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diy

Putting Together My Own Show (A 2018 Retrospective)

December 14, 2018 by Sasha M
Personal Growth
2018, DIY, independent, musicians, reflections, retrospective, review

As you guys know, I recently did a show at the Esplanade as part of Voices – A Festival Of Song, where I performed my own original songs, most of them for the first time. It was an incredible honour to be invited back to perform at the Esplanade, and I could not have asked for a better opportunity to debut my songs. (I sang 8 original songs in total. You can catch the show on Facebook live here and here!)

While there’s a lot that can be said about the show itself, I’d like to spend a bit of time talking about the work that went behind putting this show up. Being an independent musician means that I pretty much handle everything that needs to be done, or am responsible for finding someone to do it. And I’m looking back on the work I’ve done so far not to brag about it (not sure who really cares, lol), but more for myself to celebrate how much I’ve managed to accomplish so far. Because it’s important to celebrate the little milestones!

 

So, taking stock of what I’ve done this year:

1. Made a website

Alright, the first step to launching an artist identity is making a website, I suppose. This was really unplanned, I was initially looking at setting up a very different kind of website, but it somehow evolved into making my artist website (which I thought was a bit too early because my songs were still works in progress, but after a while realized it was just the right timing). I spent two solid weeks labouring away at the website, but am very satisfied with the end result, and just love how it looks now (especially the smoky effect on the main page, which moves with the mouse on desktop view, I think I’ve squealed about this before. Squeals again!). And now I have a web presence that I’m proud to show to people!

2. Planned a fundraising campaign

How did this fundraising campaign come about? Looking back now, I remember thinking I needed money for production expenses, and with my unstable freelance work I wasn’t able to raise it very quickly by myself. I needed help. That’s when I came up with the idea of selling USB drives containing the acoustic version of Loaded (which will be my very first song release under my own artist name).

It was risky, but it paid off. I actually raised my target amount after only selling half the USB drives, thanks to extremely kind and generous contributions by several strong supporters (I am so, so grateful). Another important thing this showed me was that I could conceivably sustain my artistic career. And now I have money to do other things with!

3. Expanded my merchandise

With the capital I raised from the campaign, I thought about what was best to invest in. What could give me some returns or grow my capital? My conclusion: more merchandise.

Several of my followers had told me they would buy tote bags or t-shirts, so I checked out the feasibility of getting those made. While doing so, I also considered other cheaper items that I could make, and ended up with button badges, postcards, and stickers. The button badges are actually handmade by myself and my dear friend Nik, a super talented artist (you can find her art on her Instagram)! Now I have more items to offer for sale along with the remaining USBs, to raise a bit more funds to support the production expenses I need to make (which I consider to be sunk costs).

4. Put on a show

Of course, an artist can’t get caught up in the business side of things – at the end of the day, it’s all about the performance. So I pulled out all stops to make the show as appealing and engaging as possible. From figuring out my look, to working on acoustic versions of my songs with my talented guitarist Pat, to sorting out harmonies with my guest performer and music bestie Zaleia, to incorporating audience participation wherever I could, I tried to make sure people who came for my show would enjoy it and remember it.

And of course, behind all of this…

5. I wrote a bunch of songs!!

None of this would even matter at all if not for the songs I’d written over the past year (or two). I’m really grateful to be able to have good friends to work on these songs with, who were there to give feedback or a second opinion, and be my sanity check whenever I wanted to put in something weird (not sure if one or two weird things may have slipped through though). Especially to the producers, Si Hao for being like the most talented and versatile producer ever plus a genuinely awesome person, and Riki for being so fresh and creative, and just super easy to work with. Very proud to have created music with awesome people like these guys!

 

For other aspiring musicians out there, starting out like me – this is by no means a “how to” of any kind. I’m also just starting out and figuring things out as I go. This is just my own story, of how I’ve gotten here, at the end of 2018. It’s also a bit of closure for me, so I can gear up for the exciting new plans ahead for 2019!

 

What’s next…?

I’ll be focusing on a few things for 2019:

1. Web store

This should be up soon, as soon as I can figure out how to set it up, anyway!

2. Recording music

Now that my songs are more or less written, I foresee myself spending a lot of time in the studio recording and working on finalizing the production.

3. Releasing music!!!

No explanation needed!

 

Look out for my music in 2019! I hope you guys are excited!

Creating a Portfolio in the Performing Arts

January 11, 2017 by Sasha M
Guides
body of work, collaborate, DIY, guide, how to, performing arts, portfolio, professional, video

My professor once expressed to me the importance of having a ‘body of work’ to show what you are capable of. He was talking about academics. But it is equally important particularly in the creative arts (notably the performing arts), a field where many do freelance work or may have short-term contracts, to have a portfolio of past work to show for yourself.

Having a portfolio means creating products. It’s great to tell people “yes I can sing”, but a comment is not a product that people can watch, listen to, or form their own opinions about. The thing about being a singer, or dancer, or actress even, is that your portfolio necessarily has to be in video form. So just practically speaking, it’s a lot more expensive, resource-intensive and time-consuming for creatives in these fields – the performing arts – to build their portfolios than say, an artist who can create products all by themselves: painters, digital artists, sculptors, craftspeople, basically people whose art is essentially creating a product which can be seen or touched.

But let that not discourage you as a performance artist! Here are several ways you can build your portfolio:

  1. Record your Recitals / Public Performances on Video
    If you are in school, this is perfect for you, and easily the most efficient way to build your portfolio. School performances? Go for them! They’re the perfect opportunity for you to test your work (be it a new song, a dance performance etc) in front of a (usually supportive) audience, and the best part is you can also film it down and use that video for your portfolio. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

    Just how should you be getting these videos? If the event has an official videographer, perfect – try getting the footage from them. If not, see if you can find a friend to hold a camera for you… or simply place a videocamera on a tripod somewhere where you can get a good view of yourself. There’s always a way!

    When I was in school, I fronted bands and also sang in a cappella groups for several concerts. I have some great photos and videos from those days, and they would have made for a great portfolio if I were to continue in bands or a cappella groups. But now I’m going in a different direction as a solo artist, and will have to create a whole new portfolio for that. That’s okay though – I’m very happy for my previous experiences, and I’ll just keep those past materials because who knows when they may come in handy 🙂

    Like this one! Good times with the LaundroMATs

  2. Record your Rehearsals on Video
    It’s not always necessary to only video your finished work – you can also video your works in progress. If your theatre group had a good rehearsal and you managed to get it on video, that’s awesome – put it online! It could even drum up interest for people to come and watch the actual performance. There’s more of the killing two birds with one stone outcomes 😉

    (Of course, you would have to ask permission from your director and it should not conflict with the interests of your theatre group. So be sure to get clearance before you put up material which does not only involve yourself!)

  3. Record yourself after Masterclasses or Workshops
    It’s amazing to have an opportunity to learn from someone who’s well-established in the scene you want to be in. If you learnt a dance choreography, or some singing techniques, or an acting sequence, be sure to get it on video if you can. Failing that, just get a photo with the instructor, so you can at least remember and be able to talk about that time when you had a masterclass with so-and-so. It’s not bragging if it’s for your professional portfolio.

    Beatboxing workshop with Felix Zenger. Because singing and vocal percussion go hand in hand in a cappella music.

  4. Make your own Videos at Home
    Singers can do this more easily because dancers need more space (unless you have tons of space and then there’s no problem, or you can find another more suitable venue). Been practicing something at home and you want to show the world? Just put a camera on a tripod and film yourself performing it. Don’t feel shy about performing to just a camera, nobody’s around and nobody will judge you for it, they’re just going to see the video afterwards and be totally focused on the performance itself.

    Just one thing about taking videos at home, though: you might want to try and not make it look too much like a home video, if you can. Make sure the space you’re in is not cluttered, try for good acoustics, and make sure your video is clear or you’re using a good camera. Some video editing would help too especially if you’re not moving around much.

    Came for the marijuana, couldn’t vibe with the music. 🌿 (Just kidding it’s just a song about secretly not wanting to be at a party)

    A video posted by Sasha M (@sasasha.m) on Nov 29, 2016 at 2:56am PST

  5. Collaborate with Filmmakers
    Just because you’re in the performing arts doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t work with people in other fields. In fact, in today’s video-focused era, all the more you should collaborate across fields of work, such as visual media.

    If you want to up your portfolio game, here’s a way: work with a professional. Your product is a video, so you should try to collaborate with someone who’s a videographer or filmmaker. Of course, professionals may charge for their work, so if you don’t have the budget, try finding filmmakers who are starting out and who may not charge so much, or who may be willing to do your video for free if they like the concept.

    I was super duper lucky to be able to collaborate with a filmmaker on one of my YouTube videos, a cover of Dangerous Woman. His name is Daniel Alejandro Gonzalez and he was in Singapore for a period of time, during which we managed to squeeze in this video collab.

  6. (For singers and musicians) Record yourself Better
    Typically audiences respond better to visuals than sound, but if music is your thing, you want to make sure they pay attention to your audio. For that, you should definitely record your best performances… but you could also take it a step higher and have your stuff properly recorded, with a good microphone or recording setup, good EQ balance etc. There’s no better way to get people to hear the nuances of your music than to have it properly recorded and even produced.

You can choose a combination of the above methods, or all of them, and use them in different situations. It also helps to be mindful of which particular field of the performing arts you are doing, and make sure the method you choose showcases that well.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to always put out your best work. Remember, the end goal is to have something you can be proud of, that you would be happy to show people. If you’re not sure what your best work is, get feedback from your peers, but you ultimately decide for yourself what your best work would be. Once you know for yourself what your best work is, you will not be affected by unfounded criticism from people who are not constructive or simply do not like your style. Just do what you love and show what you are proud of, and others will learn to recognize you for who you are. All the best!

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