Customer Reviews

The Art of the Soloperformer

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

kyle shiver/ performing songwriter

while reading this book for the first time, i began to 1)have much more confidence on stage 2)hold the attention of the audience like never before 3)get much much more applause than ever before 4)more people signed up on my mailing list and i sold more cd's

this book is a simple guide filled with rules and tips of the trade. the title of each chapter is a question("what goes into a great press kit?" /"how do i get publicity?"/"should i accept requests?") and each question is answered and most times discussed and the answer ALWAYS comes from experience. i love it.

I am a professional trainer who follows the literature in the presentation field.

I am also skeptical of the advice you find in "how-to" books on presentations. The material is either too academic lacking life experience, self-serving from an author on an ego-trip or simply not relevant to my experiences as a trainer.

Steve Rapson's book is entertaining, honest and educational. Steve's unusual combination of professional experiences in the corporate world and as an entertainer produce valuable insights and advice for all trainers or presenters.

The Art of the Soloperformer is the best book I have read in the field.

Jack Smith
The Smith Group

"Training for Public Organizations"

This is an excellent book for any solo performer or public speaker. The author provides countless practical tips for the solo musician including advice on copyrights, recording, dealing with managers and agents, and playing to an audience. Also great tips for anyone who speaks publicly. There are many humorous stories about the author's own performing and speaking experiences and lessons that he has learned from them.
It was very helpful for me personally to read about how to put into perspective the experiences of having both great nights where you are connecting with an audience and also nights when you are just not connecting at all.
I would recommend this book for anyone who performs as a solo act or in a band, or for anyone who regularly gives presentations to corporations or to the public.

Dear Steve, Thank you for signing this book. The ART OF THE SOLOPERFORMER. The knowledge, forsight, entertainmet and right down common sence make this book a must read for anyone wanting to better themselves. Whether you're an entertainer, speaker, or someone just wanting to get ahead this book is a winner and will inspire you. Steve Rapson, you are truly a SUPER STAR.Thanks again, Gary

As a solo acoustic blues performer, this book has helped me overcome stage fright, and has placed into context the primary purpose of performing...to connect with your audience! Steve is also very accessible and responsive via email and is happy to offer insight related to specific questions individual performers may have. The book is a must buy. Thanks Steve!

This is not "Teach Yourself Performance". It is not a tough but ultimately rewarding book that takes the subject apart and puts it back together again. Nor is it merely an insightful zen manual that gives you a place in the universe. Steve Rapson's Art of the Soloperformer is rather a book you read and absorb, scarcely conscious as you turn the pages of the fathomless self-knowledge seeping into you like water into roots. Your peformance will change, totally for the better. As you become aware, months hence, of what this book has done and continues to do for you, you will come to treasure it for the occasional return trip you make to a chapter here, a sentence there, to verify that some new discovery -- but not really new, something you always knew in fact but never understood before -- is really true. It will be written on your soul.

I tore through the book, because I felt Rapson nailed it page after page. It's already been a big help in the one open mic, one solo show and one band show in the last week. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

This book is a treasure of great information on the subject. Besides being an entertaining read it is filled with gems about performing, speaking, the music industry and life. I highly recommend getting copy and I promise you will want to pass it on to every up-and-coming artist you know.

I'm a musician - but not a regular stage performer - aside from occasional concerts at the conservatory where I teach classical guitar - most of this book has little to do with my daily concerns. In spite of this, I was totally "seduced" by Steve Rapson's first section - Philosophy. I think all of us need to be reminded much more often that everything we do in life and how we do it should be based on thoughtful considerations and on projecting the "who" that we choose to be for others; i.e., a philosophy. What's so great about this book is that for Steve, success stems not from self-importance, but from the importance that we accord to the "other". This lesson in humility and generosity alone would be enough to justify the book, but aside from this, there is the laid-back and humorous way Steve has of dealing with both his subject and himself.
I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to comment on the separate bits of advice or on any particular answer that Steve gives to the questions that he poses - and perhaps, not everyone will agree with every bit of advice that he offers. This, for me is not the point. What is, is the absolute certainty that the advice comes from a person of great experience who has a sincere desire to be helpful to others.

As a musician, writer, and creative mentor, Steve Rapson provides valuable insight into what it takes to be an effective performer. He understands the challenges of getting on stage and working through one's inner critic to overcome the self-consciousness and self-doubt that goes with the territory of being a solo performer. Sharing his own successful techniques, tools, and tips for preparation and performance, Steve has provided a great service to both novice and experienced performers. Not only is "The Art of the Solo Performer" motivating, encouraging, reassuring, and packed with brilliant advice, Steve is an entertaining writer as well - making this book a treasured resource for musicians and public speakers everywhere.