First off, we are very excited to welcome you to the New York Artists Collective and our growing community. Because this Collective is artist-driven and artist-focused, we want to make sure that you have everything you need in preparation for the show, and also we want to give you a outline of how everything works!
A broad-stroke overview…
An NYAC show isn’t your typical live performance and might be a little different to what you are used to; inspired by the Nashville songwriters-in-the-round gatherings, the stage is set up so that all of the artists (typically 3, but anywhere between 2-4 can be expected) will be onstage for the duration of the show. Each artist will perform a song, and then it will be the next artist’s turn to perform a song, etc, for about 3-4 rounds or until the time is up for the show.
Our goal and mission for the Collective:
To give the artist a space to share themselves and their inspirations, their vulnerability, their art. We want you as the artist to use this as an opportunity to connect with your audience, to invite them into your creative world, and to help them get to know you as a person. We believe this is ultimately what making art, and music, is all about – to express ourselves, to impress on others, and to connect and share our humanity.
Based on the shows we’ve done so far, we wanted to also share a few tips that you could consider in preparation, so we can make this show the best it can be…
Things to think about
1. Your set
While you will likely be playing anywhere between 3-5 songs on the night, make sure to have at least 6-8 songs ready to play. While you may have an idea of which songs you want to play in the set, you may be inspired by another artist’s tune to piggyback off of their theme, or the song you wanted to play may feel out of sync with the previous song played (i.e. someone just played a really sad song, and the song you had next on your list is really funny and irreverent). Try to have enough songs in the hopper so that you can be flexible and go with the flow of the night.
2. Talking onstage
One of the the aspects of these shows that makes them special and unique is how much time the artists spend connecting to the audience; given this, we encourage you to come armed with your personal stories to share before you perform. Why did you write this song? What inspired you? What inspires you in general to write? This show isn’t just about cranking out as many songs as possible, it’s about telling your stories.
3. Interaction with the other artists
We’ll be putting you in touch with the other artists that you’ll be sharing the stage with a few weeks before the show; we encourage you to reach out to one another, introduce yourselves, get familiar with one another’s styles and art. When you are on stage, feel free to ask each other questions. If you want to know more about a song, ask them! Part of the magic of our most successful shows have been because the artists connected with each other onstage. If it can fit in everyone’s busy schedules, we also would love to facilitate a quick introductions call the week prior to the show so everyone can at least have a chance to say hello. In this vein, we request that everyone show up to the venue at least an hour before the show begins, so you can say hello, soundcheck and just hang out!
4. Promoting yourself – before, during, and after the show!
We’ll be tagging you in social media posts leading up to the show, please share them with your fanbase and friends. If you have an album coming out, or another event you want to use this one to promote, let us know. We are a Collective for a reason – we want to support you! At the show bring your merch, shout out to your sites, promote yourself as much as you think is appropriate. And while we will discourage the audience from taking video of the show so as to maintain the intimate vibe, we DO encourage everyone to take photos and share them on social media.
Checklist of what to bring:
– Yourself, obviously…
– A set-list (remember to consider your set list per the above suggestions)
– Fans, friends, your Mom! Whomever you think would love to be a part of this experience
– Your merch, mailing-list form
– If you play guitar, consider extra strings, a capo, picks, tuner, a DI cable if you have a pickup. Usually the venue has cables but it’s always good to have backup.
We can’t wait to see you perform, and if you have anything you need or questions that you have about the show, please reach out to us anytime!
Steph, Angela & Siobahn
info@newyorkartistscollective.com
