Larry
"Uncle Larry"
If you want to improve how much the audience likes you....instantly....without having to work not one second at the kit...
Smile while you play.
As much as you can, during every song.
Yes, even if you have to fake it at first.
It really is the truth. And it's just that easy. It's contagious.
I swear, and I almost resent it, but smiling is the #1 most powerful thing I do from the audience perspective while drumming. This was made clear to me from an audience member seeing us for the first time tonight
Nevermind that I think about drums and drumming... and you guys.... like every waking moment of my day. Beyond that, I practice at my limited field of focus on a semi regular basis, and drumming-wise, I feel that my own voice is fairly well defined after all these years.
But to the crowd, the amount of fun I am having, and/or the degree to which I am immersed in the music.... that's what they see. Or not, that's the downside.
I don't play out enough to be bored. Playing out is literally the highlight of my limited little life, and I genuinely live for it. So it shows naturally. But I never realized until tonight just how much of an impact that one person smiling has on the room. The sound is secondary and the visual trumps everything to the non musician.
So smile your ass off.
It's almost too easy. I'd even go as far as to say that it's just as important a trick as anything else you can name that's in your trick bag.
Smile while you play.
As much as you can, during every song.
Yes, even if you have to fake it at first.
It really is the truth. And it's just that easy. It's contagious.
I swear, and I almost resent it, but smiling is the #1 most powerful thing I do from the audience perspective while drumming. This was made clear to me from an audience member seeing us for the first time tonight
Nevermind that I think about drums and drumming... and you guys.... like every waking moment of my day. Beyond that, I practice at my limited field of focus on a semi regular basis, and drumming-wise, I feel that my own voice is fairly well defined after all these years.
But to the crowd, the amount of fun I am having, and/or the degree to which I am immersed in the music.... that's what they see. Or not, that's the downside.
I don't play out enough to be bored. Playing out is literally the highlight of my limited little life, and I genuinely live for it. So it shows naturally. But I never realized until tonight just how much of an impact that one person smiling has on the room. The sound is secondary and the visual trumps everything to the non musician.
So smile your ass off.
It's almost too easy. I'd even go as far as to say that it's just as important a trick as anything else you can name that's in your trick bag.