Band Camp Counselor: The Importance of Open Mic Night

by Olivia Busceme, TASI Band Nite Coordinator

Do not underestimate the stage light. You might be playing flawlessly in your garage but once you get on that stage, be ready for things to feel different. That’s okay. The more you do it, the easier it gets. You’ll learn that stage performance is about more than just playing the notes correctly – you also need to learn how to make a proper sound check, how to effectively communicate with your sound tech, how to set up and break down in a timely manner, how to speak to your audience or at least introduce yourself on mic (stage banter is an art all its own). Open Mic is the perfect arena to work on all those things and more. Play open mic as often as possible in as many different venues as possible. You can play the same three songs every time if you want. Once on stage, you’re no longer practicing the songs, you’re now practicing your performance of them.

In addition to getting better at being on stage, Open Mic offers another gift to take advantage of – networking. Making friends is possibly one of the most important things any performer can do, especially in the DIY world or in the local music scene. You never know if you’re gonna meet your next bandmate or someone who books a rad venue or your new favorite artist of all time. An Open Mic regular might be a missing piece, looking for another part of the equation. Maybe all they need is a little encouragement or maybe they’re on the search for the KG to their JB. But you can’t get in there without getting out there first. If you are missing a piece to your sound, Open Mic is the perfect place to look for your own musical soulmate.

As an attendee of Open Mic nights, I love the opportunity to see the rawest form of whatever’s going on in the bedrooms and garages of our music community. Sometimes you’ll catch a world class performer experimenting with a new musical project, sometimes you’ll get a sneak peek of something that’s about to blow up, and yes sometimes there are duds, but I commend each one for having the guts to go up there and share it with the world. If you like somebody you’ve seen at an Open Mic, it is IMPERATIVE that you let them know – either by speaking with them afterwards or by cheering loudly after their songs. It could be the little bug in their ear that makes them get up there again next week instead of keeping their music all to themselves forever. I often find myself making a silent critique of performers at open mic. “Oh she just needs to get her sea legs, I hope she keeps performing” or “He has great lyrics but he needs to keep working on his guitar picking” or “Wow this singer is fantastic but the drummer is killing their vibe” or “This act is a little weak but they can probably make it on personality alone”. Of course, I would never offer a negative criticism to an artist that didn’t specifically ask for it. Just by getting on the stage, they’re a class above anyone who can’t.

Whether you’re playing just for fun or honing your skills, whether you’re scouting for bands to jump on a gig or looking for your future bandmates, there’s always something to discover at an Open Mic night.

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LOCAL OPEN MIC NIGHTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT:

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