleming. These artists are golden tickets in two ways: 1). These artists always deliver musically as far as the audience is concerned, and 2). They always deliver big box offices and have the ability to single-handedly take an organization that is financially in the red back into the black in a single series of concerts.

The second generation is a group of young wunderkind and/or youngish superstars who bring considerable flair and marketability to the stage. Unlike probably any other classical musician before him is the international sensation that is Lang Lang. He's the closest thing Classical music has to a rock star, with endorsements from luxury items dealers, his own shoe by Adidas, an almost every-other-night-only-big-name-venue concert schedule I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

He also has a presence on the mainstream media stage, from performing at the Grammy Awards Show with Jazz legend Herbie Hancock to playing at the Beijing Olympics and providing the soundtrack for a popular video game. This success affords him homes in New York, Berlin and Beijing. But nipping at his heels is Yuja Wang, a female superstar who originally made a reputation out of being what I call a "step-in" artist, replacing big name pianists at the last minute in gargantuan concerti. She was snatched up by the venerable record label Deutsche Gramophone in an unprecedented signing of what some critics still considered to be an unproven, although undeniably talented, emerging artist at the time. Nevertheless, her first CD got a Grammy nomination right out of the gate. In the string world, there is Joshua Bell, the never-aging violin star who warrants comparisons to Paganini and plays everywhere all the time. Then there is the slightly less overexposed Alisa Weilerstein, the passionate cellist reminiscent of legendary superstar cellist of the aforementioned Golden Era, Jacqueline Du Pré. These guys and gals are the New Golden Generation, they play mostly the Classics and mostly perform in traditional settings.

A third group of artists are Niche Artists who have carved out specialties or very specific identities for themselves. I say Angela Hewitt or the late Glenn Gould, you think "Bach". I say Mark O'Connor, you think "Americana". I say Eroica Trio, you think phenomenal all-female chamber ensemble. I say Eighth Blackbird, you think "adventurous programming". I say DBR, you think innovative composer/violinist. I say Jeremy Denk, you think charming intellectual carrying monster repertoire. The list is longer than you think but believe it or not, there is still room to be found on it for you. These artists have all carved out special, irreplaceable niches for themselves in the industry of classical music. Some of them have branched out and incorporated new modes of performance or multimedia. They have specialized in one or more composers or they write for themselves. Whatever they have decided to do was not just for the sole purpose of standing out. Instead they capitalized on their genuine interests and passions, which when we examine those things within ourselves they tend to be unique in some way from what everyone else is doing. This is what makes us human and it is what really makes us artists.

This third group has sought to specifically define their artistic identities and in doing so they each have made themselves very alluring to arts presenters looking to serve both broader or smaller, specific demographics. There will always be superstars and you could very well be in one of the next crops. But for right now, we have to think in terms of how to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the artists out there playing our same instruments. Lest I be misunderstood, I am not talking about getting you a gimmick. Not one of the artists I mentioned has survived on gimmick. Rather, they have all dedicated themselves either to a particular performance style, period of repertoire or they are depended upon for intangibles like passionate performances and engaging presentations.

Is a niche really necessary?

Now more than ever it is imperative for emerging artists to take stock of their specialties and seriously consider whether those specialties are worth highlighting. I met a young pianist who was wonderfully talented. He was French, charming and had a particularly brilliant command of the Romantic repertoire. He was looking to make more of a name for himself in America. But he was so busy proving that he could play everything (and he is a consummate pianist) that he was missing an opportunity to highlight a particular aspect that would distinguish him from all the other consummate pianists out there and give presenters something to hold on to in terms of marketing. Ask yourself this: What is more alluring? A young no-name pianist who is going to play a recital of standard repertoire from A-Z or a young, French pianist who is going to play a recital of all-Romantic/Impressionist repertoire with an emphasis on French composers? Call it cliché or call it marketing. The deciding factor is this: If the young pianist feels just as at home, or even most comfortable, in the "specialized" program, why not play that? We will talk about this later in the book in the chapter on package deals, but this niche way of programming opens the door to new audiences and collaborations with organizations that can promote you and their cause at the same time. The local French Culture Society, a gallery showing Impressionist art, a Romantic literature book club would all be interested in the aforementioned artist. In just that simple specification of his talent, this unknown pianist is on the road to building a dedicated fan base that shares his interests and appreciates his talent. That will take him very far.

Of course, you should always be wary of the sell-out factor. **If it does not feel true to self, then do not do it.** But do not ignore a good idea simply because it "appears" to be gimmicky. If you do it well, you will be remembered and re-engaged. Then, on the re-engagement, because you have earned the presenter's trust and brought that audience memorable delight, you can decide to either go back and try out that all-standard repertoire or you can continue to build your new brand and perform various versions of this specialized program. Presenters and audiences have so much to choose from and potential audience members have so many reasons NOT to come out of their homes and go to concerts. You, as a relatively unknown artist, have to pique their interest and the best way to do that is by giving them a specific reason to be interested in what you have to offer musically.

You have to 1). Convince the presenter not only that you can play, but that 2). You are going to be a good fit for their audience (which will soon be your audience) and 3). There is something they can highlight about you in their marketing materials. Audience members want to go where they feel like they are discovering new talent or at least they are being treated to something special and unique, something they will not be able to find on the multitude of channels on their home television.

4 Steps to Finding Your Niche

1. Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses. The key here is to be brutally honest with yourself. Remember, if you really get the career you say you want, you could be performing night after night on unfamiliar stages, for new audiences (and possibly critics), and maybe even on an unfamiliar instrument (pianists and harpists). So you ultimately want to be sure you are programming in a way that will allow you to play your best under the worst circumstances. Are you more of a colorist or a showman? Are you a monster with fast and furious knuckle busters or a sucker for unwinding melodies and lush harmonies?

_*Note of caution:_ No matter what, your programs should still have variety. Too much of one thing is never a good thing. Program smartly, with an emotional arc in mind that takes your audience on an emotional roller coaster.

**Modern-Day Example:** Pianist Yuja Wang, the outright virtuoso. Unarguably, what she does best of all is play the heck out of the instrument. Her team has brazenly marketed her as an unfathomable technician and the reviews have backed that image up. Her first recording highlighted fiendish sonatas and nightmarish etudes all played seemingly with ease. There may come a day where her record label turns the spotlight on her other musical capabilities which are many, but for now Yuja is having grand success simply being supernaturally capable of mastering her instrument. She plays the biggest most difficult solo pieces and concerti and she pretty much nails it every time. Check out Yuja's website

2. Find out what you like and what you do well. Do you have a knack for Modern or Electronic or Spanish music? Are you interested in music from historical perspectives? Look back over your performance experiences for telling cues. Think about which repertoire gives you the least anxiety; meaning the stuff you can play at the highest level under any kind of pressure. Think about the repertoire you have gotten the most positive feedback on from audiences and from teachers. Finally, what do you enjoy playing most?

_*Note of caution:_ Sometimes there is a difference between what we enjoy listening to and what we enjoy playing. And just because we enjoy playing something does not necessarily mean we are the best equipped to play that music in public. Make sure you make these important distinctions in your personal analysis.

What you enjoy might very well be Beethoven, in which case you should go about reinventing the way you present it to the public. Find a way to distinguish your presentation from the many world-renowned Beethoven interpreters. When presenting standards you must find fresh ways of doing so. Give reasons for new audiences to be intrigued by old music. When presenting "New Music" meaning Contemporary Classical repertoire, think in terms of presenting it in such a way where the audience has a familiar context. It is not about dumbing things down. Rather it is about offering points of reference and connection that give the listeners a reason to commit to what might be considered challenging music.

**Modern-Day Example:** Eighth Blackbird presents modern music in a modern way, which of course makes a lot of sense. They make use of everything available to them from movement to lighting to theatrics so that they literally bring the music to life and bring in new audiences as well. Check out 8bb's website

3. Thinking outside of the box is crucial. Programming with purpose is key. Think themed recitals with programs that revolve around simple concrete concepts or more abstract and creative ones. I carry a program called " _Russian Ruminations_ " which, just as you would expect, is a program highlighting Russian Classical music. For my more adventurous audiences and often in art galleries, I present a program called _Hearing Color, Seeing Sound_ which pairs the music of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin with the artwork of Russian Painter Wassily Kandinsky, both of whom experienced the psychological phenomenon called synesthesia.

_*Note of caution:_ Don't choose the cheese! Develop organic programs that are rooted in your genuine interests. Do not coin cliché concepts like _"The Language of Love"_ unless you really have a great, non-predictable angle from which to present.

**Modern-Day Example:** Pianist Petronel Malan has a great "Transfigured" series of recordings including transcriptions of the works of major composers. For instance there is _Transfigured Mozart_ , _Transfigured Bach_ and _Transfigured Beethoven_. She presents the 'Big Three' from a fresh perspective. The trio of albums on the Hånnsler label has been greeted with great reviews and most importantly and surprisingly it makes me, a fellow pianist, want to go out and buy a cd of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven that is not done by the predictable favorites Murray Perrahia, Glenn Gould or Arthur Schnabel, legendary interpreters of those composers. Check out Petronel's website

5. Get comfortable with public speaking. Take your concert experiences a step further with a lecture recital where you either speak before the concert or pepper your concert with more informal stories in between pieces. Giving audiences insights to help glue your musical selections together is both entertaining and enlightening and it further defines your niche. Feed the heady and the curious members of your audience with both intellectual and personal tidbits that keep them tuned in to your every word as well as your every note.

_*Note of Caution:_ Do not forget that at the end of the day, the audience is there to hear the music so do not blab them to the point where they are wishing you would just shut-up, sit down and play! Keep it mostly short and sweet with only one elaborate story or major explanation.

Give personal information only when it adds to the understanding of the music or how you play it. Be funny...if you are funny. And always gauge your audience so you can sense when they want to know more versus when they are dying to hear more music.

**Modern-Day Example:** Jeremy Denk makes intellectuality look super-cool and he presents his smart musings (and his difficult music) in an easy, accessible way. He's known as much for his speaking and blogging as he is for his fabulous playing. It's all in the presentation. Check out Jeremy's website

The irony? Sometimes you will be shocked to discover that the music you enjoy performing most is exactly the music the audience enjoys listening to you play the most. You, the artist, have got to be excited about what you're about to do for the next two hours on stage, even for the next few years until you reinvent and expand your artistic identity (that's a whole other book). It seems obvious but when so many of us have been drilling the basics and the standards for so long, we forget to take stock of our own musical preferences and tastes. And that is the first step to carving out your niche.

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Chapter 2: To Compete or Not to Compete

A handful of young artists are making a respectable career out of competitions. What I mean by 'career' is that they are earning a significant amount of money simply from placing well in competitions, even though they are not necessarily getting concert engagements as a result of these competitions. If you want to consider following in their footsteps, you have to first take a brutally honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as a performer. Then if you find that you are able to perform on demand no matter what time of day, are able to carry around a large amount of repertoire including concerti you may never get to play with an orchestra, and you are known for your near flawless (read: note-perfect) delivery, then competitions are for you! Even still, you have to choose competitions wisely based on your specific musical strengths and you have to go into them with your eyes wide open. You will also have to accept the fact that one first place finish does not a career make. Considering a long list of pros and cons will be integral to deciding if competitions are indeed the route for you.

Competitions appeal to the inner athlete in all of us. In so many ways, playing our musical instruments requires great physical skill and some of the repertoire amounts to something similar to running a marathon. At competitions, this physicality is on display at the highest level. Stamina and being able to play bigger, faster and louder is of high importance and is considered neck-and-neck with musical expressiveness. Then, of course you should have something musically special to say, though that uniqueness must come in addition to, not at the expense of the aforementioned ideals. Steel trapped memory, flexible vocal chords and reliable finger work even in cold temperatures or under other less than ideal circumstances is a must. We cannot blame the judges for weeding competitors out early in the game, the ones who may show an interesting musical personality but lack focus or stamina. It is their job to be sure that top-notch dependable performers survive to the end.

But what we as musicians have to guard against is in making sure we do not buy into that particular type of prioritizing in our personal artistic lives. We must play as cleanly and as close to perfectly as possible, but we must remember that the music is paramount. Competing without losing one's musical self is key. Across the world, veteran competitors take to concert stages and eagerly put on display the dazzling technique that has won them numerous accolades. Nevertheless, they forget, or perhaps never learned, how to put that technique to the service of the music and to their own true artistic expression. Because of this byproduct, as well as the very real existence of politics and partisan judging, a lot of negative things are said about competitions. Some people even believe they should be abolished altogether. I do not agree. I love competition and I love competitions. So you can imagine that as a former three-sport athlete in high school, I was stunned to find myself admitting that I'm just not a competition player. But you just might be. So let's start with the cons. This way you can possibly weed yourself out and move on to the next chapter if need be without delay.

Con #1: The application packet is a competition within itself

The application packet just to be accepted into the screening rounds for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition does not require an audio or video recording. But it requires everything else from the easy stuff like photos and bios to not-to-be-faked specifics like current concert calendars with programs from those concerts, reviews, press clippings, letters of recommendation from renowned figures in the musical world (this may or may not include your most recent teacher), and finally a serious essay. Many skimp on this last aspect and do not take it seriously. I have it on good authority (from the former president of the Cliburn himself) that these essays are personally read and given serious consideration when choosing those accepted to the screenings. By the time I got through with my Cliburn application for the 2004 competition I was impressed with the packet I had assembled, so I weighed it. It came in at a hefty 3 lbs!

Why no recording? Because no matter what the rules say, competitors almost always send in edited performances instead of live ones and who can blame them? The same passion that makes up for a few missed notes here or there in a live performance goes mostly unnoticed in a recording and those seemingly minor slips sound glaring to the judges who are listening with the intention of both discovery and elimination. So the Cliburn chooses to take a "proof is in the pudding" approach by having the competitors assemble a tangible timeline of where they've been, how they've gotten there and who has taken note. All of this is often a more reliable indicator of the artist's true potential. Whether or not they can play, and play under pressure, will be determined soon enough.

So hopefully you have current, recent, or former teachers on tap or even musical celebrities who would all be willing to write recommendations for you at the drop of a hat. A friend of mine tells me that one of her former teachers keeps a letter of recommendation on file for her. Whenever she needs one, he just changes the addressee. Not all of us are that lucky. I know of teachers who ask for recordings of live performances from their own former students before writing a recommendation! Keep good records of all your performances and collect programs and articles written about your appearances. If possible have those performances both video and audio recorded professionally for future usage not just in application packets but for your own marketing purposes. Most competitions to date do require this recording component. In today's technological era, it's feasible to put together an impressive recording of your own simply by using a good digital video camera and an empty concert hall or practice room. Lastly, you'll need to write an essay that is insightful and possibly even entertaining enough to make the reader curious enough to want to see and hear you in person. If keeping this kind of paper trail turns you off, then competitions might not be for you.

Con #2: $$$

You've gotten accepted into Big Name International Music Competition and it is going to change your life just as soon as you can scrounge up the money to get to the darned competition. Most competitions do not have the money to bankroll your flight, accommodations and meals. Many are lucky enough to be able to come up with the prize money awarded to the winners. As a competitor, you need to be prepared to cover your transportation and possibly even your lodging, though many competitions today do provide host homes or discounted hotel rates for competitors. Meals and local transportation may or may not be provided. General rule of thumb: The bigger the competition, the more they provide for you, but that is not always the case. Finally after all of the money you have spent, there is the possibility that you do not advance to the next round, which means that you no longer have a shot at any of the prize money to recoup your losses. You may even now be looking at adding on a change of airfare fee in order to leave town before the finals from which you have been eliminated, but kindly have been invited to stick around and attend. But you are not necessarily alone because even the winners, especially of smaller, lower budget competitions, will not be able to recoup completely.

Con #3: The Brutality of the Prelims

Yes, music is about expression. But competitions, in addition to top-notch musicality, hold power, technique and mental and physical stamina in equally high regard. In the prelims and then again in the finals, they may even take a slightly higher standing of priority. In an interview I conducted at the 2011 Tchaikovsky International Competition with violinist and juror Boris Kuchnir (former teacher of Nicolai Znaider a former winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition) he was candid enough to admit that he tells his students to focus mostly on nailing the tangibles of technique, proper form, proper style in the preliminary rounds of important competitions. Then he tells them to let loose and be spontaneous only in the finals.

Judges have to be sure they are choosing winners who can stand up to the rigors and the spotlight of the touring lifestyle. Getting past the preliminary round of any big competition is a feather in one's cap. It means you are most likely a technical powerhouse with interesting things to say musically. On the flip side, you can be sure you will not be in the running to advance if you blunder through notoriously difficult passage work, have unreliable memory or choose very unconventional interpretations, especially in timeless classics. Of course there are always exceptions, for better or for worse.

*Note of Caution: Don't believe touring is rigorous? Take your current hour and a half program and play it every other night at about 7:30pm for two weeks straight. Now imagine adding to that all the schlepping that comes with traveling in between those concerts, entertaining the audience and trying to forget critics exist. This is not a job for the fainthearted.

Con #4: Playing on demand and possibly at ungodly hours, without much warm-up on the stage piano

Flaky, eccentric, and particular musicians beware! As is the case with most competitions, you will draw lots to determine your order of performance. No one wants to play first and many want to go near the end. No one wants to play in the early morning or too late at night. Everyone has a pre-performance routine that will most likely be thrown off kilter at a competition. If you do not like to get out of bed before noon or you like to be in bed by nine, you will be in a world of hurt if you draw a performance time at 9am or 10:30pm. If you need to spend three hours in the hall "getting acclimated to the space" or "getting to know" the instrument, competitions are likely going to prove an uncomfortable experience.

*Competitions are for those who can adjust, adapt and thrive under less than ideal situations.

Sometimes your host family is going to crowd you or not feed you well enough, or the piano technician is going to take an hour longer than expected cutting into your warm-up time or the jury is going to be sleepy and hungry by the time you get on stage. And you still have to be eager to play even in those types of trying times. This is not the place for complainers.

I run a concert series called The Impulse Artist Series that is designed to replicate the week in a life of a successful, multifaceted artist. There are multiple concerts, outreach performances and lots of media opportunities. Some of these events take place at times that are not always ideal, like early mornings or in the hours before a performance. No matter how great the opportunity there is ALWAYS an artist that complains and it is ALWAYS an indicator of the level of success I can expect from them in the near future. It is also a good indicator of why they have not seen a certain level of success up to that point. I keep notes on all of the artists who come through Impulse and when it comes time to make recommendations for important series, I take these issues into consideration. I take note of how they respond to the pressure, how they voice their grievances, how they interact with audience members (my potential donors) during and after a concert, etc. I am not the only one who does this, I can guarantee. In fact, I talk about the small world of music and how fast word travels in it in an upcoming chapter on getting re-engaged.

Con #5: The repertoire hurdles

If you eat Bach for breakfast, Beethoven or Schubert for lunch, Rachmaninoff for dinner, and a dash of 20th century modern music for dessert you probably carry the kind of repertoire that many of the major competitions are looking for. The good thing is that these days, thanks in large part to certain important competitions, mandatory repertoire lists are a thing of the past. But let's not be naive; there is still an unspoken expectation that these "major" composers will appear at some point on your program. If you are competing only for exposure and to make a splash then by all means bring your eclectic programming to town, but understand that programs heavily laden with modern music or otherwise unconventional pieces have a harder time advancing to the next round. Most of us will eventually prove more fluent in one or two styles of music and we can feel free to put those on display, but a serious contender should feel well-versed in multiple standard composers and periods. Creative programming that reflects a solid understanding of the traditional repertoire as well as a curiosity and interest in more modern or underperformed music stands to make a good impression if all is played well.

Con #6: The Unnatural Pressure in Performance

If your dreams of a big time concert career are realized let it be known that there will be pressure. Pressure to pack concert halls, pressure to play big repertoire, pressure to please audiences and presenters, pressure to play your best at all times and pressure to win over critics. But these pressures, as big as they are, are logical and should be expected. Competition pressure is founded on intense and very tangible scrutiny for the purpose of scrutiny. In a concert setting, the brain is free to focus a bit more on making music than on not making mistakes. Just the knowledge that a set of judges is listening for a reason to eliminate you (whether this fear is real or perceived can be debated to some degree) creates an unnatural pressure that is unavoidable and must be faced and surmounted. In today's modern technological age, you have the added pressure of live recordings immediately broadcast to YouTube and cameras placed in awkward locales to capture your every move (or slip!). At the Cliburn, the performances were broadcast live and archived immediately for the entire world to see via the Internet. Your best, and hopefully not your worst moments forever on display!

Con #7: The Politics

Many a competitor has walked away embittered by the competition process not because of the aforementioned pressures or the repertoire demands but because they got wind of the fact that the end results may have had nothing to do with how they played, but with whom they knew. It must be admitted that politics can and often do come into play. Many times various competitors' teachers are on the jury, or some competitors have made it a point to study with more than one of the judges in the course of a few years. In the XIV Tchaikovsky Competition, much ado was made over the competition's announced mission to clean up its image that once included accusations of teacher favoritism and outright nationalism when it came to juror selection and in choosing the eventual winners.

I once competed in a competition where one of the judges whom I had met at a summer program many years previously, admitted that unabashed bargaining had gone on in the jury room. One man's student would get the top prize if the other man's students could receive the remaining 3 prizes! I'm not sure of the details of the rest of the agreement but the outcome was as planned and two teachers and their students took home all the goodies. This judge told me I should not be surprised because this was "how it was done" in many circles. He told me how there is not a competition that he judges that his students are not prizewinners. It should be noted that his students are quite amazing even when left to their own merit. So maybe the outcomes would be the same anyway or maybe they would not. All of that being said, sometimes superstar, and undeniable talent can rise above all of the corruption. Nevertheless, when competing, it is dangerous to put your artistic validation in the outcome. If you can find a reason to compete other than just the top prize (though you should be competing to win) then competitions might just be for you.

Con #8: The Long-Term Effects of Failure

The embittered, embattled competitor is not an unfamiliar character, so the long-term effects of "failing" at these competitions should be considered seriously. If you think that multiple losses in a row could cause you to quit pursuing music you should think twice about competing. Great pianists have tended to win or at least do very well at competitions in some point in their career. There is an encyclopedic record of past competition winners and their subsequent careers. Had they not been worthy of the win, their concert life in the aftermath would have reflected an unfortunate reveal of their incompetence. So competitions have been great indicators of success. On the other hand, many a competition winner has not seen anything close to a fruitful career following their triumph. Also keep in mind that many great careers have steered clear of competitions altogether. Remember Joshua Bell? My concern is that a string of losses may wrongly cause an artist to think they do not have what it takes to make a career. Not being cut out for competitions is nothing to be ashamed of and is not automatically an indicator that you are not cut out for a performance career. If failure stings to the point that you may be abruptly ready to abandon your talent, then you should run in the opposite direction of competitions. You should never put your artistic self-confidence at risk over something that does not matter much in the big scheme of things in the end.

' **CON'clusion:** If you are feeling completely demoralized after this brutal list of cons then skip ahead to the next chapter. There is musical life after or even without competitions. On the other hand, if this list brings out the inner champion in you and your juices are flowing just thinking about meeting these challenges, then hop online, visit the numerous sites dedicated to listing the world's music competitions and start applying!

After that listing of cons you might find it hard to believe that there are great reasons to compete, but the truth is that there are benefits to stepping in the ring. Read on.

Pro #1: $$$ and concerts?

If you can make it into one of the prizewinner slots and if you compete and place at enough competitions there is decent money to be made. I would not plan on feeding and housing your family on it (because of the uncertainty) but you can certainly pay more than a few bills off from some of the juicier rewards out there. Many of the smaller competitions can offer a few thousand in winnings to the top prizewinners and the major competitions can offer tens of thousands. Add to that the fact that a few potential concerts for the winners, engagements with orchestras and sometimes even expensive instruments are also doled out as prizes at various competitions.

Pro #2: Exposure

Depending on the profile of the competition, simply showing up and playing well, even without winning can be of benefit. Press coverage is always a good thing, provided it is good press about your good playing, of course. Sorry, but in Classical music, there is such a thing as bad press. At higher profile competitions, artist management firms, radio and television representatives, and record labels could all be in the audience scouting the next big undiscovered talent and we all know that is not always the grand prize winner. There are lots of opportunities to be had. When I competed in the screening rounds for the 2004 Cliburn competition, my heart was set on making it into one of the coveted 30 spots for the actual competition. No such luck. But the media attention I received for various reasons related and unrelated to music sparked all sorts of levels of interest. My application, which highlighted my outreach as well as my performance efforts, had caught the eye of the president of the Van Cliburn. As a result, I was asked to spend two weeks doing outreach in Ft.Worth area schools on behalf of the Cliburn Foundation's Musical Awakenings program. After a successful outcome, I was asked back...and asked back again. My interest in newer music was also taken note of and years later I was also slated to perform on the Cliburn's Modern Music series. Later, a former semi-finalist who had made it into the same Cliburn competition I had not gotten into was unable to get to town in time for a concert associated with the Cliburn. Guess who they called to replace her? But let's back up before all of these Cliburn-associated events occurred. Due to the press I amassed at the screening rounds, my press kit (as an artist not under commercial management) was largely increased. That newly fattened press kit caught the attention of the screeners for the Concert Artist Guild Auditions. I entered their competition and was added to their roster and my placement with them ended up being monumental to my career today. From that same Cliburn screening I also got the attention of the Dallas Symphony and was later booked to perform with them a year later. Finally, after witnessing my rapport with audiences of all ages, I was asked to serve as the on-air host for the Cliburn's webcast of the subsequent competition. Not bad for someone who didn't make it past the screening rounds!

Pro #3: Introductions

Much along the same lines as Pro #2, competitions can be a wonderful place to network. In this instance I am talking more about networking with the judges in terms of musical development. Knowing and playing for these judges can be key for being accepted (or rejected) into the best music festivals and summer programs around. Many of them serve on the faculties at these wonderful programs and if they like your playing, may want to hear you and even work with you more in a non-competitive setting. But right now, I am talking about artistic development. You will know from Con #7 that getting to know these judges now could benefit you down the road in future competitions. Keep in mind as well that the reverse is also true depending on your likability both personally and musically! Competitions can be a great place to get chummy with reporters who can cover your future performances in that city. Record label representatives, managers and presenters often frequent larger competitions to find artists of their own liking. Once again, this is not always only for the eventual top prize-winner. So even if you are eliminated early on, mind your attitude, stay friendly and open to performing at finalist concerts even if you are not the gold medal winner.

* Notes on networking- do not think of it as schmoozing, or kissing up or engaging in meaningless small talk. Think of it as an opportunity to share your interests with people who might be interested in you, your talents and your future. Do not lead with talk about how great you are and a laundry list of all the cool things you do. Rather, start by finding out more about the person interested in you. Then look for points of commonality. It will help you focus what you choose to share and it will make it easier to find points for collaboration. For instance, a reporter tells you they are curious about how a young artist makes their way these days. Lucky for her, you just happen to be working on a book that provides guidance for emerging artists, now she has got a reason to write about you. A record executive tells you they are looking to expand their collection of American music which gives you a great reason to tell them about the recital you are putting together that highlights American composers from the early 1900's. When these connections are made, they feel natural and both parties sense a spark that could bode well for the future. That is how you network, mostly by listening well and looking for points of beneficial commonality.

Pro #4 Building your Repertoire

Ask anyone that competes and they will tell you that nothing lights a fire under you more than a competition when it comes to learning new repertoire. It is a great motivator to hone your chops and build your repertoire list. I can admit that my biggest increase in repertoire (that I still use today) came in preparation for the last three competitions I prepared for. Finding the time, motivation and energy since then to squeeze in new pieces has been a challenge that many touring performers admit to.

Learning new rep when you finally have a steady career is a bit trickier when you are out of school and do not have the same dedicated practice schedule. In fact, in the real world, you will have to learn new repertoire under some stressful circumstances in many cases. But preparing for a competition allows you a sense of focus and purpose that you will not always be privy to.

Pro #5 Building Confidence

Even if you do not take home the top prize, the confidence and self-esteem you could build from simply playing really well in a competition is worth a lot. Knowing that you have the "chops" to play at your highest level under enormously difficult, pressure-filled situations can do a lot for the psyche. It can better prepare you for the big performances you are hoping to land further down the road. Audiences, for the most part, who come specifically to hear you at your solo concerts are far more forgiving and are looking only to be entertained by you. That is a different kind of pressure than you would have encountered on the competition circuit. Nevertheless, you will be partially prepared by the competition experience.

And Your Decision?

It is up to you now to take this listing of challenges and rewards and decide for yourself if competitions are a good route for you. Many believe, and I tend to share this belief, that at some point you have to make a choice. An artist manager and I once discussed the case of a very talented instrumentalist who was trying very hard to carve out a career as a concert artist but would get sidetracked and often demoralized by competing in numerous competitions where her talents continually seemed to go unrecognized. He felt like she needed to decide whether or not she was going to be a concert pianist or a competition pianist. He felt so strongly because in his experience he felt like there was a subconscious equation made that lumped student musicians and competition musicians in the same category. In other words, he believed true professional musicians do not continually enter competitions. There is some truth to this when you look at the activities of young successful concert artists and you do not see competitions on their tour calendar. On the other hand, that is because they are already successful concert artists and do not need the exposure or concerts competitions might offer! My suggestion is to think of your career building as a progression of seasons. This just may be the season for you to compete. Then after a period of success, or at least experience building on the competition scene, lay that season to rest and dig into really developing your career outside of the competition circuit. That will be the season where you start to distinguish yourself from your student life and begin to market your professional persona.

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Chapter 3: Practice Makes Perfect But Promotion Equals Concerts

The Catch 22

You can practice for 12 hours a day and hope that the artistic director of the New York Philharmonic will walk past your practice room, hear you, fall in love with you and immediately book you for a subscription concert. Or you can spend 12 hours a day promoting yourself and hope that when someone finally books you, you will have time enough to practice and actually be prepared for the concert. Or you can find balance and realize that both practice and promotion is the name of the game. You cannot have a career without either of them. Yes, there is the occasional Cinderella story where the tremendously famous pianist gets sick and the no-name piano prodigy steps in, saves the concert and starts a whirlwind world-class concert tour the next day. But unless you are planning to hide back stage, poison the bottled water of said famous person and then rather conveniently be found practicing in the wings decked out in a tux, I would put my time into coming up with a promotional strategy if I were you. In an age where almost anything can be done electronically, including marketing yourself, emerging artists can create not only websites but electronic promotional materials that will save them both time and money.

You are not just an artist you are an arts entrepreneur. Better yet, you are an arts enterprise. Isn't that exciting?! It will be vital to treat your artistry as a brand that needs to constantly be fine-tuned, updated and promoted. Even normal people turned overnight household names thanks to Reality Television understand this. Yet, even in these modern days of self-made billionaires and overexposed pop stars, self-promotion is still considered a dirty word in the world of classical music and other fine arts. Maybe because of those aforementioned unsavory phenomenon, the equation has been solidified between self-promotion and baseless hype; self-promotion and lack of artistic seriousness; self-promotion and vanity; self-promotion and lack of true talent.

I have had countless young artists argue with me worried that if the promotion comes from them they will risk not being respected by peers and not being taken seriously by presenters and the media. There is truth there. Bad self-promotion, a lack of strategy in that promotion and shameless false advertising are all ingredients for disaster and demise in validity. But done well, you will be doing yourself an invaluable favor that does not have to cost you much at all. My public relations and marketing friends, as I have mentioned previously, really want you to hire them for these sorts of services and many of them are geniuses indeed. But they are also expensive geniuses. You can definitely hire them but it will cost you. Granted there are less expensive commission-based offerings and pay-per-placement structures but no matter who says otherwise, there are NO GUARANTEES. So until you are making the kind of serious income that can provide for quality outsourced PR and until you are on the kind of schedule that literally does not leave you a minute for promotion on your own behalf, the ball is squarely in your court. And to me, that is a good thing.

Plus, learning how to do your own PR will help you understand the process when you are able to hire someone else. I will say this a lot with _Emerge Already!_ , no one can work harder or more effectively for you than you. Marketing may not be your calling. Bragging on yourself is hard to do and maybe you are not such a great writer. There are tons of other good excuses you could use but you are better off just jumping in and making it work.

Balancing Art and Promotion

Now, even though I just gave you marching orders, you need to hold your horses. You are still an artist first and foremost. It is just that now you will need to devote significant time to letting the world know about the art you are making. The most important thing you will need to do is determine to strike a healthy balance between practice and promotion, with practice taking precedence. Remember, all the slick e-campaigns in the world will not fend for you once you step on the stage. The better your marketing campaign, the better your performance should be. I will be the first to admit that it is not easy to find this mystical balance, especially if you are also managing your career in terms of booking engagements and developing projects, or have other demands on your personal life, like spouses and children. But it is a necessary task you will need to commit to in order to keep your art in tip-top shape and find outlets for it once it is ready to be showcased.

You will feel balanced when you feel like the time you are putting in is worth the outcome of your effort. If you feel your time has been squandered or you are dissatisfied with what you have accomplished at the end of each day, that dissatisfaction will spill over into other aspects of your life. Finding balance is about compartmentalizing your multiple agendas and rotating them based on seasonal priorities. There will be a time to promote a project like crazy, a time for practice and preparation where promotion takes a back seat. There will also be a time to shut off all electronic devices and cuddle and play all week with your child (or spouse). Make those around you aware of which season you are in so that they know not to put extra pressure on you for things that are not at the top of your priority list. Contrary to being selfish behavior, this is the kindest thing you can do for everyone you love. Your family will love being able to distinguish between play time and work time. They will be more understanding of work time because they will feel confident in your genuine effort to make them a priority.

Practical Tips for Finding Balance:

1.The same way you set aside time for practicing and creating you should also set aside designated time solely for promotion. Use this time to:

*Spend time unifying the look of all your materials from print to electronic.

*Create templates for your press releases and initial inquiries so that you will be able to respond to them quickly when requested.

*Send your materials to a set amount of presenters each week or month, make yourself meet a quota just like a commercial business would

*Set up a management email account for correspondence. Do not correspond directly from your personal email.

*Designate a set time for correspondence via phone and/or email and stick to it, or else this is what will eat away at your day.

Creating a Killer Press Kit

Think of the press kit as your brand's handshake. You know how important firm handshakes and first impressions are so put serious effort into not only wowing the person reading it with flashy design but really engaging them in a way that causes them to seek out more information on who you are. We will get to the wonders of electronic kits (e-kits) later but for now let us focus on the traditional hard copy kit, complete with a folder, paper inserts and a demo recording of some sort. If you are fortunate enough to have a presenter actually take the time to open the cover (many of them admit to throwing unsolicited kits directly into the trash, or putting them in the "Later" pile), they should be taken aback immediately by what is sitting before them. This means that your kit should not be arbitrary, it should not look thrown together or generic. Rather it should undoubtedly reflect who you are, it should reek of your essence and give a strong hint of the vibe you will be bringing to the table should they engage you.

_*Note of Caution:_ To artists who currently have management, you should know what the current press kit being used on your behalf looks like and feels like. Even though your relationship with your manager is a partnership and you are cultivating your image together, your thoughts on who you are as an artist and how you want to be represented need to be indicated. Hopefully, a middle ground can be reached, mostly in your favor, that allows you to feel properly represented and also makes your manager excited to represent your particular package.

One artist's horror story: For a variety of reasons, this artist once requested to see a copy of the press kit that was being used on his behalf by his management agency. He was appalled to find that a picture he had explicitly forbidden was being featured. The picture of him playing his cello barefooted was great for the "Fun" page on his website but not as the main representation of his artistic package. As well, he discovered the quality of the copies of articles being used was poor, as well as the grade of paper. To make matters worse, a page with media quotes had not been updated in some time so there were much more impressive statements about his artistry that were not being used. He was devastated and quite embarrassed to think this was how he was being represented to the world. Understand this, if your press kit looks amateur, so do you.

Everything matters in a hard copy kit. Remember, it is supposed to function as a genuine reflection of you, not a generic impression of a generic artist. Pay attention to details like finishes, paper weight, font choice and font consistency, picture selection, and the order and strategic placement of your paper inserts.

What Has to Be Included

Because just about everyone, including most presenters, are electronically functional there are certain things you no longer have to have in a hardcopy kit, but can choose to include depending on your budget.

Photos

Images of you are vital but thanks to the ease of sending jpegs electronically, your kit no longer has to have glossy 8x10's as inserts. They are cost-prohibitive and pretty much go unused after the first gaze by the potential presenter. Newspaper reporters ask for jpegs, print shops and even presenters will request jpegs even after they have your glossy sitting on their desk. Nevertheless, your image must be present throughout the kit. Here is where you can use it:

1). Use a nice, big headshot on the cover of your folder in the form of a flyer/poster that has your name and your artistry listed, maybe even your website. You can get this photo made into a big sticker to place on the front of your folder.

2). Use a headshot as a front page for your long bio with the bio text being on the back of the sheet.

3). Use multiple photos of yourself that reflect different sides of your artistic personality and pepper them throughout the various inserts in your kit.

a). In the world of acting, actors usually include 2 headshots. They choose one that is considered "commercial" meaning a nice smiley shot (big or subtle smile). It is an easily likable shot and shows your ability to appeal to a broad audience. The second shot is more of a character shot. In the acting industry, this shot reflects the characters and/or general persona that actor sees himself mostly portraying. In your case, this second shot should generate the vibe with which you are mostly associating your image. For instance, you might be marketing yourself as edgy, passionate, commanding, friendly, mysterious, or serious, etc. and this accent picture should portray that characterization. So do not have marketing screaming that you are bold and then use a picture of you sitting demurely at the piano.

b). Use photos that look like you! Taking glamorous photos is a lot of fun, but do not go overboard with Photoshop to the point where the presenter does not even recognize you when they come to claim you at the airport. Chances are you are cute enough. You are not doing yourself any favors by setting yourself up to an unrepeatable standard of beauty (or slimness). It is an unnecessary letdown to be had by both the presenter and the audience. The funny thing is, it is actually expected nowadays that the artist is not going to live up to the image they have highlighted in their promotional materials. It always makes me laugh when presenters say surprisingly, "Wow, you look exactly like your picture!" In the end, you do not want the audience spending the first few minutes of your concert whispering to the people around them that you look nothing like your photo. It is a waste of those valuable first few moments of your concert experience.

Bios- The Long and the Short of it

This is probably the control freak in me talking but you should be sure to advocate for the proper use of your bio and the use of the most current bio. Because of the availability of so much information online, presenters can easily Google you and get all the content they need without ever talking to you. Most of them do not do that, by the way. Nevertheless, you want to present arts organizations with your official full-length bio as well as a short version of that bio. And let them know to use these materials only.

A Good Opening Line

In my opinion, your opening first line or two set the tone for the rest of the bio. If we did not read anything further, that one liner should give us the jist of your essence, your qualifications and your uniqueness as an artist. Here are some attention-grabbing one- or two- liners from the bios of artists you may or may not know:

**Amstel Quartet:** "The men of the Amstel have no fear," exclaimed the Dutch press about The Amstel Quartet, winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. Its performances are riveting, filled with high energy, emotion and infectious dynamism.

**Phyllis Chen:** Praised by _The New York Times_ for her "delightful quirkiness matched with interpretive sensitivity," Phyllis Chen's artistic pursuits take her in numerous directions as a toy pianist, pianist, composer and performance artist.

**Jeremy Denk:** American pianist Jeremy Denk has steadily built a reputation as one of today's most compelling and persuasive artists with an unusually broad repertoire.

**Eighth Blackbird:** Grammy-winning eighth blackbird promises – and delivers – provocative and mind-changing performances to its burgeoning audiences. Combining bracing virtuosity with an alluring sense of irreverence, the sextet debunks the myth that contemporary music is only for a cerebral few.

**Christopher O'Riley:** As a prestigious artist, pianist and national media personality, Mr. O'Riley has dazzled the world over on stage, the radio and his records. His memorable interpretations of traditional and popular repertoire make him a cherished bridge between musical tastes, genres and audience worldwide.

**Alisa Weilerstein:** American cellist Alisa Weilerstein has attracted widespread attention for playing that combines a natural virtuosic command and technical precision with impassioned musicianship.

**Takács Quartet:** Recognized as one of the world's great ensembles, the Takács Quartet plays with a unique blend of drama, warmth and humor, combining four distinct musical personalities to bring fresh insights to the string quartet repertoire _._

The Long Bio

The purpose of this biography is to establish your credibility via your credentials and your experiences, to display your uniqueness and to set up an expectation for the type of performance experience your audience can expect from you. Listings of major venues, important awards, your education, unique recognitions and accolades are all appropriate but make sure it does not read like a boring or random laundry list. Descriptive language should be utilized to put your unique qualities on display such as how you play, the type of work you have been doing in your field, and how people have responded to that work. **Be careful not to mistake descriptive language for flowery narrative.** Please do not subject the reader to pontifications on your philosophy of music or the secret reason to why you are so brilliant at what you do. I once read a bio something like this:

Peter Doe believes truly good music comes from within. Since he was a boy of only seven, he understood he was chosen to spread the news of good music. Never one to waste a moment, the hard work and dedication he has shown since childhood is now paying off by way of a brilliant career...

The bio, long or short, is about a clear and entertaining presentation of the facts of your career as it stands. Save the musings for your blog. In the fictional account above, the presenter does not learn anything useful about the artist and has no reason to book Mr. Doe over any of the other emerging artists he is competing against for a slot on her season line-up. He has completely missed the opportunity for the sake of trying to convince us that he is an enlightened, serious, "chosen" musician.

Nevertheless, your bio should not read like a third grade book report, either:

Jane Black began playing the piano at three. She gave her orchestral debut with the Roseway Symphony at 13. In recent seasons, she has performed at Merkin Hall, Jones Hall and Blake Hall with the Orangeburg Philharmonic. She studied with Dr. Paul at Beaumont University and received her Masters degree in music this past Spring...

In Plain Jane's bio, she lists some impressive highlights but does not set the reader up to really digest the experiences she is rattling off. Descriptive language about Jane's playing and the response it has received as well as transitional sentences would have served her well.

Below is my own bio that I am offering up for dissection. The words in bold describe the intent of the sentence.

Jade Simmons, pianist

An uncommon display of passion and innovation at every turn, pianist Jade Simmons is easily one of the most exciting and versatile artists on the scene today. **This one liner lets you know there is no way I will ever be boring or uninteresting.**

**(Major Competition Accolade coming next)** Chosen as the inaugural _New Music/New Places Fellow_ for the prestigious Concert Artist Guild organization, Jade is committed to expanding the boundaries of Classical music. **(This next colorful transitional sentence is backed up immediately with a statement of my projects)** She offers a diverse mix of repertoire from the classics to the cutting edge, all presented with her unique brand of communicative powers. Audiences have come to expect creative projects backed by riveting performances like her program _Kandinsky and Scriabin: Hearing Color, Seeing Sound_ which focuses on links between visual art and music, as well as _The Rhythm Project_ , an exploration of pieces that exploit the more percussive nature of the piano. **(Major Professional Accolade coming next)** An extension of _The Rhythm Project_ , Jade Simmons released her debut CD in March 2009 for E1 Music entitled _Revolutionary Rhythm_ , praised by _Allmusic.com_ as "a thought-provoking, entertaining, and fun debut that easily establishes Simmons as a major talent." **(This quote reaffirms that I would be an exciting and entertaining artist to present)**

**(Next two paragraphs list most important performance credentials.)** Ms. Simmons, a Yamaha Artist, has toured the US extensively, highlighted by concerts on the Ravinia's Rising Stars series, the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, the University of Washington World Series in Seattle, Merkin Hall and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Her performances of Guggenheim award-winning composer Tania Léon's piano works alongside pianist Ursula Oppens was named one of the Best Concerts in 2005 by _ARTFORUM_ magazine.

She has appeared as concerto soloist with the Dallas Symphony, the Chicago Sinfonietta at Chicago's Symphony Hall, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas at Town Hall, the University of Chicago and the Imperial Symphony Orchestra. 2011 marks more concerto debuts in Illinois and Arkansas. Simmons has also performed in New York's many alternative spaces including Symphony Space, Harlem Gatehouse, Le Poisson Rouge, Joe's Pub and Brooklyn's BamCafé.

**Next two paragraphs designed to show artistic diversity and lets presenters know what they are getting in addition to performance.)** Jade is a passionate advocate for the arts in education and has created multiple programs suitable for all ages used with great success across the country. Past residencies include the University of Chicago, the Cliburn Foundation and the Mississippi Symphony. 2011 collaborations include performances with the Ritz Chamber Ensemble and a residency as part of Georgia Tech University's Ferst Center ARTech program.

An artist with a social conscience that moves her to action, Jade serves as an advocate for America's youth, addressing groups across the country on sensitive issues such as suicide prevention and mental health awareness. In 2009, Jade became the inaugural Spotlight Artist for Music for Autism, a New York-based organization for which she performs and has assisted in their expansion to Houston, TX. _Symphony Magazine_ has recognized jade two years in a row for her work on and away from the stage. In light of these achievements, she was listed as one of _Ebony_ magazine's Top 30 Leaders under 30. **(This paragraph and the next three list more unexpected accolades and activities aside from the usual listing of competition wins.)**

**(Colorful transition sentence that leads gracefully into another listing of achievements).** Jade's multiple talents make her a true Renaissance woman of the millennium taking her in the direction of arts presenter as founder of the _Impulse Artist Series_ , 2009 winner of Best Non-Profit Arts Series (Houston); writer, lecturer and creator of _Emerge Already!_ , career-building advice for emerging artists including videos, blogs and books.

In the summer of 2009 and 2011, the world got to know her as the webcast host for the _13th Van Cliburn Piano_ competition (Ft. Worth, TX) and the XIV Tchaikovsky International Competition (St. Petersburg/Moscow) respectively, where she introduced all the performances and conducted live interviews with renowned figures including Van Cliburn, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Menahem Pressler, the Takács Quartet, James Conlon, Fred Child, John Corigliano and Bob Schieffer.

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Jade completed her undergraduate work in piano performance at Northwestern University under Sylvia Wang. While there, she co-founded the immensely popular percussion and dance ensemble _Boomshaka!_. Simmons also became Miss Chicago, Miss Illinois and ultimately first runner-up at the 2000 Miss America Pageant where she performed Chopin's Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10, No. 4, before a live television audience of millions. Ms. Simmons holds a Master's degree from Rice University, where she studied with acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker. **(I chose to end with background info and educational history as well as more unusual accolades that might add an element of surprise to what has come before.)**

**

Short Bio

There is a very practical reason to having a short version of your bio and that is because often times there is not room enough to print your entire biography in the concert program. What happens much of the time is that when you only send a long form bio you leave it open to being chopped up at the presenter's will. Many have the courtesy to ask you for a brief bio but some will opt to do it themselves often times emphasizing aspects of your career that you may or may not see as invaluable to be included in a limited spread. This is a part of taking control over your image and it makes the presenter's life a little easier because in addition to the many roles most artistic directors play, I am sure they would rather not also have to put on an editor's hat.

The short bio is about making an impact in a shorter amount of time. It should not be completely different from your long bio. In fact, they may both share the same opening lines but more efficient couplets or trios of the absolute best venues and accolades should replace long, detailed listings. This might be the time to list only where you have studied instead of also listing all of your many teachers or vice versa. This bio is a bit more "to the point" in that you can use shorter sentences that pack a punch versus longer, flowery phrases. Think of the long form bio as a comprehensive picture and the short bio as a highlight reel that still needs to have flow (as in transitional sentences) and purpose (as in leaving a tantalizing glimpse of what the listener can expect).

What's in a Verbal Introduction?

Those of you used to playing things by ear are going to really think this next directive is a bit extreme. But I promise you, once you have sat through an awful introduction of yourself given by a well-meaning presenter you will immediately understand that creating and sending the presenter a script of your introduction is crucial. In many cases, especially in larger concert halls on more prominent series there will be no introduction. The curtains will open and the stage will be yours. But when there is room for a spiel, most presenters, and the poor person chosen to announce you at the last minute, will want to kiss you for thinking of this last little detail. If you are uncomfortable forcing this on the presenter beforehand, simply keep one with you and offer it on site as an option the announcer can use if he chooses. You will rarely be turned down.

**A good introduction can set you and the audience up for an exciting, enjoyable evening.** A bad one, on the other hand, can steal your thunder or worse yet, bore the audience to tears before you have even played a single note. When left to chance there are three kinds of bad introductions. Unfortunately, I have experienced them all.

1). The short, but not so sweet introduction. This is when the announcer comes on stage and basically tells the audience the most obvious information. For example:

After a long speech about events happening later in the season and a laundry list of thank you's to donors... _"Well that brings us to tonight's concert. We have a young lady from Charleston, South Carolina. Ms. Jade Simmons was in the Miss USA pageant and she's going to play the piano!"_

Followed by an awkward "should we applaud now" silence, finally applause and then you walk on stage wondering whether or not you need to give yourself a better introduction or just sit down and play. This type of bad intro leaves too much to the imagination. Actually it does not even provide enough fodder for imagination. Your introduction should validate your presence on that stage and prepare the audience for the type of journey they are about to take with you.

2. The Rambling Ad Lib is based on what the announcer _thinks_ they have retained from reading your bio a week or so ago. It goes something like this:

" _Man, are we excited to present this young lady tonight. Jade Simmons went to Northwestern for her Master's degree and she designs her own gowns. I saw her backstage and her dress is gorgeous! She was 2nd runner-up in the Miss America pageant, she's played in Greece, Italy and all over the world. Now she lives in Houston, TX. Later this year she's going to get to play Disney Hall and she plays in New York a lot in Harlem and she played at Le Poisson Rouge. I went to her outreach program today and you should see how she works with kids, she's just fabulous. Oh, yeah she's working on a book and you can find her on YouTube as well...(and on and on)"_

This type of introduction does two things. It tires the audience out. Not only are they tired of the announcer but they are also kind of tired of you before they even lay eyes on you. The announcer may have hit some interesting highlights but she did not present them in a way that laid the groundwork to make a memorable impact. Plus, she may have inadvertently only highlighted the fluffy and flashy stuff or only the academic tidbits. Either way, you end up being seen as one-dimensional or all over the place and certain expectations for your playing are set up by what was said.

3). The Verbatim Trip to Purgatory\- I happen to think this is the most awkward and painful introduction to sit through. It is when the announcer literally reads every word of your bio verbatim. The problem arises because the announcer is usually in a rush and they have not had time to get to know your bio and they definitely have not had time to pick out the parts they want to highlight. They figure, why not? I will just read everything as is. But what they do not figure is that what makes for a two-minute skim equals about a 4-5 minute read which is way too long for someone to be talking about you before you come on stage. Do not take my word for it, try reading aloud your entire bio, time it and imagine what it would be like to listen to that from the audience.

With this type of bad intro your audience has been bored mercilessly and probably have not retained a word that was said. They will recognize immediately that your bio is being read and then they will tune out, praying for you to come on stage soon. This type of intro also robs the listener of the desire to actually read your bio for himself. Bios make great reads during intermission or during the slow movements of a sonata! In the rare instances that this verbatim reading happens, I tend to come out afterwards, not say a word, give a big smile and play. Then, after the poor audience has gotten what they came for, I introduce myself in a more informal way throughout the evening.

What your intro should say

Keep it short, but substantial. Aside from the basics (your name and what your performance is going to consist of), go for three statements of achievement in addition to concluding with a statement of either your most recent achievement or an exciting upcoming event. You can leave the phrasing of the final statement of actually calling you to the stage up to the announcer. Look at this example:

Soprano Sheila Sanath is known the world over for her colorful interpretations of the most beloved repertoire. From Debussy to Rachmaninoff, her special skill with French and Russian art songs have taken her from Paris' Olympia Hall made famous by Edith Piaf to the Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre. This summer she'll make her debut as Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute with the Casper Metropolitan Opera in Toronto. Please welcome to the Rochester Arts Society stage, the exciting Ms. Sheila Sanath.

Include a Quotes Page

Now that your bio has hyped you up in every way possible, you are going to need to back those claims of greatness up. The best way to do that is to have others do it for you. By "others" I mean the media mostly, as well as words of endorsement by other great musicians and artists who know what greatness looks like. Think of this page as written word-of-mouth!

To be included on this page, these statements should be powerful and they should back up the characteristics you have already highlighted in your bio. For instance, if you claim to be a passionate player, a bold artist, or a virtuoso you should include quotes that use those same words, if at all possible. Go one step further and give thought to the order of the quotes. Sometimes, put contrasting quotes next to each other. For instance, use one that highlights your technical mastery followed by one that praises your sensitivity. Other times, put quotes side by side that confirm the same thing. The goal is to **organize the quotes to tell a tantalizing story about how others perceive your artistry**. If done correctly, this particular press kit insert will have presenters chomping at the bit to bring you in. It also gives them something to use for their own promotional materials for your concert.

If you do not feel you have enough quotes to fill an entire page, then do not dedicate an entire insert to quotes. Instead, pepper your other inserts with the quotes you do have by using them as headers and footers or use them as picture captions. Use one on the cover photo of your press kit if it is especially powerful.

Assembling your quotes page is also a great time to do an image check. If you are marketing yourself as bold, passionate and edgy and the press keeps referring to you as understated and traditional, you should rethink how you are presenting yourself. In all your promotion, you want to set your audience (and the critics, both professional and amateur) up for an authentic experience. The pressures of a concert are great enough. You do not want to be worrying about having to project an artificial or contrived image throughout your concert experience. Your marketing should come from an authentic place and that is what will make the whole process of marketing begin to feel more natural to you. You should be selling an image that really is true to who you are. When you do this, the response from people who are reporting on your art will reflect this truth.

_*A note of caution:_ Concerning the use of the word "Virtuoso", there is nothing worse you can do for yourself than brand yourself as a virtuoso when note-perfect playing is not your consistency. With that label comes the expectation of flamboyantly difficult repertoire played with effortless power and command, as close to perfectly as possible. If you cannot deliver on that expectation night after night you are setting yourself up to be slammed unnecessarily by the critics and it is an unnecessary disappointment for your audience. If previous critics, teachers and peers have labeled you as such, by all means, use those quotations in your materials, but give serious thought to using the word as your brand or your primary promotional characteristic.

I once presented an artist who had branded himself a virtuoso. The word was used relentlessly throughout his promotional materials and against my better judgment I picked up on it in the marketing materials I created for his concerts. I figured, surely no one would take on that label if they knowingly could not back it up. Boy, was I wrong. The problem with that label is that it instantly causes the listener to hunt for perfection rather than tune in to the music. Things like wrong notes, slightly slower tempi than the norm, dirty passagework are even more glaring than usual. When the checklist of virtuosic requirements is not met, we are instantly disappointed and consider the concert a bust prematurely. Ironically, when you highlight other aspects of your playing that are more qualitative and cumulative rather then checklist oriented, somehow your virtuosity speaks for itself and your audience picks up on that.

Programs and Activities Insert

What exactly do you offer away from the stage? This is the insert that explains why you are a great package deal. Here you list all of the amazing extra-curricular activities that come with booking you as a guest artist. Do not waste this opportunity by creating a laundry list of generic activities such as master class, lecture, seminar, etc. Instead, provide short, informative descriptions about each activity. List the demographic the activity is best suited for as well as the timing of each presentation. This type of detail helps the presenter tremendously in planning your time in their area. Even if you are using a quotes page in your kit, it does not hurt to sprinkle some of those same quotes on this particular insert if they relate to these specific activities.

Be sure to let presenters know how much lead time you need to be sure you are prepared for these extra activities. If you prefer your concert day to be kept free, be clear about that. When that is not possible, give an amount of time you need to have free between your outreach activity and your concert. As great as it is to be able to offer these extras, make no doubt about it, it can be a taxing addition to your schedule. Do not offer too many extras per concert period if you know it will prevent you from doing your best in the concert. And remember that all of these extras need to be practiced and perfected and should be presented just as powerfully and professionally as your concert.

Include Press Coverage

Hopefully, you have been keeping track of all the great press you have been getting. And do not worry, if you have not been getting media attention I am already working on a new book to tell you how to do just that. For now, look up the numerous resources available that tell you how to write a press release. There are services online that allow you to post your own press release. This is something you can be doing whenever you have new projects of interest or important debuts approaching. When you do make the newspaper be sure to obtain copies for yourself to include in your press kit. But remember that every article is not worthy of inclusion.

An overstuffed kit is overwhelming so choose really standout articles that you would enjoy reading about yourself if you were not you. I suggest anywhere from 2-4 articles, preferably from notable publications and preferably feature articles or really great reviews. I have heard at least two times about a certain PR person who has been around for a long time and has worked with some great artists. He often does good work on their behalf but probably one of the worst quirks he is known for is overstuffing his clients' press kits. Two recipients of those kits admit to never getting to the bottom of the packages, laying them aside for perusal at a later date and then never getting back to them, probably subconsciously avoiding the wading process. Your kit should be designed to enthrall and made to keep them in the hands of the recipient. A lain aside kit represents a lain aside artist.

Recordings

The infamous demo recording has been around forever for a reason. People believe the proof is in the pudding so they want to hear what you sound like. They have read everything there is to read about what you do but at the end of the day they want to hear you for themselves. It is up to you to put your best foot forward. **Choose your selections based on showcasing your strengths, advertising your versatility and leaving a strong aural impression.** This should not be a 10-track venture, but rather a 3-track wonder! You are only going to get the first few seconds before the listener decides whether or not to invest more time into listening, so make sure that first selection says everything about your artistry that you want them to know. Presenters and competitions prefer live recordings because professional recordings are usually edited within an inch of their life and do not necessarily make for the most accurate representation of the musician's talent. Of course at the end of the day, you know not to send in anything that does not represent you well.

Video and Electronic Press Kits

Gaining more popularity every day are video recordings. In fact, they are practically expected now because it has become so easy to make them. If you are going to take the trouble to add a video recording to your promotional materials you should consider taking the time and investing the money into having an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) made. Many record labels have these made for their artists upon the release of a new album. The video usually alternates between interviews with the artist and performance footage. They can be as simple or as detailed as you like. Depending on software available to you, titles, sound effects and fancy transitions can make your EPK into a mini-movie.

A more static version of an electronic kit can be a clickable document that has PDFs of all the inserts we have mentioned thus far. The video you have made could then be accessed by a link in one of the PDFs. Unlike the hard copy kit these electronic kits technically do not cost you anything if you have computer access and certain software. Of course, you can always hire someone else to make these for you, with your input. They can be as bold, colorful and creative as possible because you do not have to worry about the cost of expensive finishes and the additional printing cost of colored ink. EPKs are easy to send with the click of a button to a ton of presenters and can be used to redirect them to even more of your information via websites and profile pages, excerpts of music, links to more articles, etc.

The big downside of sending out a blanket of EPKs is that due to the new, very capable spam blockers, there is no guarantee your information is going to be received. And if it does land in the right inbox there is no guarantee it will be opened, or that the links will be clicked on. That being said, there is also no guarantee your hard copy press kit will not land on the desk of a presenter only to be slid straight into the trash with your recordings going unheard. An important artistic director of a major symphony once admitted to me that the large majority of press kits he receives goes straight into the trash. He promises it is nothing personal but his decision is made on whether or not he has already heard something great about the artist that is now crossing his desk in promo kit form. A heads up from someone like a manager, or an email or phone call from you that the kit is on it's way usually ensures he will at least give the kit a glance. We will talk more later about the process of truly being seen and heard. For now, let's make sure your kit is worthy of being seen when the time actually comes.

Layout

You have all the necessary pieces. Now do not blow it by just throwing everything haphazardly into a folder and calling it a day. For the most part, our tendency is to read from left to right. Still yet, according to the psychology behind magazine layouts, the most appealing articles (or at least the stuff they really want you to read is placed on the right page. Apparently, it is where the eye falls first when opening a magazine or a press kit, in your case. With that in mind, after the major impact of your striking cover, let the next most striking piece be the front insert on the right side of your kit. This might be your long or short bio with a great picture at the top. I tend to think of the right side as the power hitter side and I use my left side of the folder for details in the form of supplementary materials and logistics. If done correctly, the right side gets the reader very interested. They read your great bio, behind that is your quotes page which backs up everything they just read about you in your bio. After that, throw in a feature article that further backs up the image you have been projecting. Now they are hooked. They want to know details like how much does this artist cost, what else do they offer, how can I book her. And on the left side, all of that information or at least information that tells them who to contact for further information is waiting for them on the left side. I usually put my recordings on the left as well, and maybe a few more supplementary articles, too.

Now you have a press kit you can be proud of which means it is time to do the research necessary to be sure you are not wasting time and money by sending it out arbitrarily. You will know your press kit was a success when you arrive for the engagement and the presenter is quoting parts of your materials. It means she really read through it and bought into what you were selling. The good news for both of you is that you are selling your true self which means you are on track for a great concert experience where everyone (audience, artist and presenter) go home happy.

Audience Building using Social Media

I hate writing about social media because by the time you press "save", new developments have already occurred. So I will stick to the unarguable basics. If you are not using social media to some degree you are probably missing out on a grand opportunity to engage and solidify a fan base of people eager to not only find your music, but to interact with you, the person behind the music. First understand that there is no need to have a presence on every single social media site that exists. In fact, doing so seems a bit desperate somehow. Rather, find just a few forums you feel good about using for interaction. The mode of communication should feel fairly effortless and very natural for you. You should also be able to imagine your current fans interacting with you to some degree on these particular chosen platforms. Also understand that utilizing social media to its fullest extent is a very time consuming activity and while there are benefits to be reaped, there can be a price to pay as far as time dedicated to making art instead of solely promoting it. So proceed wisely and make the best choices for your individual artistry and personality.

There are now companies that can handle your social media for you. I brag all the time on Rosebrook Classical a company who handles social media strategy specifically for Classical Music Clientele. They are proactive, extremely efficient and always thinking about more creative and more effective ways for artists to use their various social media platforms. You can and should still be the voice behind your social media interactions but Rosebrook can help you streamline your activities and can take over the more mundane, but crucial activities like updating and making everyone aware of your performance calendar. More excitingly, they can help you navigate more advanced platforms like live webcasting. For those of just needing to get your social media act together in terms of establishing profiles on the various sites, Rosebrook can set those things up as well. It is all too easy to start drowning in the quagmire that is social media so get help if you need it. Being connected in this way to the general public, your potential and current fans, as well as fellow artists and presenters gives emerging artists unprecedented access to a wider realm of networking opportunities. You cannot really afford to opt out.

Unification of Print and Electronic Materials

Let's back up a bit and make sure that before you send out anything that will entice people to find out more about you, you have made sure that when they start "Googling" you, what they will find is a unified promotional presence. What this means is that the vibes from all of your print materials carries into your various websites and social networking profiles **.** They do not have to all look exactly the same but they should create a sense of familiarity for people who have spent time visiting your various sites. Think of this as brand unity. The purpose of each of these pages and/or profiles might be different and how you interact on them might be different as well. Nevertheless, there should still be some key identifiers such as mission statements, consistent use of a stellar quote or phrase, logos, or a lead picture that captures the essence of your artistry.

I am not going to list a proposed way to use each social media platform because it will be outdated by the time I finish writing the next paragraph. So take the time to explore how people are achieving success on each forum. What are they posting? What are they talking about? But most importantly, what do you have to share that makes sense on that particular platform? Would your current fans care, and/or would it interest potential new fans? **One thing I do not think will change is this: Always think communication over advertising.** Yes, social media is a great way to get the word out about new releases and upcoming concerts. But do not make it so that every tweet and status update is asking people to buy something or come somewhere. When you do this, eventually it gets wearisome and people tune you out. Instead, make each forum a place where people can go to learn more about you, what you do and how you do it, what you think about things outside of your art and what life looks like for you and from your perspective. Believe it or not, there are people out there who become fans of your music after they hear about your trials as an artist mom, or your thoughts on breaking news, or your funny musings about nothing in particular. The reason is because the human tendency is to like people who are just like us. Threads of commonality are sewn that end up tying you to your fans in a way that turns out to be more powerful than just their fondness for how you perform.

The added benefit is that your new fans become more and more curious about what you do and subsequently they click "like" and begin to support your artistic endeavors. Better still, they encourage others to support you as well. This, by the way, is your most powerful fan base. These are the supporters that believe in you on and away from the stage. You share similar beliefs and they feel like they have connected to you on a tangible level. This is the most revolutionary aspect of Twitter, the fact that "common folk" have real time access to and interaction with celebrities. This is a thrilling prospect for many people. Do not be fooled into thinking that just because you are not a big name movie star the general public does not see you as a heightened figure. People are interested in artists and the creative process of artists. They wonder things like: "Are artists at all normal like me? Do they share the same "mommy" experiences? Do they sometimes go to glamorous events? I'm an artist, what do we have in common? How much and when do they practice? What is it like to travel the world? Have we traveled to the same places? Do they worry about the same daily quibbles as I do?" With social media, you can grant them the access to something they have always been curious about.

_*Note of Caution:_ There is such a thing as too much information. Always keep in mind that you cannot take back what you tweet or post. So if you are talking politics or religion, remember there are people who are going to disagree. If you do not want to ruffle feathers unnecessarily, think twice about what information or opinions you are releasing to the general public. Some of your profiles you might want to set it for only real friends and family and this is the page where you pour out your heart and your politics or polarizing opinions. That might not be such a great plan for you Facebook fan page.

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Chapter 4: 18 Months- The Seed-Planting Period

I had a friend, also a pianist, who was in awe at the number of concerts I had been getting without having an agent. He asked my advice on how he could replicate my success and I gave him a list very similar to the one you are getting in this book, though not nearly as detailed. He called me up two weeks later complaining that he had sent out materials to "like 20 places" and had not yet heard back from any of them. All I could do was laugh and say, "Call me back when you have sent out materials to 100 places and have waited about 4-6 months. And then maybe you will hear back from about 15, and then maybe you will get some serious inquiries from about 8, and then maybe you will book about 3 engagements from that original 100".

As you can imagine, he was not very happy with my reply. Fending off frustration during this period is hard because we have spent so many years believing that all we had to do was practice and play well. Then orchestras and presenters would be knocking down our doors and clogging our phone lines. I promise I am not teasing you (well maybe a little) because no one believed this fairy tale more than me. It has been said about many activities and professions and it is true here as well that breaking into a professional concert career is not for the faint-hearted. It is also not for the lazy, the flaky, the slacker, the screw-up, or the complainer. Okay, I'll stop before I step on any more toes.

Unfortunately, breaking into a concert career is one big waiting game. Actually let me rephrase that, it is one big seed-planting game, which is actually much better than waiting. Whatever you call it, patience is indeed a virtue. What is most important is to learn how best to plant seeds; where to plant them, how to nurture them and what to do when it is finally time to reap. You will never have more time to prepare for success than at the beginning of your career. Learning how to knock on doors and then preparing to open them will be the single most important lesson you can learn.

I am about to call the kettle "black" when I tell you that you need to be patient and focus only on what you can control right now. This is something that I am still struggling with but that does not mean you cannot benefit from my struggle.

Here is what you cannot control:

1). Whether or not people (especially critics) like you

2). Whether or not audiences "dig" your talent

3). Whether or not your handlers stick to their part of the bargain (meaning management, record labels, publicity personnel, agents, presenters, etc),

4). Whether or not presenters will bite

5). Whether or not competition judges judge fairly

6). Whether or not another artist plays better than you or books more concerts than you

7). Whether or not an artist you consider "gimmicky" gets more media attention than you.

And that is the short list. What you CAN control is whether or not you will be ready when the presenters finally call back and the concerts come.

What is Seed Planting?

Sending out the basic promotional materials is only the first step in the pretty long process of getting booked. This is a big part of seed planting. Nevertheless, an Artistic Director of a big symphony once honestly told me that many a shiny unsolicited promo packet gets tossed directly into the trash. It is a sad thing to contemplate when you think about how much money goes into assembling a fancy-shmancy packet. The copy costs, the costs of the slick color photos, the sleek and shiny folders, the demo recording all add up to a pretty penny. But some do get opened, electronic press kits get watched, repertoire lists get considered and then a "Congratulations" is in order because it means that you are finally on someone's radar. And that is a lot better than being in their trashcan. You have heard that word of mouth is the best advertising and the same is true in getting engaged in classical music.

Handing out business cards that direct people to your great electronic materials is also seed planting as well as going to concerts and networking. But I will be honest with you and say that I never do anything solely for the purpose of networking. If I happen to be in a situation or at an event where potential collaborators are in the room, I do take the time to get to know them. Not simply because I might get something from them one day but because I am genuinely interested in them as artists, presenters, etc. I call this Natural Networking which is the process of getting to know people who are your potential collaborators in organic environments conducive to building connections. There are conferences you can attend and showcases you can perform in but I have to do either though I am sure they are of great benefit to many artists. In Natural Networking, basically you keep your ear to the pavement and keep your eyes peeled for opportunities and projects that seem to have been crafted just for you. So you are not just casting an aimless wide net, but you are reaching out to people who have already proven to share artistic commonalities with you.

Also in Natural Networking you often recommend others for work you think is perfect for them. I cannot tell you how many artists I have referred when I have an unexpected conflict in my own calendar that requires a cancellation. That artist I recommend thinks of me often in his new projects and the presenter remembers the gesture I made in what could have been a much more stressful situation.

No matter how you go about planting seeds, the hardest bit of hope to hold onto during this period is the fact that something is actually going on beneath the surface even when your phone is not ringing off the hook. I told you the story about my Cliburn competition experience in the chapter on competitions. In it, I laid out this beneficial chain of events that over time led to bigger and better opportunities. Well, I have lots of stories that are similar that tell how one thing leads to another unexpectedly. What I began to notice is that the time it takes for an idea to go from a loose idea or strategy to one everyone gets excited about and books you for is about 18 months.

Much of the reason is just because everything is done about a year in advance. So even when presenters like you they usually already have other plans in place, some time for two seasons ahead. Word does travel but it takes time to make its final destination. When I was coming straight out of school I had this bad habit of believing that when excited members of the audience said they were going to tell their cousin's conductor friend about me they were really going to go do it that same night, or that enthusiastic new patrons were really going to donate large sums of money immediately after they said they liked a project, or that as soon as a press kit went out I would be hearing from the presenter within 24 hours and booked for the upcoming season. What I know now is that things take time, usually a year or more before I reap the fruit of the initial seed planting..

People have their own lives, jobs, responsibilities to tend to so when they meet you in the middle of their own chaos, there is no way you can be top priority immediately. Some presenters will get your materials, make a mental note of you but they cannot book you right away because your packet came at a time when they had already finished booking the upcoming season. They go about their lives, even though you are patiently waiting by the phone. Maybe they go to an event months later, run into another presenter friend who tells them about a concert they attended last month that happened to feature you. Now that presenter is reminded once again of that packet sitting in the "later" pile on his desk. More months down the road you win some prize or get a newspaper mention and that same presenter runs across it. With each point of contact you become more and more firmly on their radar that means you become more and more a possibility for engaging for a concert.

The Benefits of a Newsletter

This is a good time to create a newsletter that you send out electronically on some sort of periodic basis, or just when you have exciting news to share. Every tidbit helps to keep your achievements and just your general presence fresh in the minds of not just presenters but others who support you and want to spread the good word about your work. Do not send out a newsletter about what you had for dinner or every time you play a concert. Rather let some weeks go buy where you can accumulate an impressive smattering of mentionable events worth letting the world know about. Sometimes a big symphony director is waiting to see how you fared at several smaller symphonic engagements or a presenter is waiting to see how a particular project is going over before they consider you seriously for their series. This newsletter reminds people that you are still working diligently and that your work is being received enthusiastically.

Try, Try Again

Just because one presenter did not respond to your promo kit last season does not mean the same will be true for the seasons ahead. As each season approaches, especially with electronic press kits, keep sending them to a dedicated list. If the people getting them do not want them, they will "Opt Out" of your mailings. So much of the time everything is about timing and of course you must make sure you are sending to presenters that are likely to present emerging artists. You would have done your research on this by looking at the places other successful emerging artists are playing, by looking into venues that present other artists like you, by reaching out to managers likely to be interested in adding you to their rosters, etc.

This seed-planting period is not the season for you to mope about wondering why no one is calling (unless you have bad promotional materials that need to be revamped!). This is the time you use to spend getting your repertoire built up, shoring up your list of potential contacts and presenters and following up with people you have already made contact with. Things are always brewing so you should be brewing, too. The next chapter will give you plenty of work to be doing while you are waiting for the calls to come in. The point of this chapter is to make sure you do not get discouraged during this period and give up. This is the time most artists get down in the dumps and throw in the towel and it is usually way too early in the game for them to be doing so OR they have not given themselves a fair shot because they have not put in the advance work required. Your career, once you are at a point to look over it, will be made up of a series of networking connections that paid off, word-of-mouth buzz after a successful performance, recommendations you may or may not know anything about, and successful marketing efforts you have launched on your own behalf. When you produce high quality work people will vouch for you, but unfortunately they vouch for you on their own time. It does not have to mean that your world stops while you are waiting on them to act in your behalf.

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Chapter 5: The Importance of Package Deals

What Presenters want in a Modern-Day Artist

Know your competition and then know that the best way to outbook them is by offering package deals. Of course, if all emerging artists read this book, they will all create package deals and then we will have to figure out a new way to make you standout. But until then, know that the only skill that most artists think to utilize is their playing. They forget how to talk, how to interact, how to teach and subsequently lose out on numerous opportunities to make themselves more appetizing to arts presenters. Today's presenters want artists who are effective on and away from the stage. They want artists who can come into town a day early to do school outreach, conduct a master class later that same day and give commentary throughout their recital the next night. True, it is not always so demanding and I can tell you that presenters rarely ask these things of the bigger name performers. Think of that as an opportunity, not a slight. Presenters like having options and the more options you have to offer them, along with your credentials as a stunning musician, you begin to look more and more appealing than the next guy. Standing out is the way to assure you will be standing on someone's stage.

There are quotas to be met, especially by those organizations receiving grant funds. Hours have to be devoted towards taking the arts into the community and especially to children. Having the ability to take your art into those places instantly makes you more attractive to an arts presenter. Orchestras and other arts presenters are looking to bolster their presence in the surrounding city and they can do that by taking guest artists to the public. In doing so, many times they will reach people who might never step foot in their concert hall. Ideally, that one outreach activity might actually prompt a few new people to fill a seat at that upcoming concert featuring this new artist they just met out in the community.

Back inside the concert hall there are still needs to be met outside of the concert itself. Multiple demographics make up an arts presenter's audience and your ability to serve each group makes you more and more intriguing to that presenter. Pre-performance talks and lecture recitals, or at least recitals with commentary are continually gaining in popularity and if a presenter can count on you to deliver this nugget versus hiring an outside source you can easily consider yourself a step above the competition. There are multiple ways to fatten your artistic offering. The key is to add components that are both relevant and appealing to audiences while also being a natural extension of your talents and your authentic interests. Below is a listing of possible components. Consider them with the understanding that adding them to your arsenal is not a small task. You will need to be devoted to refining your presentation and that means practicing and preparing something in addition to your musical performance. Nevertheless, the hard work you put into beefing up this aspect will add greatly to your potential of getting engaged as well as your potential to generate more income from one engagement.

Community Outreach

This includes everything from personal appearances to mini-performances mainly with the intent of drawing more of the community into the concert hall for your upcoming concert. An informal talk and possibly a performance for the local music or social club, photo opps with children's and arts organizations around town, or an off-shoot partial performance for potential donors are all ways to engage the community and entice them to come to your concert. It is also a great opportunity for the local media to get more involved. Covering a concert is usually something they leave up to the local arts critic and as we all know the results from the review are not guaranteed to be great. But a human-interest story, a piece about an artist reaching across the footlights, is appealing to reporters even outside of the arts section of the paper. Remember that a part of your new goal in terms of career building will be largely dedicated to promotion and attracting the attention of the media. Giving them something to cover outside of the usual concert helps to bolster your chances at great coverage.

School Outreach

The most common and most poorly presented component is school outreach. Usually artists add this to their bag of tricks because it seems like a no-brainer. Presenters, as well, usually allow less than stellar presentations in an effort to simply check off this box on that quota list I mentioned earlier. We talk the talk about cultivating new audiences and lament the fact that the arts are becoming more and more irrelevant in the schools, but then we turn around and present subpar programs to this supposed new audience. Part of the problem lies in the fact that we fail to realize how intelligent and interested non-exposed youth audiences really are. They expect to be thoroughly entertained no matter the style of music. Secondly, much arts outreach is conducted in low-income schools with high minority populations and subconsciously we may not truly believe these kids are indeed our new audience. Therefore, the same creative effort we would use to cultivate potential patrons is not put forth in these outreach programs.

Artists must garner this opportunity to first make a lasting impact that could very well shape the goals and dreams of their listening audience. Focus only on doing that. Do not focus on proving that Classical music is better than pop music. Do not focus on getting them to come to your concert that night. Do not focus on making sure they know how important Mozart was and still is. When artists go into schools and display pure passion for their instruments, for their music and for their careers they make the largest, most tangible impact. It is the best kind of covert proselytization around!

Tips for Stellar Outreach

1. Create a program. Do not just go in and play, calling out composer names and dropping a non-interesting historical nugget before each piece.

2. Craft a story, an activity or some kind of arc that takes the students from piece to piece, period to period.

3. Have moments of interaction that take them from listener to performer.

4. Let them discover you as well as the music.

5. Draw connections for them between your music and whatever they might be listening to. RELEVANCY is key!

6. Draw parallels between your career choice and their aspirations.

7. KNOW YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC! Outreach is about genuine connection and in order to make that happen you must, first and foremost, go into schools armed with the knowledge of whom you are talking to. This will determine which musical examples you play, how long your excerpts will be, the ratio of talking vs. playing, etc. Understanding what your audience already knows and what they are already interested in or exposed to will shape much of what you offer and how you present it.

Master Classes and Workshops

This is where you literally share your expertise. Pass on instrumental skills, talk about creative programming or simply give instruction on anything you feel you have to offer that would be of value to your particular audience. You could of course do traditional master classes where you coach a student in front of an audience with no regard for that audience on a particular piece of music. More effectively, you can think of a new way to provide instruction that also actively engages the listening audience, especially those that do not play an instrument.

1. Conduct general performance master classes keeping in mind to engage both the performer and the listening audience.

2. Craft creative, hands-on workshops designed for amateurs and non-performing connoisseurs. Performing artists often forget how fascinated music lovers (who are not pursuing careers in music) really are by what you do. Sometimes simply providing insight into what you do can make for a wonderful presentation.

3. These forums are also places for reeling in potential audience members. Being able to convert these audience members into ticket purchasers will score you big points with presenters and put you high on the list for re-engagement. So keeping that in mind, be sure to have your best self on display, not only in your interactions on stage but also in how you treat all parties involved from planning to execution.

Pre-Concert Talks, Lecture Recitals and Concert Commentary

As passionate as we are about the music and the art we make, it is a bit ironic that the large majority of us are not very comfortable or adept at speaking about it. Here is why we have to dedicate ourselves to changing this fact. Newer audiences might also mean less familiar audiences. Informed audiences might have heard the music you are presenting a thousand times, so a fresh perspective on listening to it would be warranted and possibly even much appreciated.

Pre-Concert Talks

For pre-concert talks you are given the wonderful opportunity to draw your listeners into the listening experience before the music begins.

1. Shape your talk in a way that engages both the connoisseur and the novice unless you are privy to the specifics on the demographic before the event begins.

2. Never assume your audience knows everything. Add context to dates and musical time periods by relating them to whatever else was going on in the world at the same time. This is a great way to pull in your less knowledgeable listeners and keep the curiosity of the know-it-alls.
3. Never assume your audience knows nothing. There is nothing more unappealing than being talked down to. For the most part you can skip the basic general music course. Even if your public does not know all the nuances of your instrument or the in's and out's of sonata structure, it is a safe bet they would probably pass on getting that information if they had the choice.

4. The point of these talks is to get your audience familiar with what they are about to hear. They do not have to be experts on the music by the time you finish. They should be eager to hear the music you have been talking about and they should feel better prepared to receive the whole experience. It is delight and not dread that you should be setting them up to experience.

Lecture Recitals

This forum is where you can put your zany, brainy behavior on display. When you are presenting complex or out-of-the-box programming that brings in elements outside of the music, such as psychology or art or history, a lecture recital is a good fit. Usually the type of audience attracted to lecture recitals either already knows a lot about the topic you are presenting, or are keenly interested in learning more about that topic. It is a knowledgeable audience that you can feel free to cater to for the most part. Nevertheless, you should not throw out the goal of being engaging and entertaining. There is absolutely no need at all to put your audience to sleep. In fact if we can come up with another word for "lecture", we will probably be doing ourselves a favor!

1. Balance your performance and speaking time effectively; careful to be sure there is flow between both aspects.

2. Do your research! This is not the time to be talking out of your you-know-where. If what you are presenting is billed as a lecture recital, you should be able to talk on the subject fluently and extremely knowledgeably. You do not have to have a degree on the subject matter but it should be something you have invested countless hours of time and energy into knowing backwards and forwards.

3. Offer a Q &A Session. This is a perfect way to engage the audience and to let them share their own insights into your subject matter. Know that at these types of functions you are going to have the following personality types in the audience that you should be prepared to handle:

a). The Annoying Know-it-All comes with possibly a better knowledge on your subject matter than you, or at least he thinks he does. He comes not so much because he is looking forward to hearing you talk about something he loves, but because he almost hopes you do not know what the heck you are talking about or at least is looking forward to proving himself an expert. Expect a question or three from him designed to see if you know your stuff.

b). The Joyous Contributor loves your subject matter and she loves you, too! She raises her hand to ask a question but usually ends up also sharing her personal experiences and/or her affirmations of your presentation to your audience. Beware! As well meaning and enthusiastic as she is, she eats up time and tends to annoy your other audience members with her numerous friendly interruptions. Be prepared to thank her for her enthusiasm and gracefully tamp her down so that others can participate in the discussion.

c). The Thankful Enthusiast is just thrilled someone is talking about his favorite subject and wants nothing more than to hear what you have to say about it. His questions will be genuine and are designed to pull even more insight out of your presentation. Luckily for us all, this person makes up a large part of the audience. Enjoy your interactions with them and listen for ways to offer more personal tidbits you may have left out in the more formal lecture.

Concert Commentary

In many ways this is the most fun an artist and an audience can have. Less formal than a lecture recital, but possibly more engaging than a pre-concert talk, the balance of playing and insightful points about the music and the artist make for an irresistible combination.

1. This is where you take all the "stuffy" out of the concert experience. Each time you speak you are letting the audience into who you are as a person, not just as a performer.

2. Think less in terms of detailed facts and more in terms of insightful tidbits into the composer as a person, the music as a movement, or you as a human being. Audiences are thoroughly interested in what makes you tick, your personal experiences and why you love the music you are presenting.

3. Turn on your sixth sense and be mindful of your audience's non-verbal cues. Tune into when they want to hear you say more (lots of laughter accompanied by eager eyes) and when they want you to shut-up, sit down and play (fidgeting in seats, paper rustling and droopy eyelids).

4. Jokes, extra personal information, overly sappy stories about your sweetheart, overdone sentiments like "Music is the universal language", tired or just plain bad analogies and bragging on your every achievement since childhood usually do not make for good concert commentary.

5. Add a Q&A session at the end of a traditional concert, you will be surprised at how thrilled your audience will be at the opportunity to get to know you even better.

Still stubborn?

You could just stick to your instrument and make performance your only avenue for your career. In many ways it is easier because it only involves practicing to your heart's content and being prepared to play concerts. But understand that the more diversified you are in your offerings as a performing artist, the more appealing you will be to presenters. It is about giving the presenter more bang for their buck. They can either book the phenomenal player or they can book the phenomenal player who will also come and make an impact on and away from the stage. Relying only on your instrument also limits your ability to bring in extra income. Many times outreach events and extras like master classes come with the perk of bonus fees in addition to your performance fee. Another plus is that you will give the media more of a reason to cover you prior to your concert.

Being the total package is the way to go for the modern-day performing artist who is looking to make a sustainable living, one that puts their full slate of artistic talents on display. This approach to building a career calls for another level of commitment that includes a deeper knowledge about the music and the development of other aspects outside of performance. Time management will be even more of a must when it comes to balancing the time needed to practice, develop and market these new aspects. But if you are up for the challenge, adding these new components can make the difference between struggling as a starving artist and flourishing as a versatile performing artist.

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Chapter 6: Salon Concerts Are Back, Baby!

When you think about it, Classical music was never really made for the gargantuan halls we play music in nowadays. In Beethoven's day just about everyone played a little bit of piano and neighbors put their kids to bed early all so they could gather together to hear the latest scandalous sonata. This glorious music we love today was often first revealed in the most intimate of settings that is the private salon. In these small dens, audiences could reach out and touch the sweaty backs of performers. Electric waves of approval, or disgust, circulated tangibly from seat to seat as each person responded to the music in an up close and personal manner. Strong bonds were formed between the artist and their fan base that resulted in the kind of word-of-mouth reaction no expensive PR retainer could ever guarantee.

In today's concert climate, halls with way too many seats go unfilled making for nervous presenters and slightly embarrassed artists. Emerging artists come on stage to face a sea of unfamiliar faces in an atmosphere that can often feel more like fighting for one's life in the Pantheon rather than an enjoyable evening of music and artistic revelation. Ultimately, I do want you to play the biggest venues if that is what you aspire to. In the meantime, a good place to hone your craft and build your audience base in time for the big arena is in the salon concert setting.

All over the country, salon series are popping up in private homes, small art galleries and unassuming coffee shops and even nightclubs. There are of course practical reasons like eliminating overhead costs that come with owning a building as well as the stress of being required to fill large spaces, but all in all people are craving salon concert settings for the following reasons:

a). As an artist, it is a great way to build a base of supporters

b). As an arts patron, salons are a great way to support your favorite artist and impress a few friends in the process.

c). As an audience member, people like being "in" on something. They like to feel as though they are discovering someone that the rest of the lame world has not been turned onto yet.

d). As an artist, potential future patrons and partnerships are also in the room, more eager than ever after hearing you to do something on your behalf.

e). As an arts presenter, the simplicity of the setting allows you to focus much of your energy on the art of presenting a concert and not on the many details of venue management.

f). As an audience member, you get to be closer than ever before to your new favorite artist, watching and examining his process up close and later being able to interact comfortably with them in a friendly setting.

Setting The Mood

Now that you are convinced of the benefits of salon concerts, do not go wasting that new knowledge by planning the same old mundane concert a traditional hall-goer would be subject to! Think of salons as magical concert experiences, themed musical soirées or intimate artistic sharings. Whatever you do, do not think of it as a recital. Nothing about your salon concert offering should feel ho-hum, aloof, or routine. Salons should be about artistic revelations by way of gradual reveals. They should serve as a private peek into your musical personality. Remember, your guests are supposed to be made to feel as though they are getting a piece of you that could not be gotten if they were to come see you perform in a large venue. The wonderful irony of it all is that when you give them a satisfying salon concert experience, these new loyal followers will do their best to see you in every setting possible. They will also spread the word to their closest friends because they want them to know that they know you. All of a sudden you are the most popular girl in school that everybody wants to hang out with.

Believe it or not, building a fan base is not about signing autographs and having your ego stroked. Building a base is about making genuine connections. The kind of support that comes with those connections is crucial to the infrastructure of your artistic brand. Instead of "fans" which has sort of a mindless quality to it, think of your supporters as ambassadors for your artistry. Like any good product, we rave about it to the people we care about because we want them to have the same great experience as we have had.

Salon concerts are especially beneficial and relatively easy to launch for the following people:

a). Undergraduate and Graduate students who have spent or will spend 3-5 years in a new city as they are completing their education.

b). Emerging artists who have had notable success outside of the area in which they reside, but do not often play within their residential city.

c). Artists of significant national standing looking to mobilize their base of support in order to increase buzz, momentum and audience loyalty.

d). Any artist looking to "season" their repertoire in front of a friendly audience for an upcoming recording or project launch.

Be aware that certain cities are better for salon concerts than others. We'll talk about the benefits of performing in small town America in the next chapter. But for the most part, smaller communities without a thriving arts scene may not be the easiest place to get a long line of salon concerts produced. Your best bet is in mid-size to large cities that have a dedicated arts community, with eager patrons, concerned and engaged concert-goers and a bevy of socialite types. These are the people who not only care deeply for the arts but they like going to and throwing great parties. Remember, you are not putting on a recital. You are producing a show, a concert experience. So think of your salon concerts as a partnership with local arts supporters who are willing to open their homes to your art and their friends.

Where to Find your Salon Concert Hosts

Friends and Family

You have loads of aunts, uncles, cousins who may know people who would just love to host your concert. Chances are that these relatives have already been bragging on you for some time. So in the minds of their friends, you are already at least a minor celebrity. Your relative will feel proud that you ask and will probably know at least one person or place that would love to host you.

Repeat Music School Concert Attendee

If you are in school, you probably have potential hosts closer than you think. If you have been at an institution long enough, you have given a recital or two where some of the same local university music school supporters never fail to come see you play. Many times these are devoted music lovers and for one reason or another they have taken a shining to you, they mark your degree recitals on their calendars and they bring friends to hear you play. There is a very good chance they would be more than happy to host a concert featuring you in their home. Why not? They have already told so many of their friends about you anyway.

General Regular Concert-Goers

For those of us with our formal education behind us, if we are smart enough to make the time to attend other arts events, we will start to see the same people at all of the events. Those are the people that personally enjoy the arts immensely and/or really like to be seen at those arts events. What does it matter to you their motivation? Either way, they will be intrigued by the idea of hosting an emerging artist in their home.

Outspoken Local Arts Advocates

These are the people who are always in the news for their support of the arts. They have a genuine, personal passion and loads of contacts and resources they could use to help you set up a great set of concerts in intimate, alternative venues. These could even be councilmen and other government officials as well as other artists and arts leaders

Wealthy Patron and/or Socialite

These people are known for their financial contributions as well as their enormous volunteer efforts in the local and national arts world. They are professionals at throwing impressive parties and like being known for having their finger on the pulse of what is new and hot right now. Highlighting an artist in this capacity further strengthens their clout and gives you more clout by association.

The kinds of connections you can make by having hosts in any of these scenarios are priceless. If you play your cards right, these hosts usually become more than just one time facilitators. Rather, they become your staunchest supporters and the catalysts for word-of-mouth campaigns that are more valuable than anything you can buy in the PR world.

Pricing your Concert Experience

Your pricing options are many. Since this is also a book about making your passion profitable I would personally like to see you get compensated for your art every chance you get. Nevertheless, there are things other than money to be gained in the salon concert setting that I have already addressed. Because of those other benefits these could very well be free concerts with your hosts simply bearing the expense of the event itself. Another option, especially for more established artists, is to charge a set fee to your hosts and they can choose to still have their guests attend for free. You could agree with your hosts to either have them sell tickets to their friends in advance or at the door and you take home the monies collected or you agree on a split. The more removed you are from school and the more established you are as an artist the more you can charge. Always consider what the market will bear. Research what similar artists are offering and for what fee and consider how much competition there is immediately around you.

The Approach

It is quite simple really. You just first need to decide what kind of experience you want to offer. You can have simple, casual and intimate listening parties where guests are tantalized by the prospect of being up close and personal with an up-and-coming artist. There need not be much fuss, just make sure you bring your entertaining self to the table. Again, do not go into student recital mode. Plan to talk about the music and give insights into the art, your artistry and your personality. The vibe should feel a little bit like the audience is eavesdropping on your creative process.

Your other option is to offer a pre-packaged evening with glamour built in. Costume parties, themed programs, formal setting with evening attire, a hard party vibe or an elegant tea are all viable options. Your imagination is your only limitation. Additionally, you can also consider this a partnership with your host. Find out what kind of event they want to host and what type of atmosphere they think their guests will enjoy.

If you are convinced you are offering a packaged product that will appeal to a certain demographic, market your salon concerts as a set project open to whomever wants to engage you. You can do this in a blanket ad campaign using traditional and social media and sit back and see who bites. Or you can take the more personalized route and market specifically to people you have researched and have decided would make good hosts. Even in this second approach you should have flyers or some tangible leave behind promo piece that captures the essence of your salon experience. When all is said and done, there is no harm in utilizing both approaches and assessing the success of both campaigns.

The Aftermath

Your salon concert experience has one main goal and that is to reveal yourself musically and personally to your new audience. The result is the steady building of a uniquely loyal fan base. Make sure you do not leave the room without gathering the names and contact info of your guests. Put them on VIP lists for future events, make sure they receive your newsletter and give them first dibs on all things you. Repay loyalty for loyalty. Give them backstage passes, offer them the opportunity to pre-order the CD they just heard you play through, provide complimentary tickets when possible to certain events. The salon concert is not to be a hit and run experience. It is the beginning of a relationship with people who have already shown some level of interest in you, your artistry and your career. Do not miss out on the chance to cultivate this audience and do not waste the chance once you get it.

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Chapter 7: Savoring Small Town America

(or Wherever You May Be)

Everyone who has the talent coupled with the tenacity, and the know-how can manage to put together a string of concerts that may just do their part in setting you on the path to the bigger and better dates. You do that by starting in small town America (or wherever your country of residence may be). Small Town America is a good place to line up back-to-back concerts in order to get a taste of what it really means to be a traveling concert artist who performs on demand. This is where you discover your tendencies, your strengths and your weaknesses, your preferences and your dislikes, your triggers and your stress relievers. This is where you learn how to perform consistently under pressure without the big risk factor of harsh critics and intimidatingly knowledgeable audiences.

The Benefits of Small Town Performance

There are benefits to be had on both sides of the aisle when you play small town concerts. Speaking from a musically charitable standpoint, many times you are going to be playing in areas where either a). The arts are not funded or b). The arts are simply not prioritized. In many cases, you will be bringing art to an audience of newcomers to your art form. As well, in just about every city imaginable you will be playing also for connoisseurs who have for whatever reason been cut off from the type or the level of art and music they have loved all of their lives. By you being there and performing, you are also granting them rare access to something they have always loved but can no longer attain in their current place of residence.

A Place to Break In New Repertoire

Because in many ways the risks are lower, small town concerts can be a great place to break in new repertoire before airing it on more popular, career-making stages. These audiences are usually appreciative just to have your artistry on display. While there are always a few nitpickers in the audience, including a surprising amount of conservatory graduates, most of the audience will not begrudge you a few slips. In fact, mostly they will not notice them unless you show it all over your face. It should not have to be said that regardless of this somewhat cozy and forgiving atmosphere, you should still come prepared to play your best and make an impact. Small Town America is no place to decide to slack off. You owe every audience your best and you owe it to your years of training to go after the highest level of performance every time. As well, always remember that each concert is a chance to gain a new supporter. Also do not assume that the small town audience is ignorant of what a great presentation is and what an apathetic or half-hearted one looks like. Small town audiences are important audiences, too.

Many a creaky wooden stage has crackled under my feet and _many_ a subpar Steinway has barely danced under my fingers while performing in Small Town America. But it has to be realized that these less than stellar experiences have caused me to be ready for just about anything. I always joke with presenters when they begin to prepare me for their less than perfect piano, that as long as the keys come back up, I'm happy! Of course, we would hope that all presenters, especially when it is affordable, would make sure they are also offering the highest quality experience possible for the artist. But that is not always the case and you can bet that there will come a time when your standards are not met. Instead of shouting and screaming, you should come prepared to shut-up, suck it up and play. There may or may not be a time to make proper demands or file a complaint, but usually it is not immediately before you go on stage. My rule of thumb is if it cannot be fixed immediately and with the assurance that my pointing out the issue will not make matters worse, leave it alone.

Here are some things that touring in Small Town America helps you find out about yourself and your artistry:

1. Can you play after long, arduous travel?

Often, especially when you are performing in a small town, your trip there will not just be the three-hour flight but it may also mean another two-hour drive by rental car. Maybe there are hassles with luggage or issues with the car. Maybe you also get lost on your way to this hard-to-find town. Once you get to the hall, you may feel more like taking a nap than giving a concert but the show must go on, fatigued or not.

2. Can you perform without much warm-up time?

You finally make it to the hall, arduous trip behind you, only to discover there are only two hours before they open the house to the public. You still need to eat something and, of course, get dressed. But first you have to practice. And as soon as you have been going at it for about 30 minutes the local piano technician arrives to tune the piano before your show. And before you even ask him, he confirms that he cannot come back later because he has somewhere else to be in an hour. You either let him get to work or you play your concert on an out of tune piano. This means that all day you have touched the piano for a total of half an hour even though your concert repertoire is two hours long.

The best advice I can give you for both of these scenarios is to arrive the day before your concert. But this is not always possible so you need to pre-plan mentally and literally for a few aspects. First of all, you should include a technical rider with your engagement contract which also dictates your practice time and that it is not to coincide with the piano tuning (or the stage sweeping, light fixing, curtain hanging, hall decorating, etc.). Secondly, you should expect and prepare for the worst. I can count maybe five or six times in my eight years since going professional when my practice time has NOT been interrupted. If it is not the piano technician, it is the lighting guy who wants to get fancy when all you need is a basic spotlight with no shadows on the keyboard. It could also be the tech crew working on your concert production that includes multimedia. At least for me, this added element often means my warm-up time turns into a full-blown tech rehearsal. Finally, interrupting your practice time could very well be the head of the Patrons Club who just cannot decide where the beautiful bouquet of flowers should go on the stage. I actually had one sweet lady try to convince me to have the bouquet on the piano during the concert. Seriously.

How do you prepare for these disruptions?

You need to have an emergency practice routine that you should begin your time in the hall with even if there is no emergency in sight. This is basically a way to get through all of the most important chunks of your concert in a thorough and relaxed manner. Freaking out in rehearsal can too easily carry over into the concert. So do your best to stay calm and stick to your routine. It is okay to ask for distractions to be removed, but do so kindly as well as firmly.

3. Can you still play a decent concert on a poor instrument?

The most nightmarish stories I hear are always from pianists because we are at the absolute mercy of the venue's instrument, which has often been donated or restored by some wealthy patron who just happens to be in the audience. Be as clear as you can in your technical rider about the kind of instrumental needs you have but understand that in many cases, smaller venues do not have the financial resources to bring in a replacement instrument. There have been cases of artists cancelling a concert on the spot due to subpar instruments, but often they are bigger name artists. Does that mean that just because you are an emerging artist you are any less deserving of the highest quality instrument? No. But you do have to understand that many times things will be out of your control no matter how talented you are and you will have to make a decision as to how you are going to adjust. By all means, especially if the situation is going to cause you physical pain, do not play or maybe consider simply shortening your program. But if you are able, make less obvious adjustments, like in tempi and dynamics. Try not to make a big deal on stage about how horrible the instrument is, it makes the presenter angry and it makes the audience embarrassed for the presenter and concerned for you. This is the time to see if you can rise to a particularly uncomfortable challenge.

4. How do you deal with chatty, anal or misinformed on-site handlers?

Follow me on tour enough and you will see me deal with arrogant tech guys who do not want to take my suggestions about my own technical equipment until four hours after they have not made any headway of their own. You will see me be as polite as possible for way too long to a well-meaning volunteer who does not realize she is talking my head off while I am trying to get into the zone half an hour before the show. I promise you on your own tour you will run into an overzealous lighting person or an obsessive-compulsive piano tuner and you will have to figure out a way to extract yourself from the situation in time to mentally prepare for your show while also assuring the situation you were dealing with actually gets resolved. Diplomacy will be key. Shy types will need to figure out a way of asserting themselves and hotheads will have to be careful to be tactful. Put yourself in each of these situations and come up with a one liner like the following:

a). To the arrogant techie: I'm not absolutely sure that it's the case now, but I can tell you that at the last venue, the issue was with the Phantom Power, or the screen resolution, etc.

b). The chatty volunteer: Wow, I could talk to you forever but I should really finish preparing for tonight's show.

c). To the lighting fanatic: Man, that looks amazing but all I really need is to be absolutely certain there are now shadows on the keyboard. Can we please cut the gels and see what we get? A spot might be all I need.

d). To the anal tuner: Unfortunately, I still need to warm-up a bit. I wish we had more time but for now what you've done is more than fine for the show. Thanks so much.

5. Can your inner diva deal with a less than glamorous dressing room, or none at all?

You head back to your "dressing room" which is really just a classroom with no mirror or a public restroom that has been only sort of shut off to the public. First ask someone if there might not be another office or another bathroom that is less exposed. Sometimes if you did not mention your dressing room expectations in your rider, this aspect is simply overlooked and someone on site might be able to think of a better solution on the spot.

6. How do you respond when the audience is half empty? Or noisy? Or possibly bored?

One of the most important skills you will develop is the ability to read your audience. Especially in small towns, you will not be sure of the demographic until you get to town. The way the feature article was written, how your concert was advertised and the venue itself will all determine who shows up to hear you play. Sometimes you will come out with a sophisticated program that demands rapt attention from a fairly knowledgeable audience only to find that because of another nearby family-based event everyone came right over, small kids in tow. Suddenly your sophisticated recital has turned into something of an outreach concert. Maybe you have a talkative audience filled with people not used to regular concert attendance. They are not being rude on purpose but maybe just commenting about how great you are while you are actually playing. This is the time to turn the concert into an interactive one where you talk and answer questions in between pieces. This way your audience is more attentive during the playing because they know they will get to talk in between. Lastly, know when to cut your losses. Maybe the program you put together is just lost on your audience. It is no one's fault, it does not make your audience less sophisticated and it does not necessarily mean you are a stick in the mud. You just both misjudged the other. This is the time to shorten a planned program or add and delete pieces of music as you are able. I have a couple of "go-to" flashy and romantic pieces if I get the sense that a certain audience would be more into this unplanned repertoire than what is listed on the program. No one ever really gets mad about these kinds of adjustments as long as the audience leaves satisfied.

How to Line up a Regional Tour

Much of the time you will spend in actually setting up the tour will be on the front end by way of the research you will need to do to find out what concert presenting organizations exist. There are multiple ways to do this. A good way to see which presenters might be interested in booking emerging artists is to spy on the tour calendars of other slightly more established emerging artists. Some small to midsize cities have Community Concert Associations, Music Clubs and Social Clubs in addition to the larger arts organizations in town and you will want to send your materials to all of these options. Do not forget that small colleges, community colleges as well as the larger local university usually have some sort of music and art department that presents outside artists. Many cities of all sizes often have small orchestras of varying levels that would love to present you as soloist. The person listed as the Artistic Director or Director of Programming is whom you will want to address. Also note that oftentimes the Executive Director wears both hats and may just be the proper point of contact.

Once you have your press kit together (and preferably you have an e-version as well) send it to presenters to see who bites. In fact, to save money on postage I recommend sending out a feeler email that includes the aforementioned e-kit. When genuine interest is shown, a hard copy kit and further information on pricing can be sent. Follow up with a phone call. Never rely on the email blast alone unless an immediate response is received. You can cast a large net and then book yourself wherever interest is shown as the calls come in but then you are more likely to have a tour that crisscrosses across the map and may cost you more in travel costs. The alternative is to take a more systematic approach and focus on a smaller region or one or two close together states. Choose a time period for that region and let presenters know at what point you will be in the area, then book accordingly. With this approach you will be playing more and not losing tons of time and money on travel. You may be able to fly in to one city, rent a car and get to most of your concerts by driving an hour or two between engagements. Finally, you can drop the car back at your departure airport even if it is not where you picked the car up upon arrival.

Blanketing a City for Maximum Exposure

Do not waste your time in town. Remember, you are there to play your concert but your secondary goal is to build your base of support and awareness of your artistic existence. Much of that happens outside of the concert hall and this is where your artistic package will now come into play. Especially during the periods where you have two or more days before the next concert, see what other appearances you are able to arrange while in town. You can do this through the presenting organization or on your own, but do be sure your initial presenter does not have exclusivity issues with your other performances and appearances. Be considerate of the time and effort they have put into marketing your concert with them. To have you play the same program only a block away, a day earlier and $10 cheaper per ticket directly undermines their ability to also produce a successful event.

Engaging Local Media

Be sure to alert the local media before you come to town of your concert and supplementary appearances. This is where the press release we talked about earlier comes into play. With an interesting enough press release the chances of you getting a nice sized article in the local paper is very high. Let news stations know you are willing to come to the studio for an on-air interview and/or to perform. On your press release include a full schedule of events that you have arranged for your visit. If you do not take the time to let people who would not normally know or care about your concert know you are coming to town, you have wasted the opportunity to expand your audience. Many of the people you connect to in these places will follow your career avidly and will become your supporter and champion. Aside from that, a good media response in town will not be lost on the presenter. You can bet that along with a great performance, this media attention will serve as an added bonus that could play a large role in your possible re-engagement.

Once my CD came out I got a kick at looking at the seemingly random cities where the album was bought. In actuality, it was not random at all but was representative of some of the places I had performed in over the season prior to the album's release. Do not just play and run! Whether it is in the printed program or verbally from you on the stage, let your audience know how they can keep up with you. Invite them to join you on your various social networks and if nothing else make sure they know about your website. To this day I continue to correspond with teens and adults who have attended my Small Town America concerts from years previous. That is a rewarding extra benefit from putting together these character-building, inspirational tours. They are inspirational for both the audience and especially for the performer who becomes inspired to do more, play more and have the same kind of tangible impact he has had in these small towns on his big city audiences as well.

These small town performances are the equivalent to the mall concerts Brittany Spears and other pop stars do when they are starting out. They are building a base as well as honing their talent. They are finding out what the public expects from them and seeing how the public reacts to what they have to offer. Small town concerts are a brilliant point of connection between you and your future fans. People like to reach out and touch the artists they love and these special concerts allow an intimacy you will not really experience in the same way from the bigger stages. Take advantage of it and love every minute of it.

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Chapter 8: Approaching Management and Record Labels

Aah, getting "signed". Lest you think this is where your hard work ends, be forewarned that it only just now begins once you get management. But before you get down to business, finding the right fit and building the right relationship with your manager and your record label are one of the hardest and most important things you will ever have to do on the business side of your creative career. In this period of doing everything for yourself, managing your own career and producing your own records is of course possible, or _Emerge Already!_ would not exist. Nevertheless, we have to admit that having another brain spinning its wheels on your behalf and a record label making sure your music is distributed farther than your backyard goes a long way towards paving an artist's career and easing his or her stress level in the process. Of course, if you are with the wrong manager or the wrong label, the exact opposite is true. But for now, let us focus on how to attract the attention of potential managers and labels. Then, once you have a few possibilities to consider, you can go about the business of making sure it is the right fit.

What does a manager usually do?

1. Helps create and structure your promotional materials from writing your bio to deciding what to include in your press kit. The cost of producing the materials is usually your expense. You will either pay for this up front or you will reimburse your management out of the fees from your future engagements.

2. A manager looks for, books and negotiates engagements on your behalf. They receive a commission for this service (usually 20%) out of your artist fee.

3. Talks to presenters, record labels, project coordinators, etc; handles the business correspondences (tech riders, promo materials, personal arrangements, etc.) on your behalf. This is what allows you to practice, at least in theory.

4. In some cases, managers (or their assistants) along with the presenter will coordinate your travel needs and accommodations, though often travel is your expense as well. The coverage of travel and accommodations varies from presenter to presenter.

What a manager ideally does

1. Ideally, a manager will think strategically in terms of the future of your career. Unfortunately, most managers only have the manpower to think and deal within one season and do not have the time or foresight to craft out a multi-year strategy of taking your career to the next level. This is the primary reason emerging artists never truly emerge. They play the same circuit as long as they can and do not have anyone that can break them through the glass ceiling of "rising stars" series onto more higher profile engagements. Since we are speaking frankly, it should also be noted that within a large agency, preference, priority and brainpower go to the big stars that are bringing in the big bucks and the big record deals and you cannot really blame them for that. When you are doing your research into large firms with long rosters, check the performance calendars of the artists you have not heard of before and that will give you insight into how much attention they are getting from this big firm. A smaller boutique agency may serve you better as an emerging artist.

2. Your manager may come up with ideas for creative collaborations, especially with other artists on the same roster or by way of relationships he has with other managers. This could mean added engagements and income for all parties involved.

What a manager does not do

1. Unless your management firm is big enough to have its own built-in PR department, most managers do not have the time to also handle publicity for your concerts. This means you will need to do this for yourself or hire a PR person.

2. A manager is not responsible for creating creative projects for you. Your manager can help you package the project you create and get it in front of the right people, but you should first bring something viable to the table.

When to reach out to Managers

In real estate, it is about Location, Location, Location. When it comes to approaching a potential part of your management team, it is about Timing, Timing, Timing! The biggest mistake most artists make is in mindlessly approaching managers and record labels. I am not yet talking about not giving enough care to the content of the materials they send. Right now, I am referring to the lack of thought given to WHEN is the best time to reach out. Artists come out of school and think the first thing they need is a manager and a record deal. But the nasty catch 22 is that managers and record labels do not even want to look at you until you have built up some evidence that you are capable of "making it".

If you are an aspiring concert artist and send a manager a link to your website where there are no concerts in sight for the next 6 months, why would they want to sign you right then? What it would mean for them is loads of initial grunt work. Whether or not it is fair, they will wonder about what that absence of performance dates means about your potential as an artist. Are you not a great performer worthy of booking? Are you too lazy to strike out on your own? Is anyone at all demanding your presence and your music?

A label executive is going to assume they will not be able to sell any records with you because most sales these days are made on site right after the live concert. If you do not have any concerts lined up, you cannot make them any money.

Here is the slightly deflating truth. Gone are the days when managers and labels scour the earth for raw talent and dump loads of money into developing an artist, keeping him or her under wraps until the time is right for a big reveal and a calculated, steady rise to the top. No one really wants to, or has the time, to do the grunt work anymore so your best bet is to come with as much in place as possible. This means you should be playing regularly, you should have a growing base of support and loads of experience all in your arsenal.

When you finally make your approach you want to make sure there is an immediate possibility of a follow up action. And no, going to your website is not the follow-up I am talking about, though your website should be impressive. When you send your materials, be sure the person receiving them will have a chance to come hear you perform soon or even offer to set up a private performance for them. For instance, if you are approaching a New York manager, do it at a time when you are about to play in New York, so that they can come to your concert. If you are really strategic, your approach will be during a period when you are getting a bit of buzz. Maybe a nice article is about to come out on you soon. Make sure it is included or that you send it as a follow up. Past accolades are great but current successes are always most impressive.

Lastly, do not send your first pitch at a time that is liable to be occupied by other more important things like major holidays. Weekends are off limits, too, because your email could just end up in a pile of quickly scanned correspondences left for a murky Monday morning. From what I can tell, this chapter could warrant a book of it's own. But for now, I wanted to hand the reins over to the managers and let them tell you in their own words what they think you need to know. Below are the answers to some questions I posed to several managers, others decided to just contribute based on what they thought was important for you to hear.

**Vincent Russo, Artist Manager** (on behalf of the Concert Artist Guild organization)

1). Should an artist contact you unsolicited?

We are a competition-based organization, so an artist would be referred to the competition guidelines posted on our website for more information and how to submit the relevant materials. www.concertartists.org

You indeed have to win our annual competition to be selected on to our management roster.

2). What qualities and prerequisites are you looking for when adding an artist to your roster?

We ideally want to see an artist who is eager to start a concert career and one who is proactive in working with management to make this a reality. We like an open-minded artist who sees the importance of being in all different types of concert situations in order to grow and adapt to the modern concert world. We also appreciate an artist who communicates with their managers often and at all phases of their career.

3). What do you expect from an artist on your roster as far as the kind of work they should be putting into their own career?

Learning and performing new repertoire as well as cultivating well thought out programs that distinguish themselves from other musicians are always to the benefit of a young performing artist. Networking with colleagues, other musicians, potential presenters, along with some self-marketing via the Internet (Blogging/ Facebook/ YouTube, having a good and up to date website, etc) is a good way for an artist to become more visible in the market place. The most successful artists that we have handled usually understand this concept and do it well.

4). What can they expect from you and/or what shouldn't they expect from you during the course of your relationship?

They can know that we will be working very hard to further their careers by booking engagements as well as by building their publicity materials to help further promote them in the marketplace. They should not expect to just practice their art and leave every other aspect of their career to us. An artist has to be able to market themselves as well as network and self promote in today's competitive performing arts world.

**Maria Guralnik** , **Visiting Assistant Professor of Arts Management, SUNY Purchase**

It is so very important to reflect that the entire paradigm has shifted including new roles and responsibilities for both managers and artists. Generally, there needs to be an existing relationship from my perspective. In other words, the artist needs to emerge from a trusted and reliable source including (but not limited to):

Recommendations from a colleague, friend, respected artist, record producer, journalist, family or other direct connection

Artists should also be aware that winning a competition may bring you a short-term contract but is no longer a guarantee of career management. In approaching managers, artists should be wary of soliciting managers with whom they have no direct relationship without an invitation or prefaced by an introduction. Once the door is open, given the increasingly competitive environment, it is an advantage to know the business and provide evidence that you can have and can effectively manage social media promotional sites and that you are flexible by nature and a skilled creative collaborator.

Knowing the state of the arts, possessing a broad and deep professional network; having performance/touring experience; and extensive repertoire are all plusses as well.

Marc Baylin, Baylin Artists

1). Should an artist contact you unsolicited?

Absolutely. I can't pretend to know every interesting artist so unsolicited contact, or contact via a reference is perfectly acceptable.

2). If so, what approach do you prefer and what materials are you most interested in?

I personally prefer either email or real mail. We do not accept cold calls. I read every email but will only respond if the artist is of interest and/or if a colleague referred them. If the contact is by real mail, then a recording or DVD plus reviews, etc is important. We do not, however, return unsolicited materials so an artist should never send us the "last" copy of anything.

3). What qualities and prerequisites are you looking for when adding an artist to your roster?

Working with an artist is a two way street. We are not set up as a charity so the artist needs to bring something to the table that allows us to market the artist to the right presenters. The artist's network in the field is critical. Who have they worked with? What do the materials look like? Does the artist seem to have it together? Is the artist willing and able to invest in their own career? These are big questions we ask ourselves each time.

4). What do you expect from an artist on your roster as far as the kind of work they should be putting into their own career?

Artists must tend to their network, keep it up, and expand it. They must be willing to put money into their materials, images, etc. They must always be thinking about what they're doing, how people perceive them, and the direction they want to go in.

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I promise I did not pay these three managers to respond as they have but you will note that from these responses we see some recurring themes, the same themes running throughout this book. The great news is that managers are still looking and interested in finding exciting, fresh new talents. The eye-opening news (though I have been telling you this for a few chapters now) is that managers are looking for artists willing to do some heavy lifting. They want artists who are not only phenomenally talented, but also those that understand the business and are willing to partner with them in order to ensure success. When I was working with a manager, many of my engagements were often re-engagements from concerts I did before I even had management. So in some cases every engagement is not a result of groundwork laid by your manager but rather by you. The benefit of having management is that they help you maintain relationships you have begun building and they can think strategically on how to build out the network you already have in order to get more higher profile engagements. The hardest aspect to accept about working with managers and other brand handlers like a public relations expert is that there are no guarantees. And this is something they often remind you of when things are slow. They cannot very well guarantee you that presenters, the media or consumers will bite because once they send out your materials or put out your album, in many ways they are at the mercy of the people they release it to (or the customers' whims). Nevertheless, results should ultimately be expected. If you are finding that long stretches are passing without any concerts (or without any publicity and media placement in the case of PR) then it is time to reconsider this relationship. There will always be a dry patch or two and you want to ensure that this is never as a result of you being misrepresented, mishandled or simply not marketed to the right targets. Managers expect a lot more from artists today. Artists should also expect the same.

Some more things to think about when it comes to managers

1. Don't strike prematurely\- the iron is not hot if you are still figuring out who you are as an artist. By the time you come to a potential manager, your artistic identity should be crystal clear. It is almost the same when approaching the media. Reporters are so busy now that many of them just print the press release you send them practically verbatim and attach their name to it. I, personally, have no problem with that because it means my message is getting out exactly as I crafted it. These days, because of staff cuts in the arts departments, they do not have time to write the story but they are still looking for a good story nonetheless. So craft your personal story carefully and come to a potential manager as a package ready to be presented. This does not mean that you are inflexible about that image. The manager may be able to see areas for improvement that will improve his chances of being able to get you work. So do not be close-minded. Sometimes it is as simple as updating your imaging (new wardrobe, haircut, new look, etc), spicing up your promo materials (new pictures or demo) or sometimes a more serious change is needed in how you are presenting your art. Often times we do not realize how various demographics perceive our offerings. Some tweaking may be needed to appeal to the largest demographic possible. Be open to the discussions that need to be had.

2. Get your contact information right\- Do not address your initial correspondence to "Whom it May Concern" when just a few more minutes of research can lead you to a specific name and whether or not that person is actually the right person for you to be approaching. For instance, if you are a classical soloist looking to get more orchestral engagements, a manager that only manages opera singers and accompanists is not the right manager for you. If you are an Avant Garde musician and the agency you are considering only represents the biggest names in traditional classical music, there is a good chance they will not see you as a good fit for their roster. There are always exceptions to the rules, especially as large firms try to get their fingers into other pieces of the pie. But be sure to put the time in on the front end to make sure that you are not wasting anyone's time in the long run. If you want to be taken seriously, take this process seriously.

3. A recommendation speaks volumes. Two of the three managers mentioned it in their responses. If there is a renowned teacher, an acclaimed artist you have a genuine connection to or even another manager whose roster you do not belong on but he or she can vouch for your talent, have them contact the manager on your behalf initially. In today's unpredictable market where concert series and symphonies are either folding or restricting their seasons, managers want to be sure they are marketing products that will sell. A recommendation says that someone important already believes you will soon be someone important as well.

What about Record Labels?

If finding management is about leveraging relationships that could serve as recommendations, networking and packaging yourself to be marketable, then getting a record deal is about all of those things plus the following question:

"Can we sell your music?" which also translates into "Can we sell YOU?"

There was a time where labels focused solely on promoting the artist. Many feel that lead to the demise of the Classical recording business because so much money was thrown away into flashy promotions schemes and fancy packaging. Today, some Classical labels have taken a music first approach (like Naxos) while others are trying to balance equal promotion of both the music and the artist (Deutsche Gramophone, E1). No matter which approach the label is taking, the more fully developed your musicality, your musical personality and your artistic product, the better your chances at getting that label's attention. Yes, you must send a great demo and do put your best track first on that demo. Label heads can tell in the first few seconds if they like what they hear and if there is potential. They do not have time to warm up to your demo. Make it as high quality as you can afford.

But aside from the music itself, like it or not, most labels are not just looking for wonderfully talented artists. They are also looking for artists with star quality who can produce and sell new, creative musical products or breathe new life into old standards. Artists these days are often also ambassadors for the label so you can see why striking personalities have a leg up.

I had a bit of a Cinderella story when it came to landing my record deal. I will skip the fairy dust for now and skip right to the crucial selling moment. I sat across from the record executive in a quaint little coffee shop in New York. We'd had a delightful general get-to-know-you discussion up to the point where she decided to test my mettle. Here's the gist of our conversation:

**Susan:** "Jade, if I signed you today what would you record and how soon would you be ready to record it?"

**Jade:** I would record a recital I've been carrying called the Rhythm Project. There's a group of pieces all by American composers and the binding thread would be the evolution of rhythm in Classical music in the 20th- 21st century. I could be ready in about 2 months.

**Susan:** (She looked impressed but not deterred.) "Nice. If I gave you a 2 record deal, what would you record for your second album?"

**Jade:** (adrenaline pumping, excited at the challenge) "I have a disk idea for music of Chopin and Rzewski..."

I give her the details, she comes back asking about a possible third cd, I smile and let her know I could go back and forth all day! She smiles and all but signs me on the spot. What she did not know was that I had very recently been offered an opportunity to record with two other labels. The first deal was slanted heavily towards the label and while their distribution capability was extraordinary, the financials left much to be desired. The second label really wanted me to record a standard program that I did not believe in and did not feel would reflect my uniqueness as an artist. If I did not believe in it, neither would the consumer. When you really know your artistry, you hold out for the right avenue even when it is hard to turn down what seem like a sure thing. I knew in my heart those prior deals were not for me, though I could not guarantee when the right deal would come along. But I prepared for the moment nonetheless. So by the time Susan came at me with those important questions, I was ready for her with an abundance of ideas because I had thought about it all very seriously beforehand.

What does a Record Label do?

1. They will work with you to come up with a recording project that you are happy with and that they can sell. In the Pop music world, especially, artists complain often about their lack of creative control.

2. Most, but not all, record companies will pay for your recording session and the production of the actual tangible product.

3. The better deals will have distribution as a part of the package and will ensure that the artist's product is in stores at a national level as well as online. But some smaller labels will rely heavily on the artist to sell albums through their websites and other means of self-promotion.

4. Most labels should have some plan for publicity and marketing in place, though obviously some labels are more equipped to do this effectively. An artist's own skills at self-promotion will still come largely into play.

5. Most labels will pay for all promotional materials related to the project, though some may require you to invest somewhat in things like the photo shoot for the album cover.

What gets in the way of a record label working at its best for you?

1. Lack of flexible, customized marketing for each release. Often times because it saves time and money, labels have one marketing strategy and they apply it to 99.9% of the releases. The traditional projects that fit well into that set scheme sell well, the ones that don't...don't. Special treatment is usually given to higher profile artists whose prior sales or higher level of buzz or renown have proven worthy of the risk in adjusting the scheme.

2. A relentless release schedule. Because so many single records do not sell well, record labels figure there is strength in numbers. They release albums back-to-back in hopes that each release will sell decently and the total sales will be worth the effort. The problem with this model is that each release is short changed when it comes to the level of attention that each record can get. Less time will be devoted to each release and albums that do not sell immediately will be put on the back burner. Albums that get off to a good start, or have higher profile names attached, will get more immediate attention for a prolonged period.

It is not enough to say you want a manager and not know what it is that a manager does and what type of manager it is that you need. It is not enough to say you want a record deal and not know what in the world you would record if you had the chance. Remember that working with a manager is not for one season but hopefully for many sustainable seasons and that takes work on both your parts. The same goes for a record label. As much as you do not want to be a one-hit wonder, your label would also rather make money off of you for more than one CD. Your creativity and your ability to effectively promote yourself will come into play.

When it comes to a management team and a record deal the adage, "To whom much is given, much is required" never rang so true.

~~~~

Chapter 9: How Not to Get Re-engaged

Guess what is more important than getting engaged (I'm talking concerts, not marriage)? Getting re-engaged. Re-engagements are what sustain a career and establish a reputation. Debuts are what create buzz and momentum but re-engagements (and new engagements because of the success of a previous one) are a truer reflection on the impact of your artistry.

There are two factors that play into whether or not you will be returning to whatever hall you have just left. Those factors are your PERFORMANCE and your BEHAVIOR. These are the keys to impressing a presenter. It seems like common sense, but there is a reason there is a whole chapter devoted to this issue. It is because for the most part, artists who are not getting re-engaged have no idea why. Worse yet, usually a few people around them DO know why and are not telling them.

Do you want to know who is not going to tell you? That would be the Presenter. They have no reason to let you know where you have screwed up because they are already on to planning future seasons. They simply make a mental note not to include you in their planning for seasons to come. Remember when I said there is room for you even in this overcrowded market? Well, that is still very much true, but how long you last once you have finally carved your niche and are out there performing depends on more than just your musical chops. The easiest way to tell you how to get re-engaged is to highlight how not to get re-engaged. Below is a listing of the major, and sometimes minor flubs that keep us from returning to a presenter's stage.

A Bad Performance

This is the most obvious reason we are not asked back. For whatever reason, a bad night happens to the best of us. It is probably one of the most frightening and painful things a performing artist endures. And now with modern-day technology our flubs can haunt us for eternity on video sites and podcasts. Even some of the greatest performers ever have been caught off their game a time or two and have had their public performance debacles made even more public by some idiot thinking it would be fun to post it on YouTube. For established artists with mostly good reputations prior to the flub, everyone, including the presenter, can choose to recognize the mishap as a fluke. But with emerging artists, the stakes are often higher. Whether you are re-engaged or not after a bad performance your focus has to be on mentally recovering and not beating yourself up. There will be plenty of people waiting to do that for you. If you do not believe me, check out the viciousness that takes place on the blog sites of international music competitions. Amateur players and wannabe critics take to ripping young performers to shreds for missed notes and memory slips, forgetting how much easier it is to type out insults versus performing under pressure. For you the performer, the next step is not to doubt your talent based on a bad performance but to work hard to lessen the chances of a reoccurrence.

What the Presenter is Thinking

To a presenter, a bad performance is about trust. They have to trust their audience's enjoyment and the caliber of their series in the hands of the artists they present. So when we do not play up to snuff, the presenter now mistrusts our ability to deliver what he or she needs. I have been in this situation as an artist and as presenter and let me tell you that it feels bad no matter what role you are in. As a performer, there is nothing worse than feeling a performance slipping away from you and worrying about how you will be perceived because of it. It is a devastating experience to have your art called into question. As a presenter, there is nothing more uncomfortable than watching a performance of an artist you were excited about go awry before your very eyes. In some cases you feel sorry for the artist because you can tell they were not expecting to play below potential. Other times, you feel angry and tricked because there may have been some false advertising or nonchalant preparation at play. Either way, it is a no win situation for everyone involved. Credibility for both parties is now on the line.

A String of Bad Performances

Worse than having one bad performance is to have a string of them. For better and for worse, the classical music world is a small one. Both good word and bad complaints travel quickly. Executive directors and conductors call each other to get the scoop on rising stars and other interesting unknowns they are thinking of taking a gamble on. They might be willing to overlook one bad performance, especially if there is a believable excuse, but a string of subpar concerts is cause for serious concern.

What Presenters are thinking

Especially in terms of more high profile presenters, many of them have been keeping tabs on interesting emerging artists. When they go through their vetting process and find a recurring theme of unreliability they cannot allow the possibility of that unreliability manifesting on their very visible stage. They are doing themselves and you a favor by not engaging you if they do not truly believe you are ready for the big time. A bad performance not only calls into question your artistry but it also calls into question their judgment as arts presenters. So as much as I hate this adage, for the presenter especially it is true: "You are only as good as your last performance". Understand that this is how they need to operate, but do not allow yourself to define your own artistry on such narrow terms. I believe you are as good as your last practice session, so make sure to get a lot of good ones in!

_*Word of advice:_ if you find yourself having a bout of bad performances...take a break. So many artists stay in bad situations because they fear they will lose the momentum they have been building. They are afraid to say no to concerts for fear they will not get any more. That is a logical fear that may or may not come to pass. But the reality is that if you continue to play poorly, you will not get engaged for sure. That is a fact. So the best thing you can do for yourself is cool your jets, hit the practice room, work with a performance psychologist, hang out with your family, do whatever you need to do to get back to your old fabulous self. Then gradually reintroduce yourself to the performance world. Spend your downtime strategizing and visualizing your return to the stage. If we are open and honest with ourselves, most of us can pinpoint a period or even an event where our performance quality began to take a turn for the worse. That is half the battle. Now you can focus on fixing the issue and being able to go on stage again knowing you will perform up to par. That is a priceless feeling.

Now that we have gotten that uncomfortable conversation out of the way, let us look at the other reasons artists do not get asked back. Some of them may surprise you in their simplicity. I have laced this section with real life stories (though names have been changed) so you can understand I am not just hypothesizing. These actions have real, often severe consequences.

Diva Denise

Aside from bad playing, this character is the most obvious culprit when it comes to not getting re-engaged. Divas and Divos make for good stories usually attributed to opera singers but as you will see, just about every type of artist can fit into this category (though I do have my fair share of singer stories!). The original definition of Diva simply meant a highly popular, admired and glamorous female singer. But because many an admired, glamorous singer has gone down in infamy for bad behavior, the word now is often immediately associated with spoiled artists and outrageous off stage antics. The Divas I mention here have the following things in common. Their concern for themselves grossly outweighs any thought given to the impact their actions will have on those around them. Finally, they have an utter disregard for the idea that there is a proper place and time for everything.

_True Story:_ There is a young man who is a phenomenal musician but he has a phenomenally bad attitude that borders on outrageous. He participates in many of the world's biggest and most difficult competitions and though many will argue that he is most deserving of the top prize, he is often granted only a slot amongst the finalists. Who knows what his possibly sad personal back story is but he has such an undeniably strong musical gift that it seems he mistakes that as his right to treat people any way he sees fit. He yells at stage hands, scoffs at the instruments provided by the competition sponsors, makes unreasonable demands of his host families, literally ignores volunteers who are talking directly to him, is rude to the conductors he works with in the final rounds and visibly throws fits during awards ceremonies when he feels he is unjustly denied. The saddest part is that in many cases he is easily the most talented artist on the stage. But I know that he burns so many bridges in the process, upsets so many people and generates true fear in the people that might have to work with him should he win that he makes giving him the gold medal virtually impossible. Some have been able to ignore the horror stories in favor of his extreme talent, but for the most part his career has seen a serious stifling solely because of his bad boy behavior. Luckily for him, if he were to simply go to one event and not act as he has in the past, his gift is so tremendous that people would rush to forgive him and engage him almost immediately. But to date, his unchecked emotions have prevailed.

Loud and Mean Lucy

The loud and mean artist has a fiery temperament, perfect for the stage but awful for first-time personal interactions. He or she expects the highest standard at all times and has no problems letting the presenter know when they feel the engagement is not up to par. They have a habit of blowing up in front of important people and treating people they do not deem as important with gross disrespect. Loud and mean artists mistake rudeness for being admirably forthcoming. They rarely realize the extent of the damage left in the wake of their bridge-burning antics.

_True Story:_ A fiercely talented pianist who has all the makings of a star and the ability to easily handle the life of an in-demand artist was severely handicapped by her bullish behavior. Unlike the Divo above who could be outrageous, but mostly acts as a snobby brat, this lady enjoyed confrontation. In fact, she felt it was her duty to point out everything that did not meet her expectations. In a chamber music rehearsal, she would confront the ensemble for what she deemed their wretched unpreparedness. She had no problem letting a professor know in front of his students that she felt he was unqualified to teach his course or telling the university that their concert pianos were woefully under maintained due to a lack of competent technicians. Upon graduation, it had not dawned on this girl that the sort of aggressive action she took in school would not play out well when it came to her interactions with presenters. Sure enough, she won a competition that resulted in a winner's engagement the following season with a presenter in California. Well, even though she had won the competition fairly and believably, she had been a pain for the organizers to deal with. She often complained publicly and loudly about everything from the pianos themselves to the hall and the ineptitude of the volunteers. As a result, they had nicknamed her Piano Witch (except they used another word instead of "Witch") and this is how they referred to her prior to her return to the city for her winner's engagement. I know all of this because I was being told this story by the competition organizer. They were referring to the young lady only by the derogatory nickname and since the antics sounded strangely familiar I ventured a guess as to the identity of the pianist. I got it right on the first try. Turns out I had had my own run-in with this same artist and had always thought her behavior would one day displace her talent. She played astonishingly on this winner's concert to a room full of California presenters who unfortunately had already heard the stories about the Piano Witch. They had come to put a face to the nickname, but not to take the risk of dealing with her for themselves.

Quietly Defiant Quentin

There is also a quiet assassin. He is the artist that just politely ignores all the rules. They do not complain about the obligations being placed on them so the presenter is usually taken aback when they show up late for supplementary events. They have the power to passive-aggressively talk the stagehands into rearranging everything, or simply just do not show up for the donor's reception. When you see them again (which could be on the ride back to the airport), no mention of the indiscretions and no apologies are made.

The only thing I can figure is that these particular culprits genuinely believe presenters should just be happy to have them. They believe their quiet mea culpa like tardiness or inappropriate dress should be overlooked because of whatever it is they feel they bring to the table artistically.

_True Story_ : A presenter friend of mine told me of an emerging artist he had recently presented on his series. There were three other artists being presented at the same time, each having their own night for a solo showcase in addition to chamber performances with the other three artists. The young man was nice enough but always seemed to be a little lackadaisical and also was quietly demanding. He was the last to turn in his contract and asked for extras by softly mentioning what he was used to getting from other engagements. He often showed up late at gathering times and when specifically reminded about an important post-concert function he still changed into jeans after he played and left the building before the guests could properly greet him. At restaurants, he would quietly order expensive wine or the most expensive dish and would slip out for a smoke just as the meal was winding down and cars were being loaded, forgetting to tell the waiting party where he was going. The irony with this particular situation is that the artist did not turn out to be that memorable musically, he was even noticeably underprepared. Right before he went on stage he quietly asked the presenter to turn pages for him in what was supposed to be his memorized solo concert. Even with the music in front of him he made many mistakes throughout. You can imagine these little annoyances combined with a surprisingly subpar performance rendered him a non-factor for this presenter's more prestigious subscription season. Emerging artists often fail to realize that these Rising Stars series often serve as testing grounds for presenters. This is where they decide whether or not you are ready for the next level. In this case, the presenter was also called by another important presenter of rising stars and was asked for a recommendation. He easily recommended three of the four artists he had just presented. The fourth, he never mentioned.

Blissfully Oblivious Olivia

Often mistaken for divas, these types do not necessarily aim to ignore the feelings of others, but they are usually so self-absorbed they often do things that end up making them look completely selfish or inconsiderate. The outward difference is that this character wears a sugary smile and not a scowl throughout most of her antics.

_True Story:_ A pianist friend of mine once played a chamber music gig where aside from the quartet he was contracted to perform with, he was also later asked to play some selections for piano and solo violin, a special guest artist they were bringing in addition to the quartet. He reluctantly agreed because he was already overcommitted where repertoire was concerned. Nevertheless, he said yes under the assumption that he would be receiving the new music right away. After much begging and pleading, the violinist finally sent him a stack of music about two weeks in front of the performance with no directives on which pieces she actually wanted to play. She was still contemplating and said she would let the pianist know as soon as she made up her mind. Finally, she derived a narrowed down list of about ten selections of which the pianist hurriedly learned. Upon arrival, the violinist was under the weather and cancelled the initial performance in which she and the pianist were supposed to perform. In addition to the big quartet he was working on, the pianist now focused his attention on the second performance he and the violinist would play. It does not help that he comes down with food poisoning on his second day in town. But he pushes through the quartet rehearsals whilst the guest violinist refuses to rehearse their duo music due to her bad cold. After rehearsing the violinist's music all morning, at their first and very brief pre-concert rehearsal, the violinist announces she will be cutting three of the five planned pieces he had been working on for that night's concert. They play the much-reduced mini-concert that night with the violinist complaining to the audience that she just was not up to her usual stellar self.

Finally the day of the main concert arrives. The very sick pianist goes to the hall extra early to practice the violinist's program especially. They rehearse briefly, making still more cuts, but it looks as though the concert will still be a success. In fact, the audience will be coming mostly to hear this particular violinist. The pianist stays behind in the hall to firm up the other repertoire and to work on a new piece the violinist has now added to the program. Nevertheless, with an hour and a half to spare, he gets a call that the violinist has decided she is just too sick to perform after all. He is furious for the time he has wasted over the last few weeks learning this music and upset for the audience who will be sorely disappointed at the cancellation. But he is also slightly relieved not to have to deal with the difficult violinist anymore. At thirty minutes prior to walking on stage, the violinist arrives, hinting that she might just be able to perform after all before ultimately sticking to her earlier decision. After the concert is over and the other chamber pieces have been a success, the violinist goes to the pianist and says, "You know I'm so sorry about all of this. You never got to hear how good I really am."

BOOOOOORING Bobby

This artist's fingers are on fire but his audience is not inspired in the least bit. The performance is so dry they have to put out a warning for potential forest-fires in the venue. So often we forget that as artists we are also, in many cases, entertainers. In classical music, the word "entertainment" sends shivers down some traditionalists' spines. But think about it. While people do hope to be intellectually stimulated, we can also assume they would rather enjoy themselves than not. As a performing artist we have the rare opportunity to be put in a position to inspire, educate, stimulate and cause great joy to a room full of strangers. We usually have just this one chance in a concert, 90 minutes to do all of that. But so many of us waste it on rendering a relentless execution of the notes, or an informed but uninteresting interpretation. Faithfulness to the score is important, but betrayal to one's personal artistic expression is detrimental to everyone involved. Presenters are just as turned off by boring presentations as they are by sloppy ones. It is good to be in service of the music, but do not forget the importance of also being in service to your audience. With so many bright young talents, the presenter's options are close to limitless.

_True Story:_ I went to a performance where the last thing I expected was to be bored. I figure at a percussion concert, it would actually be impossible to be bored. Instead, I irritably sat through a grooveless presentation of new music that was sold to me as high art music devoid of passion or even interest on the part of the performers. It was the most random beating on of objects I had ever witnessed, completely lacking of commitment from the performers involved. Worse yet, is a performance where the artist wastes the opportunity to speak to the audience with completely uninspiring intellectual tidbits that do nothing more than alert me to the fact that the speaker stayed awake in his Music History class. Engaging the audience verbally requires a desire on the part of the speaker to make a tangible connection to the individual members of the audience. He must want to draw the audience's attention to a listening point or give them a new perspective from which to hear the music that is coming. Impressing them with his vast knowledge of Classical music should not be the primary goal.

Ungrateful Greta

A simple thank you note will be memorable to the harried presenter who comes across it on the middle of his overcrowded desk on one of those miserable Mondays. A physical thank you note (not an email, a tweet or a Facebook message) says you took time out of your busy schedule after your engagement to write back and say how much you appreciated the opportunity and the hospitality. They do not expect it, but a presenter would not mind knowing that your performance on their series was not just another notch on your résumé, but rather a performance experience you will remember and count as special. A thank you note is great but it's after the fact. In person gratitude is what really colors the presenter's perception of who you truly are as a person, not just as an artist. So many details go into your concert from the snacks on your dressing room table, usually organized by some nice person on the volunteer board, to your transportation from the airport, to the dinner you did not really want to go to because you really needed to practice. Always take the time to say "thank you" to everyone from the executive director to the person opening and closing the curtain before and after you walk on stage. Failure to say those two small words with frequency says much about the true you and whether or not you value the people around you and understand their role in your success on their stage. Aside from the humanity of it, there is tangible benefit to be gained. A stagehand is suddenly more willing to go the extra mile for you and the presenter might just put in a call to another presenter on your behalf when you show some genuine appreciation. On the other hand, no one wants to go the extra mile for a snob.

How do we forget something so simple? It is not because we are evil people but more because when we get in performance mode we become tunnel-visioned. We do not notice that the stage door is not just magically opening, but is being operated by a flesh and blood human being. As we are scarfing down our food in hopes of getting in one more rehearsal at the hall, we do not stop and think that this volunteer that is wining and dining us is doing so out of the kindness of her own wallet and not the company credit card.

I usually collect the business cards of the piano technicians, any volunteers I meet and of course the contact information of the actual presenter. If I am sending a blanket thank you note to the presenter I ask him to give my regards to the specific people who made my time in the area pleasant. Sending thank you notes to 50 people for every engagement is overkill but know that every extra event you attend in your honor and even your performance fee itself probably has a sponsor. Be aware of that, find out who they are and thank them on the spot. You can also thank them from the stage before or after your concert or in the midst of private social events. Gratitude is attractive. In fact, it is darn sexy and it is a trait that keeps you fresh in the minds of most presenters.

The Role of Your Manager in Getting Re-engaged

So up to this point we have talked about all the things you as the artist can do to lessen your chances at getting re-engaged. But the truth is there is one other factor that can seriously get in your way. For those of you not managing your career completely on your own, you have a front person by way of your manager. That manager is literally the second and most important point of contact for presenters. In many cases, your website or other online representation speaks first on your behalf so hopefully you have a killer site. If your site does its job effectively, it easily lures presenters to your contact page that lists the contact info for your aforementioned manager. At this point you are a wonderful electronic image and what we hope is that your manager upholds that wonderful image by representing you well.

Unfortunately, many a manager does his or her artist a grave disservice in the ways I have listed below. The worst part about it is that many of you will never know because you have never thought to check up on how your manager is doing business on your behalf. Many artists are so happy just to have representation that they embark on the relationship in a passive way. They forget that indeed their manager is working for them, or at least as an equal partner in building their careers. To turn a blind eye to how your managers are operating in favor of only practicing and then showing up and performing could be one of the biggest mistakes you make as an artist.

When I was in search of new management I first decided I was in no rush to hop into a new relationship with a relative stranger who would be completely new to me as well as my artistic product. The thought of being in the wrong relationship was far scarier than being on my own for a prolonged period. I wanted to use lessons I had learned from my first management team to inform decisions about what I would need from my new team in a time when I was changing many things about my artistic package. So I decided to ask lots of questions of lots of people. As a general rule, I always ask presenters if they are satisfied with their interactions with my managers. I asked artists managed by managers I was interested in about their relationships with those managers. I also asked presenters which managers they liked or disliked dealing with. Eventually, you will want to get to a place where you can trust your manager completely and know that you are on the same page about a variety of important issues. But in a new relationship (or a stale one) you will want to make sure your manager is not committing the following sins.

Your manager was a pain to work with for the following reasons:

1). Your manager does not return emails or phone calls promptly (or at all). This is received as a serious sign of either disrespect or disorganization. If this type of behavior happens early on in a negotiation it is often times the cause of an engagement falling through. Presenters themselves are extremely busy and they do not have time to chase around after an emerging artist to whom they were hoping to give a shot. There are hundreds of equally interesting rising star talents to choose from.

_Story Behind the Sin:_ Vacations are important, especially for managers who are always on call. But returning calls before they leave town could mean the difference between a booked gig and a performance falling through. An artist I know was looking forward to the possibility of playing on an important series. In fact, he had met the artistic director of that series recently and had been told they were eager to get him there to perform. The artist passes this info along to their management and then waits to hear confirmation about the seemingly easy booking. The manager decides to email first on Monday and follow up with a call two days later. The presenter responds to the email on Tuesday and agrees to chat on the phone on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the manager's Wednesday gets away from him and what the artist and the presenter do not know is that the manager is heading out of the country on Thursday. The manager emails both the presenter and the artist to inform them he's headed to Russia but that he can still work from his smartphone. The manager and the presenter are now limited to email and with the differences in time zone, the correspondence and the negotiations begin to break down. In the midst of all this, the presenter gets a call from the manager of another emerging artist he'd had his eye on. Because he really needs to close out his season, he decides it would be easier to book that new artist now whose manager is easily reachable and put the other emerging artist on the back burner for next season when the negotiations can be handled in a timelier manner. All the artist ever finds out is that the presenter decided to go in a "different direction".

2). Your manager handles himself more like a car salesman than an artist manager. The same way that your demeanor is important so is your manager's approach. His mode of talking, his approach to the art of the sale, the tone of his response to a presenter's requests can be the determining factor in whether or not you are booked. No one wants to feel talked down to, pressured unnecessarily or even threatened by the person representing you. The unfortunate result is that nasty aftertaste of dealing with an unsophisticated manager mixes into the impression the presenter has of you. Even when the presenter is reasonable enough to separate the two images, he or she may not book you simply because they do not want to deal with your management.

_Story Behind the Sin:_ In an effort to get a great fee for his artist, Craig the Manager had a habit of making presenters feel like they were being nickeled and dimed to death for every move the artist made. In that process, if a presenter was reluctant over the extra charges, he would casually drop the fact that another, more important presenter was also wanting his artist for that same period or he would point out that the last time his artist played for that other Big Name Presenter, they had no problem meeting his demands. He would also say things like "Well maybe my artist is not the right artist for your series" when he knew full well that both the presenter and the artist really wanted this engagement to occur. Often just to spite Craig, many a presenter passed on an artist they really wanted and the artist was none the wiser.

3). Your manager is a snob. If the price is not right, the venue is not perfect or the proposed project is not ideal, instead of passing on the proposal politely your manager either makes unrealistic demands and/or is extremely condescending or dismissive in the process. The manager goes out of their way to let the presenter know they should feel lucky to have you even consider the project. They will take the presenter up on the offer if and only if nothing better comes along and they have no problem letting that tidbit be known. If in the middle of the negotiations something better does come along, your manager is not even courteous enough to let the presenter know he has moved on. The problem here is not whether or not your manager is looking out for your best interest, but rather he is giving the impression that you think of yourself as superior or entitled. Ironically, you have not said a word and may not even know the offer is on the table, but rest assured the impression left is that you are the snob and that particular word gets passed along from one presenter to the next.

_Story Behind the Sin:_ An artist was once approached by a renowned organization to be a part of an innovative project, but the presenter also wanted to incorporate another artist who had a similar aesthetic. The first artist easily agreed to the partnership but the catch was that the two artists did not have the same manager. This meant the presenter would have to negotiate separately with each artist's manager. The first artist and his manager were intrigued by the possibilities, did their own research into the project and were excited that the project seemed perfectly crafted for this particular artist. The fee was also quite generous. The second artist's manager did not bother to learn as much about the project and focused on seeing if she could raise the already large fee. He did not relay any of the info about the project to his artist so whenever the two artists and the presenter got together to talk over the options, the second artist was always woefully out of the loop and uninformed. In the presenter's eyes he came off as enthusiastic but clueless. In the end, the second artist's manager decided to pass on the project but did not bother to inform the presenter or his artist. The presenter figured it out after a few unreturned calls and emails, but the second artist did not know what had happened until an article came out about the first artist being selected for the project. Ouch.

4). Your manager overpromised or misrepresented you. You are a great artist, you have worked hard to carve out a niche for yourself and you have multiple talents but you cannot do or play everything. Unfortunately, your manager has given the impression that you are indefatigable or that you have talents that are not quite accurately represented. The problem here is that when you arrive on the scene the presenter is wholly expecting you to deliver. Excuses will not be acceptable because he has already booked supplementary events based on the information your manager has given them. Even if you do the main job you were engaged for very well, what will be remembered is what you did not deliver on.

_Story Behind the Sin:_ An emerging artist had five mildly successful years with a small management firm before being wooed away by a new manager who made tons of initial promises. The new manager worked fast and furiously to show this artist that unlike her sluggish former management, she could get the ball rolling more quickly. Unfortunately, this speed came at a price. The new manager often put the cart way before the horse and was not always the best listener. An opportunity came up quickly with an organization known for its jazz concerts but they also had artists of other varieties performing on their stage. This particular emerging artist had been dabbling in experimental music and improvisation, but she was primarily a classical musician. But the new manager saw those side projects as a way to sell this venue on her new client. So when she approached the venue she not so accurately presented her client as a classical and jazz clarinetist. She got the engagement but ultimately ended up setting the artist up to fail in a major way. Once the clarinetist got to town, she had planned on playing her classical program and her experimental set but was shocked to see that the house band was expecting to perform with her as well. They had charts waiting and assumed that since she was a jazz clarinetist, she'd come prepared to improvise the last thirty minutes of her set with them. Of course, the audience was full of jazz connoisseurs. She had to politely let the presenter know that she "didn't really play jazz" before launching into a rather tamed version of tunes she did not really know.

5). Your manager was controlling. There is a fine line between a manager who takes care of his artist and makes sure they are not taken advantage of and the manager who keeps everyone on a restrictive leash from the presenter to the presenter's graphic design team, to the stage crew to the host family. Do not get me wrong, some presenters need to be checked quickly up front or they will take advantage of an artist who is willing to please. Still yet, managers have to be careful that they do not put so many people in a choke hold over the smallest of details that no one wants to work with the artist again. Usually, once an artist gets on site a presenter can tell whether or not certain directives and behaviors were being asserted by the artist or are really just a reflection of the manager. Even still, no one wants to be controlled or put under unreasonable restrictions.

_Story Behind the Sin:_ Before Shelly had gotten to town her manager had gotten final approval over the printing of her bio in the program and had argued with the graphics team over the placement of her photo in relation to the recital series' logo. Even though the hall was only two blocks from her hotel, he had demanded ground transportation for the short trip for every rehearsal and practice session. He had made sure she would only be present at the donor's reception for 15 minutes and had requested that she not be taken for meals at any franchised American restaurants. Upon arriving, Shelly could not figure out why everyone she met in town kept marveling over how surprisingly sweet she actually was.

6). Your manager left you out of the loop and you were unprepared. Most likely your manager is not just managing you alone. They likely have a roster of clients and hopefully they have a few assistants as well. No matter what, there is often a bit of frazzled goings on that can result in some details falling through the cracks. Things like wrong hotel names, typos in the itinerary or forgetting to tell the host family that you dislike bananas are forgivable. But forgetting to let you know that you will be expected to fulfill certain "extras" (meaning supplementary events outside of your performance) is nothing to take lightly.

_Story Behind the Sin:_ The following happened to me. I was settling into the hotel two nights before my concert. I was excited to have one full day to do nothing but practice and enjoy the city I was visiting, which is a rarity. At around midnight I get a Google alert for "Jade Simmons pianist" and am more than shocked to read a posting about a lecture I am supposedly giving the next morning at 10am as a prelude to my concert the day after that. Lucky for me, the topic was one I had spoken on before and often did as a lecture recital. Yet, it was still unnerving to have to give this lecture without much forethought. This was one time when my travel-induced insomnia came wonderfully into play. I stayed up to review and tweak my old notes, mentally prepared myself for the possibility that there would be a piano in the lecture hall and made decisions about what examples I would perform if I was expected to perform. Luckily, I always pack way too many clothes and happened to have something suitable to wear for the lecture. All is well that ends well, but it is always better to be prepared beforehand. My manager at the time realized later that his assistant had neglected to list the lecture on my itinerary that I had only received moments before hopping on the plane. I lucked out in this case because I am comfortable with speaking extemporaneously if need be, but always remember that if your manager is not on top of their game, neither can you you be on top of yours.

Now the truth is, sometimes getting re-engaged has nothing at all to do with you and how great or how rude you are. Every presenter likes variety so they cannot very well have you back year after year. But if you watch a few organizations closely enough (especially symphonies), you will see that they do have their favorites whom they re-engage on a regular basis. Your aim is to get on that favorites list and become a regular part of that presenting organization's calendar. Playing well, being memorable, having a sophisticated manager and being gracious are all good starts.

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Conclusion: Building a Lifestyle Grounded in the Arts

If you are lucky, what you are creating is a lifestyle, not a job. Our artistry happens either in real life, or we ponder it in our heads, sometimes 24 hours a day. So we need to be happy with the art we have chosen as our career. Too many artists live two disparate lives out of necessity. They spend much of their time doing the work they _have_ to do to make financial ends meet, which sometimes means working a job completely unrelated to their art because it pays better. The easiest example of this is in the world of acting where so many actors pay their bills by waiting tables. Other times it means using their art in a way they had never intended and from which they do not derive any pleasure. The most common example of this can be found in musicians who teach, but admittedly hate teaching.

The consequence of living that way is fatigue and eventually resentment. We end up so tired from working our "other" job that we rarely have the energy needed to put into our art. The time we do put into it is insufficient and that lack of focus begins to show through in the presentation of our art. Mind you, there are seasons where this kind of hard work away from your art will be necessary. I do recommend that artists live in the real world. Families must be cared for and financial obligations must be met. But eventually, we have to ask ourselves these two questions:

1). Am I really qualified to be the artist I dream of being?

2). Am I really ready for a career that will allow me to pursue my passion?

If the answer is no, then we have two options: a). Change career plans because maybe your art is better suited as a serious hobby. There is no shame in this admission, only freedom. Your other option is to b). Get qualified and get ready for the career you aspire to by studying harder, working smarter, practicing more seriously, planning better, etc. So to do this you have to ask yourself the following:

Am I willing to get on a plan and do the work that will enable my true passion to also become financially viable?

If we have decided our art is not just a hobby, but rather the only thing we can envision ourselves doing, then we owe it to ourselves and to the people we are responsible for to transform our artistry into a profitable product.

Building a lifestyle grounded in the arts starts by truly strategizing your way into the next season of your career using ALL of the facets of your artistic identity and abilities. To get there you have to ask yourself, "what do I envision my lifestyle entailing?" "How much and what kind of performing do I want to do?" "When I am not performing what else could I see myself doing that would make me happy and also pay the rent."

Maybe you are an instrumentalist and you love teaching, but not by way of giving lessons on your instrument. Can you write about the art you make? Maybe you can possibly consult on issues that you have addressed throughout your career. My challenge to you here is to get you to look at your career as multifaceted and flexible. Below are imaginary examples of artists who have built out their careers to the maximum level. All of their artistic abilities are being utilized to produce rewardingly fruitful careers that have also been financially successful. This is what I call building your artistic pyramid. It is a structure that represents your multiple artistic legs. We prioritize these legs depending on our artistic, personal, financial needs. Sometimes we are in a season that requires more income so we shift the facet that has the most income potential to the top of the pyramid in hopes of a trickle down effect. When that top piece is successful, our other projects reap the benefits as well.

An example of taking a secondary passion and making it part of your primary career

Valerie the Violinist plays 3rd stand in the Second Violin Section of the Mid Level Symphony. She spent her formative years in Paris with her French mom and American dad and speaks fluent French. She also minored in French History and has a flair for fashion. When the symphony is in season she is busy playing with them, but still has time to teach a course on French music at the local university. In the symphony off-season she runs her own concert series in a museum renowned for its Parisian art and she is the music director for all of the events put on by the very wealthy French Society in her city. She bought several gowns by her favorite French designer and produced a beautiful portfolio of her performances in his gowns and sent it to him. Now she is often flown all over the world to play her violin on his runway as the onstage muse in his eclectic fashion shows.

An example of profiting from a developed secondary gift

Sylvia the Soprano made it into a renowned emerging artist opera studio right out of conservatory. There she realized everyone was as good as she. She shifted part of her focus not to just learning notes, but to learning about the times and the people behind the music. She had a knack for storytelling and began to incorporate that into her performances. Soon she was the most called upon artist when it came to representing the studio in public because the directors knew she was going to not only blow the audience away with her voice, but she was going to genuinely engage them in the experience with her wonderful stories. A few years later, as a professional, in addition to the countless recitals and many roles she plays, she dedicates a portion of her season to consulting. She lectures about audience engagement and does individual sessions with artists looking to add more to their own concert offerings.

An example of branching off of what comes easiest

Peter the Percussionist always had a knack for teaching kids to play and enjoy music and he had a blast doing it. His studio was burgeoning thanks to word of mouth from happy parents with even happier kids. One happy parent was also a principal at a local elementary school and asked Peter to come in and do an outreach program for his kids. Excited by the experience, Peter put together a proposal and received grant money to play outreach programs for schools across the state. Because of his successes, he soon began to conduct seminars for arts organizations on how to do effective arts outreach. In the summer, he runs a rhythm-based arts camp open to young kids of all musical backgrounds.

An example of empire-building from the seed of an artistic brand

Janet the Juggler has been adept at multitasking her entire life. As much as she has always loved juggling and has made a respectable career from it, she always knew her mode of impact would expand beyond juggling. First, she built up her juggling brand and became recognized for it, performed her routine on many important stages and became synonymous with passionate presentations and innovative programs. Soon, other jugglers wanted to know how she did it so she created a platform to share her expertise through instructional videos, making sure to talk about the things other important juggling teachers were not talking about. The videos became popular so she started a blog, hosted a Livestream show and eventually authored a book on the same career-building techniques. Regularly, she releases another career-building book with fresh information.

Even with the success of the career-building franchise, her first love remained juggling. So she still performed and set aside parts of her calendar for extensive touring. Because she had income from other artistic sources she could be choosier about the types of shows she played and more creative about the types of projects she pursued. In her off-season, she produced a radio series that highlighted the work of other famous jugglers. Two years after the radio series was a success she presented a proposal to a television network and got her own Talk/Variety show that highlighted artists of all types. Lots of wonderful partnerships have come out of her ventures including a sponsorship by the makers of her juggling pins and a clothing deal to produce cool juggling pants like the one she often performs in. After 5 years of balancing these many projects, she finally had the connections and resources to launch her own charitable organization that gives free juggling seminars to deserving children. Janet wakes up every morning knowing that every moment will be devoted to either caring and spending time with her family or pursuing only the artistic career she wants. At any time she can re-prioritize the many branches of her artistic empire and shift the focus to what will be the most fulfilling and the most financially viable for whatever artistic season she is experiencing.

It sounds like Fantasy Land, but really this lifestyle is not that hard to attain. In fact, in many ways it easier to pursue this fuller, more diverse artistic path than one that is wholly dependent on concert dates. Once the concert dates start coming you can reprioritize them to be at the top of your artistic pyramid, if that is what you want. Those four artists had a few things in common. They had other interests they were not afraid to develop. They put thought into how they would develop them or put more time and effort into getting themselves to expert level. Then they were all presented with some crucial moment or opportunity to act. For Valerie she had the guts to believe a renowned French fashion designer might just be interested in the fact that she performed in his gowns. Then she did not waste this realization on a hastily written email. Instead, she gave thought to what the best approach would be. Then she put time, money and artistry into the package she sent to him. The results were favorable because the designer could see in her approach that she was a serious artist, which was of course something he could relate to.

With Sylvia, she did not allow herself to be oblivious to what was going on around her. She did not allow herself to be offended by the fact that her technical mastery alone might not be enough to stand out in the crowded and very talented opera studio. She also did not just depend on her natural charm and charisma. She put in the work, did the research into the music so that her storytelling would be educational, inspirational and amusing. Her work and her delivery paid off by way of elevation to the eye-level of the directors of the studio. Still yet, more work was ahead as she would have to stop and analyze why and when she was most effective in order to bottle that effectiveness as a product to other artists and organizations looking to do what she was doing with much success.

With Peter we see someone doing what makes him happy as an artist. When the opportunity presented itself to perform for a larger audience we can trust that he prepared himself to be effective and impressive. He also rode the wave of momentum and interest. Because he had put in the work of developing his studio, he essentially made foot soldiers out of the proud mothers and fathers who left with enthused kids after their lessons. Instead of allowing the summer to go by underutilized, he devised plans for a camp that would keep his current students engaged and allow them to bring their friends in to join in the experience. You can bet that many summer campers also turned into private students as well.

Finally, with Janet we see an artist fearlessly marketing her artistic product as a lifestyle brand. She was seeing success at pursuing her passion and was not afraid to allow that passion to take her in unexpected directions. At any time she could have stopped with one or another venture but she pushed the limits to see where her original passion might take her, even if it was some place she had never predicted she would go. The result is an extremely diverse career that demands lots of dedication and maintenance. This particular lifestyle is not for every artist. But it is imperative for those artists that do have an active entrepreneurial side to understand they have the same options as any other budding business mogul.

These artists are living the lifestyles that I want for you. Their lives have a central artistry at its core and are filled out with activities and pursuits that bring joy and money to the table. They are not eaten alive by busy work or jobs they are not passionate about. They have put effort, time and money into developing themselves to a place where they can be called on to perform or to offer a unique service or perspective. Since we are all unique artists this must mean we have the capability to each offer something that no one else is delivering in the same way. We have the ability to stretch ourselves, to maximize our artistic potential to the point where we have careers that are not only musically rewarding, but also profitable.

I harp on profit not because I want you to be money hungry. In fact, many of your best and most rewarding musical experiences could end up being pro bono performances. The point is to get you to focus on making your art something you can rely on. We have the most comfort and confidence in the loved ones we can rely on. Since we love our art almost as much as our loved ones, it should do the same for us. It should love us back. Here's to you putting more than you ever have into your art and receiving more than you ever dreamed of from it.

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Now...Go Emerge Already!

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Meet the Author: Who is Jade?

"Jade has exactly the kind of creative energy that the classical music world needs. Every time that she has had a success, she has found a way to use it to create opportunities for young artists and to spread the joy of great music."

\---Jon Kimura Parker, Pianist

Simply put, Jade Simmons is not your grandma's concert pianist. This boundary-breaking artist has made a habit out of being the First, the Founder or at the Forefront. While performance is her passion, inspiring people to take the blinders off of their dreams is her mission. Stay tuned for more Emerge Already! books to come.

Learn more about Jade on her official website

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Official Bio

### Jade Simmons, Pianist

An uncommon display of passion and innovation at every turn, pianist Jade Simmons is easily one of the most exciting and versatile artists on the scene today.

Chosen as the inaugural _New Music/New Places Fellow_ for the prestigious Concert Artist Guild organization, Jade is committed to expanding the boundaries of Classical music. She offers a diverse mix of repertoire from the classics to the cutting edge, all presented with her unique brand of communicative powers. Audiences have come to expect creative projects backed by riveting performances like her program _Kandinsky and Scriabin: Hearing Color, Seeing Sound_ which focuses on links between visual art and music, as well as _The Rhythm Project_ , an exploration of pieces that exploit the more percussive nature of the piano. An extension of _The Rhythm Project_ , Jade Simmons released her debut CD in March 2009 for E1 Music entitled _Revolutionary Rhythm_ , praised by _Allmusic.com_ as "a thought-provoking, entertaining, and fun debut that easily establishes Simmons as a major talent."

Ms. Simmons, a Yamaha Artist, has toured the US extensively, highlighted by concerts on the Ravinia's Rising Stars series, the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, the University of Washington World Series in Seattle, Merkin Hall and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Her performances of Guggenheim award-winning composer Tania Léon's piano works alongside pianist Ursula Oppens was named one of the Best Concerts in 2005 by _ARTFORUM_ magazine.

She has appeared as concerto soloist with the Dallas Symphony, the Chicago Sinfonietta at Chicago's Symphony Hall, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas at Town Hall, the University of Chicago and the Imperial Symphony Orchestra. 2011 marks more concerto debuts in Illinois and Arkansas. Simmons has also performed in New York's many alternative spaces including Symphony Space, Harlem Gatehouse, Le Poisson Rouge, Joe's Pub and Brooklyn's BamCafé.

Jade is a passionate advocate for the arts in education and has created multiple programs suitable for all ages used with great success across the country. Past residencies include the University of Chicago, the Cliburn Foundation and the Mississippi Symphony. 2011 collaborations include performances with the Ritz Chamber Ensemble and a residency as part of Georgia Tech University's Ferst Center ARTech program.

An artist with a social conscience that moves her to action, Jade serves as an advocate for America's youth, addressing groups across the country on sensitive issues such as suicide prevention and mental health awareness. In 2009, Jade became the inaugural Spotlight Artist for Music for Autism, a New York-based organization for which she performs and has assisted in their expansion to Houston, TX. _Symphony Magazine_ has recognized jade two years in a row for her work on and away from the stage. In light of these achievements, she was listed as one of _Ebony_ magazine's Top 30 Leaders under 30

Jade's multiple talents make her a true Renaissance woman of the millennium taking her in the direction of arts presenter as founder of the _Impulse Artist Series_ , 2009 winner of Best Non-Profit Arts Series (Houston); writer, lecturer and creator of _Emerge Already!_ , career-building advice for emerging artists including videos, blogs and books.

In the summer of 2009 and 2011, the world got to know her as the webcast host for the _13th Van Cliburn Piano_ competition (Ft. Worth, TX) and the XIV Tchaikovsky International Competition (St. Petersburg/Moscow) respectively, where she introduced all the performances and conducted live interviews with renowned figures including Van Cliburn, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Menahem Pressler, the Takács Quartet, James Conlon, Fred Child, John Corigliano and Bob Schieffer.

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Jade completed her undergraduate work in piano performance at Northwestern University under Sylvia Wang. While there, she co-founded the immensely popular percussion and dance ensemble _Boomshaka!_. Simmons also became Miss Chicago, Miss Illinois and ultimately first runner-up at the 2000 Miss America Pageant where she performed Chopin's Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10, No. 4, before a live television audience of millions. Ms. Simmons holds a Master's degree from Rice University, where she studied with acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker.

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