So, we’ve all been there, the chance to dance to a live band or a live musician.
What’s the first thing we do? Well for me it’s:
Now, once my nerves have worn off and I’ve gotten the nervousness out of my system, I come up with a game plan.
- Find out what songs the band is going to play.
What is on their repertoire? What type of music do they play? Is it Egyptian, Turkish Greek? Is there a singer? Just knowing the style will help you prepare. Maybe you want to brush up on your Turkish music or moves to fit in with the songs that they are going to play. You can’t choose if you don’t know.
- Find any files you can of that song being played by the band
The song doesn’t’ have to be the one you’re going to be performing to. Every band is going to play a song differently each time. There are always subtle nuances and arrangement differences. Listening to a band in general will help get your ears used to their tempo, and the way they play their instruments.
- Find any vids of dancer performing to said band
Any videos will help you, whether the dancer is using the song you want to use or not. Next, you dive into the band itself. Maybe they have YouTube vids; sometimes it’s the song you want, sometimes not. If you can see how they play, what they sound like, how they interacted with the dancer. It can help. You can figure out what songs you want and how much you want to interact with the band.
- Listen. Did I mention listen? and practice
The more you listen to all of the above, the better. That way you won’t have to think about anything. You can improve to your heart’s content. Just keep listening to the music and dancing around. Nothing is going to be perfect, but if you’re relaxed and comfortable then the performance will come and it will be wonderful!
What are your tips to performing with a live band? What was worked for you? Please feel free to share them below!