As you may know, I’ve been
performing for a few years, and I would not be able to do any of it without
open mics. For those who don’t know, open mics are events held at bars, coffee
shops, etc., and are hosted by an individual or band. The host brings a sound system, and anyone can come up and play. Usually individuals will come with their
acoustic guitars and sing. You can go by yourself, as a duo, or a band, it doesn’t
matter. Some open mics are acoustic, and some may have a full band set up. Some
may even have a band backing up all the acts that play that night. A lot of
open mics run on some kind of schedule, either once a week, every other week,
or monthly. There are no requirements to participating, and no need to call
ahead or anything. You just walk in and sign up (most places will have a sign-up
sheet). It’s pretty awesome.
Like I
said, I wouldn’t be anywhere without open mics. This is for two reasons:
confidence and connections. Open mics are very informal. You don’t have to be
great. They can be a place to try out new songs and experiment. They’re
wonderful for getting used to playing in front of people because it’s not your
event and you’re only up for a few songs instead of a whole set. People may
even ask to play with you if they like you or know the song you’re playing. My
advice: let them. It may not be good, but so what? It’s open mic. It may be
really good and really fun. At least you’ll have the experience of playing or
jamming out with others, which is almost always great. Another reason to go to
open mics is the people you meet. Other musicians can give advice, can inspire
you with their style, and they can tell you about the places where they perform. Almost
every gig I’ve ever done has been at a place recommended by someone at an open
mic. You may even find potential band mates.
Walking
into that bar or coffee house for the first time can be scary. Sometimes it seems like a clique has formed between all the musicians there, but that’s only
because of people who attend regularly. I’ve always had very welcoming
experiences at open mics. People love when somebody new comes. You will make
the host(s)’s day! Also, don’t be afraid to talk to people. Conversations can
easily be started by complimenting how they performed or their song choices.
You’re both at an open mic; you must have something in common, right?
Open
mics aren’t just playing, they’re also watching.
You’ll probably be surprised at just how good some of the people are going to
be. Even if you don’t play, you can go to place that’s having open mic night
and watch. Open mics have no extra charge—it’s free entertainment. Just look up
online open mics in your area or ask any friends who might know of some. There
is usually an “event” made on Facebook for open mics, so you’ll probably be able
to see who’s running it and what it’s like.
Even
though open mics are SO AWESOME, they seem to be dying out (at least in my
area). People aren’t out as much anymore, and a lot of people who come to the
open mics are older adults. Of course, they’re still super friendly and
extremely talented, but where is the younger generation? Like I said earlier,
people love to see new faces, and they especially love to see young people come
and enjoy the events, too. As a teenager myself, I would highly recommend going
to open mics to people of any age.
Open
mics are wonderful events that can help build your confidence and get you in
touch with the other musicians in your area, but they can only happen if people
show up.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to
lose sight of the shore.” –Andre Gide
P.S. Guess who's starting up a YouTube channel? (It's me)
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