You might feel that working to perfect your stage image is a superficial endeavor, one that only sellouts pursue-but performers get judged on their appearance all the time. Total strangers form opinions about you based on the image you project. Of course, when you're walking down the street, you might not care what the old lady on the corner thinks about you-but when you're onstage, your image becomes part of your music. It is more than your clothing or your hairstyle; it is the combination of the way you dress, move, present your music, and interact with your audience. Creating music is about art; performing it for an audience is about entertainment.

Consider some well-known bands. When you hear a band's name, you might think of one of their songs, but chances are you'll first conjure up a mental picture of the group. An obvious example is Kiss, as widely known for their wild makeup and costumes as for their music. But even bands not known primarily for their looks have strong images. Think about Rage Against the Machine: their proletarian-worker clothing, prominent tattoos, and unstyled hair perfectly reflect their hard-edged, politically infused music. On the other end of the spectrum, you find the Mariah Carey or Christina Aguilera type. These performers use their images as polished, sexy divas to complement their repertoire of dance songs and ballads.

If you really want to make it as a performing musician, you have to market yourself. Many musicians find that idea distasteful, but it's reality. To have even a shot at inking a record deal, you must make yourself appealing and pour your heart and soul into selling records and packing fans into shows. Part of that task is putting together a compelling stage persona and a dynamic live show. Let's take a look at how these elements can make or break a career.

Image Matters You may think you don't need to worry about stage image until you start drawing a sizable audience, but you should think about it before you even start playing live. Most A&R executives won't bother talking to a band that lacks an interesting image.

Lou Niles, vice president of A&R for the indie label Ultimatum Music in Los Angeles, says that stage image accounts for 10 to 20 percent of the reason he signs bands. "I try to find people who are heading in the right direction already," he says. "I'm not going to take too many people who need help from scratch unless I'm totally in love with their music. Of course, just about everybody needs some help somewhere."

Niles goes on to point out that a musician's willingness to work on his or her image also plays a pivotal role in whether a record company offers a deal. "Since I started working at Ultimatum more than two years ago, I've seen well over a thousand bands. With plenty of bands, I didn't go to the next level because I felt like there was just music and nothing else," he explains. "Understand that I'm definitely a fan of the music, but when you sign a record deal, you're going into business and you have to think about it that way. If I'm looking at a band that is going to be difficult the whole way, maybe I'll come back to them, but in the meantime I'll find another band that shows me they're fired up to do the necessary work."

No set formula exists on how to present yourself onstage. Most artists signed to labels have the advantage of working with stylists, wardrobe people, and choreographers, but musicians hunting for a deal can easily assess and hone their onstage presence without the help of professional consultants. Your most important undertaking in putting together a solid stage image is to make sure that your material is strong. Audiences rarely buy into image alone, and if they do, it's usually short-lived. If you're confident of your material and know where your music fits in the spectrum of musical genres, then you can begin to build your stage image from there.

Kathy Fisher, whose pop-rock duo Fisher recently inked a deal with Interscope/Farm Club, says she had to learn to open up more onstage. Part of that process involved taking a closer look at her own songs. "A few years ago, when I was in a musical, I went to a drama coach who had me speak the songs like monologues," she relates. "It was interesting because as a performer you can get caught up in the gymnastics of the voice or the drama of the tone instead of thinking about what you're saying. That helped me out a lot in terms of my focus. Instead of thinking only about how to move or act, I now think, 'My goal tonight is to connect with the words,' and that will naturally take you to a more comfortable place onstage."

Singer-songwriter Anika Paris, whose latest album is On Gardner Street (Edel America Records, 1999), shared this goal of connecting to the music, but she had to peel back the layers of her act to achieve it. "It turns out I was trying way too hard," says Paris, recounting the feedback she got from her label. "They stripped away everything they possibly could, which was interesting because label people usually look for ways to puff performers up. They said my material was strong enough that I didn't need to bounce around so much, so we took my act back down to square one-to where I stand still-and we're building it back up from there. The show is better because I'm focusing on the material now." The experiences of these performers show that taking a close look at your material is an important first step in pulling together your stage image. If you can find the elements in your music that you want to communicate to the audience, you're halfway home.

Down to the Nitty-Gritty It's a given that image matters; the next question is, What steps can you take to make your stage show as good as possible? Because of the wide range of musical styles and their associated images, I won't get into specific recommendations on what to wear and how to move. You should know what looks and works best with the kind of music you perform. The following tips, however, will help you take a closer look at yourself, your music, and the image you want to project onstage.

Star in your own video. Videotaping your shows is an easy and cost-effective way to assess your performances; the biggest challenge is finding an unobtrusive spot with decent lighting in which to set up the video camera. Once you get the tape home, watch it carefully and take note of the following: How did your outfit and hair look? Did you move around too much or too little? How was the pacing of the set list? Did you take too much time between songs? How well did you handle surprises such as broken strings and the like? How did the onstage placement of the musicians work out? Did the band members have a good rapport with one another and with the audience? You might need to watch the tape a few times to pick up the show's nuances.

"The biggest piece of advice I have for musicians is to videotape themselves," says Paris. "There may be times when you think you're really in the moment and feeling the performance, but then you see the video and realize you didn't look so wonderful. It can be painful to watch, and you certainly don't want to get to a point where you're constantly editing everything you do onstage."

Niles suggests that bands occasionally rent a mirrored practice space. You might have to check into dance-rehearsal spaces, as most band spaces don't have mirrors. "Videotape is important, but sometimes the quality of the tape isn't very good," he says. "Renting a practice space for a day or two that has mirrors on one side can be helpful in that it's much more private." You can also run through songs a few times while watching yourself, which you can't do when you're videotaping a live show.

Rehearse, plan, and plot. Practice as often as you can. Practice songs until you can do them in your sleep. Your live shows will improve, and you'll be able to easily improvise during your set should any problems arise. Advises Niles, "If you want to be a professional, if you want to get signed, if you want to kick butt on tour, you have to practice. The bands I've been the most proud of practice six times a week. You have to practice a minimum of three times a week; otherwise it's just a hobby."

Also practice your live shows. Run through your set list in order and make sure the pacing works for you and for your intended audience. Use these run-throughs as a way to work out stage moves and musician placement. This is especially important for performers who don't get many opportunities to play live. The more kinks you work out in private, the fewer ugly surprises you'll have onstage.

Fisher agrees that it is stressful to work on your live shows only while they're happening. "Each time we play, I get thrown back into the fire," she confesses. "But now in rehearsals, I try to think a little more about where I want to be on the stage physically. For example, I think about stepping back if the guitar player is going to do a solo, or maybe consider dancing around him instead of standing there with my head down, waiting for my turn."

Paris is fortunate enough to receive coaching from well-known choreographer and performer Toni Basil. Part of what Paris has learned is that sometimes a performer can command the audience's attention by not moving. "It's very hard for me to stand still, but it's also very powerful," she says. "I had to coach the guitarist to cross to center stage to do his solo, which was difficult for him. Everyone in the band has to break out of their shells, but I had to be put back into mine!"

Paris also offers this priceless piece of advice about stage clothing: "If you plan to perform in some outfit you've never worn before, rehearse in it. You have no idea how you're going to move in it." That recommendation goes for both men and women. New shoes can make you slip, pants may turn out to be tight in unexpected places once you start moving, and a new shirt might make you sweat more than you ever thought possible.

You should also take into consideration the type of venue in which you're playing, the bands you're playing with, and the time of day you're performing. All of these factors influence the show's overall tone. If you're performing at an outdoor festival, you might need to play more energetic tunes to hold the audience's attention. If you're playing at a small cafe, you might want to tone it down and play more ballads.

Fisher explains that she had to work hard at planning out her shows, including her movements and onstage banter. "When I first started out, I always stood still, closed my eyes, and sang," she says. "I didn't even plan out the shows, but then I would freak out because I didn't know what to do. I don't think it's a good idea to have a strict script you follow every night, with the same stories, but it's important to lay out a basic plan of how you want the show to flow. One of the things I say about performing is that a song is a monologue and a show is a play. When putting the set list together, I think, 'What journey do we want to go on tonight?' and we plan it out based on dynamic content."

A little respect. Work on being congenial and respectful toward your audience, no matter how small it is or what tiny town you're playing in. Niles says musicians should avoid the irritating extremes, such as the performer who doesn't talk to the audience at all and the jokester who doesn't know when to just shut up and play.

"When you step up to the mic, you don't need to be the funny guy," Niles advises. "It's very simple. At the very least, you have to say hello and tell the audience who you are, whether you have a CD or some T-shirts for sale, and the names of a couple of songs. Eventually you'll get into the swing of it, and you'll start off some song with a little anecdote about it.

"You have to make an impression," he continues. "Say you're playing in a town you've never been to before. Only five people are there, and they've never heard of you. You have to really play that night. You can't be down and depressed and feel that it's pointless. You have to make the biggest effort you can to send even one person away from that show wanting to buy your CD or telling their friends about you. You have to set yourself on a mission to get your music out there."

Get in shape. Yes, looks do count. You don't have to be pinup perfect, but at the very least you should hit the gym once in a while, get a decent haircut, and practice a little personal hygiene. "I have to say that if Brad Pitt weighed 300 pounds, I don't know if he'd be where he is," says Niles. "He's a good actor, but his looks help. Sure, there are plenty of unattractive stars, but most of them have some kind of interesting image going on."

Staying in good shape has benefits that go far beyond looks: better physical fitness means better endurance during shows. To address some health concerns, Fisher pursued a vegetarian and herbal nutrition program. As a result, she lost weight and felt much better than she had in a long time. "I think it's very important to be fit," she explains. "You have better control. If you're doing your sit-ups and your cardio work, you can hold notes longer. When you're nervous, you can lose the diaphragm control you need to hit the notes and hold them. So if you're fit, you have a backup and your body can work for you."

Also think about how unattractive it is to see a performer huffing, puffing, and sweating partway through the first song. You don't want to be that person. (Trust me; I've seen Meat Loaf perform live, and it's not pretty.)

Trust. Learn to take the advice of those closest to you, even when it's hard to admit they are right. The most important part of this is to associate with people who care about you personally. You don't want any sycophants or schemers in your inner circle.

"I get feedback from my partner and my manager," says Fisher. "It's so painful. I take it like a little kid takes vegetables: you know they're good for you, but you still don't want to eat them."

Fisher also relates a rude awakening she got after not listening to the advice of her partner. "I got into this thing for a while where I would just wear men's two-piece flowing silk pajamas," she says. "We did a cable show and I was up onstage performing in these pajamas, and I looked just awful-like I was ready to give birth. I asked [my partner] Ron why he didn't tell me how bad it looked, and he said, 'I got tired of you yelling at me about it, and I knew you'd find out for yourself soon enough.'"

The point of this tale is not that you should just hand over your fate to the will of other people, but that you should at least give a little credence to their opinions. Mull over their comments and see if they may have a point about your onstage anecdotes that go on too long or the clothes that don't flatter you. The toughest task you face in refining your stage image is learning how to evaluate yourself objectively and see yourself as others might see you. If you are far enough along in your career to have a manager or publicist, you know it's that person's job to give you this feedback.

Dig deep inside. When label execs enlist stylists and other consultants to work on a band's image, they usually try to latch onto some quality intrinsic to the artist and then enhance it. Think about that approach when you're working on your stage image. Play up your best physical features, and try to hide or downplay your flaws. Of course, the quality of the music is the essential thing. If it's not top-notch, you can't hide under cool-looking clothes.

"Don't ever wear a skin you're not comfortable in," advises Paris. "Audiences are very smart, and they pick up on everything. My label has been great about giving me time to develop and hone my craft. Style and all that should come in later; it should not be the driving force in your act. If you don't have a strong center, you can't add a bunch of stuff on top. It's like the foundation of a house: if it isn't strong, the house collapses.

"No matter who you are, whether you're a band or a solo artist," she continues, "you had better do some deep meditation and say, 'What is the strength of me?' You can't be everything to everyone. Very few people are true superstars, so you have to figure out what strengths you have that you can use to ride this short-lived train."

Adds Fisher, "Now that we're on a major label, we have access to stylists and wardrobe and makeup people. We can brainstorm with them, and figure out how to best communicate our sound." But, she points out, "it's not about being calculating-it's about giving yourself the best chance of being understood."

Let Your Love Flow Many of the industry insiders I've spoken to and interviewed over the years point to "star quality" as a determining factor in whether they offer an artist a deal. Most of these pros, however, can't really define what that quality is.

I think of it as a combination of talent, personality, and confidence. When it comes to watching musicians perform, audiences can tell whether a person who's up onstage truly enjoys being there. No amount of makeup or fancy clothes can offset a performer's lack of enthusiasm. If you love what you do and want to be the best you can be at it, that attitude will show. You have to be willing to work hard and to take your lumps, but with a little soul-searching and a lot of perseverance, you'll leave audiences begging for more.

Contributing Editor Mary Cosola has started videotaping herself pulling weeds and taking out the garbage, just to see how her neighbors might really view her.

Check out these Web sites for the artists and record label mentioned in this article.

www.fishertheband.com Fisher's Web site. It contains song samples and video clips of live performances. There are also pages for news, tours, and fan message boards.

www.anikaparis.com Anika Paris's Web site. Read up on her background and listen to audio clips from her latest release, On Gardner Street.

www.ultimatummusic.com Web site for indie label Ultimatum Music. You'll find information on the label and its bands, as well as song clips.