Houdini: A few lessons learned
I went to the Houdini exhibit at the Jewish Museum a few Saturdays ago. The overarching lesson to be learned was that Houdini was a great performer and entertainer. That’s why people cared. He did something original and did it the best, and others learned to copy him.
Two other things struck me in particular that can apply to all bands:
1. Free performance
Houdini would perform his escapes in front of newspaper offices around the country, for free, out in public. Thousands upon thousands of people would come and watch as he was straight jacketed and shackled to a line hanging from a building’s window as he shimmied and wiggled his way out of confinement. Newspapers would take photos and publish them in the next day’s paper generating free publicity for Houdini. And the word-of-mouth response was high. Houdini would return to that particular city at a later date to perform at a local theater selling out tickets.
Lesson learned: If you do something really well, do it first for free and create demand. It will be worth the price of admission later.
2. Video performance
Houdini was a pioneer and master of self-promotion. He had his escapes filmed and made into short films which he would distribute for news reels. These films created further demand in his performance, and those films today artistically stand the test-of-time.
Lesson learned: If you do something really well, make a quality video and post it to your YouTube channel. Others will help spread it. Consider distributing it promotionally when applicable.
Notes
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