Showmanship Trumps Musicianship Every Time
Here’s a song from the just released A Gospel Journey DVD. The song, titled “Live With Jesus,” will also appear on the upcoming studio album by the Oak Ridge Boys releasing in May.
At the 2:40 mark, Joe Bonsall has a banjo solo that consists of one simple lick repeated for several bars. At the end of the song, the chord changes twice and Bonsall doesn’t play on those chords. He just waits and hits the final chord with the band. You might say Bonsall is a moderately talented banjo player, or one who dabbles with the instrument. He’s definitely no Earl Scruggs.
Watch the other guys, though. They make that moment all about his banjo solo by gathering around, looking interested, and aiming their mics at the banjo. Actually, it’s Bill Gaither who puts a mic in front of the banjo first, but that was probably because he realized the banjo didn’t have a mic and he knew they’d need to capture it for the sake of the video. That’s the only time Bonsall breaks out the banjo on the entire DVD, and they make the most of it.
At another point on the DVD, Bonsall talks about how he was inspired by Jim Hill who, like Bonsall, wasn’t a particularly high tenor singer. What Hill did do, though, was work the audience to the point that they left thinking he was the greatest singer on the program night after night. Showmanship will stick in the minds of average fans over musicianship every time.
Now, I’m not talking about being a clown, though that might work for some entertainers. I’m talking about each song, each solo, each piano intro…whatever…being treated as a focal point by all the group members who aren’t participating in that solo. The audience needs to be made aware of each moment.
Sometimes, it can be as simple as looking at whoever has the solo with an attitude of interest. When the solo hits a peak, a reaction of some sort might be in order…or a movement side to side on the stage toward or away from the performer.
It’s sad to watch a good sounding group get a mediocre response due to their mimicry of stumps in the forest. So many groups I see appear oblivious when another group member has a moment in the spotlight. Groups with great talent aren’t difficult to find, but it takes an attentive listener to seek them out and sing their praises when they do very little on stage to help themselves.
I’ve seen some (at best) mediocre singers and musicians absolutely bring the house down with their showmanship. One has to be careful, though, about taking it too far….
And did anybody notice that Golden pointed both is and Joe’s mics at the banjo?
[...] Bruce Murray at Musicscribe has an excellent post up today about how, as he puts it, Showmanship trumps Musicianship every time. Agree or disagree—either way, it’s interesting food for [...]
Kyle,
I agree about taking it too far. That song William Lee did when he was on his own about the 87 year old man playing piano comes to mind. I know the song is all about the piano, but that piano player on the YouTube video I watched put all the attention on himself.
As with anything, there’s a balance.
The group Newsong was just four guys standing in a row like a typical Southern Gospel quartet for several years. Once the group was shook up and they brought in Russ Lee and Charles Billingsley, the whole dynamic completely changed. They had a drum/percussion feature in their set at that time that would drive the crowd wild. It wasn’t so much because the feature was complex or difficult to play. It was all in how they staged it.