This is one of the BEST books I've ever read as it relates to performers and focus techniques. In a previous blog I mention this book. In today’s blog, I would like to share with you all some of the principles of the best book on creativity that I have ever read, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron © 1992.You can still get the book on Amazon but for those of you who will not buy the book, I wanted to share some of the concepts and some of the exercises with becau...

The day after I posted Sue’s Views “The Award Season Ends”, I got a private message from a friend who recently won a few awards and is having what I like to call “their year”. They told me that they too related to the aftermath of the awards season (and they won!) and then we had a brief discussion on how hard it is to work on a show, run it and then put it to rest. A different kind of blues! I thought that this might be a good topic to discuss this week. How do you...

After recently turning 60, this is a subject that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately and it’s definitely not the first time. I have felt this way many times throughout my 30 years of signing. I am sure many of you have been through this as well. You know me by now, I love singing and I believe in my talent and this is not “self-deprecating”, it’s a real thing that happens to us all no matter what level we are on (or blissfully perceive that we are on) so let&rsqu...

I just had one of those amazing growth spurt learning moments that I'd like to share with all of you.With April being the end of the awards season (March is Cabaret Month) and with all the announcements of winners and then the “for your consideration” shows now being over (with the exception of all the congratulations and thank you postings on Facebook), I think my “A-HA moments” below can help and, perhaps, save you 30 years in the business of self-doubt, pain and ch...

I still think that it is a good thing to have the visual (your handsome mug) in the clubs when folks are walking by on their way in/out of the clubs. They are there to see a show, so they are the type to go to shows which is your demographic.I did a lot of research before I originally taught this class asking myself: What kind of postcard was attracting me to go to a show? Or what was it about the postcard; say of someone that I didn't know, that made me put it into the pile to check ou...

NOTE:  Most of us no longer produce a tangible CD...people are going straight to iTunes or downloadable links on Amazon or to radio programs like Spotify but people are still recording and these helpful hints still apply!When I do a road trip as I have been doing a lot lately due to many out of town gigs, I usually take all the new CDs that people have sent to me or passed off to me and I listen to them while driving because I am, well, a captive audience. I do this when considering new son...

In 2018 for a period of about 3 weeks I was viciously trolled on Facebook. It was quite the learning experience, albeit and horrible way to learn. Let me share some things with you that could help you if you are ever faced with something like this.Just because someone isn't posting day-to-day updates does not mean that they are doing nothing. I had a team of friends (angels) working behind the scenes to help but was advised that I should not engage. We had done EVERYTHING so, well-meaning co...

This week I want to talk about how hard it is to start into and then be in this business.So, what does it take to be a singer on the New York Cabaret Scene? Honestly (and firstly), it takes MONEY! I hate to say it but it's true. I should be leading with TALENT as the first thing but, as we all know, no matter how talented you are, if you are not in a position to self-produce, no one will know how talented you are. Getting sponsors and/or producers to pay for your show expenses is a...

APAP stands for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. and is based in Washington D.C. Every year APAP comes to the NY Hilton on 6th Ave. @ 54th Street for a 5- day convention. It’s usually held the 1st weekend of January. Every year I get asked these questions about APAP because I have participated and have managed booths for myself and others. I thought I’d share the information with all of you.Basically, it’s a convention where people with talent (under the umbrella ...

I have sailed for over 20 years. It always makes me sad to dry dock the boat for the season but I realized that many lessons that I have learned from sailing actually apply to Cabaret.While there is so much prep work before the actual trip, the more that I think about what I will need for this trip (food, ice, water, clothing) the more prepared I am for a successful sail.Much like when I begin a new show, the more I research my material, study my lyrics, write and rewrite my script, practice wit...