Spence Smith

Over the past few years there has been a significant decline of concert tickets sold in the Christian music industry. Some would say it’s the economy… gas prices… etc… and while I would typically agree with that reasoning, I would say it’s because some Christian music ticket buyers aren’t getting what they paid for.

Some artists who used to sell out big venues are having a harder and harder time filling those same seats. They are having to re-structure how they tour, who they tour with and who assumes the liability for those tours.

Touring budgets for sound, lights and road crew have been slashed to the bare minimum while on some level, ticket prices have stayed the same… or have gone up.

Add a little more fuel to the fire… (this is the key part of this post…) These same artists just show up and play their songs without giving much thought of giving the ticket buyer the experience they paid for.

There’s a bit of thinking that says… they (ticket buyers) came to hear my (artist) songs. While that is true, they also came to experience those songs… not just hear those songs.

In the mainstream concert world (mainstream artists usually have a bit more in their budgets) the audience generally walks away having experienced something that wow’d them. Something in that show that says… It was worth the price I paid.. $35, $50.. $150… Most times, these artists walk in with one thing on their mind… These people are paying me to give them the greatest night of music I can give them and walk away with the kind of experience that makes them an even bigger fan. The kind of fan that will tell their friends… You have to see this show!!! It’s worth every dollar!!!

My thought is, if an artist is going to charge a high ticket price – what I’m paying for is not the millions of CD’s they sold or the number of radio hits – actually, all of those things have ALREADY been paid for by you and me. What I’m paying for is an experience. An experience I’m not going to get anywhere else from that artist. An experience that makes me realize… the price of this show was worth it!!

The audience is smart. In Christian music there are a couple of tours that sell $10 tickets for a multiple artist show. The majority of artists on these tours play only 5 or 6 songs tops. And because there are multiple artists, the ticket buyer usually isn’t coming to see ALL of the artists in the show. They usually are there for 1 or 2 artists and might like the other artists enough to tolerate them.

The point being… it’s worth $10 to see their favorite artist, only play a few songs… and these two tours are very successful selling tickets if not selling out most venues they play in.

Counter that with a tour like Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant, The 2 Friends Tour, where the tickets (most nights) ranged from $50 – $75. Those are higher ticket prices than normal for them, BUT they sold out almost every show. Why? Because when else are you going to see these two play in this setting together? Plus… they created a show that gives the ticket buyer some sweet, precious moments that showcased why these two have been friends and worked together for over 20 years. Between the older hits they played together and the stories they told together, Michael and Amy gave their fans exactly what the audience wanted. At the end of the night… The ticket buyer walks away with a real experience that was worth the investment of the evening… They walk away WOW’d!

For those of you artists or marketing people trying to create something of value.

Remember this quote from Michael Hyatt in his post The How of Wow… You must exceed the customer’s current expectations.

When I buy a ticket to a concert, I’m expecting to see something greater than just the artist’s songs… I want to be Wow’d. With low budget production, great experiences can happen with a great story… the back story of a song OR musically… the way one song has been re-arranged to lead you into the heart of a moment that might be a bigger hit live than on the CD. With the Michael W. Smith / Amy Grant tour… the musicians playing for these two is worth the price to see. The stage oozed with talent that wow’d me.

So my question for you is this.

What value do you find in the experience? A movie? A concert? A book? A CD?

What are you really willing to pay for?

I paid $150 to see U2 on their last tour. It was my 5^th time to see them. I’m a fan, but the concert experience is worth the money. It’s worth going back 5 times.

For creatives..

What steps do you take in order to exceed someone’s expectations and give them the experience they paid for?

Thoughts?

Anytime I go for a run, I take my iPod shuffle so I can listen to my favorite up beat tunes for that extra motivation I seem to need. Up beat songs seem to keep my legs moving a little faster.

I read this article in Runner’s World recently. It made me think about some of my friends who are running the Country Music Half Marathon with Powered By Hope. I love articles like this because they give me a little more motivation to get out there and run.

The article is called Musical Motivation For Runners – Gonna Fly Now. It’s very interesting how music has such power over our ability to perform. It also leads me to think about how powerful of a role music plays in our lives everyday no matter where in the world we live. Every culture on earth has music at its core. Pretty amazing when you stop to think about it.

Music takes me different places when I run. It keeps me motivated, focused, and energized. It helps me to think clearly through thoughts I’m trying to figure out and it helps me to problem solve. Music also helps me to be creative and it throws me into a mind set of brainstorming that sets me on a path I would never really take otherwise.

The other side of this is I’ve been running with Randy Elrod for almost two years now. When we run together we never listen to music. The whole run consists of us catching up, tackling some new ideas and problem solving others. It’s very productive for our friendship and by the end of it we are excited we finished and that we accomplished more than a just run.

What helps you stay motivated while you run? Music? Conversation? Listening to the cars fly by you?

The more I travel and watch concerts the more I believe what I have always felt about music and the live experience.

A great live show is made up of great music and great moments.

I have said for years that one of the most important things that happens in a show is not just during the songs but also what happens between the songs. The interaction with the audience, the stories about the songs and those little comments about everyday life. All of those happen between the songs and bring the audience just a little closer to the heart of the artist.

Now… if the artist has the budget to spend on cool things that happen during the songs like cool video, awesome set changes or the occasional blast of fire (HeHe) on stage then that takes the moment to a whole other level.

But let’s assume there are just a stage, some lights, and a good sound system. If an artist can wow a crowd with just that and get the audience to engage, then the night is going to be great.

Bruce Springsteen plays a 3 and half to 4 hour shows with no fancy production. No one leaves early and everyone is on his or her feet the whole time. Why? Great songs filled with great moments of energy through out the whole night. He never gives you a chance to be bored and he completely engages the audience from the very first note of the night.

There are countless other artist who could fall in this category.

BUT… there are several who don’t.

If you are a touring artist, I want you to think about this.

Just showing up to play your hit songs does not a good show make. No matter how great your songs are – it’s not enough. I didn’t pay good money to see you clock in and play the hits. I paid good money to come experience something special at your show. And that something special is called A Moment.

Moments are always tied to some sort of connection made with the audience and if you as an artist aren’t spending time figuring out what those moments are then you aren’t doing us any favors by just playing your cool songs.

I’m not mad when I say this. Just writing what I see and experience more times than I want to admit.

I see artists freak out when they think their set is to long because people are getting up to leave.

Dear Artist… did you ever think your set is just boring? I know audience members have babysitters keeping their kids but I feel like most would stay if they felt the show was worth the extra 15 minutes away from home.

When I think of great live shows, I think Cirque du Soleil or Disney. I think U2, Coldplay, Metallica, Muse… and yes… even Bette Midler. (I took a my college girl friend to see Bette Midler… I was really impressed and she was happy). These people are great entertainers because they are… wait for it… ENTERTAINING!

So… if you’re an artist reading this, take this one piece of advice from little ole me who is a fan of live shows and who used to play 200 shows a year on the road.

Whether your set is 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 90 minutes. Do us a favor… look at every minute and every song and ask yourself… How can I make this song a great moment beyond the song’s original form? If it’s a hit song on the radio, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a hit song live. But if you have to play it because it’s a hit on radio, then go over the top and make it an even bigger hit live. If you have songs that never make it to radio that could be great songs live, then go for it and make the song the kind of moment that makes people wish all of their friends could have just experienced those great moments in the night.

I love the very essence of music and moments that bring up an array of emotion. The live show brings it all into reality allowing the audience member go to another level in their experience as a fan.

So thank you to all of you artists who have completely captivated me and made me love music even more because you took the time to make the experience mean that much more.

I am forever grateful and inspired.

I have a lot of favorite bands. I have a lot of favorite solo artists too. But when it comes to bands, these guys are at the top of my list. are bands that have stood the test of time and survived. I grew up listing to these bands. They are the ones who influenced me as a drummer and they still do.

As a lover of all styles of music, there’s just something about rock n roll that gets me going. I could listen to any song from anyone of these bands 20 times in a row and re-live the song every time. When I’m in the car and flipping through stations, I can hear one note from any one of these bands and the volume gets cranked!!! The whole world stops and rock lives on. I’m really excited about the times we are in when it comes to bands like this. But I’m a little sad for the future.

Here’s why…look around in the music world. Who out there do you think will be still making music 20, 25, or even 30 years from now? Who is coming out now or has been out for the past few years that will be in their 60′s selling out arenas and stadiums. Sure Mich Jagger is looking jagged around the edges, but come on…have you seen him run 2 or 3 miles on stage at the tender age of 60? I have and he’s still got it. I mean who else but Charlie Watts can wear a cardigan sweater on stage playing Start Me Up to 60,000 people!

So here’s to you rockin-bands-who-formed-my-youth…you guys rock. Long live Bonham…

Some times people will play and play looking for the one only to realize they need to work on themselves a little more to get to a place they feel centered and balanced enough to learn how to find the one. For some this comes with practice and maturity…but once they find the one…they know it.

There’s a saying musicians use sometimes…I need to find the one…

For those of you who aren’t musicians and know very little about music, the one refers to the first beat in the measure. Music has a cadence, tempo…a count so to speak. The count is either in odd numbers like 3 (very common like a waltz) 5, 6, (though an even number is divisible by 3, again waltz like) or 7, etc..or the count is  in 4. Which is what is most common in songs. So…if the count or time signature of the song is in 4, then what that means is there are 4 counts to every measure or also called a bar. Songs are made up of phrases. Usually 8 bar phrases. Phrases make up verses and chorus. Like a collection of sentences make up a paragraph.

So when some asks where one is, what they are asking is where is the first count of the measure or bar. Are you following me still?

The count then is played at a selected speed for the song which is called tempo. Tempos vary for songs. Slow songs, fast songs. Got it? Ok good. The part in music that allows musicians to play together is a very common thread that holds them all together. It’s the count, tempo and key. Still there?

For years musicians have been using a metronome of sorts to help them keep a steady tempo while playing together. We call this the click. We use the click in the studio so it gives us a reference point so we can record more accurately. With the addition to drums loops, programmed instruments, and vocals being played to tracks in a live situation as well as video on stage, the click is crucial to making sure everyone on stage knows where they are in the song…it makes it very easy for them to find the one.

Recently I played with a group of guys I had never played with. We didn’t know each other all that well and they didn’t know me at all. There were no tracks to play to and no video to play along with so there was no need to play to a click. Professionally its more common than not for a drummer to use a click to keep the tempo consistent for the band. It’s so common that most musicians expect it.

I have no problem playing to a click, but I’m a little old school these days. If you don’t need it…don’t use it.

I was amused at the look on the faces of the guys I played with when I told them I wasn’t using a click. For a moment there was shock on their faces and I saw them working a lot harder to keep their part together.

I feel like as musicians today evolve, one thing needs to remain a staple in our society of players. You MUST learn to play well without a click. Your internal clock should know where one is at all times.

Why am I explaining all of this?

Music is emotional. It can be happy or sad, mellow or dramatic. With the flow of emotion in music, sometimes parts of a song are going to speed up a little and slow down a little.  Some people pass out at the thought of speeding up or slowing down songs while playing. But here’s the catch…if it feels good…you really should do it.

I learned along time ago about something called relative time. It means the tempo may vary with the emotion of the song, but as long as all the players are on the same page with it, then what is relative will feel great to the music.

It’s like when Yoda was trying to teach Luke Skywalker how to use the light saber without using his sight. You have to feel it, move with it, allow it to breath and take on something different…you must…use the force.

My basketball coach would say. Don’t let the play get in the way of playing the game. Sometimes things aren’t going to go as planned so you have to learn to move and respond as life ebbs and flows. Sounds like life huh. I guess it’s all relative to what your situation is, but having an attitude that is flexible usually makes life a little sweeter.

For you music types…learn to feel the music. The click can be a great asset…but it can also be your crutch.

For all you who thought I had found the one…I did, just not the one you were thinking of.

HT: Watercooler Wednesday

That’s what my friend said Friday when I asked him how his girlfriend was doing.

WHAT!!!! You thought I was going to write about my personal life????

I saw my friend and we were catching up yesterday. When I asked him how his girlfriend was doing he told me what she was up to that day. I looked at him and said…Your girlfriend really is amazing. He said…I fell deeper in love with her this week.

When I asked what she did to make him go puppy eyes on me, he told me what the week had been like. He said there have been two situations where my love for her grew deeper. He told me about the first time, then the second which happened this past week.

Why am I sharing this with you? Well…let me say first if you were to see this couple, you would never doubt there love for each other. I love that about them. But the thing I saw in this story and what you need to know is both situations centered around acts of service. In both situations she was taking care of others. More specifically this last week. She was being her normal self by being selfless and serving others in away that was extremely moving for her boyfriend to see.

Sometimes love comes in different packages. All to often I think people miss out on the subtlety of taking care of others first and the beauty in such an act. In the past I used to have a big list of things I wanted to see in someone I dated or potentially married. Today, my list is short because there are some little things that don’t matter in the end and those little things eventually change over time. They way in which you love others and treat people around you. Now that’s a big deal. It’s something to pay attention to and watch out for. It’s almost impossible to not love this quality. If you don’t love this quality then you might need to re-calibrate your radar of love.

Just a little something to think about as you are with the one you love…How much value do you place on serving others and do you see the beauty and elegance when it happens?

It never fails. When I hear the national anthem, I weep. I sit in silence, in awe, overwhelmed by a song that means so much. Each time it’s sung, the moment brings visions of freedom, flags, military, respect, hard times, and most important…sacrifice.

I love this song. I love it so much that I could listen to it 100 times in a row and I would cry every time. It’s the one song that stops people in their tracks, hushes a crowd and makes a person stand up straight in honor of those who have gone before us to give us the freedoms we have. Happy 4th of July.

It’s nice to know that every once in a while I can step back into the old life of playing drums and make it new again. When Big Tent Revival was on the road, things got tough. Gone from home all the time having to play at least three shows a week sometimes just to keep the bills paid and food on the table for all the families involved. It’s a lot to consider if you plan to make a living being in a band.

Somewhere along the way I started to get frustrated with knowing that in order to get paid I had to leave home. At that point music became something I resented at times. Never fully hating music, but feeling what was once a blessing to travel and play becoming a curse and a burden.

Then it happened.

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One of the artists I work with for my job is Michael W. Smith. I get the the pleasure of traveling with he and his crew and band and they all have come to be great friends over the years. Occasionally I get to still play drums for artists, usually to fill in for their regular drummer.

Last night, in Davenport, IA, I filled in for his drummer, Michael Olson. Michael Olson is a great artist himself and had another gig last night he needed to play. The picture is the drumset for this tour. It’s called a Cocktail Kit. It’s pretty fun to play because you have to be a little creative with it.

It’s good to sometimes step back into the world of playing music. I love that fact that my job allows me the opportunity to do it and to enjoy the very essence of what music is all about.