The other day I was looking through a large print book of Vincent Van Gogh and I could not help but notice the way that he used large dollops of paint. His strokes were unadorned and unpolished to the extent that the stroke itself became a character in his paintings. The great blobs of paint often cast shadows and created texture that were visible even in a two dimensional print.
It struck me that music has these shadows, too. Little details of the existence of humanity that can be wiped away if so chosen. Detractors will call them imperfections, proponents will call them personality.
These details range from pitch to rhythm to proximity (like the room or reverb). Much effort has been made to control every one of these aspects to controversial ends.
Pitch and rhythm are as personal as something like tone. Every musician has their own sense of in-tune and swinging. It is a large part of what makes some musicians recognizable so instantly.
I am certainly in favor of embracing the imperfections and personality of musicians and musical situations. The more we alter them with technology to the point of perfection, the more they become like so many Ones and Zeros.
27 January 2010
25 January 2010
Turn Down the Volume
Is there a good reason why the volume of music keeps going up? Especially in the dance and rock genres - I can't enter a venue or a club without earplugs and a wince on my face.
Has acoustic music disappeared? Even songwriters with acoustic guitars feel the need to plug their instruments in and turn them up.
I have a hard time hearing the music when it is so loud. Much less enjoying it.
There is so much depth and subtlety in the way an instrument interacts with a room - with the walls and the audience. But I haven't heard an instrument or a voice in years. All I hear is speakers.
Whenever I play, I make a point to keep things at a "listenable" volume. I have had dozens of compliments about how pleasant it is to be at a concert that doesn't make the ears hurt.
Has acoustic music disappeared? Even songwriters with acoustic guitars feel the need to plug their instruments in and turn them up.
I have a hard time hearing the music when it is so loud. Much less enjoying it.
There is so much depth and subtlety in the way an instrument interacts with a room - with the walls and the audience. But I haven't heard an instrument or a voice in years. All I hear is speakers.
Whenever I play, I make a point to keep things at a "listenable" volume. I have had dozens of compliments about how pleasant it is to be at a concert that doesn't make the ears hurt.
14 January 2010
I Need to Play
Though there are many reasons why music rules my life, there is one that rules all the others: There is nothing else I'd rather do. I have to make music. I need to. Every day spent without music is a miserable one.
I don't understand when people say they wish they could be a musician. That they "want" to play.
What is it that is keeping these people back? Honestly, I'd like to know. Is it fear of failure?
I think insecurity is the number one reason why people avoid writing and performing music. But I must add that if they really felt compelled to play, not just complain about it, that they would find a way.
This goes back to my article "You Are What You Do" - there is a big difference between talking about something and doing it. I talk about building things like tables and beds and bookshelves, but I rarely actually build anything.
Perhaps many would-be musicians care enough about music to talk about it and wish about it but not enough to do it.
I don't understand when people say they wish they could be a musician. That they "want" to play.
What is it that is keeping these people back? Honestly, I'd like to know. Is it fear of failure?
I think insecurity is the number one reason why people avoid writing and performing music. But I must add that if they really felt compelled to play, not just complain about it, that they would find a way.
This goes back to my article "You Are What You Do" - there is a big difference between talking about something and doing it. I talk about building things like tables and beds and bookshelves, but I rarely actually build anything.
Perhaps many would-be musicians care enough about music to talk about it and wish about it but not enough to do it.
09 January 2010
I Can't Do What Bores Me
It never fails to amaze me when people say they "lose interest" when they try to practice music. I imagine it to be the same way I feel when I try to focus on accounting or teaching. I can see the value in the process, but I can not get enthusiastic about it.
Perhaps we are inherently designed to excel at specific areas. With some exceptions, we will excel at that which can hold our interest for the longest period of time.
Many people get bored when they have to practice scales on the piano or learn chord progressions. But that stuff fascinates me and feels good and natural. I can do it for hours at a time. So I have gotten good at it.
It is important to embrace what interests you. That is the most natural way to excel.
Perhaps we are inherently designed to excel at specific areas. With some exceptions, we will excel at that which can hold our interest for the longest period of time.
Many people get bored when they have to practice scales on the piano or learn chord progressions. But that stuff fascinates me and feels good and natural. I can do it for hours at a time. So I have gotten good at it.
It is important to embrace what interests you. That is the most natural way to excel.
08 January 2010
Book Worth Reading - Million Dollar Consulting
This is a book that is cover to cover with valuable information. Even if you do not consider yourself a consultant (or a person who wants to make a million dollars), Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss will help you embrace the entrepreneurial spirit.
Weiss covers everything from understanding your own value to diversification to keeping clients coming in the door. He includes a revolutionary (if logical) process for determining prices and a step by step list to building repute and awareness.
I read lots of books, 5-10 per month. Most I skim to catch the consequential parts. This book I kept for two months and read every word. It is packed with wisdom and value about running your own business.
Weiss covers everything from understanding your own value to diversification to keeping clients coming in the door. He includes a revolutionary (if logical) process for determining prices and a step by step list to building repute and awareness.
I read lots of books, 5-10 per month. Most I skim to catch the consequential parts. This book I kept for two months and read every word. It is packed with wisdom and value about running your own business.
07 January 2010
Music: an Art of Motion
Music is an art of motion. Like dance. It is always moving and relies on its motion for expression. You will never hear music that is not moving. It is a temporal art form that uses time and the perception of time.
Arts of motion (music and dance and theatre) are different from stationary art like painting or sculpture. A painting does not move. It is created and then it exists, unmoving.
Arts of motion are inseparable from their performances. A piece of music in indistinguishable from the singer or orchestra who plays it. Each performance and interpretation is unique, even when performing the same piece of music.
To relate this idea of performance to painting - it would be like watching Da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa every night. Or watching different painters paint the Mona Lisa. Every occasion would be different, the beauty in the process and performance as well as the actual painting itself.
Arts of motion (music and dance and theatre) are different from stationary art like painting or sculpture. A painting does not move. It is created and then it exists, unmoving.
Arts of motion are inseparable from their performances. A piece of music in indistinguishable from the singer or orchestra who plays it. Each performance and interpretation is unique, even when performing the same piece of music.
To relate this idea of performance to painting - it would be like watching Da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa every night. Or watching different painters paint the Mona Lisa. Every occasion would be different, the beauty in the process and performance as well as the actual painting itself.
06 January 2010
The Press and the Public
Universal awareness of you and your music does not happen overnight. It takes years of persistence. Even the musicians at the top of the food chain are continuously working to increase their visibility to new audiences.
There are two main groups of awareness that a musician needs to mind: the public and the press.
You will usually need to start with the public, because the press will ignore anything that the public ignores. It is the job of the press to write about items of interest to the public. So start there. Get the public interested.
Once a reasonable amount of the public is interested, you can likely get the attention of some smaller press. They will review your album or your concert. This has the effect of increasing the awareness of more public.
This cycle continues - the public becomes aware, the press becomes interested and notifies more of the public. It continues and grows and knows no end. There is always a new audience to introduce yourself to.
There are two main groups of awareness that a musician needs to mind: the public and the press.
You will usually need to start with the public, because the press will ignore anything that the public ignores. It is the job of the press to write about items of interest to the public. So start there. Get the public interested.
Once a reasonable amount of the public is interested, you can likely get the attention of some smaller press. They will review your album or your concert. This has the effect of increasing the awareness of more public.
This cycle continues - the public becomes aware, the press becomes interested and notifies more of the public. It continues and grows and knows no end. There is always a new audience to introduce yourself to.
05 January 2010
The Conflict of Music and Business
The co-mingling of music (any art really) and business is a strange paradox. Paradox though it may be, it is still a reality. Music has been sold for millennia and will continue to be sold for millennia to come.
Creating music requires a very different mindset from business. Writing something new takes spontaneity, inspiration and awareness.
Business requires extensive planning and foresight. A businessman must be level-headed, logical and reasonable when making decisions. This is quite the opposite of a musician, who relies on moments of clarity and inspiration to create.
Trying to be both a musician and a businessman creates an internal conflict. Part of you wants to be flighty and inspired while another part wants to be cool and considered.
This internal conflict often causes stress. Usually both parts - the musician and the businessman suffer.
Creating music requires a very different mindset from business. Writing something new takes spontaneity, inspiration and awareness.
Business requires extensive planning and foresight. A businessman must be level-headed, logical and reasonable when making decisions. This is quite the opposite of a musician, who relies on moments of clarity and inspiration to create.
Trying to be both a musician and a businessman creates an internal conflict. Part of you wants to be flighty and inspired while another part wants to be cool and considered.
This internal conflict often causes stress. Usually both parts - the musician and the businessman suffer.
04 January 2010
Celebrity Expectations
It is important to know what you want out of your musical career.
Do you want to make a living writing or playing music? Do you want to have t-shirts with your name on them? Do you want to travel around the world playing your own songs? Do you want to be Justin Timberlake famous?
These are all different career goals and they all demand different actions to realize.
I, personally, do not care about fame, so the Justin Timberlake route is out for me. It simplifies my life by reducing publicity, travel and constantly being in the eye of the public. I do not have to worry about my meals or strolls being interrupted by someone recognizing me. Very few have reason to know my face.
If you desire the celebrity, it is important to realize that it is outside of the realm of music. Sure, you can be a celebrity in addition to being a musician, but being a celebrity does not make you a great musician any more than being a great musician makes you a celebrity.
We would all love to have the money and power to do what we want. Celebrity has its perks but comes with a lot of responsibilities that most people overlook. Public awareness and sympathy must be constantly maintained - no small feat.
Be specific about what it would take to make you happy. If you say "playing music for a living," figure out how much you need to earn and where you can earn it. Then go get it done.
Goal setting is very important. Goals are tricky in the entertainment industry because we have been inundated with celebrity images. We think that success=celebrity. But it is not so.
Do you want to make a living writing or playing music? Do you want to have t-shirts with your name on them? Do you want to travel around the world playing your own songs? Do you want to be Justin Timberlake famous?
These are all different career goals and they all demand different actions to realize.
I, personally, do not care about fame, so the Justin Timberlake route is out for me. It simplifies my life by reducing publicity, travel and constantly being in the eye of the public. I do not have to worry about my meals or strolls being interrupted by someone recognizing me. Very few have reason to know my face.
If you desire the celebrity, it is important to realize that it is outside of the realm of music. Sure, you can be a celebrity in addition to being a musician, but being a celebrity does not make you a great musician any more than being a great musician makes you a celebrity.
We would all love to have the money and power to do what we want. Celebrity has its perks but comes with a lot of responsibilities that most people overlook. Public awareness and sympathy must be constantly maintained - no small feat.
Be specific about what it would take to make you happy. If you say "playing music for a living," figure out how much you need to earn and where you can earn it. Then go get it done.
Goal setting is very important. Goals are tricky in the entertainment industry because we have been inundated with celebrity images. We think that success=celebrity. But it is not so.
03 January 2010
You Are What You Do
This is a simple concept that confuses a lot of people.
If you wait tables but dream about being a musician, you are a waiter and not a musician. If you write songs but never perform, you are a writer and not a performer.
I have met many musicians who claim to be performers at heart but never perform.
If you are deluding yourself about who you are or what you do, there are two things you can do to change things.
You can refine your perception of yourself to fit what you do. Come to terms with how you actually spend your time and what it says about you.
Or you can change your actions to fit your perception of yourself. If you consider yourself a musician and a performer, prove it.
Talk is cheap and everyone does it. Like I have written before, actions sing louder than words.
If you wait tables but dream about being a musician, you are a waiter and not a musician. If you write songs but never perform, you are a writer and not a performer.
I have met many musicians who claim to be performers at heart but never perform.
If you are deluding yourself about who you are or what you do, there are two things you can do to change things.
You can refine your perception of yourself to fit what you do. Come to terms with how you actually spend your time and what it says about you.
Or you can change your actions to fit your perception of yourself. If you consider yourself a musician and a performer, prove it.
Talk is cheap and everyone does it. Like I have written before, actions sing louder than words.
02 January 2010
Success is a Matter of Trust
No matter how you define success - lots of people buying your records, getting hired to do the jobs you want to do, or anything really - it is largely dependent on how much people trust you.
The people who buy your records trust that you will deliver a quality product with style and personality. If you disappoint them, they will stop trusting you and will not buy the next one.
The people who hire you to work with them trust that your skills and work ethic will suit the project and benefit the final product. If they do not trust you they will not call you to work with them.
With that in mind, focus on building a reputation for quality and reliability. It will take some time, but it will be worth it. Colleagues and clients will trust you to bring value to their lives and work. You will get hired. They will buy your records.
There is no shortcut. The longer and better you maintain this trust, the more successful you will be.
The people who buy your records trust that you will deliver a quality product with style and personality. If you disappoint them, they will stop trusting you and will not buy the next one.
The people who hire you to work with them trust that your skills and work ethic will suit the project and benefit the final product. If they do not trust you they will not call you to work with them.
With that in mind, focus on building a reputation for quality and reliability. It will take some time, but it will be worth it. Colleagues and clients will trust you to bring value to their lives and work. You will get hired. They will buy your records.
There is no shortcut. The longer and better you maintain this trust, the more successful you will be.
01 January 2010
The "P" Word - Be Decisive
These two words will make your life better regardless of your line of work.
Indecision is the bane of musical creation, both in its composition and record production. Hours and days have been wasted by otherwise talented musicians trying to decide what to do.
"There are a million possibilities." "We could take this in so many directions." It is usually true, but you still have to pick one.
There are no right answers, only the best ones that you are capable to make. So make them. Make the best decision you are capable of in the moment and move forward.
Be decisive. Embrace your ideas and your choices.Do not ask permission and do not ask yourself what someone else would do. Do what you do.
Indecision is the bane of musical creation, both in its composition and record production. Hours and days have been wasted by otherwise talented musicians trying to decide what to do.
"There are a million possibilities." "We could take this in so many directions." It is usually true, but you still have to pick one.
There are no right answers, only the best ones that you are capable to make. So make them. Make the best decision you are capable of in the moment and move forward.
Be decisive. Embrace your ideas and your choices.Do not ask permission and do not ask yourself what someone else would do. Do what you do.
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