Week In Review - 21 March 2014

Jack & Max

Happy birthday to Jack & Max who have turned 2 today! How do cats normally celebrate their birthday? I've got no idea what to do for them! Maybe some extra snacks?? I am open to any suggestions!

Mayor & Mayoress of Havant

This week has been great for bookings and making some new contacts. On Wednesday, 19 March I had a meeting with the Mayor & Mayoress of Havant who contacted me a couple weeks ago about performing at their upcoming charity event. After a bit of shuffling my diary, arrangements were made to meet to discuss the event. Everything is now final and I will be providing the Cabaret Show for Councillor Paul Buckley and Mrs. Jackie Buckley's 'Finale Charity Dinner' on 25 April 2014 at the Newtown House Hotel on Hayling Island. Tickets are £32 per person and the evening is in aid of Stroke Association, Combat Stress & RELATE Portsmouth & District. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact: Anne Thurlow at 02392 446152 or annie.thurlow@havant.gov.uk.

Janey Howl

On Thursday, 20 March I attended the Portsmouth Business Expo at the Portsmouth Guildhall. I have to admit, when I first walked into the exhibitors' area after collecting my name badge and goody bag, I was a bit overwhelmed with so many people vying for my attention. I wasn't feeling all that social at 9:30 in the morning so I headed to the back of the hall where it felt a bit calmer. The first exhibitors I spoke to were the lovely ladies at Wight First Aid. After visiting a few more stalls, I needed to find somewhere to sit down and organize all the business cards and flyers I had accumulated in just 30 minutes ... LOL. I went into the seminar theatre and much to my delight ran into a good friend who I hadn't seen in ages, Janey Howl! I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant about going to the seminar, but after seeing Janey's delightful face, I instantly realized why I pressed through to be there ... in order to reconnect!  It's not surprising that Janey would be at this event, because she is a dynamic business coach and is now working with The Colour Works company who are dedicated to unlocking potential!

Janey ended up coming by the house for dinner and a much needed catch-up session, then she joined me at my show with 'Mayfield' at the Wine Vaults later that evening. 

During the Expo I did manage to attend two seminars. Debbie Huxton gave a great talk about 'Big Wisdom' and being a business success!  Ian Dickson, one of the UK's leading business coaches, was a delight with infectious enthusiasm and practical tips about Mindset, Knowledge & Action.

The highlight of the expo was the speed networking session hosted by '4Networking.' During this session, we were divided into two sections and each section was divided into two rows of people facing each other. At the sound of the whistle, each person in the left side of the facing rows was first to give a 1 minute pitch to the person sitting across from them. When the whistle blew a 2nd time, it was the other person's turn. When you heard two whistles, the people on the left side moved one seat to the left and the lucky people on the right side got to remain in their seats. And then the who thing started over again. Having never been to a speed networking session before, I made the mistake of sitting on the left side. That was the longest, most exhausting hour I've ever spent talking about GME, but by the time I got to the last person (about 40 people in the room in total) I had mastered my pitch and made some very viable contacts. 

The organizers of the Expo, Memo Events & Exhibitions, will also be hosting the West Sussex Business Expo 8 May at Butlins Conference Center. I'm looking forward to attending this expo as well, and I promise you I will make sure I'm sitting on the 'right' side for their speed networking session!!

I had a fantastic gig with Mayfield at the Wine Vaults last night and it was great to see so many familiar faces and loads of new ones too.  On Saturday, 22 March I'm singing at a wedding reception in Fareham in the afternoon and then finishing off the night rockin' it out with my party band, Move On Up at The Alma Arms in Portsmouth! Then on Sunday I'm heading to the Isle of Wight to visit the in-laws and have a lazy afternoon with the hubs!  I am soooooo looking forward to that!

Well, that's it for now. Have a great weekend!

Week in Review - 21 February 2014

I am on my second week of being on holiday and have had a wonderful time visiting friends and family in Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Wisconsin (heading there later today).

I've been living in the UK for four years and it's been that long since I've had a gig in Milwaukee, where I lived and performed for just over two years. Tonight, thanks to the fabulous vocalist and my friend Jeannine Rivers, I will be appearing with her and Scott Currier (one of the best keyboard players I've ever worked with) at The Delafield Hotel. Jeannine and I will be sharing the evening and singing some of our favourite Jazz, Soul & Blues songs. Jeannine and I sing so many of the same songs, but surprisingly, when we compared set lists, there was very little overlap. We both love singing 'Summertime' and we each put our own unique spin on the song, so that one we had to have a little discussion about. But, Jeannine is graciously allowing me to sing it tonight! 

Available on iTunes

Scott was very involved with arranging and performing on my solo CD, 'Let Go' and we performed together either as a duo or 4-piece band at venues all around the Milwaukee area. He was an absolute joy to work with and a bit of a musical genius (some of the chords he came up with on the CD, other musicians simply can't figure out ... LOL)!

Tonight's performance will be a bit of a reunion with many of my friends and family joining us for what promises to be a fun and unique evening of music! I will try to remember to take pictures tonight so I can share them with you next week! 

Until then ... have a fabulous weekend!

Week In Review - 17 January 2014

This has been a not-so-typical work week because I spent the entire week working in the office.  This has allowed me to catch up on paperwork and my accounts. 

Supremely, Diana Ross

A big project for this week was putting together a short promotional video and setting up a website for my tribute show, Supremely Diana Ross.  Take a look at the site and let me know what you think!  Also, I booked Supremely, Diana Ross at the Piranha Bar for 5 April, which promises to be a fantastic evening of music. The first set will be me doing a fun party set followed by a guest appearance by Miss Ross!  

On Thursday, 16 January my band Mayfield had our first rehearsal of the year as we prep for our first gig of the year on 1 February at The Legion in Swanage. We hadn't performed or rehearsed since 16 November last year, but it was like no time had passed because we were all on top form!  We even started work on two new songs, one of which we hope to debut in Swanage!

On Sunday, 19 January Chloe Dixon will be making her debut appearance at The Jolly Sailor. If you will be in the Portsmouth/Southsea area on Sunday, please stop by and experience the dynamic vocals of this incredibly talented young singer.

Chloe Dixon

The first emails have gone out as I begin the task of booking performers for seven Foodies Festival events. I am looking for solo performers, duos & bands who perform cover & original soul, jazz, blues, folk, pop or reggae music. Email me at gloria@gloriamillermusic.com if you are interested in performing and I will send you all the details of participation.

That's it for now ... have a fabulous weekend!!

Foodies Festivals 2014

Gloria Miller Entertainment is pleased to announce that we will be organizing the entertainment for several Foodies Festival events for the 2nd year running. We are thrilled to be working with Media Company Publications again to bring together some of the best entertainers from across the UK to perform on the Foodies Entertainment Stage. 

Here are the events GME will be organizing:

Brighton Hove Lawns - 3, 4, 5 May

Marble Hill London - 24, 25, 26 May

Kenwood House London - 30, 31 May, 1 June

Clapham Common - 6, 7, 8 June

Bristol Harbourside - 11, 12, 13 July

Battersea Park London - 15, 16, 17 August

Oxford South Parks - 23, 24, 25 August

 

As you can see from this video, last year's Brighton event was a smashing success. The weather was gorgeous, the food delicious and the music was fabulous. Fingers crossed that we'll have good weather again this year! Click here to check out some pics of last year's performers at Foodies Brighton.

We are looking for cover and original artists who perform reggae, folk, jazz, blues, acoustic, swing and pop genres to book for these events.  If you are a solo performer up to 6-piece band and would like to perform at one of these festivals, please email me at gloria@gloriamillermusic.com and I will send you all of the details of participation.

To find out more about the 2014 Foodies events, please visit their website.

GME Band of the Week ... Lui Matthews Band!

Lui Matthews

When I started GME just over a year ago, I didn’t know at the time the calibre of performer that I would be blessed to work with. My keyboard player, Dennis Elvie, recommend Lui Matthews to me and when I heard him perform on a festival that I was running the entertainment stage for, that performance was a game changer for me and the agency. Lui Matthews is a dynamic performer, amazing singer and an absolute crowd favourite! After experiencing the Lui Matthews Band live, I started thinking much bigger in terms of what GME is going to be as a provider of entertainment.

Lui Matthews Band are a 4-piece band with a huge sound that electrifies from start to finish. They are professional in every way, easy to work with and will bring sizzle and heat to any venue, event or festival.  Lui studied at the Academy of Contemporary Music and has been singing professionally since 2004. He’s got a rich, soulful voice and the band lends their unique flavour to the biggest hits from your favourite artists including Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, Jamiroquai, and even Aretha Franklin!

Lui Matthews Band

The start-up phase of any business is tough, but it’s artists like Lui Matthews Band that motivate me to work hard to keep them working! I look forward to 2014 and presenting this fantastic band to venues, events and festivals across the UK.

If you are planning an event and thinking about entertainment, then I encourage you to get in touch to discuss booking the Lui Matthews Band! I guarantee that they will give you and your guests a fantastic show.  Call me today … 02392 280829.

Karaoke Singer vs. Backing Track Performer

Okay, I admit it … I have signed my name on many a list and flipped through very large books listing every imaginable song, and then took to the microphone to belt out one (or more) of my favourite songs.  Karaoke nights are fun and many venues offer these nights in lieu of bringing in live performers.  However, there is one huge difference between Karaoke singers and backing track performers … entertainment value!  Karaoke nights can be entertaining, but usually for all the wrong reasons.

Blues Bros. by Disco Divas!

At GME I work with some amazing solo, duo & tribute acts who perform with backing tracks and they create a ‘show’ atmosphere with their performances because they are stellar performers!  More and more venues, hotels and event planners are seeing the value in booking a backing track performer because it is a smart choice if you have limited space or a small budget.  A solo or duo act with backing tracks is a great option to create a big band sound for your guests at a solo or duo fee.  Another option is to pair a solo performer or tribute act with a DJ for a party night or event adding the ‘live’ music element to the occasion.

Our aim at GME is to keep music live which is why I encourage solo and duo performers to consider adding backing tracks to enhance their shows which gives entertainment bookers affordable options that allow them to continue to bring fantastic live entertainment to their venues or events.

Elainor Knight-Solo Performer

If you are a performer and you currently use backing tracks or might be considering using them, I recommend visiting www.karaoke-version.co.uk.  They offer thousands of backing tracks in .mp3 format for download at a reasonable price, and each track gives you four key options. 

Secret Smile Duo

This is ideal for the solo performer. They also offer custom backing tracks which are multi-track .mp3’s allowing you to alter or omit any of the individual parts that make up the track. This is ideal for solo performers and duos who want to remove the piano part or the guitar part, etc. leaving room for you to add live instrumentation. There is a .com version of this website too. 

GME is currently running a Holiday Entertainment special for the month of December:

Book a GME Solo Act for £180 for 2 45-minute sets of festive music. 

Book a GME Duo Act for £250 for 2 45-minute sets of festive music.

Contact us today to enquire about one of GME's acts, or provide information about your next event on this booking form and let us handle the details ... 02392 280829.

Promo Video / Showreel

Since I started my entertainment company a year ago, I'm really enjoying looking at the entertainment business from 'both sides now.' When creating a video from an artist's perspective, I want to include flashy opening and closing titles, full length songs and my contact details. From an agent's perspective, when I'm looking at a video that has been submitted to me by an artist interested in being represented by GME, I want the video to be unbranded (without the name of the act, or any contact details), no longer than 3-5 minutes in length, and the absolute best, show-stopping clip showcased within the first 4 seconds of the video.

No Branding: You can include a description of your act in the opening title ... 'Today's Hits Party Band', but not the act's name. Some agencies like to give an act they are representing a name that's unique to that agency. With my company, I don't mind if the acts name is in the opening / closing credits, but the closing credits of the video should not contain any contact information. YouTube footage is good, but I prefer Vimeo footage because it's much cleaner and doesn't cross link to other videos on their site like YouTube does.

3-5 Minutes Long: The same rules apply as with your 'Kick-A** Song' on this one. The promo video should be the length of a song and no more than 5 minutes long. You've got about 8-15 seconds to capture the viewers attention. Don't waste this time on the opening credits, get right to your best clip of your best song. If you've captured the viewers attention, they will watch more.

4 seconds:  Your first clip should be happening by the 4-second point and should have wowed me by 8-15 seconds. If it hasn't, that's a lost chance for getting representation. The same holds true for potential clients who are viewing your video. People are generally quite busy, and bookers, event planners, etc., are even more busy so make the most of having their attention!

The clips in the video should be 90% 'live' footage either captured from shows, or filmed in a studio. You can include a few still photos, in fact I recommend you have a still photo as your opening and closing title page, but the entire video should not be made up of still photos with your music playing in the background.

The most important thing to remember when putting together your showreel is to make sure your clips clearly show the viewer who you are as an act! Make it obvious that you are perfect for their event by knocking their socks off in the first 8 seconds of your reel!

Here's a link to an act I work with who have a fantastic showreel:

http://www.gloriamillerentertainment.com/vintageretro_acts/the_rockafellas.

If you have a great showreel that would be a good example to others, please include a link in the comments. I'd love to have a look.

Until next time ... happy music making!!