Author Tim Sweeney is head of Tim Sweeney & Associates, who are entering their 18th year of being, "the only true artist development company in the world."
Tim is one of the music industry's most sought after experts and consultants, and has written several influential books including "Tim Sweeney's Guide To Releasing Independent Records".
Send comments or questions to Tim Sweeney.
© Tim Sweeney
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Click here for a printer-friendly version of "How Do Your Shoes Affect CD Sales?".
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While it is important to dress the part of being an artist and looking
your best at all times at your shows, your shoes do have a definite
affect on the amount of CDs you will sell!
More commonly referred to as "shoe gazing" in the 1980s, often mastered
by Dark Alternative or "Doom & Gloom" artists, the art of ignoring an
audience while you are performing to become affixed upon your love for
your shoes has seen a dramatic increase in popularity in recent years.
In the performance workshops I have been teaching, I have noticed that
no matter whether its a solo artist or a guitar player in a band, the
fear of visual contact with an audience is growing. While in the old
days many people viewed it as a guitar player's love to push the pedals
every other verse, they completely misdiagnosed the problem.
While it is true some guitar players have a "pedal fetish" it is their
fear of connecting with the audience that is the purpose of their fixed
downward gaze. You see the fear comes from the lack of work they have
done before and after their shows. Simple things such as getting to know
their fans by handing out sample CDs personally. Hiding in the back of
the club complaining with other artists about how everything and
everyone is against their music career, instead of going into the club
and introducing themselves to everyone there, whether they came to see
your group or another. But lets not forget the after thoughts! How it is
far more important to put away your gear or go in the back after the
show and complain about no monitor sound or another person's playing,
than to hop off the front of the stage with CDs in hand and go sell
them.
At a recent show I saw an artist stare at his shoes so much that the
majority of the audience started staring at the spot he was. When I
asked the girl next to me why she didn't buy a CD she said, she had to
save her money for a neck massage!
One important point to keep in mind. Music is a personal thing. Its a
connection between people. People want to become connected with you.
People buy CDs. Not the floor or your shoes.
Want to sell more CDs? Check out my books, including my new one, Part 2 of Tim Sweeney's Guide To Releasing Independent Records.
Additional Columns by Tim Sweeney
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- And 54 more in the Guest Columnists series, view the index
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Vol. 17, No. 2: Feb.-Mar. 2012
