By Jarrett Maier How do you make connections ?
Technology is creeping into every corner of society and seemingly dividing us . Claiming to unite us with so many “ friends ” and yet leaving us feeling so isolated . We fight and scrape for likes , shares and retweets , just hoping we can get enough on line traction to make a dent . Are you really connecting with your audience and , more importantly , is your audience engaged ?
In the musical world , it may be time to reconnect with some of the time tested tools for reaching out to the people . Perhaps amongst all the scrolling , our connections are being lost .
I was recently reminded of how powerful personal interactions can be . My band had a show at a larger venue with some tickets to move . We decided to take it back old school . You , hopefully , know what I mean . Flyers in hand , we hit the pavement . Visited the venue about three weeks prior to our show and handed them out
Anyone who has ever walked
That was the connection .
We all can sit behind a keyboard and promote endlessly . It ’ s a very useful tool and has opened avenues that could never have been imagined twenty years ago . But just maybe it is beginning to stifle us . Music is , at it ’ s best , an emotional connection with a listener and the story you want to tell them . What better way to do that than in person ? We need to show up to perform for people , why not show up to promote to people ?
Those connections you make really do matter . On stage or off , those people are your life blood .
Your music is your business .
Speak with them , not at them .
Do this everywhere , all the time At your shows . Before and after your sets . While out catching another band play . Hang a poster . Drop a flyer on the bar . Better yet buy a stranger a beer and hand them a flyer . Reach out . Engage . to USE IT ! Put the technology away and connect with someone . Jarrett Maier is a columnist for Total Order Magazine and the Songwriter / Bassist for Autoerotica from PA .
SEQ CHAPTER 7
Connections
By Jarrett Maier How do you make connections ?
Not the type that further your career in a professional sense . The connections with everyday people . The important relationships that occur in the small moments of life between two strangers . We all do it and never pause to realize why , or how , that moment happened . It is not something that can be fully appreciated in a cyber environment .
Technology is creeping into every corner of society and seemingly dividing us . Claiming to unite us with so many “ friends ” and yet leaving us feeling so isolated . We fight and scrape for likes , shares and retweets , just hoping we can get enough on line traction to make a dent . Are you really connecting with your audience and , more importantly , is your audience engaged ?
In the musical world , it may be time to reconnect with some of the time tested tools for reaching out to the people . Perhaps amongst all the scrolling , our connections are being lost .
I was recently reminded of how powerful personal interactions can be . My band had a show at a larger venue with some tickets to move . We decided to take it back old school . You , hopefully , know what I mean . Flyers in hand , we hit the pavement . Visited the venue about three weeks prior to our show and handed them out
to the people entering for another show .
Anyone who has ever walked
42nd St . in Manhattan and ignored a flyer knows how hard it can be to get people to show interest . I thought it would be a daunting task , after all it never used to be easy . I was pleasantly surprised . As two of us hung out on the sidewalk , passing out our information , people started loosening up . They went from wary to conversational . It actually got to a point where some were reaching out to us like “ Don ’ t I get one ?”
They thought they were missing out on something .
That was the connection .
We created a sense of community with a group of strangers . As brief as the moments may have been , we had to look each other in the eyes and interact . I believe this is far more valuable than any click on a cell phone . It also just might have forced people to step back and think about how seriously we take our music .
We all can sit behind a keyboard and promote endlessly . It ’ s a very useful tool and has opened avenues that could never have been imagined twenty years ago . But just maybe it is beginning to stifle us . Music is , at it ’ s best , an emotional connection with a listener and the story you want to tell them . What better way to do that than in person ? We need to show up to perform for people , why not show up to promote to people ?
Those connections you make really do matter . On stage or off , those people are your life blood .
Your music is your business .
Your business is a brand that needs time to gain acceptance and support . So stay put , weather the storms , swallow your pride on occasion . Make tough choices when you need to . Please , don ’ t start another band tomorrow and expect anyone to care ! the way .
Speak with them , not at them .
Engage with them , don ’ t sit back and wait for them to do it for you .
If you don ’ t show them your passion as a person , why should they care about you or your music ?
Do this everywhere , all the time At your shows . Before and after your sets . While out catching another band play . Hang a poster . Drop a flyer on the bar . Better yet buy a stranger a beer and hand them a flyer . Reach out . Engage . to USE IT ! Put the technology away and connect with someone . Jarrett Maier is a columnist for Total Order Magazine and the Songwriter / Bassist for Autoerotica from PA .
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