Publicity…it can mean so much. It’s often the difference between a very successful act and another that plays for an empty venue. Not only that, but publicity can actually change the way a person or group perceives or is perceived.

Recently Sound Traveler played for the Space Coast State Fair in Cocoa, Florida. It was not a gigantic enterprise, but it was a good old-fashioned fair. It had enough swooping, spinning, swirling rides to make me queasy just to look at them. It had enough sugary, greasy, sugar-coated fried substances to challenge the strongest digestive system. There were also shooting galleries, gambling games, and fun houses all surrounded by streamers and lights. But something was missing from this fair that I remembered from the fairs I experienced as a kid. Where were the side shows?

What I remember most of all about side shows were the barkers – people standing at the front of the side show tents, telling passers-by what to expect on the inside. We were teased with stories of the world’s fattest person, a wolf boy from the jungles of South America, a person with two heads, and most alluring of all to a young adolescent — sensuous and exotic women (must be at least 18 to enter the tent!) I’m here to tell you, they had no trouble filling those shows, and no one was overly picky about checking for anyone’s actual age. Well, you know what happened. Once inside, we all found that the hype reflected little of actual substance. There were fat people, hairy people, even women with too few clothes on for a cold October evening, but there was nothing even resembling what we had been led to expect. But we had paid our money, and the show rolled on.

A long time ago I played a small show for an unfamiliar festival, and I was trying to think of a clever way to get attention. So I rigged up a tape recorder with a foot switch. When I came onto the stage, I stepped on the foot switch which set a tape rolling. Out came a huge introduction and thunderous applause playing through the sound system – “Ladies and gentlemen, now introducing that amazing new performer, Bob Tatum!” Well, as the applause grew through the sound system, people in the audience started clapping as well. In fact they became louder than those on the PA. Those people didn’t know me, they had never heard of me, but they were swayed by not-so-subtle publicity. Later, I let the audience in on the joke, but I did experience an example of publicity and human nature in action.

Now Sound Traveler is playing the publicity game. We could pretend that this web site is designed primarily as a public service to the cyber-public. But the big idea is to get as many people as possible familiar with our group so that we can have many opportunities to perform and grow. I invite those of you reading this to respond, so that we know you’re out there. Also, if possible, visit our facebook site www.facebook.com/soundtravelerband and click the “like” button if you’re so inclined. It actually helps us when we are applying for performance jobs. But I will guarantee one thing about Sound Traveler – we won’t set up false expectations. We work hard to share music that matters to us and to perform it at a quality level. And we’d love to prove that to you in person! — Bob Tatum

3 Comments to “SongTravelin’: 11.17.10 — What it Seems to Be”

• November 17, 2010 at 9:31 am
  Jacques says:

  Many of those who study this phenomenon suggest that perception is reality. A thing only really exists to the degree to which it is perceived in the mind of someone. There may be many substances that we have no knowledge of floating in our atmosphere. If we don’t know about them, if they do not affect our everyday lives, then to us they don’t really exist. Publicity, in a sense, is bringing the unknown into practical existence.
• November 17, 2010 at 11:16 am
  Kay says:

  I’m here, so I’m responding. Sarah and Kelly are over my shoulder, so do they count, too?
• November 18, 2010 at 10:44 pm
  Patty says:

  Well, as usual, I won’t say it as eloquently as Bob will, but I must agree that publicity is very important. Maybe the music is the expression of our right brain and the promotion is the work of our left brain, but they’re both so vital to what we do. Without the music, there is nothing to market. Without the marketing, there is nowhere to express our art except to ourselves. Although sometimes that can be enough, most times we want to share our music with the world…or at least our small corner of it. Promotion is hard work, and I appreciate Bob for the hard work he’s doing to get the name of Sound Traveler out there. We also appreciate everyone out there who has done so much to help us along our journey so far. Keep up the good work, and keep on travelin’ with Sound Traveler!