I recently taught a class, at a convention, about how to be an entertainer. As I was going through the material I was going to present, and thinking about how I could offer it in a unique way, it suddenly occurred to me that I could make each aspect of the full entertainment mode start with the letter “M.” And if you get to know me, at all, you’ll realize that I love to do the alliteration thing, or the letters-in-common thing, or the acronym thing, etc.

So here are 15 ways to improve yourself as an entertainer…and they all begin with the letter “M.” (P.S. I want you to realize that in this posting, I will be covering each “M” just briefly. I will write extensive articles about each “M” separately over time.)

Mentor – Is there somebody in the industry that you admire? Would you like to be more like them? Is there a way that you could approach them and have them mentor you? If not, could you learn more about them through other avenues and then take on some of their great qualities? I have been mentored by a number of people in the industry, each with their own specialty, and I am grateful to each one for their willingness to help an up-and-comer!! Now I pay it forward by mentoring others.

Music - I cannot emphasize enough how important music is to your act. If you are doing something in your act with dead silence (unless it is for dramatic effect) you are going to lose your audience. What you are doing on the stage has to be an extra sensory experience. If you are not appealing to the audience’s eyes, ears, and heart…(some have even used the smell and taste aspects), then you’re not going to make it. Also, make sure the music fits your act and your personality.

Movement – Every move that you make on the stage should have a purpose. You need to choreograph your whole show. If you feel like there is dead time, or that there’s something that you are doing that might not appeal to audience, cut it!!

Model – How you look, and what you wear says a lot about you… You know what your audience looks like, in a demographic sense of the word. How do you want them to perceive you? Dress to fit that image!!

Mature – This basically means, “be professional!!” I have seen entertainers fired because of their bad attitudes, their lack of reliability, their inability to see the whole picture from the point of view of the people who hired them, and overall unprofessional demeanor. Don’t throw tantrums…very few people who do make it to the top and stay there.

Magic – I’m not talking about the David Copperfield kind of magic. I’m talking about YOUR kind of magic. When you are up on the stage, do you love it up there so much that people can tell? Is there a twinkle in your eye? Do you give them the old razzle-dazzle? If not, you need to work on the “magic” part of your act.

Monologue – Just like every movement on the stage should have a purpose, every word that comes out of your mouth should have something to do with your act, with your show, and with the image that you want to portray. This is very important!! Write a script for yourself. If you can’t, hire someone to do it. You don’t have to memorize it word for word, but get the general gist. And you should also write some “back up” dialogues (things that you should say if something goes wrong with the act, or you have hecklers, or the lights go out, etc.).

Mastery – How do you get to Carnegie Hall? ”Practice, practice, practice!!” I’ve seen only handful of performers who are so talented that they don’t have to work at it, but mostly the people who make it “big” do those 3 words that they’ve heard since they were kids…”practice, practice, practice!!”

Masterful – You need to have an air of confidence in this business. If you are timid or you lack self-assurance, people will be able to tell. Then no workie-workie!! Build your confidence levels by performing a lot! Make them think that you are the best in the business, or at least make them believe that you know that you’re the best in the business!!

Methodology – If you want to be the best at what you do, and I am a big believer in this concept, mix and match your talents. Are you a magician as well as a bass player? Put them together…not only will you be the best bass-playing magician, but you’ll also be the only one. Can you combine three talents? I am a singer/comedian/balloon artist (and on top of that, I sometimes add the piano and/or the trombone and/or the song-writing and/or etc.)!! I am the only one of my kind in the world. I have actually seen a few people try to do what I do, but they weren’t concentrating on their strengths, so they flopped. Blend your talents…it is a unique selling proposition!!

Magnetism – This is a tough one if you don’t have a strong personality or if you’re still working on the Masterful part of this article. It’s actually not enough to be confident, you have to channel it in the right direction and for the right reasons. I have seen very confident entertainers lose gig after gig because the were very annoying with their “confidence.” It can come across like an “I’m better than you” attitude…and that will lose you the jobs. Make sure that you know the right things to say to the agents, producers, managers, directors, and fellow entertainers!

Moving – Make sure that you touch the peoples hearts! Even if you’re a comedian, make sure that they know you’ve got a tender side…it will endear them to you and you will have fans for life!!

Microphone – This subject might take more than just one other post to cover. We’ll be talking about what kind of mike you should use (as well as what type…there IS a difference), the sound checks, the problems you could encounter, and the nuances that you can use the mike for. The microphone can be your best friend or your worst friend. If you have your own microphone to take to the gigs, do it…but make sure it’s a nice one!!

Memorable – If they don’t remember you, good luck getting more gigs. In 5 years, will people say things like, “I saw the most amazing ventriloquist,” or “Remember that band that we saw,” or “I’ve seen a lot of comedians in my time, but there was this guy/girl who made us laugh so hard…” What have you got up your sleeve that will make the audience remember you…whatever it is…USE IT!!!

Muscle – How do you start off with a bang and end with a band, and “wow” them in the middle? You’ve got to get rid of every weak moment in your show. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have “high” moments and “low” moments (of course we’re talking about energy when we say high and low). It’s impossible to have a constant steady stream of “high.” People aren’t able to handle it…and you probably couldn’t handle it either as a performer. But when you DO have a “low” moment, it can still be strong. A great “low” moment, for example, would be when you exercise the Moving part of your act. Touch their hearts…it doesn’t have to be high energy to be strong!!

…and finally, the

Moment of Truth - This means, have a climax that will “wow” and “awe” your audience. Your finale should be the biggest of the “BANGS” in your show. The strongest part of your act will leave the final taste in the mouths of your spectators. Do you want it to be a sweet and delicious and “I want more,” taste…or do you want it to be a bland and flat and “it was O.K.” taste? Do I really need to ask?

Well, there you have it. 15 “M’s” that will better your life as an entertainer. Use them how you will, just as long as you use them!!

When I first started doing stand-up comedy, I had just gotten out of my first marriage, so I had a lot of material to work with…and people could relate (they could also heckle, stalk, and throw up on you). I wish I could say it was easy becoming a stand-up comedian, but I can’t…I also can’t say “Red Leather, Yellow Leather” or “The Sixth Sheik’s Sixth Sheep’s Sick” fast 5 times either.

There are some things that I would like to cover in this article about becoming a stand-up comedian (comedienne, for you ladies out there):

1. Easily overcoming the fear of being in front of people
2. How easy it is to break into the industry
3. All the money you’ll be making
4. The closeness that you’ll develop with your spouse/partner/significant other/etc.
5. Where to steal jokes…I mean, how to write your own material

To start…it’s been said about the comedy industry, ”you have to die on stage at least a hundred times before you’re even considered and amateur.” So now I have to ask you, “are you ready for that kind of life and that kind of rejection?” If not, read no further.

It’s especially difficult when you’re on stage and the crowd is not YOUR crowd. I’ve done gigs where I opened for top comedians and afterward the people in the audience came up to me and told me that I was so much better than the headliner. Of course, I’ve been the headliner who had a brilliant comedian go on before me and there was nothing I could do to win them over to my comedy…it’s a killer. On the other hand, if people are there to see nothing but the headliner…good luck…I hope you like being abused…because it IS going to happen to you!!!

I had a comedian friend who opened for Judy Tenuta. The audience was so rowdy, so ready for Judy, that all through my friend’s set, the audience jeered and started chanting “Judy, Judy, Judy!!” They never really saw his act…they didn’t give him a chance. This was so devastating to my friend that he never did stand-up again…which is a real pity to the world of comedy because he was good. I mean; he was REALLY good!! That audience ended a career. Are you ready for that? If not, read no further.

Now, how to go about getting to the place where you can be abused is just as fun.

Mostly you should read your coffeehouse newspapers or surf the net for places in your area where they have comedy open mike nights. I suggest that you go the first time just to watch, get a feel for the place, go home, write some stuff that appeals to that audience (you’ve got to play to the niche), go back the next time they have open mike night, sign up, go up on stage, and bomb!! The thing is, you’ll probably have a couple of jokes that will work. Save those and throw the others out. Write new ones and go back the next time and keep building up your routine. Eventually, you’ll have some strong material that you could use anywhere you perform. But remember that you’ll be playing to different audiences and different audience “types” when you start going out into the real world, so make sure you have a LOT of strong material.

One time I did a gig with 3 other comedians. When we got to the gig, we were told to do only T.V. clean material (which basically means PG on the rating scale). The other three comedians didn’t have that many clean jokes, so it fell on me to carry the show. We did a great hour-long show…and I was about 40 minutes of it.

If and when you get paid, it isn’t going to be a lot. Back in the 1980’s, there was a comedy trend…or we could even call it a fad. That’s when stand-up comedy was in it’s heyday!! But it didn’t even make it to the end of the decade. Though stand-up comedy is still out there, it isn’t as stylish as it once was…

They used to have television shows on the major networks of stand-up comedians doing 10-20 minutes of T.V. clean sets…different comedians every week. Some of those comedians went on to bigger and better careers (Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, etc.) and others went all the way of the world (comedians you haven’t heard of before). Those that have made it are making a SHIPLOAD of money…the rest are getting $50-$100 bucks a set at the comedy clubs around the country and having to travel from dive to dive. Now, I will tell you that they are making more money than that at the better comedy clubs (Evening at the Improv, The Comedy Store, etc.), but it isn’t as easy to get booked into those places. You have to keep treading, trudging, and touring. Can you do that? If not, read no further.

Which brings us to the next part of the process:

You either need to have someone who really supports your career (who doesn’t mind seeing you once in a blue moon when you’re out on the road, who doesn’t mind that you don’t make much money, who doesn’t mind you coming home at 2:00 – 3:00 a.m., who doesn’t mind you making jokes about them or yourself, etc.), or you have to be alone until you make it big (hold your breath). That’s how most of the people who have made it have done it. They were married to their work. After they made it big, then they could afford to have a relationship. Can you hold off on relationships for a decade or so? If not, read no further.

Now I’m going to touch lightly on writing your material…and I say lightly because this can be a whole article all by itself…go back and read my post about How to Be Funny.

Until then, know this: The best material for you comes from you. When I first started doing stand-up comedy, I took a class from a very talented comedian who didn’t understand my kind of humor…so he had everybody else in the class write me some jokes. At the next open mike night, I attempted to tell the jokes that were written for me…can you say BOMB?!!! Actually, in the middle of the set, I looked at my instructor and told him that the stuff that he had written for me wasn’t working. The audience laughed. I went into some of my own material and the audience howled. Can you say KILLED?!! I knocked their socks off, but I used my stuff, the material that I was most comfortable with. I know that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but there will be more information to help take you to the next level in just a few days. Can you wait that long? If not, read no further.