Derek Sivers
from the book “Your Music and People”:

A hundred actors on stage

2000-03-05

Imagine you’re in the audience of a play, and there are a hundred actors on stage.

Which ones would stand out? Which ones would you remember?

It’s not necessarily the loudest or most hyperactive. Maybe you’d be drawn to the woman with the long black hair, half-hidden, standing silently at the edge of the stage.

Now you, as a musician, are one of the actors on that over-crowded stage.

Would you stand out? Would people know what you represent, at a glance?

Be identifiable, so that people who want you can find you in the crowd.

(Though don’t forget: the most memorable actor would be the one that talks with you after the show.)