Many musicians spend years without giving their stage presence a single thought. After all, it's all about the music, right?

Yes, but...

The way the band looks on stage plays a huge part in capturing the attention of the audience. The visual image you project matters. The eyes, as well as the ears, need to be satisfied if an audience member is to become a fan.

You can see this at work with every successful musical act. The way the group looks and acts on stage affects the way you experience the music. The greatest artists capture your attention through their sheer power as performers. Think Tina Turner - her presence and image are hugely important in her popularity.

One common misconception among musicians is that "stage presence" means dressing, moving, and acting in an unnatural way. This need not be so. In fact, the best "image" of all is one that is truly YOU, truly original. Don't feel that just because "all" guitarists jump around, you have to follow suit. Style comes from learning to express your true self in front of your audience, combined with the confidence of experience.

CLOTHES: It's not necessary to dress in matching costumes (which does work for some bands!), but be sure to project the band's "vibe" in the clothing your wear on stage (or in photos). It's great to be extravagant, which makes you memorable. But it's also OK to be subdued if that's your style. Just make sure you are comfortable in the clothes.

ATTITUDE: The most important thing here is just to HAVE an attitude, some kind of attitude. Nothing is more boring when watching a band than to see musicians standing up there doing... nothing. To continue your image building, your attitude should match the style of your music. (Folk Singers are usually "polite", hard rockers "rowdy", goth bands "serious", etc., but like all rules, this one can be broken.) Do ANYTHING except stand there staring at the floor. Move around, dance, mosh, jump, whatever.

WORKING THE AUDIENCE: Make sure you interact with your audience. Make friends with them. Look at them, talk to them between songs, tell jokes, give away drinks or CDs. Don't have those dreaded silent minutes when the audience is waiting while the bassist tunes. Say something witty instead. Be the life of the party. Also work the crowd between sets.

LIGHTING & STAGING: Another visual addition to add interest to the show and draw in the listeners. You can use creative lighting effects, props, ramps, platforms, banners, etc. to make your show more appealing to the eye.

IMPROVEMENT IDEAS

Practice in a room with full length mirrors. See which movements look good, and which come across as awkward. Practice facing the mirror, as you would do in a live performance.

Videotape your performances and practices. Play full sets, and later watch the tapes to analyze your stage presence.

Mentally prepare for performances by getting into the right frame of mind. Breathe properly, and remember that this is about fun and expression. That's why they call it "playing".

Work towards completely revealing yourself in your performance, never holding back. Suspend your fears of screwing up and let it all out. It sounds silly, but the best performers do just that. Once you have perfected your parts through rehearsals, forget all the technicalities and instead utilize inspiration on stage.

Allow yourself to "play a role" while performing, if you like. Some people have a sort of "alter ego" on stage that is less inhibited than their normal personality.