Performance Style (A.M.U.S.E.)

A glamorous performance style can be broken down into five steps. Follow the A.M.U.S.E. model to wow your audience at your next performance! 

• Act Confident
• Move with Intention
• Use the Space
• Smile
• Engage

Here are three violinists who do this really well!

• Amy: https://www.instagram.com/amyserranomusic/
• Lexey: https://www.instagram.com/djlexey_violin_dj/
• Dany: https://www.instagram.com/danyviolinist/

Instagram.com/TheCelesteVee

Transcript

What differentiates a glam violinist from the average violinist is not the music or your talent. I certainly don’t mean to offend anyone, but it’s true. Of course talent and training and years of practice are absolutely necessary as the first step, but there are thousands of professional violinists out there who play beautifully. What makes you unique is everything around the music. It’s the hair, the makeup, the glamorous attire, and above all the performance style. Does this mean you have to be an extrovert with a flamboyant personality in order to succeed? Absolutely not. Does it mean you might have to step outside of your comfort zone a little? Quite possibly! For some people this performance style is intuitive and pretty easy to adopt. For others, it takes a little more coaching and practice. 

[Music intro]

Are you a classically trained violinist dreaming of stepping out of the orchestra and into the spotlight? But maybe the world of solo gigs feels…intimidating? You're not alone! Welcome to The Glam Violinist, the podcast that empowers classically trained musicians to build thriving careers as sought-after entertainers. I'm your host, Celeste Vee, and each week we'll break down the secrets to getting the gigs you’ve been dreaming of. Get ready to unleash your inner rockstar and turn your passion into a paycheck! Let's get glamorous!

Today’s episode is about performance style.

At my company, Violin Event Entertainment, we try to take every Violinist’s strengths and aptitude into consideration when adding people to our team and assigning events. Every violinist has their own “je ne sais quoi” that shines through in different scenarios. What is “je ne sais quoi”? It’s hard to explain, but it’s basically your personal brand of charm. I actually put this phrase into Word Hippo to find synonyms and it’s like they read my mind on how to describe our performance style. I’m just going to read off some of them:

Mojo, allure, appeal, charm, charisma, magnetism, beauty, glamor, lure, pizzazz, pull, captivatingness, likeability, magic, fascination, enchantment, attraction, captivation, oomph, individuality, personality, star quality, engagement, excitement, agreeability, confidence, star power, wow factor, that special something, self-assurance, amiability, friendliness, zing, magic touch

This is what we’re aiming for! As you can see, there’s a heavy emphasis on individuality, that part of you that makes you YOU. Yes, you might be playing a part like an actor does, but it’s your interpretation of that role that makes it memorable and unique for your audience. This is why when someone sees a particular violinist perform, most clients want that same violinist at their event. They’ve experienced the “je ne sais quoi” of that performer and they want more!

So here are some performance tips for how to be a glam violinist. I’ve narrowed it down to five steps that will AMUSE your audience! That’s A-M-U-S-E. If you act confident, move with intention, use the space, smile, and engage, you’ll create a dynamic performance that will leave guests wanting more!

1. Act Confident

Keep your eyes up! Do NOT look at the ground.⁠ I cannot emphasise this enough. When you look down at the ground you appear scared or uncertain and uninterested in your audience or maybe even frightened of them. You’re essentially putting up a wall between you and the very people you’re there to entertain. It’s understandable because when you don’t exactly know what’s going on or you don’t have a clear and intentional plan for your eye focus,  you might revert to your natural practice room habit of turning inward. But by doing that you’re telling them non-verbally that this moment is about you and your violin and they’re not invited to the party. If you want to push your audience away and make them feel bored at best or incredibly uncomfortable at worst, this is the best way to do it. I’m not trying to be harsh, but it’s a fact! Your eyes either invite them into the experience or push them away… hard.

I realize this is often easier said than done. It’s definitely more natural and easier when you’re playing songs you know like the back of your hand. But if you’re playing something that is newly memorized you might be working so hard to remember the form and play all the right notes that you have no mental energy left to focus on where your eyes are pointed. Even so, your audience doesn’t know that, and quite frankly, they don’t care. All they see is a performer who looks serious and uncomfortable and who is existing in their own little world where no one else is allowed in. Remember, they just want to feel good. So if you screw up the form and play the chorus where it’s supposed to be a verse but you’re making eye contact with them and they’re connecting with you, you are still creating a FAR more pleasing, fun and memorable experience for those guests than if you’re playing every note correctly and staring at the ground. 

Another challenging time to act confident and keep your eyes up is when you’re improvising. When you perform with a DJ you may not know what song is coming next. You don’t know the key or the form or the chord progression. It takes a lot of mental energy to suss that all out on the spot and come up with something that sounds halfway decent. And you really do have to dig deep sometimes to hear all of that, especially when the sound quality isn’t great or isn’t loud enough. EVEN THEN, keep your eyes up. Your mind might be a million miles away, analyzing and figuring the song out, but do it with your eyes on the back wall of the room instead of on the floor.

It might sound stupid or petty or fake or whatever you want to call it, but it makes such a difference to the guest experience that I won’t back down on this. Eyes on the ground means you’re closed for business. The moment your eyes go to the floor, you’ll see people turn away from you because they’ll sense your unease and they’ll feel uncomfortable in return. It’s like you flipped the sign on your shop to “Closed”. They’ll take the hint even if you don’t give it intentionally.

1. Move with Intention

Everyone who knows me knows I like to spin while I’m performing. Most of the event violinists I admire also do lots of turns. It has a big impact and requires no arm movement, which is obviously a key factor when you’re holding a violin and bow in your hands. Spinning is such a big movement that it catches the eye and attention of the people who are watching. It creates a “wow moment” because it’s so different from any violinist they’ve ever seen before. It looks much harder than it is and gives you a lot of performance bang for your buck. If one spin is good, two spins are even better. Practice so you can do three or four and your audience will have their jaws on the floor. You’ll see guests, photographers and videographers scrambling to capture it because they’ve probably never seen anything like it. That’s a powerful and exhilarating feeling. Once you try it you’ll see what I mean.

But turns aren’t the only way to move with intention. A simple sway back and forth can create that feeling of motion. Or walk from point A to point B on the beat with a little hip movement. Lean into the camera if someone is filming you. Feel the music and move with it. If nothing feels natural, you might need to practice this at home until you internalize it a little more. 

The best way to learn what works is to watch the violinists you admire and copy what they do. I’m not talking about Lindsey Stirling unless you happen to have that level or dance training and flexibility. But there are a few event violinists I’d start with. I’ll put links to their instagram pages in the show notes. Watch them over and over but be careful! Don’t compare yourself or allow negativity to creep in. Just allow their style to inspire you. The more you watch, the more you’ll internalize the vibe and be able to replicate it.

1. Use the Space

This goes hand in hand with moving with intention, but it’s more about where you’re going with all that class and sass and movement.

Most of you don’t know that I was an actor for many years. Mostly musical theater, but lots of straight plays also. In theater, you’ll often hear people say to “use the space”. This means that if you have 4 feet by 4 feet, you fill that space with your performance. If you have forty feet by forty feet, you fill that space. The rule of thumb is to use all of the space you’re given. More space gives you more to work with, but it also challenges you to figure out what to DO with all that space. This is where changing location comes into play. If you’re in the cocktail area you can stroll. Well, you can stroll until it gets too crowded. If you’re on a dance floor you want to use ALL of that dance floor. Using only a portion of the space you’re given can make you look self-conscious and lacking confidence. Break the space up into sections and try to spread the love to each area, but in general, I recommend spending the majority of your time in the areas that are closest to your audience. Front and sides, some middle, very little at the back.

1. Smile

Classically trained violinists are not generally encouraged to exude joy while they perform. Quite the opposite in fact. When playing classical music, you probably find yourself leaning into the drama, wrinkling your brow, frowning or showing what appears to be torment and intense feelings of distress or even heartbreak during your performance. This is fine and totally normal in a concert or recital but we’re going for the exact opposite as an event entertainer. It might feel weird or unnatural at first, but you actually want to smile most if not all of the time during your performance. I’ve had several Violinists on my team tell me how surprisingly difficult this is. I’ve been doing it for so many decades that it didn’t occur to me, but I want to acknowledge that for some, this may feel awkward or even inauthentic at first. Still, the fact remains that our clients want to feel good and be happy. And the number one best way to make them feel good and be happy is to smile and be happy yourself. It’s contagious and if you look like you’re having fun they will have fun also. They don’t want to know that you’re working hard. They want to think you’re living your best life. Let them think that. It’s the key to a great performance! 

Just imagine if Beyonce got on stage and performed in the style of a classical violinist. Intense face, scrunched eyebrows. It’s just not what her fans are looking for. Yes, she works hard, but when the spotlight comes on, all that matters in that moment is the experience and memories she’s creating for her fans. The truth is, the best entertainment is hard work that looks like fun.

I love this quote by Manoj Arora, author of “The Rat Race to Financial Freedom”. He says, “Be like a duck, paddling and working very hard inside the water, but what everyone sees is a smiling and calm face.” Remind yourself over and over to “be like a duck”. You’ll thrill your clients and their guests and the other vendors with how easy you make it look.

1. Engage

One of the first things you learn as an actor or a dancer is to pick a spot on the wall and make that your audience to speak to or perform for. That totally works in our line of work if there’s no one around you to engage with. It’s better than nothing, but the real magic happens when you make eye contact with your audience. In theater and film this is called “breaking the fourth wall”? It’s when a character acknowledges and engages with the audience, disrupting the traditional illusion of a “fourth wall” that separates the performer and the audience. 

Why do actors break the fourth wall? There are lots of uses, but for us, it’s all about engagement and eye contact. Every time that happens during a performance, it forms a bond between the audience and the performer, inviting them into the story. Sometimes it’s as simple as a smile directly at someone. Or maybe they want to get up and dance with you while you’re performing. By all means, get into it! Dance with them! Copy their movements, and engage with them. You’re giving them a gift, allowing them to connect with you, and as the most glamorous person in the room at that moment, it makes them feel special and seen. It’s such a small gift, but it’s one that can make a huge impact. The more people you look in the eye and interact with, the more people who will remember you and want you at their next event. I personally make an effort when I’m performing to look into the eyes of as many people as possible at any given event. I know that it forms an immediate connection that will result in a better experience for the guests and more work for me down the road.

Remember the acronum A.M.U.S.E. your guests and you’ll knock their socks off!

Act Confident

Move with Intention

Use the Space

Smile

Engage 

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this Podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram @TheCelesteVee. Feel free to send me a DM with your questions and topics you’d like to hear more about on future episodes of The Glam Violinist! And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your other musician friends! I'm sure they'll get something out of it too.

[Closing music]

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of The Glam Violinist! Until next time, this is Celeste Vee reminding you to stay glamorous!

LINKS

Amy Serrano: https://www.instagram.com/amyserranomusic/

Lexey: https://www.instagram.com/djlexey_violin_dj/

Dany: https://www.instagram.com/danyviolinist/