The SingerSongwriter Rule Book Ways to Help You Improve Your Chances of Success

It's all about the live show. Everything else that you want in today's music business is dependent on you having a great live show - not just good or even very good - GREAT! This book for the singer/songwriter who is ready to make the big leap from the craft of performing to the art of being an artist/writer/entertainer. But to start with, one of the best ways to make a living is to be a self-contained singer/songwriter/performer who owns the melody, the lyrics, the voice, the song arrangement and the recording master. The only thing that has changed in the music business is the loss of the major income stream from record sales and the manner in which the audience is receiving and consuming recorded music. But as far as singer/songwriters and live performances are concerned, HOW TO ENTERTAIN AN AUDIENCE HAS NOT CHANGED. The audience still wants to be entertained no matter how well or badly the record business is doing. Caveat 1: The 101 WAYS are not guaranteed to make you a star, only to increase your chances of success. Caveat 2: These steps are designed to move your career from the level of singer/songwriter/performer to that of an artist/writer/entertainer. Caveat 3: None of these instructions by themselves will change your life or your career. However, the more of them you adhere to, the better. Caveat 4: The 101 WAYS were not designed to discourage you from your chosen career. They were specifically written in straight-forward language so that when you encounter them along the way, you will not be surprised. Caveat 5: It’s not about who has the most talent; it’s about who wants it more than anything else and will work harder than anyone else to get it done.

Larry Butler has devoted his entire life to the live performance side of the music business. He played keyboards and guitar in bar bands during high school and college in Ohio, which evolved into club and concert promoting, and then tour manager for such artists as Randy Newman, Ry Cooder and Isaac Hayes. Those efforts led to 20+ years at Warner Bros. Records as VP Artist Relations. Although the focus at WBR was to utilize touring to sell records, he also coached many young artists in performance, staging and media relations. Larry now heads up his own Did It Music (http://www.diditmusic.com) in Nashville. His focus these days is teaching young singer/songwriter/performers in the art of becoming experienced artist/writer/entertainers.