General Music Chat

Yea, I realize this is probably pointless for the alta kacher regulars. But for those who still have dreams....



https://bandzoogle.com/blog/6-signs-you ... d-in-music


6 signs that you will succeed in the business of music.

1. You’re not afraid to dream big

You can’t get to the big stage without imagining it first. If ya don’t see yourself there, you’re probably not gonna get there. You got to have the guts to dream it to be it — and it starts with thinking big no matter how many people believe you can do it. All you need is to know you can — and you will.

2. You have good taste

You’ve got a great ear, good taste and high musical standards. And no matter how far you are on your musical journey, whether you’re selling out Madison Square Garden, on your way there or playing locally, you know the difference between good and great and you’re willing to take a stand for creating exceptional work.

3. You care less about the destination and more about the journey

It’s not about the fame for you (though some money and what that brings would be nice.) Fact is, you can’t help yourself – music is not a hobby, it’s a calling. As long as you can remember, you’ve been obsessed and can’t do anything else. You’d rather sit in your room and write a song, than go to a party. You prefer the recording studio, to a barbeque. You stay up all night just to finish that song — not because you want to — because you have to.

4. You’ve got something to say

You know that music helps people (and you) connect to their emotions, gives them a place to let their hair down, to heal, to find themselves. Plus, you have a lot you need to say. You’ve had a lot of hurt, a lot of joy, and a lot of in between — and you want to express it, get it out and make sense out of this crazy existence.

5. You’re a goal setter

It’s a proven fact that people that regularly set goals achieve more. So if you’re gonna make something of yourself in music, you’re pretty driven by your goals. No one can set them for you – you do it by yourself – naturally. Not because you’re a taskmaster, but because you must. You aim for the moon and land somewhere in the stars. You are, a star.

6. You’re an extroverted introvert or an introverted extrovert

To be an artist, a musician and/or a songwriter, you’ve got to be at least a 49% introvert. No one sits in their room day after day, year after year practicing an instrument unless they do. But, with an equal or almost equal balance of extroversion — you’ve got the perfect temperament for a successful artist.

Because you know careers aren’t created in a vacuum (even though you’re a self starter), and so you don’t isolate too much. You get help, take lessons, have mentors — you never stop growing and most importantly, you reach out when you need help, cause you know you’ll get there faster and wiser.

Check, check, check, check, check and check.

Don’t stay stuck — keep moving — like a snake, and outfox those snake charmers – yeah baybee!!

Cari Cole is one of the most respected and in-demand Celebrity Vocal Coaches, Artist Development Experts and New Music Business Mentors in the industry. She has worked with some of the biggest names in music. Her client list includes multiple Grammy winners, legendary rock stars, major and indie label artists and thousands of independent artists. She helps musicians find their voice, build their brand and create successful careers in music. To find out more about Cari and to get her free Vocal Road Warrior 3-part series on how to keep your voice healthy while you are out conquering your tour, visit her website/blog: http://www.caricole.com

sounds similar to what a person might read out of the book, "The Platinum Rainbow"... thank-you for posting that!

I've started developing a young female singer. She's 19, has an amazing soulful voice, graceful and sweet disposition, really beautiful and more than anything else....she wants it. She is the person in this list of points, now let's see if she has endurance to persevere.

We're going to record home-demo versions of 2 songs; an original and a cover, then I'm bringing her to a Producer who will either be blown away and take it from there...or she'll have a very expensive good demo.

I asked her to choose an upbeat song from Motown 60's era that everyone would be familiar with, but no one has covered in the last 2 or 3 decades. She doesn't know music earlier than the late 80s, really, and thought covering Whitney Houston would be classic. Then she said Etta James, which was encouraging to me, but the producer I'm bringing her to produced Etta's last album. Let's avoid those comparisons for now.

So, if you want to help, what is a great song with a 60s feel that hasn't been covered in the last 3 decades? We'd produce it closer to something like Meghan Trainor, so it doesn't matter whether it fits her stylistically if it can be adapted. And we might add her hip-hop boyfriend to the recording if its appropriate for a duo.

Here's a song I asked her to look at:

Everybody Plays the Fool -- The Main Ingredient


I like that one as an example of a good melody with some strong melodic contrast between the parts.

Any ideas? If we write an uptempo original, we'll be looking for a ballad to cover. But ballads are easier to write (for me) so my guess is that we're looking for an uptempo cover we can adapt to modern. (that means a long melody line)

Jook

don't forget 'Baby it's You.' I worked up an arrangement of that with an originals band after we decided for some obscure reason we needed two cover songs.

Also ran with 'Tell Me' by the Stones. Had a pretty good version. Only the Clash beat us to the punch.

Talbot

Jook

don't forget 'Baby it's You.' I worked up an arrangement of that with an originals band after we decided for some obscure reason we needed two cover songs.

A lot of people have covered both songs. Did a Google search. The last cover of this one I remember was that 'one hit wonder' group around '69. You can't rearrange a Bacharach tune, Bro. That's sacrilege!!

"A Group called Smith" did that 69 cover of 'Baby It's You'. That singer had a set of pipes on her!

She rocked it but I thought the arrangement was limp. Not enough punch like in the original version or the Beatles version for that matter.

Talbot

That's the only version I like....thanks for the idea. Yeah, a good one.

She spent time studying Motown and chose "I Second That Emotion". She's got a really soulful voice and yet doesn't know where that style came from. She only goes back as far as Whitney Houston.

I think all the great female voices coming out of London are just singing in a mid 60s soul style with modernized instrumentation & production. Adele, Meaghan Trainor, Amy Winehouse, etc. All melodic blues singers with pop sensibility that will be the classics to some kid 14 years from now.

I think we're all ADHD now. Hey..was that a squirrel?

So from that list I'm finding that she has most of the qualities listed but not all (so far). Getting people to have faith in themselves is the hardest dang thing in the world to do. If they don't already, then they tend to be self-destructive. If they do you still have to provoke them sometimes to exercise it.

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