The Times They Are A Changing.

In my 10 years of performing, things have changed for the better and the not so great. When I started out, I did a lot of research. I did research on songs, on styles, on costume ideas, on basically everything that makes up an act. I did this because I never wanted to come off like I was copying someone. I never wanted to step on toes. I never wanted to make someone be upset with me when all I did was like a song enough to do my own interpretation.

Then I started falling into doing more Nerdlesque. Another reason to research. Does someone else do a character? Are they well known for doing said character? Ooh it looks like we had similar ideas... So I'd do a thing, I'd reach out to them. Shoot them a quick Myspace message or an email (if I had access to it). I'd say I loved their work, but I didn't want to step on toes... I was looking at doing an act as the same character. If they were not okay with this, I would back off.

No, no one "owns" a character unless it's literally YOUR OWN LICENSED CHARACTER... but.. it was always just a nice gesture. More times than not the performer and I would compare notes, and being as mine would be completely different and we'd (most likely) be on other sides of the state/country/etc, I'd get their blessing and I'd go for it. Whenever I teach I always tell people do to this. Why? Because it's courtesy. Sometimes a performer comes back going, "Oh I'd rather you not for these specific reasons". Yes, it would be a bummer. But you'd move on. You'll get another lightning strike of genius, I promise. Maybe you'll think it's not as good. Maybe it'll even be better than the original idea. But you'd never know until it happened.

I've noticed a pattern in the last few years since Nerdlesque has exploded onto the scene (which is AWESOME). A lot of characters are getting shared. And that's still AWESOME. I love seeing other's ideas and ways of showing their love for the same things I do. But the thing is, when performers are in the same state/are... the courtesy has been lost. No one does that one simple act of "Hey just wanted to reach out, because I saw you do X and you're pretty well known for X. I wanted to do an act as X as well. Just wanted to give you a heads up!" I'm probably not going to say no. I have a very small list of acts where if someone came and said "Hey I wanted to do this thing!" I'd probably be a pain in the ass and say "Aw come on could ya not?"

I have no legal grounds to stand on. I didn't draw the characters. I didn't write the music. I didn't do any of those things. But what I did do is put my heart and soul into an act to make sure it was as individual as possible, and I know you can too. But just do that simple "Hey heads up!" It saves everyone a world of UGHHHHH.