OPEN MIKES 101: Everything a singer should know before stepping onto those little local stages.

When I moved to Los Angeles several years ago, I knew exactly three people. I needed contacts; I needed new friends; I needed to check out the performance venues in L.A., and I needed to keep my performance chops up. So on the nights when I wasn't proving that I was the worst cocktail waitress in the Western hemisphere, I hit the open mikes.
Singing at open mikes is one of the best ways to sharpen your auditioning and performance skills. Where else can you replicate the otherworldly environment of an audition? You walk in, get accompanied by someone you've never met who may or may not know your song, and get one shot to win over a jaded audience. They're great networking spots, too. You'll meet, commiserate, and bond with fellow singers and musicians. You can also make important business connections. I met my bass player, a student of mine was discovered by a producer, and another was offered a series of paying gigs... all at open mikes.
Open mikes can be grueling, but with a bit of preparation and knowledge, your experience can be quite fun. The two kinds of open mikes on which I'll spend the most time in this article are: 1. Piano bars and public jam sessions, where anyone from a lone pianist to a full band accompanies you, and 2. Talent nights, where you must accompany yourself or bring an accompanist. The latter are typically geared towards singer/songwriters. For obvious reasons, singers who don't have accompaniment will want to frequent open mikes where it's provided. If you are starting a band and/or looking for musicians, however, you'll find more of them at talent nights. Most talent night open mikes welcome original material, but you'll fare better with cover tunes at most piano bars and jam sessions.
Karaoke bars and open mikes where you sing to pre-recorded music are other good places to perform, though they have some limitations. Unless you can bring your own karaoke CD, you must use what they've got. Keys are infrequently listed on karaoke song lists, so there's no telling if the song is in your key unless you sing a song made famous by an artist whose vocal range is similar to yours. Karaoke deejays can sometimes shift the key up or down a bit, but it's hit-or-miss. On the other hand, karaoke audiences are often very jovial and forgiving, providing a supportive environment for beginning performers.
Detective Work
I highly recommend that you go on a reconnaissance mission to check out the various open mikes in town before you psych yourself up to sign up at one. Notice what kinds of songs are performed. One time I saw a great accompanist effortlessly rip through a night of cabaret and show tunes until a singer stumped him with a Tori Amos song. He awkwardly lurched through it, and as a result the singer's performance was equally stilted.
Check out the audience and atmosphere. After scoping out one noisy, trendy open mike, I realized that subtlety was not an option. I subsequently prepared a high-volume, showoff song that would cut through the chatter.
Check out what people are wearing. Open mike attire in Los Angeles ranges from jeans and a ratty T-shirt to cocktail wear, depending on the venue. Try to narrow the field to the places that are most receptive to your style of music. By watching the performers, you'll get a feel for what works and what doesn't, and invariably you'll see a godawful singer who will spark the "Hey-I-can-do-that-better" part of you.
Consider where you are in your development. If you are a beginning performer, look for low-key, out-of-the-way open mikes. Save the high pressure clubs for when you've built up some experience and confidence about performing.
When you're doing your research, find out about the sign-up procedure. Many open mikes are first-come, first-served. If so, find out the earliest sign-up time. Some open mikes are so popular they have a lottery to decide who will perform. Sometimes the evening is run by a host who decides who will sing and when. This is where things can get political. The host may give herself and her friends the best slots and put you on last, leaving you an audience of two drunks and the bartender. Occasionally you can circumvent the host by befriending the musician(s), which has other benefits. After one of my students befriended the pianist at a piano bar, he started extending her songs and giving her pointers. This is another reason to show up early: You may beat the crowd and find the musicians fresher and more expansive.
If you find a good open mike where the performance order is at the whim of the host, several things can help you snag a better slot. Charm and talent can definitely help, but I think the best way to curry favor is by good attendance. When you find an open mike you like, become a regular. Not only are regulars awarded better time slots, but you'll get used to working with the accompanist or band and perform better for it.
I've been to a few so-called open mikes that turned out to be by invitation only. Regular attendance should eventually win you an invitation to sing; just make sure the host knows that you are a singer and not just an appreciative audience member.
All You Need Is the Song
Once you've done your research and found an open mike with accompaniment that seems right for you, you'll need to prepare sheet music. While a full piano score is preferred at most musical theatre auditions, lead sheets are preferred by open mike accompanists. A lead sheet has the melody, lyrics, and chord symbols only, so a typical song can fit on a one- or two-page lead sheet. More than that can make accompanists cranky. They can also get surly if they have to transpose your song on the spot, so make sure that the lead sheet is in your key. If you've rearranged the song, such as adding a tag to the end or eliminating the intro, make sure that your lead sheet reflects that. Dynamics and tempo changes should also be marked in the body of the music. I run a highlighter over them to alert the musician.
Your voice teacher or a musician friend can make simple arrangement changes to and transpositions of an existing lead sheet, or find a copyist to generate a lead sheet for you. Look for their cards posted at sheet music stores. An easily readable lead sheet will bring joy to your open mike accompanist, who in turn will do right by you. Bring extra copies in case other musicians are sitting in. And bring a second song-you need a backup in case four people before you sing your song, or if the accompanist doesn't know it. More importantly, you may be asked to do an encore!
Let's assume that you've memorized your song and have practiced it until you can sing it in your sleep. Now it's time to practice how to present it to the accompanist. If it's a well-known standard that you haven't radically rearranged, you can usually hand the music over with a smile and go. For everything else, a brief (and I mean brief!) verbal explanation should supplement your well-written lead sheet. You want to tell the accompanist the feel or style of the song, and any arrangement directions that aren't obvious. For example, many jazz standards can be sung as a slow ballad or a medium swing. Don't leave room for guesswork. You can use dance descriptions like "disco" or "bossa," or adjectives like "peppy" or "bluesy."
The band or accompanist may want to take a solo in the middle of your song. A typical solo is eight bars, during which you should turn to watch and appreciate the soloist, giving him the spotlight. Count bars or mentally sing the melody so you know where you are in the song. A typical re-entry point for the singer is at the bridge. If the accompanist points to his or her head, start back at the top of the song. Communicating with musicians while you're trying to deliver your song may sound nerve-wracking, but it can be a lot of fun. When you're researching different open mikes, observe how the musicians and singers communicate (or fail to) during songs.
Here's what I might say as I hand the accompanist my music for "My Romance": "Hi, I do this as a medium swing and I tag the last four bars. Do you want to take a solo? OK, then how about you solo over the first verse and I'll come back in on the second verse."
Tempo Insanity
Lastly, you want to count the song off so that you'll get the tempo you want. Telling the accompanist you want your song "kinda slow" is too vague and will label you a beginner. You can snap and count along with recorded versions of your song to get a feel for it, then practice counting your song off whenever you practice your song. The first time I sat in with a band I was so nervous I counted my song off twice as fast as I had intended, and ended up singing "Take the "A' Train" at a breakneck speed that had the musicians laughing as they played. Practice counting your song off until the tempo is so ingrained it can withstand any attack of nerves.
If you want to talk to the audience briefly before your song, count the accompanist in when you're done. If the musicians have started playing but you are hell-bent on talking first, go ahead and talk over the music. Musicians are used to extending introductions until the singer enters (it's called "vamping").
The best time to make any last minute tempo changes is during the introduction, before you start singing. I once saw a man at an open mike who, after the accompanist had started the song, immediately turned around and snapped the tempo until the pianist slowed down. When the singer felt that the tempo was right, he faced the audience once more and delivered a confident and relaxed performance. The entire audience realized that this was a performer who knew what he wanted and how to get it. Everyone I polled afterward mentioned him as their favorite singer of the evening.
Remember, the accompanist is neither your slave nor your boss. Clean lead sheets and brief, clear verbal instructions show him respect. Your goal is to work hand in hand to create three to four minutes of great music. By the way, it's not unheard of to tip an accompanist. See if anyone else is doing this and follow suit.
Talent nights are obviously different since you won't be working with musicians you've just met. My best piece of advice for beginning singer/guitarists: bring a guitar tuner and use it just before you go onstage. There will be too much commotion for you to tune by ear, and you don't want to try your audience's patience by tuning in front of them. At singer/songwriter talent nights, take note of which songs go over well. A long slow ballad may not be the best choice. On the other hand, if you are a thick-skinned songwriter, these open mikes can be great places to test a new song in front of an audience of your peers.
Catching the Jitters Bug
A brief digression on the subject of nerves. Virtually everyone has them before a performance, but they tend to abate the more you perform. Knowing your song inside-out can ease the jitters, but they still may hit as you wait to be called onstage. Since you don't get to pace around backstage before you perform at an open mike, you'll have to find some public ways to calm yourself. Deep breaths with slow exhalations can be done as you watch other performers. Chatting with your neighbors between songs can also help. If you have a serious case of the flutters, go outside or to the bathroom and jump up and down or stretch. Onstage, do your best to focus on what you're trying to say with the song instead of how shaky you feel.
A word of caution about drinking to calm one's jumpy nerves. Alcohol dries out your vocal cords, making singing much harder. More importantly, it will interfere with your judgment. I once had a couple of cocktails as I waited for my turn at an open mike, then delivered what I thought was an incredible performance. A friend had recorded me, and the tape showed me to be singing shrilly and out of tune. That's the last time I drank before performing!
When you finish singing, don't dawdle, but don't race off-stage either. Acknowledge your applause, gather your lead sheets, and remember to thank the musicians.
Once you have rejoined the audience, enjoy your performance high and the praise of your friends, but be quiet when the next singer starts. And don't pack up your things and leave the club immediately. You don't have to stay to the bitter end, but show some support for your fellow performers by being an audience for them.
If you become a regular at an open mike you'll undoubtedly befriend other singers. This can make the long wait until your name is called much more pleasant. Though in general I recommend that you only deliver positive feedback to other performers, eventually you might want to cultivate a friendship in which you can give each other constructive criticism. Open mike performances are so quick that you barely get settled onstage before they're over, making it hard to evaluate how well you did. An opinion you trust can help you improve with each week's performance.
Treat open mikes as performance opportunities akin to auditions or "real" gigs, to improve your performance skills, make contacts, and have fun. Do some research, prepare your performance and music well, mind your manners, and when it's finally your turn onstage, knock 'em dead. BSW
Susan Streitwieser is an L.A.-based voice teacher and singer/songwriter. She can be reached at www.songwriter.com/susan.