Are they any use ?

This week I went out to a local open mic night at The Hogarth pub in Teddington. Being a bit shy, I went to see what it was like as opposed to performing to get the lay of the land for performing in the future.

While I was sitting, waiting for it to start, I asked myself why do we do open mics ?

You Can Get Paid !!!

If your songs are registered with the Performing Right Society (PRS), you can report your live performance on the PRS website and receive a payment at the next royalty pay out. Yes, being paid means you are a professional songwriter.

Feedback

Performing songs in front of an audience will give you feedback on the songs. It's a great way to test out new songs. If the audience like the song, you know you're doing well. If they don't like it, you know it needs work. Your fellow musicians will probably say if they liked a song or not too.

Merchandise

It's an opportunity to sell some CDs if you have them.

Networking

A group of musicians together in the same place ? Network opportunity. You may find someone to write with. You could find a performer who doesn't write but could use new material. Maybe people are available for session work. You just don't know who you're going to meet and who is in their network.

Health

It's good for your mental health to get out of the house/studio and have an evening playing/listening to new music and chatting.

Exposure

Steady - not that type of exposure ! You'll find people perform different styles of music. There may be genres that you're not familiar with. Take it in.

But I Can't Sing

It hasn't stopped me ! You'll find performers of all levels and generally speaking, your other performers will be supportive.

Technique

You can learn a lot about stage presence by doing open mics. The more you do it, the more confidence you'll build up. You can start to bring in a bit of rapport with the audience. Also make sure you stay and watch the other performers. Not only is it the polite thing to do but you can see how they perform. What do they do that gets your attention.

I'm Too Nervous

I get that. Do what I did. Go along one week just to be part of the audience. There's no pressure to perform so you can relax a bit. It gives you a chance to see what the venue is like and what standard people are at.

Songwriting

Listen to the songs being performed. Are there things you can use to improve your own writing ? How do people move from the verses to the choruses (chori ?)  ? Do they go straight in or use a pre-chorus. What are the melodic contours like in each part of the song. It's all a learning opportunity.

Venue

You're supporting a venue that hosts live music. This is to be applauded. People attending help to ensure the venue keep the nights on. These are where people can start their musical journeys. You're also supporting local business.