Welcome back for the second edition of The Indie Road. Last time, I wrote about that dreaded four letter word, work. I am hoping though, that if you read it and took it to heart, maybe it’s not such a terrible word anymore!

The next (very) important step that unfortunately most musicians neglect, is getting a vision for our show. For some, this might take more work than practice.

If you’re fortunate enough to have people at your show, whether five or 5,000, know this: They have set aside time, and probably money, and have given you permission to be in charge of their evening.

They might want an escape. They might need to smile, cry, laugh, etc. Overall though, somewhere in the recesses of their minds, they want to gain something from your performance that changes them for the better. And you just thought playing all the right notes was stressful! Consider this both an honor and a serious challenge.

I used to be in a band, and--although this rarely happened--we seemed to think that what the audience needed was for us to play the most CD-accurate performance we could. That should have knocked their proverbial socks off, right? Anyone? Bueller?

But what we forget is people can get that--anytime--in their home, car or listening to their iPods! What gives them a reason to want to come, and next time tell friends and come again, is having an experience they cannot get just from a CD.

Of course, that's easier said than done. Creating a great experience takes time, planning, wrestling and re-working, again and again. Granted, there are times when you just wing it and it all just falls into place. But, if you’re smart and notice what worked, you know you’ll try it again!

I’ll have to once again refer back to the great Tom Jackson (onstagesuccess.com) to help support my position on how to create those great experiences, or as he calls them, “moments.”

He recommends rating your songs on a scale of 1 to 5. A “1” would be a slow, intimate number; a “3” would be more of a radio-friendly, mid-tempo song; and a “5” would be a really powerful, passionate song. After trying this, I can tell you, it already starts laying an amazing foundation!

Then, figure out what lyric, melody, groove or maybe a riff makes each song special. If you have bandmates, take some time to discuss this. Perhaps you decide to begin a song with that “special” part--an intro that might not have been heard on the album. Or maybe you stretch out a section, focus on audience participation, or add some strong visuals. I hope you get the idea.

So, that's the starting point for creating a great experience--the tip of the iceberg.

Take time to rate your songs and find each one’s special ingredient! Rate them from 1 to 5, and next time we’ll talk about what to do with it all.