The Art of Gigging in 2021: Adding Online Streaming & Dollars to your Business
A Performing Artist’s Perspective: Sandy Dhuyvetter
The Northport Arts Association (NAA) is a home for all artists no matter what category of art is produced. This also includes those that perform on stage. Before the pandemic entered our lives, musicians met at Tuckers in downtown Northport on Tuesday nights to perform and raise awareness of the NAA and Leelanau UnCaged. After a two-year run performing in public and raising funds to buy baffling and sound enhancements for the Village Arts Building it became clear that performers would need to reinvent themselves in the era of Covid.
Faced with today’s uncertainties, most artists realize that prospects of live performances and exhibitions are still limited.
The Migration to Stream Online
While an active member of the NAA, I am also a working artist and musician. I know first-hand it can be a bit complicated for some musicians to wrap their head around processes that include bitstream management, camera set ups, and high on everyone’s list, maneuvering through mishaps in technology. The good news is, learning to stream successfully is like learning to play an instrument or produce a craft, it can be mastered and enjoyed.
Sandy & Dhuyvetter’s Stage/Studio: Duet - DOLCEwithSandyandGeorge
Platforms like Facebook, Twitch, Instagram and YouTube are embracing and promoting LIVE performances. Each streaming platform is unique and has its own cultural and language. They are proving to be affordable, easy to enter, and a way to create revenue.
The three biggest factors when considering streaming are the same as any new business. How much knowledge of technology is involved to make it work, how do you market and, importantly, can you make an income? Even though the average streamer is on their own without stage hands and crew, the opportunities are worth the dedication and effort needed to succeed.
One day in Feb of 2020, an article popped into my news feed up about musicians and the Twitch.tv gaming platform. It made sense, we discussed it and I began to dedicate my free time to creating the environment and prepare our music for streaming. For us, Twitch became the platform of choice. it’s culture, support and the size of audience were deciding factors.
Our first Twitch stream was in May of 2020 and we have never looked back. And, yes, we are making an income through tips, bits, subscriptions, and it grows each month. We stream an average of 10 hours per week on Twitch.
My name is Sandy Dhuyvetter, I am on the board of directors of the Northport Arts Association. I would love to talk to you about streaming and address your questions. I will be contributing to the NAA Blog and will comment and answer questions about our experiences. BTW, if you are performing and want to collect funds for NAA, you will be treated like an exhibiting artist with a hardy percentage paid back to you for contributing your time and talent. We are here to help you succeed.
Here’s to your streaming experience!
Warm regards,
Sandy Dhuyvetter
www.Twitch.tv/AllMusicConsidered
