General Music Chat

Maybe the Mayans were right after all. We could be part of End Times. We could be witnessing Mass Extinctions including homo sapiens. The current heatwave, which might be experiencing a temporary reprieve, hasn't got me concerned so much as the color of the sky. It's almost dark blue at times. The atmosphere is materially changing. There is little up there to keep the rays of the sun from causing mutations to living flesh.
You might think I'm crazy, but LOOK at the sky, LOOK at the decrease in wildlife, the number of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles is DOWN. Just casual observation tells me this. The last time I visited Florida I asked my mom "Where's the birds?" They are disappearing. Lack of biological diversity is setting the Earth up for a mass extinction of all types of creatures. We are likey to starve to death as a result.
While the horrors I am witnessing may or may not be really happening, while they may or may not be inevitable, my biggest fear and my recurring nightmare is simply that I may end up leaving far too little of myself for posterity.
I am being selfish in this regard and my fears and impatience has hastened the demise of more than one musical project in the past. I want to record a legitimate CD and put it out to the world. Even if it means producing a dozen CD's only and burying them in airtight containers for some intelligent race of beings to unearth thousands of years from now when we are all long gone.
I have nightmares ALL the time of me going to perform somewhere and the PA is screwed up, or the people in charge won't let me perform for whatever reason.
It's all due to my continued frustrration with the current music scene. I feel like I'm being censored by a force unseen. There's pressure from within. There's an external pressure, undefined. And there's this fear I have that I will croak before achieving my ultimate musical goal, and it would be a personal tragedy, perhaps similar to that of my brother, who was an artistic genius who nobody except his immediate family members will ever know since he died so young. I am nowhere near that level of genius, but for no other person but myself, and I'm selfish at times, I want to publish a legit CD. This is my biggest fear, my recurring nightmare...

Maybe the Mayans were right after all. We could be part of End Times. We could be witnessing Mass Extinctions including homo sapiens. The current heatwave, which might be experiencing a temporary reprieve, hasn't got me concerned so much as the color of the sky. It's almost dark blue at times. The atmosphere is materially changing. There is little up there to keep the rays of the sun from causing mutations to living flesh.
You might think I'm crazy, but LOOK at the sky, LOOK at the decrease in wildlife, the number of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles is DOWN. Just casual observation tells me this. The last time I visited Florida I asked my mom "Where's the birds?" They are disappearing. Lack of biological diversity is setting the Earth up for a mass extinction of all types of creatures. We are likey to starve to death as a result.
While the horrors I am witnessing may or may not be really happening, while they may or may not be inevitable, my biggest fear and my recurring nightmare is simply that I may end up leaving far too little of myself for posterity.
I am being selfish in this regard and my fears and impatience has hastened the demise of more than one musical project in the past. I want to record a legitimate CD and put it out to the world. Even if it means producing a dozen CD's only and burying them in airtight containers for some intelligent race of beings to unearth thousands of years from now when we are all long gone.
I have nightmares ALL the time of me going to perform somewhere and the PA is screwed up, or the people in charge won't let me perform for whatever reason.
It's all due to my continued frustrration with the current music scene. I feel like I'm being censored by a force unseen. There's pressure from within. There's an external pressure, undefined. And there's this fear I have that I will croak before achieving my ultimate musical goal, and it would be a personal tragedy, perhaps similar to that of my brother, who was an artistic genius who nobody except his immediate family members will ever know since he died so young. I am nowhere near that level of genius, but for no other person but myself, and I'm selfish at times, I want to publish a legit CD. This is my biggest fear, my recurring nightmare...

I wouldn't sweat it too much Bob! If the end is coming there isn't anything ANY of us can do about it! As I get older (53) I have come to terms with my insignificance and mortality. Like my Grandma that raised me used to say "we probably should aquire a taste for soilant green" Yummy!

Live (and enjoy) every day as if it's your last one - one day it will be!

Maybe the Mayans were right after all. We could be part of End Times. We could be witnessing Mass Extinctions including homo sapiens. The current heatwave, which might be experiencing a temporary reprieve, hasn't got me concerned so much as the color of the sky. It's almost dark blue at times. The atmosphere is materially changing. There is little up there to keep the rays of the sun from causing mutations to living flesh.
You might think I'm crazy, but LOOK at the sky, LOOK at the decrease in wildlife, the number of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles is DOWN. Just casual observation tells me this. The last time I visited Florida I asked my mom "Where's the birds?" They are disappearing. Lack of biological diversity is setting the Earth up for a mass extinction of all types of creatures. We are likey to starve to death as a result.
While the horrors I am witnessing may or may not be really happening, while they may or may not be inevitable, my biggest fear and my recurring nightmare is simply that I may end up leaving far too little of myself for posterity.
I am being selfish in this regard and my fears and impatience has hastened the demise of more than one musical project in the past. I want to record a legitimate CD and put it out to the world. Even if it means producing a dozen CD's only and burying them in airtight containers for some intelligent race of beings to unearth thousands of years from now when we are all long gone.
I have nightmares ALL the time of me going to perform somewhere and the PA is screwed up, or the people in charge won't let me perform for whatever reason.
It's all due to my continued frustrration with the current music scene. I feel like I'm being censored by a force unseen. There's pressure from within. There's an external pressure, undefined. And there's this fear I have that I will croak before achieving my ultimate musical goal, and it would be a personal tragedy, perhaps similar to that of my brother, who was an artistic genius who nobody except his immediate family members will ever know since he died so young. I am nowhere near that level of genius, but for no other person but myself, and I'm selfish at times, I want to publish a legit CD. This is my biggest fear, my recurring nightmare...

I gotta believe, based on what you've described in your nightmare, that maybe the impeded PA , the gate-keeping of those in charge of your stage, tells me of a specific conflict: Have you grown dependent on some entity, movement, institution, or group, whereby realizing that you are forced to compromise a certain standard in your pursuit of happiness? Your night mare seems to me to be all about the threat of impediment on some form of growth within yourself. In the dream, your growth is expressed in terms of freedom on stage. In life, your growth is expressed in terms of freedom in Household, Job or both. Somewhere in real life, your subconscious recognizes a threat to that freedom, and is telling you about it in your dream.

Recognize (and if possible, detach from) the dependency on said entity, movement, institution, or group, which poses this compromise, and your nightmare will subside.

Note, sometimes the mere recognition of a 'source of contention' is all it takes.. I say this, cause in real life, we often find ourselves in inescapable circumstances...But our minds can rest if we can visualize and grasp the scope of our percieved threats. (i.e. If I knew what the boogey man looked like, It may not bother me anymore if he hides in the closet....)

That's good advice. The "impediment" is probably within me. It could be fear of success itself. I just know that all the years I've been playing in bands (30+ years) I have so precious little to show in the way of studio versions, both covers and originals, and that haunts me. I try to tell people over and over that when a particular version starts sounding hot, it should be recorded right then. Not some crappy basement recording but a professionally recorded version. At this point I should be able to hand out {for a fee) at least one legitimate CD that I've produced to anybody I meet,as well as have for sale a CD at every show we do. I can't believe I published a fake news website BEFORE publishing a CD. Must be impediments indeed.

Bob, I would encourage you to figure out a way to make your own cds or tapes, I have hours and hours of stuff Ive recorded over the years, most of it sucks so bad I dont even want to hear it, but technology is so cheap to do this these days.

Recording in big studio is fun, but expensive, you could make 3-4 cds of your own with a personal studio system for way less than one in a studio.

Anyway, hang in there and good luck making a cd!

I have about 2k tied up in my little studio and I can record ANYTIME I want. The problem is it seems like I am always preparing to go out and play to a live audience. The quality of my recordings is not the greatest. It is mainly to document and copyright my tunes. Having said that I still beleive my recordings are not terrible. Although I play all the instruments and do EVERYTHING! If I put more effort into recording it could sound professional. Recording a c.d. is just not that important to me anymore. It is about being the best I can be, playing out and having fun. Before I have to start pushing up daisy's! Or have to start eating Soilant Green (the other white meat) oops Sorry Capt!

I understand your frustration Bob. I too feel there is unfinished business when it come to my recordings of a lifetime of music. I am working towards that goal by having older stuff remixed/mastered and moved from tape reels to digital, also starting a collaboration project with KLUGMO right now so we will see how that turns out. It could lead to many more recording collaborations in the future once we learn the process.

It is good to have goals to work towards but don't let them run your life or make you crazy. Make sure to enjoy the ride and smell the roses along the way. That old tired cliche "It's not the destination, it's the journey." is really very true. I played 3 sets last Sunday with a scaled down band: acoustic guitar, grand piano, jimbae, two female vocalists and three part harmony. We had never worked together as a group and rehearsed for 1 hour before performing. I can still taste the sweetness in my mouth.

I love wildlife, everything that lives except ROOSTERS and BIG FAT WASPS. Actually I don't hate anything, me sometimes, don't we all, and if you don't.
Anywho. I have not noticed any change except MORE BEES! Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Was it Rapture or Raptor? It could be misread in translation.
If Raptor? I suggest some flee repellent and a box of Chocolates, cuz it will end really quickly and be really messy.

Seriously though, it might be good to do something fresh in another field and let go for a while. People like light bulbs, burn out sometimes too.
Keep well Bob.

That's good advice. The "impediment" is probably within me. It could be fear of success itself. I just know that all the years I've been playing in bands (30+ years) I have so precious little to show in the way of studio versions, both covers and originals, and that haunts me. I try to tell people over and over that when a particular version starts sounding hot, it should be recorded right then. Not some crappy basement recording but a professionally recorded version. At this point I should be able to hand out {for a fee) at least one legitimate CD that I've produced to anybody I meet,as well as have for sale a CD at every show we do. I can't believe I published a fake news website BEFORE publishing a CD. Must be impediments indeed.

I sure do understand the frustration. But, don't feel too bad about that (publishing/precedence ). Actually , its an easy feat to publish a website .. Not so easy to produce and release a commercially viable CD. One thing you have going for you is that '30 years'... Your musical creds are full and complete... If you aren't selling CDS, then I'm guessing its got everything to do with the music industry climate and its NOT a reflection , whatsoever, on you.

I have lately contended, that successful cds are directly related to successful touring ( a key function of promotion ). It suggests that an artist would have to travel quite a bit to get a real leg up...
Many of us are bound to home obligations, which circumvent that travel. Not our fault.... But even so, travel is not the only way to promote the work. For me, the jury is still out about On-line success.. Just have to wait and see.

These days you don't need to go into a pro studio to make a CD of you/your band to sell at gigs. If you want something that's going to be considered Grammy material, etc., then yes you do.

With some experience and a minor amount of gear, you can record decent CDs at home (assuming you have some time, space and quiet). The more time you can spend on it (rather than wasting time posting on forums or playing video games), the better it will sound.
Assuming you have some decent mics and a fairly new computer already, you can start recording at home for under $500. Add another $500 for room treatment, another $500 for good monitors.
I did my first CD not because I wanted to sell copies and make money, but because I wanted to get my music preserved and out there - for myself, first and foremost. Same thing goes for my next one. Each time I sit down to record a track, do a mix, or just listen, I learn a little more. It may not be as much fun as playing on stage with a bunch of sympatico bandmates, but sitting there by yourself doing all the work has its own rewards. Don't talk, just do it already!

Bob, The others raise good points and questions about Grade A vs Grade C recordings....

Me personally, I will pay an engineer , or just not bother. I grew weary of trying to figure out the technology, when all I wanted to do was get my damn songs down...in a presentable fashion. A good engineer can really enhance the artistic value of the production.

Mind you, I can afford this stance, because I didn't make Music my a career and thus I am not forced to consider certain degree of efficiency.

All That being said... If you aren't writing (striving) for Grammy-level material, then whatever else it is... is exactly what you will be left holding in your hand (aka a beer coaster) Unfortunately, Its seems only the Grammy material produces the windfall rewards...(and everything else seems to pale) . On the other hand, what pales aint always so bad.

Bob its quite possible that you are ready to engage your masterpiece... Spare no expense Bro...Be it passion, emotion, business acumen, and artistic license... Even if it doesn't land you a windfall, you will still wind up with an extraordinary testament to your true musicianship.

Bob, The others raise good points and questions about Grade A vs Grade C recordings....

Me personally, I will pay an engineer , or just not bother. I grew weary of trying to figure out the technology, when all I wanted to do was get my damn songs down...in a presentable fashion. A good engineer can really enhance the artistic value of the production.

Mind you, I can afford this stance, because I didn't make Music my a career and thus I am not forced to consider certain degree of efficiency.

All That being said... If you aren't writing (striving) for Grammy-level material, then whatever else it is... is exactly what you will be left holding in your hand (aka a beer coaster) Unfortunately, Its seems only the Grammy material produces the windfall rewards...(and everything else seems to pale) . On the other hand, what pales aint always so bad.

Bob its quite possible that you are ready to engage your masterpiece... Spare no expense Bro...Be it passion, emotion, business acumen, and artistic license... Even if it doesn't land you a windfall, you will still wind up with an extraordinary testament to your true musicianship.

I am a HUGE fan of both Bob and Grants musicianship and penmanship! I know whatever level you guy's record it will make the world a happier place! Bob my advise to you would be to try and peice together a home studio. You don't have to do it all at once. After you do it. The freedom of being able to set there without the pressure of knowing you are burning through $100.00 an hour you can really get creative and it is an awesome feeling when the idea's start to flow! Basically when you have a home studio you all of a sudden have an unlimited budget. Thats what the big boys have and IMO is the ONLY THING seperating you from them!

Im with Haley on this, I would have C level recordings over nothing at all, it is cool to have some old songs you pull out and play for others.

Bob, I used to just record practices with one band I was in and run it all thru a Sharp Cassette deck,, I was listening to some with the guys in my band the other night when we practiced, and our bassist who has a studio in his garage made the comment that they really didnt sound that bad.

I would just put a mic on the kick and snare, and mic up everything in the room and play a few songs, and then listen and adjust levels, we would run the monitor send with just vocals, and i would use the main outs on this old board I had into the two channels of the casstte deck and we were off to the races.

I have a Roland Digital Sudio that I bought 10-12 years ago and have probably recorded around 60 hours of music with it, many of the originals I have on my player here were done that way, are they Grammy Level, well hell no, but I still have them to listen to or just cut a cd for others.

I dont have one but they have some really nice cheap digital recorders with stereo mics that if you place them right and work with whoever you are playing with, you should be able to get some decent recordings out of.

I have to agree with Paper on this, I never wanted to fuss with home recording, even though there are a lot of good reasons to. I prefer to write, arrange and play the music, I have no interest in the technical aspects of recording. So for over 25 years I've been recording in professional studios; the result is 120+ songs in 20+ projects. It may cost a little more but it's worth it to me. Bob, at this stage of the game I would advise you do the same.