The Live Coaches help artists translate their unique story into a live experience on stage. They offer coaching sessions, workshops, guest lectures, and a dedicated podcast to support artists in shaping every element of their live performances. The Live Coaches encourage artists to think about what they want their audience to experience during their show and how to translate that into every aspect of their live performance.

With their slogan, "Turn your performance into an experience," Vincent de Raad (researcher and professional musician) and Melanie Esther (Artist Branding and Social Media Coach) join forces to help artists fully unlock the potential of concerts as a powerful form of connection. Hint: there’s so much more possible than you think!

The Live Coaches have shared their expertise at renowned artist development programs such as Eurosonic, Popronde and Booster Festival, given lectures at Codarts, Conservatory Haarlem and ArtEZ, and most other Dutch talent development organizations and events. In their podcast, The Live Coaches, they interview experts from the live music industry, including artists such as De Staat, Son Mieux and Typhoon.

Curious? Check out podcast clips on Instagram or listen to The Live Coaches on Spotify or your favorite podcast app!

Our vision

People gather at concerts to see their favourite artists live, have a fun night out, or to momentarily forget everything they have going on in their lives. But, on a deeper level, also to let go or reconnect with themselves and the people around them. Likewise, performances are the place where as an artist, you can make the most direct connection with your audience. A magical energy can arise when a group of people in the same place focus on the same experience.

And yet that special energy isn’t always there. When for example the connection between artist and audience is weak, the audience doesn’t feel safe enough, or the elements of the experience don’t form a coherent whole, a concert can fall flat. We believe that every artist, regardless of the resources at their disposal, can create a live experience for their audience. 

During a live experience there’s a strong connection between the artist and their audience, as well as amongst the audience itself. During a live experience the worlds of the artist and the audience come together and the audience gets to enter and experience the world of the artist. To help artists create this magical energy and utilize their full potential, they founded The Live Coaches.

Our podcast

With their podcast, The Live Coaches bring their listeners along as they investigate how artists can translate their unique story to the stage and create their ultimate live experience. 

The podcast was started after noticing the lack of publicly available information and resources regarding the creation of live experiences by music artists. Most interviews, articles and panel discussions were almost exclusively about the writing and recording process of the music, not about the creation of live music experiences. The Live Coaches realised the knowledge and experience were there, but fragmented and mostly only available to artists with industry support and the budget for a creative team. This was the motivation for starting The Live Coaches podcast: to assemble that knowledge and experience on the topic in one place and make it available for everyone.

So far, The Live Coaches have made three seasons and received over 45 guests, ranging from renowned A-list artists and the visionary directors, technicians, choreographers and designers that make their shows with them, to music journalists, researchers and dramaturgs who analyze experiences from an outsider perspective. The Live Coaches podcast is unique in the world, there is no other podcast that discusses and focuses on the conceptual creation of live experiences by music artists in the same way.

*So far The Live Coaches podcast is mostly Dutch-spoken, but there are two English spoken episodes available as well. You can find them here and here.

Vincent de Raad

Vincent de Raad has worked as a musician, event organizer, teacher, coach, and researcher. At the heart of everything he does is a drive for connection and a deep awareness of the bigger picture. Vincent engages in dialogue and believes in the power of curiosity, deep listening, and storytelling. As a live coach, he blends his firsthand experiences as a musician with a fresh, innovative perspective.

Vincent knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow as a young musician in the Netherlands. He participated in band competitions, took part in Kunstbende, Popsport, and Popronde, and performed on De Wereld Draait Door. He graduated from the Rock Academy with a research project on how artists can innovate in the live experiences they create. Today, he shares all the knowledge and experience he has gained over the years as part of The Live Coaches.

Melanie Esther

As an Artist Branding & Social Media Coach, Melanie Esther specializes in guiding artists to develop and communicate their unique artistic identity. Using her "Find and Tell" method, she supports artists in defining their branding, audience, visual identity, and social media strategy & planning.

Melanie Esther shares her expertise in various ways. She has worked with artists like Blanks and spent five years working with Typhoon. She leads biannual coaching programs, conducts one-on-one coaching sessions, and delivers guest lectures at pop academies and 

conservatories. Additionally, she frequently contributes her knowledge at industry events.