#NerdsUnite: The Ramblings of a Raconteuse (10 things I've learned from #TheVoice)
<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Helenna. We met on twitter not too long ao, and she's totes mcgotes one rad chiquita banana with a flare for all things flair! That's right, Helenna here is what we call an artsy fartsy nerd. She's a poet, into all things dramatic arts, and she's going to come on board to write each week about her love of said drama. Well not like actual drama drama, like some cat fight shit - but you get the idea.
I only have one thing left to say ... HIT IT HELENNA!!! </editorsnote>
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Helslevy
I’m addicted to NBC’s “The Voice.” I tweet about it a lot and I’ve blogged about it before, but man, I really am addicted. Now, I usually really dislike reality TV. I’ve never been a fan of “American Idol” and I don’t watch “The Bachelor,” but “The Voice” has me completely hooked.
You can read my first post about “The Voice” to find out why I’m enthralled by this fantastic show, because instead of going any further into my love for it, I’m going to share with you the recent lessons that “The Voice” has taught me.
1) Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again.
I was on the 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica the other day and heard this incredible voice. I headed over to the crowd and realized that it was Naia Kete who just a few days earlier had been singing on national television for millions of people and now she was back busking on the street and selling $5 and $10 CDs to make a living because she didn’t make it to the next round.
I couldn’t help but be incredibly impressed by her tenacity. After all, it must be difficult to go from being in such a huge spotlight, back to what the average bystander would perceive as “the beginning.”
But Naia Kete “gets it.” To me, what’s obvious from seeing her singing again on the promenade is that even though she is back there, she is still light years ahead of where she started because of the amazing exposure “The Voice” gave her. She is taking advantage of the spotlight and using it to propel her further instead of feeling sad and sitting at home. She really is “seizing the day.”
It was so inspiring to me to see a great example of the fact that you can always pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. The great thing is that you’ll always be a few more steps further along in the journey.
2) Enjoy the moment like it’s the only one you’ll ever get.
In this past Monday’s episode Adam Levine brought up the fact that a number of the singers did the best job they had done so far now that their fate was really on the line. They were singing for their lives because they didn’t want to be sent home. He then went on to say that THAT was how they should have been singing all along.
I thought a lot about this and how it applies to me in my life and career. Basically, I realized that I need to always seize the moment, really enjoy it, and rock it out because it might just be the last chance I get.
3) Don’t deny your past.
It’s been interesting to watch both the first and second season of the voice and be totally involved in each of the singer’s life stories. Yes, everything is edited in a very specific way and crafted so that your heartstrings are really being pulled, but despite that, each person’s story is so unique and beautiful.
Our life stories are really important and make up everything about who we are. I think we all should understand where we came from and embrace our backstory, it could just be what gives us the most strength.
4) Embrace who you are and figure out how to find a hook and to solidify your brand.
One of the most fascinating things to me has been how the hair/makeup/and wardrobe teams behind “The Voice” do such a great job of honoring each person’s individual style and then magnifying it. They create a specific brand and feel for each contestant not by having them try to fit into some weird pre-existing Hollywood mold, but by finding the core of who each person is and amplifying that.
Because I’m an actor this is really interesting to me. It got me thinking a lot about branding and marketing, and the fact that if it doesn’t come from an authentic place people can see right through you. You have to be unique and an individual, but at the same time totally accessible. You need to be able to sell the best parts of yourself.
5) Go and play in a different sandbox and throughly enjoy the experience.
It’s always interesting to watch the moments when a singer has been given a song that isn’t necessarily something they are comfortable with or isn’t “in their wheelhouse.” For me, the success of the performance is less about how well they sing the song, and more about how well they sell it to me. Are they giving it everything they’ve got, or is their insecurity so obvious that it makes me uncomfortable.
By watching these moments it makes me think about being secure in who I am and staying confident when I enter someone else’s sandbox. That believing in myself can be what makes me belong.
6) Play the game in a fierce way, but always be nice.
One of the things I love about “The Voice” is that for the most part no one bad mouths anyone else. Now Christina, Blake, Ceelo, and Adam have some pointed banter back and forth, but aside from that the show doesn’t use negative drama for ratings.
My conclusion? Love, respect, and passion are more interesting then hate and pettiness.
7) Confidence is powerful, alluring, and sexy.
To me there is nothing more awesome than seeing someone really comfortable in their own skin. No matter what a singer looks like: tall, short, bald, thin, large, small, no matter what race; if they are confident, it’s alluring, powerful, and sexy. Confidence is King.
8) Stay humble. Stay grateful.
I have to admit that there have been a few moments this season where a single sentence turned me off from someone. I was really involved in one particular person’s story and then they said something that made them seem really stuck up and ungrateful for the opportunity they’d been given. My opinion of that person changed rather quickly.
While it’s true that there is no way for someone to control how they are edited after the fact, we are all responsible for the words that we say. It made me think that no matter what, it is always important to stay humble and stay grateful.
9) Grow a fan base. Yesterday.
If you are in entertainment like I am, you need to be thinking about growing your fan base no matter what level you are at in your career. In an age where Klout scores and the number of twitter followers you have can be as important as your skill level, we all need to embrace it.
For contestants on “The Voice” specifically, it’s a popularity contest at this stage in the game, and those people with pre-existing followers have an advantage. Also, whether the contestants are new to twitter or already have thousands of followers, they are doing a great job of engaging with their fan base. After all, Tony Vincent tweeted me back and that totally made my day. So, note to self: engage with fans, they can help make or break a career.
10) You have no control over how others perceive you.
#xoxo hels
tweet me at: @helslevy
browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com
email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com