I auditioned a while back for a local jazz band. As always it was a very interesting night. You get to meet new people, learn new music and try to make a good impression all at the same time. Auditioning for a band or show is, or should be, a fun experience and one where [...]

There is an old sporting saying that applies very well to music. Play on your strengths, train on your weaknesses. Put simply it means that a performance is not the time to try out your new stuff. One of the greatest assets you can have as a performer is confidence. Confidence comes from knowing “your [...]

Band competitions can be a great way to get some stage experience and to get your music in front of a crowd. I’ve had the pleasure a few times of stage managing a band competition. The last one in particular was a great experience. There was some great young talent on display playing some really good [...]

A few years back I had the honour of being a judge at a 2 day Country Music Talent Contest. The standard was quite high which really made the task very hard. I did notice though, just like Band Competitions, that many of the contestants were making small but not unimportant mistakes that could have lifted [...]