I Started in Southern Gospel Music in 1963. I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, and I’ve learned from each and every one. Now my ministry is focused on sharing what I’ve learned.
We all make mistakes. It’s part of the growth process. However, in my view, there is a difference between making a mistake and living in error.
For example, if you are walking down a path and you trip and fall because there are stones missing in the pathway, you could say that was a mistake because it caught you by surprise.
Now if you walk down the same path the next day and trip at the same place that would be stupid.
If you walk down the same path every day and trip at the same place that would be living in error, something for which there is no excuse.
The next step down from this is convincing your friends to walk down the same path so they can all trip and fall with you. That would be Southern Gospel Music.
It never ceases to amaze me how so many artists in SGM can walk together in “lockstep” and continually make the same mistakes, over and over and over again. They all trip and fall and get up time and time again only to go down the same path that didn’t work the last time.
BIG MISTAKES…LITTLE MISTAKES
If you make yourself a sandwich and accidentally use mustard instead of mayo that would be a little mistake.
If you’re leaving for the office to make the presentation of a lifetime that could mean a promotion and a huge raise, and you take a sleeping pill when you meant to take an aspirin…that would be a big mistake!
Whether we make a little mistake or a big mistake we have to live with the result. We are responsible for our actions.
Many of you are failing to make progress because you are making mistakes…big mistakes, the kind of mistakes that have a significant negative impact on your ministry and your career. I call these “Career Busters.”
CAREER BUSTERS
CB #1 Buying a Bus.
From the day I entered SGM I’ve been enamored with coaches. The first one we bought was an Aero Coach. That was a beautiful bus. We had it painted royal blue. Two weeks after we got it out of the paint shop the motor blew and we never used it. Since then, I’m pretty sure that I’ve driven every type of coach. I’ve never driven one, new or old, that didn’t require serious up-keep and maintenance. Owning a bus is about the same as owning a boat. They say that owning a boat is like owning a big hole in the water that sucks your money. A bus is the same. You may remember one of my “Nickisms”… “Many a group has bitten the dust simply because they bought a bus.”
You can go outside at the National Quartet Convention and see row after row of buses. Some are beautiful, but many are not. They appear to be held together with duct tape and wire.
If you are a part time weekend group I suggest you travel in a nice conversion van or maybe a small motor home. Stay in motels. It will be cheaper in the long run. You may even get the church or promoter to furnish a room for you. You don’t need a bus until you are singing 3 or 4 days a week and bringing in enough money to handle the expense.
CB #2 Making a bad recording.
If you own a pizza place and your pizza tastes awful what is the first thing you must do?
(Anyone who doesn’t know the answer to that question has to buy me an ice cream at NQC.) Come on folks, you have to figure out what is wrong with your pizza and fix it.
That’s the right answer. You don’t move forward until you figure out how to get it right, you don’t just keep making pizzas, they’re not selling. Nobody is buying your pizza. Oh sure, maybe your momma and your close friends will buy one, but that’s it.
When you make a bad recording, and we all know what I’m talking about, singing off key, hasty arrangements, average musicians, poor song selection, bad mix, inferior graphics, I could go on… you might as well be making awful tasting pizza. It’s exactly the same.
The way you fix this is by working with someone who can help you get it right. Don’t make another recording until you find that person. Another bad recording won’t help you, but it will hurt you.
CB #3 Lack of Financial Expertise
Not understanding and using sound financial principles will ruin a group in no time flat. Many SG artists are caught up with the dream of going out and singing but they have no understanding of business. That’s a big mistake. Every ministry must be operated using sound financial principles. Having a good understanding of accounting practices and understanding the difference between operating on the gross and the net are essential to keeping a ministry afloat. You also need a working knowledge of royalties, how they work, how much they are, who gets them, who pays them, when they are paid.
Most groups don’t operate on a budget, but they should. Most groups don’t know how mush it costs for them to travel, but they should.
These are just some of the things that indicate sound finances. How are you doing?
CB #4 Radio Promotion
Welcome to the world of SG Radio Promotion, the biggest boondoggle ever perpetrated on the good people in SG music.
When radio promotion began in SGM, it was done primarily to keep up with “the Joneses,” that is to say that SGM wanted to be like the “big boys” in secular music so we started doing radio promotion.
Radio stations played the songs and submitted their reports to……somebody…nobody knows who……and somebody made up a chart using the reports but somebody would never tell……anybody, what the reports said and how the songs got where they were, and so……everybody…… assumed that somebody knew what he was doing and accepted the charts, but the truth is that……nobody actually knows how the charts are made up, and how the songs get where they are.
At first, the only groups who got on the radio and the charts were chosen by a little man living in a cave in the frozen tundra of Alaska, but then ……somebody……nobody knows who……decided that everyone should be on the charts, so now…… EVERYBODY is on the charts but still……nobody knows how the charts are made up, and how the songs get where they are but……SOMEBODY should tell us, don’t you think?
Folks there is no reason for you to continue to try and get on the charts, they are worthless. However, if your music is good, it will help you to be on the radio so your music can be heard. What you should do is go to each radio station within your area and develop a relationship. Give them your CDs. Stop by and do “on air” interviews. Send them a note when you are singing close by. When you go into a new area repeat the process. This will help you move forward and will benefit your ministry.
CB#5 Failure to Believe the Scoreboard.
The scoreboard doesn’t lie. If you come up to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning and you are losing 2 to 1, you know exactly what you must do. You have to score 1 run to tie and 2 runs to win. Winning is a direct result of outscoring your opponent. The scoreboard tells you exactly what you must do to accomplish that. If you don’t pay attention to the scoreboard, or even worse, if you don’t believe the scoreboard, you will never know what to do.
So, what is the scoreboard telling you?
How are your CDs selling? If you’re not selling product, the scoreboard is telling you that you haven’t reached the audience. How are your offerings? If you are getting poor offerings, the scoreboard is telling you that you haven’t provided real value to that congregation. How is your bottom line? If you are continually operating in the red, the scoreboard is telling you that your business is failing.
How do you fix this stuff? Usually it takes it takes some outside help, someone with the knowledge and experience to coach you through the problems. If you know someone in your area who has the qualifications, by all means, get them on board. If you don’t, contact me, I will help you, either by finding someone for you, or coming myself.
Whatever you do…don’t ignore the scoreboard…you will lose.
CB#6 Failure to Understand what the People want.
Let’s say you are a SG artist and you somehow got booked on a “Rap” concert. How long would it take you to figure out that you really don’t belong there, maybe one song? Okay, I’ll admit, that’s a “no-brainer”, but can you say without reservation, that you know precisely what YOUR audience expects of you. Artists who don’t, (or won’t) understand this simple concept are doomed to failure. And, there are plenty of you out there who are trying to force-feed the SG music audience what you want them to listen to instead of giving them what they want to hear. You hear other groups performing progressive styles and you think that’s cool, so you copy them and then wonder why no one comes to hear you sing.
There is an old “show biz” quote attributed to Red Skelton, “Give the people what they want, and they’ll fill the theatre.”
I recently attended an event that featured pure SG music. The building was packed and the audience was glued to their seats for the entire event and came back for more.
If you want to sing progressive, or country, or rock, or any other form of Gospel music, that’s okay with me. I like most kinds of music and I would probably enjoy your music if the quality were good. I really have no beef with anyone singing whatever they want.
The point I’m making is to find out what YOUR audience wants and give it them from both barrels. Don’t try to give them what you want, give them what they want.
My opinion, however, is that most SG music fans would prefer to hear good old simple Southern Gospel music…just my opinion.
I’ve considered the fact that maybe there are SG artists who are happy in their ignorance. It is possible, I suppose, that they don’t want to get better. They are content to plod along and get nowhere. Okay, I can live with that. But I’m not writing for them, I’m writing for you, the one with the burning inside to get better. I have that burning inside me still. I can’t stand mediocrity. I have to figure out how to get it better, and you’re just like me. You wake up every day trying to get answers and direction to your ministry. I’m sorry that our industry doesn’t provide more help. But I’m here and I’ll give you all I’ve got. Nothing thrills me more than working with those who have that same desire for excellence.
As always, I welcome your comments.
God Bless You
Nick Bruno
Author: Nick Bruno
| Author's Website: http://www.nickbruno.com/
Written: 09/07/2010
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Category: The Gospel Truth
Comments: 3
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Nick,
Great article Nick. I once sang for several years with a group where the stretch van was paid for, the PA set paid for and records paid for. We had no worry except to minister and entertain the crown. Sometime it would have been great to have a bus but foolish spending. Speaking of the audience, it seems the promoter advises the pro groups what the audience wants and the group manager/owner ignores it and ways he knows best. WRONG. Groups better start paying the promoter who has been doing it sucessfully for over 25 years attention. He knows his audience better than the group. And leave the expensive bands at home.
While I am not a SG artist, I have always really enjoyed the music. Nick I think your article is great, and makes a lot of common sense.
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