Bublé & Kay - mates who both put in 10,000 hours and more
I’m not a Michael Bublé fan.
It doesn’t matter though, because he is an example of effort and application that you can follow regardless of what you think of his music.
Nonetheless, I have enormous respect for what he’s achieved and how he kept going to get to where he is today. He never gave up!
It’s that determination that often makes the difference.
We’ve written before about Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule from Outliers: The Story of Success. In it, he says that you don’t get to be a winner without lots of practice and he has all the evidence to prove it.
I’d recommend that every musician read it.
Bublé’s 10,000 hours
Bublé definitely put in those hours. He played everywhere – bars, cruise ships, business conventions, weddings – you name it, he’d come and sing whether he’d come out with a small fee or even a loss. He didn’t care.
Bublé loved to sing and it’s the only thing he ever wanted to do. It’s true that he got a few lucky breaks, meeting the right people who could propel him to the superstar level just at the time that he had the goods and the opportunities opened up.
But the truth is that he only got lucky because he worked so hard.
His live performances became so slick that when he sang at the wedding of the Canadian prime minister’s daughter he stunned the guests including a fabled record producer whom he then hounded relentlessly. The power manager came soon after.
It’s true that he doesn’t follow what we’d call ‘best practice’ with Twitter and Facebook – they are done by someone on his team and are all old school ‘push marketing’ – but at least he has a presence. And to decry that is to miss the point, since he is one of the last people to sneak into the old school music industry whose massive marketing dollars and muscle built his global career.
The point is that his career was only made possible because he kept perfecting his art – in his case predominantly his live performance – and he never stopped chasing his dream.
He might have been appallingly bad when he started – I don’t know. But the sheer volume of shows made him great.
Improve your live performance
In the GQ article that made me write this post is this quote that Bublé tells of comedian Peter Kay:
“Peter told me always to remember how lucky I am. How special this is. How the audience spent all that money, hired the baby-sitter. Don’t ever coast and go through the motions. Even when you’re 60 shows into a tour”
Clearly, for Bublé and Kay (he did his 10,000 hours before any meaningful recognition as well!) that means not letting down an audience who have paid top dollar to see a star.
For you, it’s just as relevant.
You never know who is going to catch your show (as with the Canadian prime minister and the record producer for Bublé) but also every show is a chance to improve. Another chunk of minutes experience towards the magic 10,000 hour total.
It’s equally important to realise how much you can learn about performance. How often do you go to a gig and the band just get on stage and play? That’s not enough. Performance is an art that can be taught and every nuance can improve the overall effect.
Don’t just shamble on stage and put it out there. Plan the whole thing from entering the stage to the moment you walk off – what you’ll say in the gaps between songs, how you’ll move, the way your set ebbs and flows depending on how you order your songs.
There are countless things you can do to improve your live show. Study what you do on stage and force yourself to improve. Tom Jackson is the acknowledged expert on this – his training material is superb but not cheap!
Bublé knows this and works his audience (who are fiercely loyal because of it) with great skill.
He put in the hours and never gave up.
You should do the same.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Man thats it.
Keep on keeping on and you get your chance.
Thanks for all the stuff you do on this site. You rock.
Thanks Jake – I really believe that the long term practice and dedication that Gladwell talks about is undeniable. His view of the Beatles’ success underlines it.
And thanks as well for telling us we rock – that’s great to know and what we hope for!
Absolutely!
Glad you agree!
There’s a fine line, however, between “never giving up” and “being a bloody-minded fool.” You’ve gotta have a backup plan, because let’s face it, once you pass about 30 the odds of you ever “making it big” shrink to one in about 70 zillion.
There’s always an argument for keeping at it, but there’s an argument for tempering your expectations.
Eric, that’s a fair point but I would say that since I believe in the ability of everyone to improve if they are dedicated to their craft it is possible for most people to create a level of talent that will find an audience. If, however, a person won’t take on board constructive criticism nor apply themselves to improve then they may well delude themselves. At that point they become a fool who should give up.
If you’re consistently looking to improve there’s a place for a career at any age these days. The old major label system might not be interested in you if you’re over 30 but you can still carve out a DIY career and make a living. Some, like Corey Smith, have done just that and I believe he’s in his 40′s – http://www.coreysmith.com/about/about-corey.
I couldn’t agree more. I really believe mindset has EVERYTHING to do with success. If you study successful people (like I do) you’ll begin to see that many of them share the same characteristics.
Successful people generally have ridiculous self-belief, determination, and focus.
And about not being able to make it after 30, age is really just a number. Achievement or success is never determined by age. If you learn your craft, work hard, work smart, and stay focused you’ll get there eventually.
That’s my 2c.
Stuart – couldn’t agree more. Especially your point about self-belief, determination and focus.
Ian
Great post. I did read Outliers…well, I listened to the book and CD. I agree that everyone should read it. It teaches people to work hard and to understand that there are combinations of circumstances that bring certain generations and leaders to the forefront.
I have worked with Michael Buble’s writing partner, Alan Chan who has just as much dedication and vigor for his music. He and Michael work feverishly to write music and while he was maintaining his own busy schedule he was able to produce and entire Christmas album with the Michael Buble band!
Success has a lot to do with repetition and timing.
Hard work is definitely key!
Jordannah Elizabeth
Think Like a Label.com
Thanks Jordannah. Keeping at it gives you continued chances to get what you’re aiming for!
Hello Ian,
I have read a lot of your posts and you seem to know exactly what you are talking about, so I hope you dont mind me asking for some advice..
I have recently been informed that a Major Management and Multi Platinum Producer is looking to develop and sign a talented singer to a major label. I have been given an address to send my Demo and Photo.
I am starting to worry that I have been a little hasty in my reply, after reading some of your advice in other posts. I did not have access to a proffessional recording studio and therefore send an acapella recording of a pop song from my laptop. It does show my voice but it does not sound at all professional. Does that matter when they are looking to ‘develop’ an artist?
I would like to re- record and send them a more polished submission but do not want to look unproffessional or desperate!
Any advice on what to do/ the best type of song to sing etc would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time,
J.
Joelle – I’d like to say that I don’t think it matters, but I’m afraid, unless you’re really lucky, it will.
A big league producer ought to be able to hear the quality in a song even if it’s a rough demo and the quality is below par. BUT, it might be that some junior assistant screens the material or they might even just skip when they hear the first few bars because of the quality.
In the pro-songwriting world it is expected these days that submissions and demos from pro-level writers will be submitted as pretty much a finished master so that’s what you’re up against.
Wherever possible, record to the highest possible standard.
Hope that helps – Ian
hey ian,
im only a teenager and i want to make it in the country music buisiness but alot of people have been telling me i never will… even my family. i know a lot of people get started with open mic nights or on youtube but im not allowed to do either! i want to show that i can do it and i want to live my dream of seeing people sing along with me and making people smile but i dont know what to do. any advice? please help me!
- may
May – I saw both your comments. I can’t give you ny better advice than this post from the start of theyear that talks about building a fanbase. http://www.makeitinmusic.com/break-your-band-2012/
Hope it helps.
Ian
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