Singers & Musicians - Learn your songs!

This may appear quite a simplistic blog title, however current strange times have brought about some interesting discussion about our attention spans and yet again, our changing habits in how we consume music.

This all started with a conversation with a couple of students who are emerging artists: now gigs are returning, they have a LOT of work to do to learn a full set. It’s not that they don’t have an extensive list of songs; it’s because they’ve spent lockdown creating content for TikTok … basically, they only know up to 60 seconds of any one song! It would make for a great 15 minute montage, but not a full set for a gig!

With the popularity of apps like TikTok and now Instagram Reels to rival it, our habits for consuming content are changing. And it’s having an impact in all areas including music: as a society we’ve gone from listening to full albums, to EP’s, then singles … and now? Are we only going to listen to 30 seconds of songs? Our art is eroding like the cliffs that fell into the bandstand (Southend based analogy for anyone reading from out of town!)

In a discussion on one of my favourite music podcasts (Off the Beat & Track) Ben Thatcher from the band Royal Blood discusses the new trend of needing to catch the audience by introducing the vocal in the first few seconds. It means songwriters now need to consider this when looking at their own song structure. If this was a trend when I was growing up we would have missed so many great tracks; we’re talking anthems that we still listen to now! On this episode of the podcast, they discuss specific tracks - it’s well worth a listen.

Whatever people’s changing habits are in the way they listen and discover music, one things for sure; they will still expect the full song at a gig. So singers and musicians; learn your songs even if if it’s for the TikTok … you will thank me later!