Twitch pre-livestream reminders!
It's just a little list I keep in front of my screen to keep sane during live streams
When I press start streaming, sometimes I forget the simplest things that help me with my performance. This is a list of things taped to my computer screen to make sure things go smoothly during a livestream session on twitch.
Shake!
I am an anxious individual. I haven’t done enough shows where nerves don’t get to me. So before the camera goes live, I shake my body like a madman (much to delight of my rough collies, who think its some kind of game.) Arms, legs, torso, head, hips… I know it looks stupid as hell, but its incredible for reducing the tension.
Fast.
I made the mistakes of having the wrong food and beverages before a performance. Coffee? Welcome, all you jitters. Dairy? Welcome to the world of mucous. Alcohol? Welcome sleepy performances. So I make sure to keep an empty stomach; fasting before a show keeps me stable during performances.
Right Guitar?
This means playing the right guitar for the song. I have 3 main guitars I perform with: my electric Eastman Romeo, Martin Junior Cutaway, and Martin Junior Jeff Tweedy. While all my songs can be played on any of those guitars, playing the correct guitar will give the song its best vibe. Its easy to forget to switch, but even the act of changing guitars helps me get into the mindset of the next song.
Capo.
I’ve started entire songs on the wrong capo only to realise half way through that my voice is out of range. Unfortunately I have gone a few times without changing the key, and wonder why I can barely sing it. That’s worse than not being able to sing it at all, since that would immediately make me check and see what’s wrong!
Tuner (disengaged?)
This is a two fold thing. The first is to check and see if your guitar is tune. Moving the capo around, changes in temperature, and weather can make your guitar go out of key.
The second is that the tuner has to be disengaged before I start again. My tuner turns off the PA system. While playing with the tuner engaged, my guitar will not be heard on the live stream - though I can still hear it locally. The result is me singing a cappella to the audience!
Eat the Microphone.
As a guitarist, I have a tendency to look unto my fret board while playing the guitar. During a livestream, this makes my head move away from the microphone and cuts off my voice. So I have a note that says ‘eat the microphone’ to remind myself to keep my lips close to the mic.
I have a few songs that have difficult finger style passages that I play while singing. The natural tendency is to look at the guitar instead of singing into the mic, its a habit I am still trying to fight!
Hydrate.
Water is the great soother after each song. I sometimes get a raspy voice when allergy season kicks in. Having a water there is like an old friend that has your back. I have a 750ml steel bottle to keep things nice and fresh.
Just be careful with sparkling water… you may end up repressing a burp during a heartfelt number!
Fuck Stats.
Nothing can be so discouraging as seeing as the only person on Twitch is just you. In a previous life, I worked in examining all manner of statistics. Numbers were logical, sane, and you could make practical decisions from it. They were my closest ally.
They can be an enemy while streaming. One time I played an emotional song and saw another viewer came online. My heart leaped.. until a few seconds later when they left. I was gutted.. and I let it affect my performance.
Singing into the void can be a heart wrenching experience if you let it. At first I always imagined a crowd listening. Eventually my wife logged on while in the same room and provided some amazing support (thanks Barbara!) Its made all the difference.
For now, I ignore the stats.
Engage!
Having someone drop by and say hello while streaming is an exhilarating experience. I am singing my songs because I love it, and I want others to enjoy it too.
Do simple things like respond to every chat, say hello, and thank you.. Just the things I would do naturally if I met someone in real life. Yet - its so easy to let the screen be a barrier between two souls.
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So this is just my current list, its subject to change and additions. If you are a musician/performer on livestreams, I’d love to know your own personal checklist as you are running your show!