The making of a fan

As a musician, I was not aware of how to turn my audience into my fans until I became a fan myself.

As a fan, I want to support the musician or musicians I’m a fan of. I want to tell others about them. I want to see them perform. I want to “fan” the musicians. That’s what a fan means literally.

I became a fan in the following four steps that marketing professionals call the AIDA Principle.

A: awareness

I first became aware of their existence when they suddenly and unexpectedly appeared on stage in a program that had not announced them. This was refreshing.

I: interest

Their music was interesting. The instrumentation (choice of instruments) was interesting.

D: desire

I became curious. I wanted to know about them. Where did they come from? Who were they?

A: action or attention

I decided to find them on Facebook. I clicked LIKE and started to follow them. When they announced their mainland trip, I paid closer attention. When I learned they were coming to Maui, I thought to myself, “Won’t it be cool to introduce them to my students?” Before long, I got to interview them on my cable TV class, bought their CDs, and went to see them perform – unplugged. Unbeknownst to myself, I had become a fan of Streetlight Cadence.

Streetlight Cadence after their show at Maui’s Hard Rock Cafe, December 12, 2014

Watch the members of the band talk about their origins, their approach to composing (37 minutes into the video) and performing, and their plans for the future in the 29th episode of MUSIC 107 “Music in World Cultures.” Wait for the video download (257 MB).