I recently did my first-ever musical shows in Panama (two, to be exact).
Though I grew up in Panama, performing where I grew up is much more daunting that performing in the US or anywhere else has ever been.
There are many reasons for this, most of which aren’t relevant for this journal entry, but the good thing is that, because these performances were so daunting, they pressured me and forced me to learn a lot in a more compressed and intense manner.
So, here are some lessons from two recent musical shows in Panama:
Lesson 1: The importance of live sound engineering.
For the first of these two shows, I let someone else hire the live sound engineer. I paid zero attention to that. In my mind, if I rehearsed, it would be a great show.
Ah, to be ignorant!
The sound was terrible. I had one speaker to my right and none to my left, so the sound was uneven. I also had no monitor speaker, so I couldn’t hear myself, except for the sound and echo from the speaker to my right. And the feedback. So much feedback.
Still, the show must go on, so I powered through for about an hour on that stage, all the while thinking, “This is not a mistake I want to repeat.”
Thankfully, for the second show, this one a songwriting showcase at the Theatre Guild of Ancon, I was insistent on doing a thorough soundcheck before the show. Chantal, the sound engineer, was a total pro.
When showtime came along, it was like I was a different person from the guy who had done the first show. Of course, there are always things to improve, but I could hear myself, people could hear me, I felt more confident, and I actually had fun.
Live sound engineering matters!
Lesson 2: Social media isn’t necessary to market a show.
For the first show, the venue required that 25 people show up.
I have zero social media.
75 people showed up.
Not all because of me (there were two other artists on the lineup), but a large portion of them showed up because of me.
I texted, called, and emailed them. Old school.
“But had you had Instagram, more people would have showed up!”
I disagree, imaginary debate partner. I used Instagram for a year, and the conversion rate of followers into action was abysmal, whereas close to a 100% of people on my email list or phone will most times take some action, if they’re into it.
This only works because, as I like to tell my friends: I do not have social media, but I socialize.
So I know a lot of people.
Sure, it’s less convenient, but it’s significantly more rewarding.
Lesson 3: Quitting social media has made me a better performer.
During the year I actively used social media (mostly Instagram), I’m sad to admit that I stopped getting better as a performer.
Before performing, I was focused on “sharing” the upcoming show with “followers.”
While performing, a part of me was focused on how this performance would be perceived on social media, which means that part was not present and wasn’t focused on actually performing.
After performing, I would edit clips of my performance to “share” with “followers,” instead of analyzing my performance to learn and improve.
I had zero social media for these two shows in Panama, and I felt so different on stage.
Now I’m forced to focus on the only thing that truly matters: The performance.
Focusing on the performance is more challenging that focusing on Instagram, because while anyone can post clips to Instagram, becoming the best performer one can be is really, really, really hard.
In the long term, though, isn’t that difficulty part of what makes it all worthwhile?
I don’t want to be famous. I just want to be the best artist I can possibly be.
Quitting social media has brought me back onto the path that I know is right for me.
Lesson 4: The only way to get better at performing live… is performing live.
A performance is, in many ways, a rehearsal for the next performance.
You can rehearse your songs, but you can’t rehearse improvising around sound issues, or having to rearrange the stage at the last minute, or having to perform for an audience that is literally right in front of you (with no stage), or having to accommodate audience members who don’t understand English, etc.
For my first show in Panama, I was, let’s say, “very excited.” Others would say “terrified,” but I won’t. I did many things well, I made many mistakes, and that was that.
For my second show, though, I was much more at ease. During the performance itself, I felt as if experiencing the world around me in a subtle slow-motion, or at the very least, much slower than during my first show.
This is the beauty of earned experience!
Beyond your conscious awareness, by performing, your brain and body, under pressure, begin to learn how to perform.
And so it builds.
Lesson 5: To be as your favorite artists are, consider doing what they did.
I know times have changed. I know I’m 29 (as of this writing) and don’t have any social media, which some of my contemporaries are confused about.
Still, though, the principles of music haven’t changed. The physics of playing the guitar or singing, also haven’t changed that much. These timeless elements are what matter. The rest is noise and distraction.
I’ve read biographies of most of my favorite artists, among them Don McLean, Paul Simon, and Billy Joel.
They all had a singular focus: To be really good at what they wanted to do.
And they all went about it in a similar way: They studied their craft for years, made mistakes in obscurity, learned from their mistakes, kept studying their craft, performed live, wrote more, read more, kept getting better, and so on, forever.
There are no shortcuts.
This lesson is particularly important for me, because my musical journey started relatively late.
I wasn’t born singing (Don McLean), I didn’t grow up accompanying my bandleader father (Paul Simon), and I didn’t start taking piano lessons as a baby (Billy Joel).
When I started in music, I didn’t know what a scale was, and I definitely couldn’t sing it. I knew nothing. I am not exaggerating. I knew nothing. I only knew that I loved music.
Now, I can sing vocal harmonies by ear (most times), I can figure out most popular songs by listening to them twice, I’ve written songs I’m proud of, and I’m growing as a singer and performer.
I still have lots to learn, of course, and I know there are many challenges ahead, but I derive confidence from knowing that I’m on the right path, not because I’m a trailblazer, but because it’s the same path that my favorite artists have travelled on, for decades.
It’s not an easy path, but it’s a simple path.
To be as your favorite artists are, consider doing what they did.
I hope these lessons are useful to you!
I will now go study music theory.