[Dixielandjazz] Re: Visual aspect of music biz - was Uniforms

[Nancy Giffin]

> From: Stephen Barbone <barbonestreet@earthlink.net>
> (polite snips) ...If it works, by all means do it...
...And when in Rome, do as the Romans do. But before you dress up, ask
yourself: "Who am I trying to attract?"  The dress question will answer
itself...

Hi All,
First, I want to mention that I went to the benefit for Jackie Coon, and Abe
Most was the only musician there who wore a coat and tie. I liked that! It
shows he cares what I (we) have to look at. It also enhances his great
playing. He's a class act and he dresses the part. More power to him, I say.

I agree with Steve, and mostly with Sheik, except when Sheik says, "My
experience suggests audiences aren't going to take you any more or less
seriously if the band looks like a band by wearing some sort of uniform."

Sheik's statement holds true if the audience knows good music from bad;
those folks don't care how a musician looks, as long as he plays well, but
what about the unsophisticated audience, or the audience who's never heard
you before? Don't you want to make the best possible impression on them?
What image do you want them to take home in their mind's eye?

There are good reasons why musicians should take note here, as they can
benefit from putting a good deal of thought into how they look:
 
1)  (I assume) most musicians are "auditory" and focused on the "sound," but
bear in mind that the audience includes plenty of non-musicians, many of
whom are "visual" and desiring an interesting "image" to complement the
sound. Choose a look that matches and enhances your act or playing style.
2)  The media favors a good-looking image -- especially true for newspapers
and magazines, where there's no sound coming from the page. Your prospective
audience is made of viewers, not listeners, that you are hoping to attract.
Do you have a professional photo of you or your band that is ready at a
moment's notice to mail or e-mail to the media or to a club owner/festival
director/client? 
3)  PLEASE KNOW that newspapers LOVE a good photo, and they can't find
enough of them. They will feature you if they like the photo well enough. If
you look good, it makes their paper look good.  A "good photo" is:
professionally shot, and delivered either as an 8x10 glossy, or digitally as
a TIFF or JPEG at high resolution of 350 ppi, actual size. They also like
several shots to choose from, so have two or three available. The media DO
NOT LIKE to reprint a photo they've used in the past. You need to stay
current, if possible.

Final note: I just did a photo collage for the Sacto Jubilee, and I selected
photos with good visual impact, regardless of who the musicians were (in
most cases). The STJS newsletter may be all about music, but it's on paper
-- no sound! -- so it's gotta LOOK good.  Sorry folks, but that's what
you're dealing with in the world of print media: designers who are concerned
only with the visual, not the auditory or musical. Make them happy with a
good image, and you may get better exposure as a result. Get photos of your
band in action, with movement, and lots of angles (diagonals). Try to
capture the energy and spirit of the music on film, complete with dancers up
front, if they're there.

A strong and thoroughly entertaining act pays as much attention to its image
as it does to its music. Just my opinion, of course. :)

Love and go-get-'em hugs,
Nancy