I have to say it has been quite refreshing being able to share my experiences with you guys. While my musical quest continues this month it sees the end of my 
turn to normality, so to speak!
My ‘day job’ for want of a better phrase, is Secondary School teacher – a teacher of English. I love my job! Love working with kids and love helping them to achieve their best in terms of education and becoming young members of society! It’s not a job for the faint-hearted but it is so rewarding! I try to view each day as a new challenge and another chance to get my pupils to understand Shakespeare, Literacy and the like! It’s good stuff!
I have been torn between singing and teaching for a LONG time! Last year I took the plunge, went part-time and put my teaching career on the back burner! I decided to really push my singing and for the past 10 months, I have been doing just that! Problem is things do not move as quickly as you would like – not if you don’t have the right links. And while I know I would be totally out of line to complain about the progress I have made so far, I can’t help but wish I was a little closer to my dreams. Strangely, the reason for this is that if I were a little closer, I would then be able to decide whether or not to continue teaching part-time or to jump back in with both feet and go for promotions!
Decisions, decisions! Trust me my head is constantly umm-ing and aah-ing! To-ing and fro-ing! I am torn between two of the best careers out there and I
don’t know what to do!
So I find myself waiting!
All unsigned artists will know how this feels! Waiting for that moment when you are in the right place, at the right time and the magic happens! Waiting for your song to get played on National radio! Waiting for someone to ask for your autograph! Waiting for someone to call you from a huge record company and say ‘We want you’.
Thing is, I’ve experienced these things already – trust me the thrill of hearing your voice on air is indescribable. The tingle when a kid asks for your autograph makes all the waiting well worthwhile! I’ve even had a few nods from record labels. Problem is, nowadays, they don’t want to do any work for you! They want the finished article to walk through their doors and so I find myself waiting on no-one but myself!
I have to make it happen!
This brings me to my tip for this edition of my blog! Attitude! You have to have the right attitude if you are going to make it!
a. Attitude: you never know who is in the audience. You never now who that person is that hitting you up on MySpace. If my trip to the States has taught me anything, it’s that you need to be in the right mode anytime you are out and about. People have started to recognise me while I’m out clubbing or performing at other venues. I endeavour to be polite, humble and grateful. Remember nobody really knows you yet. Those who recognise you can just as easily forget, or worse yet, give you bad press. Likewise when you show up at a gig everything you do is being clocked. The way you respond to requests to do a mic check. The time you turn up to perform. Everything. Having been on both sides of the fence, the performer and the promoter, I can understand why you may not get a call back if you act like a ‘Diva’ before your time! It’s a stressful deal putting on a show. From the week before you are stressing about something or another. Have you checked all artists are coming? Have you done enough promotion? Have you worn this outfit to a previous gig?! The last thing you want when you get there is to have artists complaining that they can’t get their three friends in for free. Or that they can’t find a place to get changed when they showed up an hour late anyway. You don’t want an artist to turn up simply to perform and then leave. Where is the support for everyone else?
Your attitude is like your business card. If you were the artist that showed up in plenty of time. Got themselves sorted and settled. Supported others and did a damn good performance, you will get booked again. If you complained and were awkward, don’t be surprised if other promoters hear about it as well. People do talk to each other about you. They will pull faces at the mention of your name and shake their head like a disapproving mother. Be warned!
A positive attitude will get you a long way! As for this waiting lark! I’m still waiting on little things here and there, but my attitude towards it has changed! If I am the one responsible for my achieving my dreams, than I am only waiting on myself! So for those of you in pursuit of your own dreams and aspirations, I’ll will leave you with this one simple question?
What are you waiting for?
Until next time,
Flutter
P.S. Don’t forget to drop me a comment to check out my web sites:
Stay tuned to for more tips and don’t forget you can see me performing every month @ L.I.M.E in Brum.
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