Review: Stage Performance
Stage Performance by Livingston Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a FABULOUS book.
Taylor has a wonderfully candid way of explaining every aspect of a "performance" so that even the most rank beginner can feel comfortable getting up on stage. He goes through everything from overcoming your fears to managing the business side of a budding career, and the best part is he speaks from practical experience (unlike so many books I've found on this topic).
But where this book really shines is in his discussion of the 'magic' that happens on stage — the communication between performer and audience. The reason is because 90% of the books on the market that tout being able to make a performer out of the reader do NOT even touch on the actual act of performing — they only discuss the aspects leading up to the stage. There's usually very little discussion of the things that come during and after. Taylor, however, goes into great detail outlining what marks a good performance — especially a good performer — from a bad one, and his tips for success are very straightforward.
I highly recommend this book for musicians, as well as anybody who has to get up in front of people for any reason. There is an immense amount of good to be found in this book for all form of public speaking, entertaining, or musical performance.
