How to Prepare for your first Open Mic in Nashville with us!

Open mic nights are about more than just showcasing your talent—they’re an opportunity to connect, build trust, and contribute to a thriving and creative community. Here’s what you need to know before stepping on stage:

1. Arrive Early: Showing up early lets you sign up for a good spot and gives you time to settle in, meet others, and adapt to the space. Creative Pulse has the option to sign up early. You can sign up early from the link here. Showing up early is important to maintain your spot on the list.

2. Be Prepared: Ensure your instrument is in working order and your batteries (for tuners, pedals, or instruments) are fully charged. A technical mishap can derail your performance and throw off the flow of the event. Be sure to have your capos and picks as we don't provide that for you!

3. Learn Mic Technique: Consistent sound starts with good mic technique. Understand how to position yourself and maintain even volume. If you're unsure, ask the sound person for tips—we're here to help!

4. Respect the Process: Nashville open mics have a specific culture. Be patient with the sign-up process. Asking repeatedly about your spot on the list can disrupt the flow. Trust the host to manage things fairly.

5. Observe and Engage: On your first visit, get the vibe of the room. This is a great way to understand the audience and how things operate. Introduce yourself to the host, sound team and house band—it builds trust and relationships. These events are a great way to network.

6. Contribute to the Community: Open mic nights are about more than performing. Support other artists, help, when possible, pull out your phone and tag your favorite artists/performances, tag Creative Pulse and share it on your feed to spread the love so that others can engage.

7. Stick to the time limit: If the host gives you two songs, ensure each is under 5 minutes. This allows everyone their fair chance to perform and keeps the event running smoothly.

8. Engage with the audience: Share where they can connect with you, whether it's your social media, website, or upcoming gigs!

9. Support the establishment: Purchase a beverage, food or merch, whether it's a non-alcoholic option or something else. Supporting the venue helps ensure we can continue hosting these events and creating space for artists like you!

10. Consistency: The more often you attend, the more likely you are to be recognized and build a community around you. Regular participation helps your music or art gain visibility and increases the engagement you’ll receive over time.

11. Performing as a Feature Artist: We give all artists an opportunity to be a feature for one open mic night of their choosing. We offer the services of our house band, give the artist the option to play solo or with their own band. Artists can sign up to be a feature, online, through the link here.

12. Volunteer with us: Get involved behind the scenes to help keep these events running smoothly. Whether it’s assisting with setup and breakdown, sound, or other tasks, volunteering is a great way to connect, support the community, and make a positive impact. If you would like to volunteer, you can sign up from the link here.

Thanks so much for reading!

For more tips and stories following our collective, stay tuned every Monday for a new blog post!

Much love ❤️

-Founder- Angie Jayne 1/13/2025

Leave your feedback! Let me know if you have any questions about our events or collective. If you have any topics you were interested in or would like to add through discussion on our blog forum, please let me know!