Testimonials
Carrie Catherine, singer-songwriter Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk WinnerSaskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
As a singer/songwriter who performs extensively across Canada, I had been searching for mentorship and training in performance so that I could raise the effectiveness and emotional impact of my live show. My first encounter with a performance trainer was with Tom Jackson… This workshop introduced me to the importance of performance training, and radically improved my live show, creating a marked difference in my audiences’ responses.
I continued this training with Brenda Baker in June 2007 to prepare for a particular live show. Brenda was instrumental in helping me to create an effective set list, use techniques to highlight the best features of each song, and experiment with… a wireless headset that elevated the impact of my music. She attended performances and offered valuable feedback on the things that were inhibiting my connection with an audience. And she let me know what was effective about my performance. With Brenda’s guidance I was challenged to try new strategies to connect with my audience and worked outside my comfort zone with great results.
She is highly organized and professional… As a result of this performance training I have been able to raise my fees, which attests both to the success of the techniques and the confidence that this process has inspired. It is my belief that performance training can help other songwriters and bands develop artistically. Saskatchewan artists are fortunate to have a company like Nexstage.
