The International Music Conference (IMC) hosted an Artist Showcase last Friday, September 12th at Harlem Nights Ultra Lounge in Atlanta, Georgia. Talents of all genres competed for the coveted prize of personal meetings with Atlanta A&R executives. As you could imagine the artist showcase differed greatly from the previous night's producer showcase. In the artist showcase, judges had several additional factors to consider outside of production such as image, stage presence, vocal talent, lyrical ability, etc. The judge panel consisted of Associate Director of Writer/Publisher Relations of SESAC, Greggory Smith; Manager & A&R, Charles Connor; and Membership for ASCAP, Joncier Rienecker. Drawn from the remarks of the judges, we compiled 4 lessons learned from the artist showcase. You can use these tips to improve your next performance.

How can you make your live show performance better? Please understand jumping around on stage for however long your set doesn't qualify as quality either. Considering how money is made for artist/bands in today's music climate, the live show shouldn't be an afterthought.
Most artists understand the importance between a great producer and a great recording, but they fail to recognize the need for the same type of investment (time, energy, money) into their live show. What is the purpose of songwriting days on end, sleepless nights in the studio, and a few minutes before a show figuring out what songs you actually are going to perform? Seems a bit counter productive don't you think? It might be time to change your mind. Producing your live show is an investment that will pay off tremendously. Watch the merchandise sales go up, more bookings become readily available and it's the best marketing tool because word of mouth is the best buzz!