[Dixielandjazz] Stage presence

[Jim Kashishian]

Speaking of stage presence, and it actually be part of a course for
musicians....
 
I don't think one should think only about the guy/gal up doing the talking,
or fronting the band...nor the one that clowns around a bit.  All those
things will fall on the personalities that lean to those jobs.  
 
I do think that stage presence is knowing how & where to stand on stage,
knowing how to use (or not use) the mike.  Knowing when to take your solo
(clarinet wasn't a God-given first solo always!), knowing when to back a
solo with a riff....  The list goes on & on.  Oh, how about knowing how to
acknowledge applause, knowing how to calm down an over noisy audience,
knowing what to do/not to do during someone else's solo?
 
Is that something that can be taught in a course?  Maybe "pointed out", but
I don't think that all that is taught anywhere.  It is learned (or not
learned!) on stage.  They call it (for someone that has it) as having
"tablas" (the wood on the stage floor) here in Spain.  I can't remember what
it is in English at the moment, but it comes along with "paying your
dues"...putting in your time.
 
We had two different "younger guys" a couple of years ago that could either
one be a substitute for our trumpeter who was going in for some serious
operations.  We tried one on a gig.  He kind of held back on the stage,
didn't catch my prompts as to when he might take a solo, and in fact hung
back on the stage rather than stepping right up there!  The other guy was
just the opposite, but knew how to blend in on the stage, only "stepping
out" at the right moment.  Both were fairly equal players.  Guess who we
chose!  Stage Presence!!
 
Jim