Things I've Learned from the Audience

Advice and council on performing, and having a successful career as a performer. Thoughts are offered on building the proper attitude to entertain a crowd, based on respect for the audience. Some tips, techniques, and an overview of how a following is built, and how that works to allow entertainers, musicians, actors, and the rest in performing arts, to have careers.

Your hands are a little sweaty, and your stomach is feeling somewhat nauseous. You wanted to be in this, but now. You’re not so sure. All those people will be looking at you,... judging you. You want to show them what you’ve got, but right now, it’s hard to remember what that was. There are so many of them. and up on the stage, you don’t feel part of them. You feel isolated and alone, and using up concentration, trying to control what you think must be visible shaking of knees and fingers. What can you do ? What could you have done? Is there an approach to get you going ? After the Music lessons, or a study of theatrical technique, and lots of practice, it can still be a challenge to know how to get started and succeed with audiences, using the skills you have gained. This book offers thoughts on an approach, and especially an attitude, that will make lots of difference. These thoughts are offered by a veteran performer, considered a legend in some areas, who offers his observations of what is really important in this process, coming to these conclusions based on over 50 years of experience with audiences around the globe. The author puts forth the theory, that the really important ingredients, are the same for every performing art form. Having worked in more performing formats, than most, he has a unique perspective.

Don McNatt is the son of fiddler Speedy McNatt, most well known for his work with Eddy Arnold, but also a violinist with symphony orchestras. He was born into a family of musicians, and entertainers. Performing in a variety of art forms, from a very young age, he was given a grant by the Ford Foundation at age 17, to support his talent as an actor, and while working in local bands, he was the Tennessee High School Dramatics Champion. Fast forward about 50 years, and Don has continued to work in music venues, both concert, and dance halls. He has worked in major film projects in Hollywood, produced his own television program for cable, worked as a magician, and a street performer. He is best known today, as a Nashville Songwriter, who has played Europe, Australia, Canada, some islands, and most of the states in the USA. He has worked as a musician, a writer, an actor, a director, and a producer, of television, studio recordings, and live events. While not a national household word, he has survived as a working performer, starting in the 1960's, with some high points along the way. Academically, He attended University of Memphis, on a BFA program, for 5 1/2 years, but falled to stay the last months for a degree, due to an offer to open in "Billy Hill", by Gerome Ragni, that was intended for the Broadway Stage. He spent 3 years studying with Lawrence Menkin in San Rafael, and was the assistant to Mr. Menkin, in teaching for the last year there. He has attended countless seminars, and classes, through the years, but in this book gives credit to the best education, which was appearing in front of audiences, regularly, several times per week, for roughly 50 years.