In the days before Dropbox and Patreon were available, Slankard spent years building up a loyal local fanbase the old fashioned way—by playing in bars, cafes, and clubs. At 18, she was invited to tour Europe with David Knopfler of Dire Straits, and soon after, was featured on an episode of TLC’s What Not to Wear. That TV appearance attracted the attention of many new fans, including Bay Area radio stations, and members of Counting Crows and Train, who contributed to her album Token of the Wreckage.
Along the way, though, she began noticing that what she found most gratifying was connecting with fans at intimate living room shows, backyard concerts, and online during her Tea Time Hang livestreams with her Patreon supporters.
“Now it feels more like a team, not a fan base,” says Slankard. “That's the most exciting because then I actually get to collaborate with my team, the people who are listening to me.”
She says the platforms she prefers are the ones that give her a closer connection with those teammates—her friends and listeners. “That builds a strong, lasting, lifelong relationship, which I think is more important than sharing something that disappears in a week on a social media.”
Though playing in an arena like the one she dreamed about when she was young would be exciting, Slankard says it's harder to make meaningful connections when you're that far away from the audience. What brings her the most joy now is having conversations with fans who ask questions in the comments of her livestreams.
“It's been really helpful to do a monthly livestream with my friends all over the globe—especially when none of us were able to travel,” she says. “It really kept me going.”
The ripple effect of authenticity
Milki has also witnessed the impact of building community online. She has seen engaged communities of “ride or die” fans sustain entire careers with consistent support—artistically, creatively and financially.
“They show up in numbers to the shows and that translates into this ripple effect of authenticity and genuine community,” says Milki.
Now that the social media platforms are geared more towards short-form videos, Milki has also seen a newer model of TikTok numbers actually translating into community support.
“I've seen good friends actually collect millions of streams and actual email-list subscribers from building a community on TikTok, which is a whole new territory in this day and age,” she says. “You constantly have to re-adjust to find a balance that works for you.”
During the pandemic, Milki began focusing on building community one fan at a time by crowdsourcing ideas for themes to inspire her series of piano improvisations. The outreach was so fruitful that it became one of her most engaging series on her Instagram and Facebook pages.