If you are still not fully understanding the basic premise behind the IMC performances, let me try another way to explain it.
In a perfect world, lots of good things would happen when you played a show at a music conference:
1.) Industry people would attend and love your performance and network with you.
2.) Lots of people would show up and become new additions to your fan base.
3.) The club would love you and book you for a paid gig at a later date.
4.) Other bands performing that night would like you and want to network with you.
5.) etc...
Here's the problem I face as the organizer of the conference, I can't GUARANTEE any of that for you. Too many parts of the performance aspect of the conference are not totally under my control. I can't in good faith promise the bands that performing for us will result in any positive benefits for them.
So what would you do in my shoes? Present only workshops, panels and mentor sessions with no performances? I tried that idea but the bands all insisted that they want to perform! Besides, the performances are the most enjoyable part of any conference aren't they?
How about if I try to explain that the performances are not the most important reason to attend a conference? Tried that too, still had bands show up ten minutes before their show, play for 20-30 minutes and then leave town. Basically they PAID to play a gig in a bar. I think that sucks. Why didn't they attend the workshops, panels and mentor sessions??? They paid for them!
Let me make an analogy...
You pay $100 for a ticket to an auto race. You attend the race and hand in your ticket. As you approach your seat, someone hands you a free T-Shirt as an added bonus for attending on that particular day.
If you grabbed the shirt and walked out of the race without watching it, would your $100 T-shirt have been a wise investment?
OK, let's say you REALLY love the shirt, it becomes your favorite T-shirt. Later that month you wear it to a party and a beautiful girl tells you that she LOVES your T-shirt. The two of you start dating and fall in love. Years later you give the shirt to your son. That turned out to be one heck of a T-shirt right?
Could the organizers of that auto race have promised you all of that would happen? Of course not, just like I can't promise you anything will come of your performance at the IMC. Hey, ya never know, something really awesome could happen! Maybe you'll meet that special person, or an amazing Manager, or promoter. I won't pretend that I can guarantee it though. But please let me know if it does ok?
If you bought a $100 ticket to the race the following week and got no free shirt would you think the race organizers had ripped you off? Of course not, so don't attend an educational and networking event if all you're going to do is grab a free T-shirt and leave. Attend the workshops, panels and mentor sessions. Network, learn and take lots of notes. The educational value of the IMC is worth WAY more than you'll spend on it, that I can promise you!
The IMC is designed to satisfy those musicians who want to perform at the event, while keeping the focus where I believe it belongs, on the learning and networking.
Thank you and we hope to see you at the IMC! |