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

[Russ Guarino]

Remember, TV is a VISUAL medium, auditory is second.

Russ Guarino

Nancy Giffin wrote:

> > 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
>
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