General Music Chat

for me personally, I just think that if I'm going to be in front of an audience, why perform other peoples music when I have a chance to do my own?!

^^^ Signed.

/end of thread

for me personally, I just think that if I'm going to be in front of an audience, why perform other peoples music when I have a chance to do my own?!

Can I take a stab at that? Here the thing... you have an audience, now you need to connect to them, so should we really say it has to be one or the other? The point is not "to have fun"... its to make music. If you connect with the crowd, you will get more opportunities to make music.

Bore them with what entertains you... well, they'll remember you alright.

My most recent Bassist and current Drummer are all about some Rush, or some Dream Theater... why don't we learn some of that Dewy?! Hey, it's great stuff... as far as musicians masturbating on their instruments to thrill other musicians goes. Neither of the aforementioned bands can pack out the B grade hall here in Birmingham with 6 months advanced notice... so tell me again, who thinks its a good selection to "bond" with an audience in this area?

Same with "Metal acts"... couldn't pack out the B grade hall (20,000 seat capacity) with 4 headlining acts... yet we have 36 "original metal acts" in a 100 mile radius that are all bitching and whining because the local clubs "frown on" local bands that play their "latest greatest Originals" wide ass open as loud as possible to a die hard crowd of 18 broke fans.

Who in the world ever said we couldn't do both? Covers of "genre specific" hits... and scatter a few similar originals in the mix? Why has that worked so well for a Hundred big name acts... yet us no names have this repeated argument over covers vs originals?

No, I think it was said... you have choices. But truthfully, IN MY OPINION I think you can better bond with the crowd thru selected covers, and once you have their attention, then you slide in a few originals... and conveniently have a stack of CD's for sale in the corner.

The only thing to do for fair publicity is for musicains to ban together with the low funds they have, book, and manage the best tour possible, and hope it grew from there. Why is it all the rich musicians with sponsers are doing the festivals?

Some, maybe many, would find this idea laughable, but it would work better and would be a far better shot in the dark than sitting on some promoter's knees.

You would lose less money than the majors, or gain more as they tried to cut in...yet cutting them out.

Woodstock is a prime historical example of what I'm conveying. Problem is, where is the dedication in numbers?

" If you connect with the crowd, you will get more opportunities to make music.
Bore them with what entertains you... well, they'll remember you alright."

Ah, horse-pucky.

I can easily share music 3-4 days a week.
- "more opportunities by playing cover songs?" Baloney.
No way!
Bore then w/ my originals? Ha! - hardly. People come up to me all the time after playing, and tell me how they're delighted to hear something new and unusual, instead of all the same old songs.
.
A large part of it is HOW original you are, not just how you-remix someone else's song into a similar song, and write different lyrics.
I see that ALL the time.
"Here's a song I wrote" (G, F, C).
"Here's a song I wrote" (C, F, G).
"Here's a song I wrote" (C, G, F)
"Here's a song I wrote" (E, A, B)
"Here's a song I wrote" (A, D, E)
.
Yeah - if someone writes stuff like that, the audience will be bored . . .
But my "bond with the crowd" is tighter than ever - through originals . . .
.
Listen - covers are ok with me - really.
But they are NOT the "be-all end-all," man . . .

I am not, & have never been rich, but I've played a lot of festivals.

You need to get to know the right folks, is all, Krul.

Philby, you're right.
It's always good to make friends . . .

I am not, & have never been rich, but I've played a lot of festivals.

You need to get to know the right folks, is all, Krul.

That's the skin off the teeth part. Too many people run scared. It's hard to start an original band with alone because they don't want to lose their busboy jobs and leave their girlfriends behind for a few weeks.

Wow it's hard. Where are the new underdogs who are tired of being stuck in the underground for years? It gets old watching everyone pass you up when you were once sharing the same stage at one point.

Hmmmmmm
Both bring something don't they? I mean if you write or do not............
Frankly that to me doesn't matter at all really.

What IS important (for me) is that persons input into any material provided. I've known people who couldn't string a melody yet their acclaim was adding something you didn't think of. I think that really important.

Anyway. Off to eat shrooms though I don't and don't need them either.

RhythmMan, I just went to your site and listened to a few tunes. Nice stuff... your right, you have no future playing covers.

You and the group do make some pleasant sounds. I enjoyed Half Jazzed Blues... and listened to a bit of the others.

Good luck to you on your endeavors.

I'm going to bypass most of this thread (the parts about connecting to the audience and such), not because it's irrelevant or anything like that, but I really wanted to post my opinion on the actual title of the thread.

I CAN'T STAND IT!!!

My single greatest problem in the music world is this: credibility.

Why? Because I happen to work in a field that popular opinion insists is "something anyone can do".

I am a songwriter...have been for nearly twenty years. I've studied techniques and theories. I understand composition. I know what it takes to write a credible song. I understand the process of defining the performance parameters of music (how a song fits with other songs to ensure smooth flow during the performance).

Am I successful? Hardly. The truth is that it is extremely difficult to reach any audience, nevermind one that might actually dig your work.

Why am I ranting? Because there is a school of thought within the music world that "Hey! I wrote some lyrics last night! Now I'm a songwriter!" Wonderful...I watched 2 full hours of "House" last night, so I must be a doctor now. Anybody need some surgery?

Think about it...If I had spent those twenty years in medical school, I'd be a doctor at least three times over by now. Where is my credibility? I don't have any, because "anyone can do it."
[/b]

I am NOT putting anyone down, because they write or play, original music.
But, I have witnessed this trend toward original music. What suddenly spawned this ?? I have been around long enough, that I realize it hasn't been on the horizon but just a few years.
It seems as though the "young" Bands appear driven, by this , solely because they are certain this will open doors for them.
Almost every musician classifieds ad, that I see today, states "I have a ton of songs I have written" (or) "I am busy writing songs almost every day" (or) "our Band is looking for someone to collaborate with in writing new material". This mentality reminds me of an assembly line in a factory. I am of the opinion, a really good song, comes to a person naturally. It should not be a forced task, such as accomplished under pressure, deadline.
In summation; I PLAY covers, I LIKE covers, the places I play LIKE covers, I make "GOOD" MONEY playing covers. I Play; Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Traditional Country, and Blues. I have been doing this since 1964. BUT, I do ocassionally add my own twist, and make it mine.
Hope I haven't made any enemies. I am here to ask questions, and offer my advise, and experience.

I doubt seriously if you made enemies by giving an honest opinion and asking a question in regards to music.

I don't think the driving force behind this phenomena is so much the bands think they will be discovered or hit the big time.
I feel it's due to the ease and availability of recording equipment.
I remember when I was a kid. My dad would let me borrow his portable tape recorder. It's like a mirror. You cant help but act a fool and record it.
If I had to resort to actually writing the music note for note it probably would not get done at all. ( I cannot read music well at all )
Though I admit, we wrote the rudiments such as lyrical content and the chord progressions out, and simply memorized the rest initially.

Trend?? WTF? Musicians have been writing their own music forever. Most have no illusions regarding their chances of "making it", they know the odds are long. This subject has been explored competely in the past but still comes up. If you aren't very creative and can't write original music it's not a crime, do covers if you want. And on the other hand, just because you write some tunes does not mean you're better than musicians who don't. The world is a big place, plenty of room for both.

I agree. It takes TALENT either way. The world is a smaller place becausew of the net. Things that have always happened just become more evident to people because of it. The alternative to writing one's own material is even less likely to make one successful so it's kinda a silly subject if you ask me. How could anyown expect to make it doing anything other than originals?

I felt the same way when I Rap was just emerging, I was so in tune with of people's musical taste didn't think twice voicing my take on other people’s music using the tone of your post, yeah I was riding for sure on the consensus of the majority.

Ouch! what a bite in the butt.

Beware of the absolute.

I don't want to sound ignorant, but don't all musicians get a tune or a phrase rolling around in their minds that is original? I think we pretty much all come from the same mold. That being playing, singing, writing, listening to the things the average person doesn't really hear ..... I just think some of us dream the dream and follow the dream, musically speaking, while others dream the same dream but only enjoy revisiting the dream.

Aw what the hell. It made sense to me while I was typing it, just before I hit the post button