Summer music festival season is in full swing, with weekend-long events happening all over the country until mid-September. In advance of Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) artists heading to Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Outside Lands, and Music Midtown, a few of the artists who have represented BPMI (and its forerunner, Heavy Rotation Records) at festivals in the past offer musicians advice on how to make the most of their festival experience-on stage and beyond. All agreed that one priority is to remember to have fun. Read on for more tips.
Nini Fabi B.M. 10, Haerts Performed at CMJ Music Marathon 2009 and SXSW 2010 as Nini & Ben
I love playing festivals, but theyre like crazy storms. Everything happens very fast. You won't have sound check; sometimes you won't even have time to plug in all your gear. In the end, it always magically works out, but it can get intense. I think it's important to find a quiet place somewhere, just before you go on, to have a moment to channel the energy you want to bring to the stage and to the audience.
Holly McGarry B.M. 15, Honeysuckle Performed at CMJ Music Marathon 2015 and Lollapalooza 2016
Even though most festivals take a cut of merch, it is always worth it to have it available. There have been times when weve thought, were the smallest band, it probably doesnt matter if we have [merch], but come to find out we would have lost out on hundreds of dollars in sales.
Interested in becoming a touring musician?
Learn about building a career as a touring musician, and how the Berklee Popular Music Institute can take you from the classroom to the festival stage.
If possible, always do a signing after your set...It adds incentive for people to buy and its a more memorable experience for fans. You can also learn a lot from talking to people, like what songs they like best, what album artwork they respond to, where you should play next time you come to town.... These tools help you build your fan base so they become long-term fans instead of just seeing you once at a festival.
If you have the time walk around the grounds, people love running into artists and its a nice way to interact/remind them of your set. Its also another opportunity to steer them toward the merch tent or your website.
Holly McGarry performing with Honeysuckle at Lollapalooza in 2016.
photo by Kyle Dean
Know your set, make sure that youve timed it. Festivals run on a tight schedule, its better to be two minutes under your time than over it. Keeping energy high is also key, quick transitions and limited dead air time is important, as is crowd participation if that fits with your bands style.
Try to get to know the names of crew members working your stage and treat them with the utmost respect. They are a huge part of how your set goes and whether or not youll get asked back. It will only enhance your experience to be kind and learn what you can from the folks working the festival.
Often you are provided artist hospitality. If you have all access-great! But be on your best behavior. You never know who is backstage or hanging out in catering. The pitfalls of free alcohol in particular should be obvious but just know your limits and value the networking opportunity more than the free drinks.
Cordelia Vizcaino B.M. 16, Kordelya Performed at Osheaga 2015 as Cordelia & the Buffalo
Be time efficient with your sound check. Part of the rehearsals with my band leading up to the performance was practicing setting up and tearing down as fast as we could, so we could make the most out of a short sound check.
Socialize backstage as much as you can with fellow artists playing the festival. Shake as many hands as you can. I loved meeting the audience after performing. I would also really recommend that!
Be a festival-goer as well. Go see big and small artists perform. You learn so much from watching every unique performance.
Stay hydrated.
photo by Brian Parys
Jeff Dorenfeld Founding Managing Director of BPMI
For me it's all about good songs and an enticing live performance. We book the artists into some of the biggest festivals in the world and the stages can be 60-plus feet wide. Preparing for the festival is a team effort, comprised of the artist and the BPMI students. The artist needs to be able to utilize the entire stage and communicate well with the audience.
They don't have to be the best players, they have to be the best performers and make their show as entertaining and exciting as possible. That's why major artists tour with their own production, they want to enhance their music with an entertaining show. We succeed when the artist leaves the stage a better performer than when they arrived.
Haydee Irizzary B.M. 17, Aversed Performed at Chicago Open Air 2017
There are many aspects of this opportunity that you can prepare for and many you cannot. You can prepare your body, show, and mind with the fact that you are now entertaining hundreds/thousands, but you cannot always prepare for the fatigue that will grow each day due to travel, sickness, stress, weather, extensive rehearsals, and poor sleep.
You've prepared every day of your life for these performances, but now you are challenged with the reality of living around it. It is that concept that introduces to us the true professionalism of a performing artist.
[At Chicago Open Air], we played on the last day of three. To maximize that opportunity, I spent the first two days walking the crowds, meeting new friends/fans, and promoting our set time. It proved to be a really wise idea and something I could recommend to all! Invest in your time there and do not be afraid to promote your performance. You'd be surprised how many people want to support you.
Micah Welch, manager MDFK Performed at Welcome to Rockville 2018
Remain grateful and humble, it is an
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
08/05/2024
zweiB updates to latest version of R&S CLIPSTER Specialist in deliverables for cinema, events and trade shows
Rohde & Schwarz, a global leader in broadcast...
07/05/2024
There's something special about summer. We're not sure whether it's the warmer weather, the longer days, or something else a bit more magical, but s...
07/05/2024
NITV appoints Michael Rennie as Presenter and Senior Producer for NITV News
Media releases
NITV has announced the appointment of Michael Rennie as Presenter...
07/05/2024
The ability for line-of-site tactical voice and data networks to seamlessly traverse over Satellite Communications is an emerging requirement to assure warfight...
07/05/2024
On April 5, 2024, the L3Harris Avionics Products Repair Station (NN2R037L) in Gr...
07/05/2024
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
07/05/2024
Share this article
width=32 height=32 loading=lazy data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/facebook-purple.svg />
wid...
07/05/2024
BURBANK, Calif. The Walt Disney Company has finally delivered some from profits from its hefty streaming investments, with the second quarter of its fiscal year...
07/05/2024
Bonnie Hammer, vice chair of NBCUniversal, and Jen Psaki, MSNBC host, read from their new books at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan Wednesday, May 8. Hammer's...
07/05/2024
Paramount Plus has ordered the series Crutch, a comedy that is a spinoff of CBS comedy The Neighborhood. Tracy Morgan stars....
07/05/2024
Edward J. and Melody Thomas Scott and Lidia Bastianich will receive Lifetime Achievement honors at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards in June, the National Aca...
07/05/2024
The 2024 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony happens in New York November 12, and the honorees are Al Roker, weather and featu...
07/05/2024
Dabl Network has added The Wayans Bros., The Jamie Foxx Show, Living Single and Everybody Hates Chris to its weekday and weekend lineups. Those shows join the l...
07/05/2024
After winning a proxy fight, The Walt Disney Co. said its entertainment business turned a profit and added subscribers in its fiscal second quarter....
07/05/2024
NBA Entertainment is closing out the second season of its series Pass the Rock with a look at Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, the league's rooki...
07/05/2024
Syncbak, which provides stations with streaming capabilities, said it is rebranding as Zeam Media....
07/05/2024
Samsung has made a deal with Magnolia Pictures that will bring titles from Magnolia to the Samsung TV Plus free streaming platform....
07/05/2024
Amazon, which has added commercials to Amazon Prime Video, is rolling out new interactive ad formats that will enable advertisers to engage streamers and sell s...
07/05/2024
Syncbak, a 15 year-old provider of streaming tech for local broadcast stations has rebranded itself, adopting the name of its streaming service launched in Febr...
07/05/2024
POST Luxembourgs journey with TAG Video underscores how finding a vendor who und...
07/05/2024
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. New findings from Hub Entertainment Research provides extensive data showing that the majority of consumers will opt for lower cost ad-supporte...
07/05/2024
NEW YORK The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has announced th...
07/05/2024
CBS News has named Lindsey Reiser an anchor and correspondent for CBS News 24/7, the network's live, streaming news service. Reiser, who was most recently a...
07/05/2024
NEEDHAM, Mass. After more than two years of decline, worldwide tablet shipments posted modest year-over-year growth of 0.5% in the first quarter of 2024 (1Q24),...
07/05/2024
ESPN is reporting that April was a record-setting month as the network delivered its best April prime time audience on record, dating back more than 30 years....
07/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced that Kirsten Donaldson has joined NAB as vice president of public policy. Donaldso...
07/05/2024
The Bulls are back home again this week from May 7-12! Don't miss out on any...
07/05/2024
SVG Sit-Down: AWS's Julie Souza on the Cloud and AI in Broadcast-Content Cre...
07/05/2024
Deloitte Analysts Peter Giorgio and Michael Vovk: Sports Properties Need To Reth...
07/05/2024
University of Texas' Jeff Hanel to Keynote 16th-Annual SVG College Summit Industry vet to discuss uniting live and creative in athletic department media arm...
07/05/2024
Premier League trials RefCam during Crystal Palace v Manchester United fixture By George Bevir
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - 09:34
Print This Story
In a Premier ...
07/05/2024
CBS Sports Previews PGA Championship Plans; 125+ Cameras Include FlyCams, Bunker...
07/05/2024
Rohde & Schwarz brings cutting-edge solutions to TECNOSEC and DRONExpo 2024 Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its innovative portfolio at TECNOSEC and DRONExpo 20...
07/05/2024
Back to All News
Five New Games Join Netflix in May
Netflix Staff
Entertainment
07 May 2024
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Five new games are launching ...
07/05/2024
Back to All News
Top 10 Week of Apr. 29: Baby Reindeer' Holds Strong; Hee...
07/05/2024
Home News & Press Blancco Wins 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Award
Blancco Wins 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Award May 07, 2024
Blancco's v...
07/05/2024
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the all-new Logic Pro for iPad 2 and Logic Pro for Mac 11, delivering breakthrough professional experiences for songw...
07/05/2024
Apple's new Privacy Manifest requirement mandates that apps explicitly disclose the privacy-related data they collect, the purposes for this collection, and...
07/05/2024
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives to shake up EuropeHaving shaken four continents, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour finally brings the biggest pop culture icon o...
07/05/2024
Isiphetho: Destiny' beats Scandal!'E.tv's latest telenovela Isiphetho: Destiny' beat the channel's longest running soapie, Scandal!' ...
07/05/2024
Now there's HELP for ex-prisoners to find work in South AfricaNew initiative for ex-prisoners to find work in South Africa proves it's never too late fo...
07/05/2024
Tonight on Scandal: Cohen is pulled into keeping a secretDon't miss Tuesday, 7 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Scandal! on e.tv on DStv c...
07/05/2024
Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 6 May 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soapie...
06/05/2024
By Ilyse McKimmie
Now, more than ever
That's a phrase so often used in the last few years that I've come to dread seeing it in notes like this one. A...
06/05/2024
alt= class=wp-image-12099 data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Blog-Exabyte-Storage-Demand-960x540-1.jpg/> Demand for storage solutions has reached unprece...
06/05/2024
Around the world, Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists continue to impact mu...
06/05/2024
Spotify is making it easier for booklovers to count down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until a new audiobook releases. With Countdown Pages for audioboo...
Summer music festival season is in full swing, with weekend-long events happening all over the country until mid-September. In advance of Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) artists heading to Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Outside Lands, and Music Midtown, a few of the artists who have represented BPMI (and its forerunner, Heavy Rotation Records) at festivals in the past offer musicians advice on how to make the most of their festival experience-on stage and beyond. All agreed that one priority is to remember to have fun. Read on for more tips. 
