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July 30, 2009
The 15-Minute Myth
Seemingly every songwriter has a story about a song that was written in 15 minutes, or less.
They want you to buy into the glamorous myth of the song that “fell from the sky.”
So, is it possible to write a great song in 15 minutes?
Well, yes, and no.
Actually, it does happen from time to time, but usually to experienced songwriters who have worked hard at their craft, and spend most of their waking hours thinking about songs and songwriting.
In fact, these top-flight songwriters often spend entire days in “writing mode.” They may not actually be hunched over a guitar or a piano intensely working on a song, but they have song ideas forming and working in their subconscious mind. When they finally get a chance to sit down and write, an idea they have been mulling over in their minds for hours or even days comes rushing out, and a great song is seemingly written in just a few minutes.
The reality is that most songs written in 15 minutes, in a “lighting flash of inspiration” are actually mediocre. Only the writer, and his or her immediate family think that its really great.
Anyone can write a song in a short period of time. That is, anyone can write a mediocre song. For that matter, anyone can write a middling poem, or create a slapdash painting in a few minutes. But does it have true quality? Is there real substance? Will this creation touch people emotionally, and possess true staying power?
If you do write a truly great song in 15 minutes or less, count yourself among the few and the extremely fortunate. Of course, you may have actually been working on it without realizing it for much longer than that.
Posted by leonolguin at 09:18 AM | Comments (2)
July 29, 2009
Life Is Not Fair Sometimes
If you brought this lyric to an NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) meeting to have it critiqued, what do you think the reaction would be?
I need to be myself
I can't be no one else
I'm feeling supersonic
Give me gin and tonic
You can have it all but how much do you want it?
You make me laugh
Give me your autograph
Can I ride with you in your B.M.W ?
You can sail with me in my yellow submarine
Or how about this one?
Staring blindly into space
Getting up to splash my face
Wanting just to stay awake
Wondering how much I can take
Should I try to do some more
25 or 6 to 4
OK, one more...
"I am," I said
To no one there,
And no one heard at all
Not even the chair
No wonder so many people think that they too can write a song.
Posted by leonolguin at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2009
Miscellaneous Musician Stories
I am often asked about copyrights. Usually the inquiry comes from someone who is concerned that their songs will be stolen.
Then I hear their songs. I quickly realize that their fears are unfounded.
I remember one artist who introduced a song with the declaration: “God gave me this song.”
Then I heard the song. I was sorely tempted to say, “God gave you that song? Give it back, he needs to do a few more re-writes on it.”
One songwriter confidently told me, “I think this song is a hit!”
Then I listened to the song. My unspoken thought: “You have a better chance of it being stolen. But then they would give it right back.”
Posted by leonolguin at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2009
From Frank’s Vinyl Museum 4
Arthur Fiedler was a hippie!
This is something we never see these days. “Young People’s” music arranged and performed in such as way that the “older folks” can enjoy it.
Can you image this being done with any of today’s “hit” songs? Can you imagine playing an orchestral version of “My Life Would Suck Without You” for your grandma?
Here’s what Frank has to say about this remarkable LP:
Arthur Fiedler “Superstar”
In the 70’s, anyone could be a hippie!
Wow! Check out Arthur Fiedler, dressed up in his best 70's flower power, conducting the Boston Pops in a whirlwind tour of the music of the day.
This all-hit lineup starts with Jesus Christ Superstar and delivers such favorites as Proud Mary, Bridge Over Troubled Water and Let It Be. Those might be standard fare on albums of this type, but you really have to hand it to Fiedler for covering the Partridge Family's I Think I Love You and the Piero Umilani tune Mah-Nah Mah-Nah, both of which are on this album.
Arthur Fiedler is no slouch. A lesser conductor might have taken the conservative road with tunes like these, but Fiedler gives real meaning to the word "interpretation". I particularly like the way he covers Let It Be, taking it all over the map with sudden changes in mood and tempo and extra notes thrown in during the bridge sections for good measure. I guess that's why Fiedler got to appear on album covers with beams of stars coming out of his forehead while his stuffier colleagues stuck to tuxedos and Beethoven. Bravo!
Listen to some examples!
Let It Be (MP3) A great interpretation of the Beatles hit!
I Think I Love You (MP3) Classical music meets the Partridge Family! Did somebody ask for this?
Posted by leonolguin at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2009
Songwriters’ Night One-Year Anniversary
Tonight Sheryl and I will be going to Nolan’s Irish Pub in Cocoa Beach for one of our favorite musical activities: Songwriters’ Night.
Every Thursday evening (except Thanksgiving, of course!) Nolan’s graciously opens its doors to the songwriters of Central Florida, and so far over 103 songwriters have performed. Some writers come in and play every week, others have come in once or twice, and some have come in on their way through town.
Sheryl uses the Songwriters’ Night as motivation to write a new song every week. She doesn’t always make it, but she’s written nearly an album’s worth of new material, and was able to perform these new songs very soon after writing them (sometimes finishing a song a few hours before we left for the pub…) and receive immediate audience feedback.
Tonight, July 23rd marks the one-year anniversary of this weekly event. Sam Tritico, owner of Island Music and the owners of Nolan’s started Songwriters’ Night a year ago today.
Their first thought was, “It would be great if we could find a dozen or so songwriters to support this.” Little did they know!
Songwriters’ Night is NOT an open mic. Interested musicians must sign up with Sam via email well ahead of time.
For tonight’s celebration, there will be 18 of Central Florida’s top songwriters performing a few songs each, along with a special surprise guest (don’t ask, only Sam knows!).
Of course, there is also beer. Now I don’t drink beer, but I understand that Irish beer is pretty good. In fact, my good friend Spike once told me, “If it ain’t Guinness, it ain’t beer.”
Posted by leonolguin at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2009
Another Nice Musical Mess
A posed picture from "You're Darn Tootin'"
When you walk into our studio you’ll notice a couple of prominently displayed and properly framed pictures of Laurel and Hardy, my favorite film comedians.
One picture is from their film “Below Zero,” where L & H are street musicians, playing and singing “In the Good Old Summer Time” in the middle of the bleakest of winters. They are met with outright hostility by the general public.
The other picture is a publicity poster from their 1932 feature film “Pack up Your Troubles.”
Oliver Hardy (the big one) was actually a fine singer, and Stan Laurel played the piano a bit.
Here’s a one-of-a-kind instance of them singing a duet. Amazingly, this recording became a hit in the 1970’s.
Posted by leonolguin at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2009
Smells Like Rick Astley
If I did not require sleep, I would use some of the extra hours to produce things like this:
Posted by leonolguin at 11:56 AM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2009
Apollo 11 – July 20, 1969
Everyone’s talking about the Apollo 11 mission and the original Moonwalk today, and why not? It was one of those watershed events in our life as the human collective, and just about everyone who is old enough can remember where they were when they watched man walk on the moon on TV.
I was at my Grandma and Grandpa’s duplex in San Pedro, California, with all my cousins from my mother’s side of the family, watching Armstrong and Aldrin, and I was in awe of the little caption on the screen, “live from the moon.” It was almost impossible to believe (unlike some borderline crazy folk, I do believe it REALLY happened and was not an elaborate ruse cooked up by NASA and Hollywood. If it were, someone would have undoubtedly written a tell-all book about it by now).
I remember going outside and looking up at the moon, and along with millions of others, thinking, “Gee, there are a couple of guys walking around up there.”
It is astonishing to ponder the fact that man landed on the moon a mere 66 years after he first flew an airplane. There were a lot of people alive in 1969 that could remember this incredible milestone, and now they were watching men walk on another celestial body.
Sometimes I wonder if I’ll live long enough see men (and women) walk on Mars. 66 years from 1969 puts us at 2035. I’ll only be 77; I could make it!
By the way, you may be wondering what this has to do with music. Well, this may be a tenuous connection, but back in the early 70’s, whenever I would deviate from my assigned piano pieces and begin making up my own music when I was supposed to be practicing, my father would say, “Stop playing that ‘moon music’ and get back to your piano lesson!” I guess my own music was pretty moody. I was a teenager, after all.
Posted by leonolguin at 12:49 PM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2009
Sheryl’s Story
Almost a week ago, I let a rather significant date pass by without mention.
On July 10th, 2008, Sheryl Paige (aka Sheryl Olguin), my wife, was diagnosed with stage three Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Amazingly, she found out her diagnosis on her late father’s birthday. He would have been 78.
Sheryl has written about this in her on-line diary / blog. She started this blog on July 19, 2008 and then stopped writing after four entries. The effects of aggressive chemotherapy made it impossible to continue.
These days she’s working on writing the entire story, now that she is a cancer survivor.
She also wrote a chapter about it in the recently published book, “Vibrant Women’s Wisdom.” You can order a signed copy of the book directly from Sheryl.
Here’s what she wrote in her diary (Since this posting is so long, this will be the last one for the week):
July 19, 2008
Learning I Had Lymphoma - Hospital Stay
The worst part about ER is the wait to get in. The triage nurse saw me and sent me back out to wait for a bed. The pain kept increasing, and I sat there doubled over with the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Worse than childbirth, and constant. Leon held my hand and gently stroked my back and that helped me keep it together. When I was finally called in, the RN could see I was in a bad way and tried to make me as comfortable as possible.
She asked so many questions and I can't even remember them all, but what I do remember was that they had a team of paramedic trainees start my IV, and then they gave me some kind of pain medication 6 times stronger than morphine. It made me nauseous, and I remember having to lay perfectly still because if I so much as moved my eyeballs it made me want to throw up. The pain was eased however and that was a tremendous relief. They gave me zofran to quell the nausea.
I had two really great nurses, a woman (Cindy I think), and then when her shift ended, a man with spiky black hair and piercings. He was a great nurse, and looked like he should play in a rock band.
The ER doctor sent me in for an ultrasound of the gall bladder. I watched the screen as the tech ran the test. It's wild to see what your insides look like. No stones. She wished me luck, I went back to ER, and then was sent to a room on the 4th floor. The trip to the room was too much. Getting jostled around on that bed, the lights, turns around tight corners, the elevator. I lost the cookies on the way to the elevator.
My room was on the 4th floor there at Wuesthoff. The nurses I had over the course of 4 days were all great. Jaya, Joanna, Lisa, and Laverne, and the only name of the aids I remember is Alfredia (pronounced "alfredo" as in fettuccini...). Alfredia was fun, Jamaican, and loved to talk about politics, future plans for her career, and all kinds of miscellaneous stuff. Joanna was there a couple nights and I remember her kindness most of all.
The hospital is not a great place to rest. Between the other patients screaming and calling out for help, my roommate watching TV constantly, the staff taking vital signs, administering meds, and the work being done on the roof, I was only able to really just nap.
I was admitted on a Sunday night. Monday the surgeon met me, conferred with the other doctors and decided that a CT scan directed needle biopsy of the swollen lymph nodes would be the way to go. They attempted to do one on Tues, but my insides kept moving around and they didn't want to pierce the intestines, so they opted to try again on Wed. Wed was successful, and afterwards they sent me home with instructions to follow up with the doctor who'd seen me in the hospital, a prescription for percocet to handle the pain, and told me the results would take about a week to get in.
Leon went to the parking lot to get the van to take me home, but it wouldn't start. He called AAA to take care of the van, and called our neighbor Shannon and asked her to drive me home.
July 20, 2008
Learning I Had Lymphoma - Biopsy Results
Waiting for these results seemed to take forever, even though they came in when the hospital said they would come in. I had called my regular physician's office, and she was out on vacation for the next week and a half. Also the doctor who'd seen me in the hospital was on vacation. I told the woman in his office who spoke with me on the phone I was expecting biopsy results to come in that week and that I'd like to find out as soon as possible, and get an appointment scheduled. She reminded me that the doctor was on vacation and said I should call back in a week when he returned to schedule an appointment and get results. I didn't understand why they couldn't just schedule an appointment while we were on the phone, but between the tiredness and the pain and pain medications, I didn't have the will or the strength to push it.
Leon and I are surrounded with great friends in so many communities. Our friends from church who are part of the medical community continued to call and check up on us. I learned through them that I could simply call the hospital and ask for the pathology report myself. Dr. Rylander offered to have the results sent to him if the hospital wouldn't release them to me.
I called Wuesthoff lab on Thurs morning 7/10 and within 30 minutes the results were sitting on my fax machine. I struggled with that phone call, and struggled harder when it came time to read the report. I wanted to see good news, but feared the bad news that might be there. I had to look. There it was in writing.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
I was shocked and thought to myself, "well this changes everything."
I called Dr. Rylander, who explained the results to me. He didn't want to interfere with the treatment plan organized by Wuesthoff hospital, but told me that the best oncology group in the county was Dr. Levine's group, and said that if I wanted to talk with them he would arrange it. Of course I want the best, so I took him up on his offer, and within an hour Dr. Rylander called me back and had spoken personally with Dr. Sprawls (an Oncologist in Dr. Levine's group) about my case and arranged for me to seek him that afternoon at 3pm.
Dr. Rylander gave me a great endorsement for Dr. Sprawls. I was highly comforted by this. I later found out that my friend Jen Goldacker (Java Jen) saw Dr. Sprawls for her breast cancer years ago, and she also raved about him, and mentioned another mutual friend that he's also helped.
Leon got home shortly after my calls with Dr. Rylander and I told him the news. He took it hard, but said we would get through this together.
I called Rose (our daughter) and her first reaction was to cuss (I assured her that was exactly what I was thinking too!)I told her as far as we knew this could be treated and that we would do all we can to make it through this. I asked her to pray for this, and to come down from Gainesville to see me whenever possible so we could spend time together. I assured her that she is one of my main reasons for hanging around on this planet. I want to be around to congratulate her through the milestones of her life, finishing college, getting established in her chosen field, marriage, and to spoil her kids some day. There are so many reasons to stay on this planet, and I really don't feel like my work here is done. More on this later.
We saw Dr. Sprawls that afternoon, and he asked if we wouldn't mind waiting a little so he could finish seeing his other patients and then devote as much time to answering our questions as was needed. This sounded good to us, and we thought it was thoughtful of him to ask.
When he got in, we spent at least an hour talking about what my tests said (diffuse large b-cell lymphoma), that it's a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and responds very well to treatment.
He told us about a combined therapy that he will use on me called R-CHOP, which combines Rituxan (R), an immunotherapy drug that specifically targets the cancer cells so they're killed off by the body's natural immune system, with Predisone (P), a steroid which happens to also kill lymphoma cells, and the rest of the acronym (CHO) are three chemotherapy drugs that kill fast growing cells. Since the type of lymphoma I have is an aggressive (Intermediate) lymphoma, there is good success at nipping these cells in the bud. The treatment plan will last about 4 months.
Dr. Sprawls as a person is very upbeat and positive, a good listener, has a friendly composure, and includes my whole family in the process.
At the end of our consult he reached for Leon's and my hands, and prayed with us for comfort and that we would see God's purposes for our lives accomplished. It was a short simple prayer that was heartfelt, appropriate, and really comforted me to know that I've got a physician who cares as much about our spiritual needs as the treatment of this disease.
He ordered up some more blood work that would impact treatment - an HIV test, a Hepatitis Panel, a Bone Marrow biopsy to check for spread to the bone marrow, and a PET scan to show where the all the affected lymph nodes are located.
July 25, 2008
Learning I Had Lymphoma - Bone Marrow Test
Let's start with the Bone Marrow Biopsy. Dr. Sprawls did this biopsy himself on Friday morning 7/11 in Weusthoff's outpatient center.
The staff at the center are a great bunch of nurses mostly who've been there for long careers. I always have a chance to interact with them as people which helps me feel more connected to them and this healing process. I always ask how they got into what they do and what they like about their jobs. One nurse there, Nancy, has been there for almost 30 years and loves and trusts the people she works with. It's a great team environment there. That was really encouraging to hear.
After getting me dressed in a surgical gown and taking my vitals, I was wheeled into the biopsy room where the assisting nurse explained the procedure to me, talked with me about playing cribbage (apparently there is a cribbage club here in the area) and we waited for Dr. Sprawls to arrive to do the procedure. She gave me some versed, a sedative to keep me calm, and something else to knock out the pain. I told them that if I started singing not to hold it against me. I'm sure they've seen a lot of funny stuff with sedated people.
The test went off without a problem, and within minutes I was back waking up in the recovery room in the ambulatory care center. As soon as I was able to walk, we checked out. Leon went to retrieve the Van to get me home, but it wouldn't start. He called Shannon, our neighbor, to come pick me up at the hospital, and he called AAA to come tow the car home. Shannon graciously brought me home and waited with me until Leon arrived. Our friend/client Jack Brown took a look at the Van Sat morning, and said the battery was dead, so Leon replaced it that afternoon.
July 25, 2008
Learning I had Lymphoma - Surgeon's Visit
Dr. Majmundar was described to me by Dr. Sprawls as an excellent surgeon without the ego that many surgeons have. Talking to my sister, mom, and others in the medical community they say that surgeons usually have huge egos, which they feel is partly due to the ongoing "hazing" they receive at the hands of fellow surgeons as they're gaining experience in their fields. Dr. Maj (he goes by this for a nickname) is a really nice guy, easy to talk to, and very thorough. He explained how he would attempt a laparoscopic biopsy to get enough tissue for a sub classification diagnosis of the lymphoma, and the alternative open surgery if the laparascopy didn't work. Either way, he'd get the biopsy as safely as possible. He also installed what is called an infusiport. This is a device placed under the skin at the collar bone that enables chemotherapy to be delivered right to the veinous system without having to start an IV every time. They simply inject the drugs right into the port, and they flow right in. It's a cool concept, even if it's "BORG" like implant technology.
Dr. Maj also wanted some tests done prior to surgery, so between his requests and Dr. Sprawls requests I had a day of tests to complete.
Leon was unable to take me to my appointment with Dr. Maj due to a prior commitment to attend Sandy Ferris's dad's funeral. Kevin and Debbie Browne came over, took me to my appointment, took me home, and made dinner for us, and we watched videos all evening. We watched the movie "Emma", and we watched a couple hours of speakers on the topic of post modernism from this past Ligonier’s conference. It's fascinating to me to understand the roots of postmodernism and to see how it has permeated much of our culture from the arts and societal mores, to religion, just as modernism heavily influenced everything in the first part of the last century. I was on pain medication so I confess I may have dozed through a lot of it, but it was still fascinating.
Our dog Abby thought that Kevin and Debbie were both great new play buddies and wouldn't leave them alone. Kevin did his best to wear her out by taking her out for walks and tossing her chew toys for games of fetch, but she still kept wanting to lick or chew Debbie's feet and just wouldn't calm down, so we ended up having to let Abby get some rest time in her crate so we could also rest!
Posted by leonolguin at 09:40 AM | Comments (2)
July 14, 2009
Auto Tune the News
As you already know, Auto Tune can be used for evil.
It can also be used for fun.
Here is an example of Auto Tune being taken to its limits to make television news even more ridiculous than it already is.
Listen and watch if you dare. If you do, your thinking concerning these two phrases will change forever:
“God Bless America!”
“Its the smoke!”
Posted by leonolguin at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2009
Crazy Rhyme #1
I have a knack for finding crazy rhymes that any sane songwriter would never use. They often come to me when I am helping someone with a lyric, or when someone in our songwriting group throws out a silly line, and I come up with a rhyming line to go with it.
For example, someone may start an imaginary song with the line,
“I went fishing on the Indian River.”
The second line just flows naturally...
“I caught no fish, so I had to eat liver.”
Ira Gershwin I ain't.
This ability either serves to make me amusing or irritating; my sincere hope is for the former.
So here's today's crazy rhyme, in keeping with the “fish theme.”
My wife is in the kitchen frying up tilapia,
Few things in this life could ever make me happia.
Well, its better than rhyming “love” and “above.”
Have you got a crazy rhyme, maybe even one you've used in a song? How about a crazy rhyme you've heard in a famous song (and there are a lot of them out there, such as “Songs she sang to me, songs she brang to me.” )
Tell us about it! We could all use a good laugh (or groan) today!
Posted by leonolguin at 08:45 AM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2009
Private Earworm
After Sandy, my songwriting partner, heard the music I had written for our new song, she told me that I had given her an “earworm.” She found herself singing the chorus in her mind over and over again.
For those of you not familiar with the term “earworm,” I refer you to a section from a blog entry of mine from the distant past, January of 2006:
(Now the scene begins to shimmer and dissolve...you have to imagine me reading this with some reverb on my voice...)
There is always music running through my mind.
Sometimes I will purposefully run a favorite song through my head, from start to finish. It’s a little like having a jukebox in my mind.
But while some times I choose the song that plays internally, other days I wake up with a song seemingly chosen for me.
The “chosen” song plays incessantly, and I don’t seem to have any control over it. Then the thought pattern breaks up a little, and I’m left with a song fragment continually running through my inner ear.
I have an “earworm” - a piece of music I can’t seem to get out of my mind.
(Now we're back in the present...)
Sometimes your earworm may consist of a popular song, a big hit. So its conceivable that thousands, maybe millions of people have experienced the same earworm at some time. Maybe even all at once if they saw the song performed on Letterman or O'Brien (I almost wrote Letterman or Leno! How times have changed...)
But what Sandy had was a “private earworm.” After she told me about it, I started running the chorus of our song through my mind as well. Now we were sharing our private earworm. We were the only two people in the entire world with that particular song running through our minds.
Naturally, we hope to change that!
Posted by leonolguin at 08:54 AM | Comments (0)
July 09, 2009
What People Really Want From a Musician – Connection
Your audience, whether its 300 or 3, wants to believe that you truly care about them.
To illustrate this point, I will embarrass two very special ladies with whom I am privileged to work.
Of course, with Sheryl Paige it goes far beyond work. She has been my wife and partner in music for 28 years. We have played countless gigs together, produced a whole slew of songs together in the studio, and have even written a few things together. She has a great many admirable qualities and abilities, but one I especially appreciate is her extraordinary capacity for connecting with other people. She truly cares about everyone with whom she comes in contact, and is able to communicate that to them.
She does this not only in normal everyday activities, but from the stage as well. When she performs her songs, I can sense in her a sincere desire to communicate, and a real sense of caring for the audience. She wants them to know that she's doing her best for them. She considers it an honor and a privilege to sing to them. The audience can sense this desire and as a result her performance has more impact.
She also projects a winsome humility mixed with a pleasing sense of joy and confidence.
I've been performing with Sybil Gage for almost three years. She is an immensely talented singer, songwriter, and entertainer.
When I first started working with her, there was something she always did at every show that truly impressed me. During her break, instead of leaving the stage and going off to hide somewhere, she would go out and mingle with her fans. She would also stay afterward and visit with the people who came to hear her. She didn't leave until the last audience member did. She signed every CD that someone bought, posed for any picture someone wanted to take, and was always willing to fulfill a special song request. Of course, she still does all these things, and truly connects with her audience.
When she sings, it seems to everyone in the house that she is singing just for them. It is a marvelous thing to watch, and I always have the best seat in the house.
This is the kind of connection people want to have with musicians.
Posted by leonolguin at 09:21 AM | Comments (1)
July 08, 2009
What People Really Want From a Musician – Flexibility
Of course, this doesn't mean that you can bend down and touch your toes (although that would be a good thing), but it means that you are open to trying new ways of doing things.
Sometimes this will involve your audience, at other times your fellow musicians.
Maybe you've written a song that you think it pretty good, and you show it to a fellow songwriter, or play it to the songwriters group, and a few suggestions for improving the song are thrown your way. Do you dismiss them out of hand, or do you take them into consideration?
Maybe you're a songwriter who is used to writing lyrics first. Have you ever considered doing it the other way 'round?
Perhaps you are performing somewhere, and you are asked to play a little overtime. Do you refuse, and pack up and leave at the appointed hour, or do you work something out with your hosts, and play the extra few minutes. (Lest this example seem extreme, I have heard numerous exasperation-tinged reports from my agent of gigging musicians doing this very thing!)
Maybe you are in the studio trying to lay down a vocal track, and its just not happening. Do you keep struggling with it, and end up wasting time (while still paying the studio!) or do you go on to something else, or even end the session?
If you are at an open mic, do you balk at being asked to play a little later (or earlier) than you originally planned?
The ability to change and adapt is crucial in just about any occupation, and so it is with musicians.
Posted by leonolguin at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)
July 07, 2009
What People Really Want From a Musician – Humility
Here's the “flip side” to my post from yesterday.
People want to become fans of musicians who have confidence in their abilities, but these same folks will speak disparagingly of a performer who seems to exhibit a total lack of humility.
You've seen them; performers in love with the sound of their own voice, possessing an unshakable belief in their complete superiority to all around them.
While you need to be confident in your abilities as a musician, you don't want to cross over the line to sheer arrogance. It can be difficult line to walk.
This is a most personal subject for me. I have confidence in my abilities, but I too often downplay them, for fear of becoming a raging egomaniac. My wife Sheryl assures me on a regular basis that I have not “crossed the line,” and indeed, tend to err in the opposite direction.
Fortunately, I don't have to deal with very many overconfident musicians in my work as a performer and as the Project Studio Guy, but I sure have heard some “horror stories" from those who have.
Posted by leonolguin at 07:20 AM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2009
What People Really Want From a Musician – Confidence
Whatever you do as musician, whether it be playing a gig, performing your latest song, playing your latest recording for a friend, showing someone a song in progress, or working with your songwriting partner, allow me to give a piece of friendly advice: NEVER APOLOGIZE OR MAKE EXCUSES.
For example, if you're getting up to perform at an open mic, don't start by announcing that you are just getting over a cold, or by apologizing for the fact that you are not an accomplished guitar player. Just get up there and give it your best.
If you're showing someone a new song, or presenting it to a songwriting group, don't start by trying to explain what the song is about, or by apologizing for the poor quality of the demo. Just do your best beforehand, and play it without comment.
Maybe I'm dropping into “nitpicking mode" here, but there's one other little thing that bugs me: if you're going to play a new song, don't introduce it by saying “I hope you like it.” That phrase makes you sound needy.
Yes, of course you are hoping that your audience will like your song, but if you have confidence in yourself as a writer, if you know that you have put in the necessary effort to really learn the craft, if you have written successful songs in the last, then you KNOW that a certain number of people are going to like your newest creation.
Sure, your song may need further work, and you may be able to determine what to re-work or change depending on the reaction, but you don't need to broadcast your uncertainty.
Although no one may ever say this out loud to you, constantly expressing doubts and apologizing for your work makes people uncomfortable, and they will from that point always think of you as a hesitant performer, and instead of truly connecting with you, will end up feeling a little sorry for you.
Posted by leonolguin at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2009
From Frank’s Vinyl Museum 3
I’ve been using synthesizers since the late 70’s. The first one I ever played was an ARP 2600. (I still don’t know what the letters and numbers mean…)
I still own a couple of “vintage synths” from the early 80’s that I will always keep. If you come into my studio, you’ll see them there, leaning against the back wall, ready to be called into action should anyone want some authentic early synth sounds.
But even before I ever played a synth, there was the Moog. You can hear this pioneering synthesizer on the Beatle’s “Abby Road” album, and there were some intrepid musicians who produced entire albums using the instrument, despite the fact that you could only play one note at a time.
Here’s one from Frank’s Museum:
Here’s what Frank has to say about it:
Claude Denjean demonstrates his Moog skills on this Phase 4 Stereo Spectacular.
Some guys take a traditional record, throw in a few notes from their Moog Synthesizer, and call it a Moog album. Not Claude Denjean. The Moog takes center stage in this 1970 London Records release, in all its raw beauty.
Electronic music never quite "made it" into mainstream culture -- that's probably because it took so much work to produce these albums. For all its wizardry, the mainframe-sized Moog could only produce one sound at a time. Artists like Claude Denjean recorded track after track, probably sitting up late into the night hunched over Moog keyboards and sixteen-track tape machines.
Sounds like these might seem ordinary in today's world of digital sound manipulation, but I try to imagine how radical and exciting the Moog must have seemed in the 60's and 70's before everyone had MIDI cards and polyphonic Korg synthesizers.
(Not to mention ProTools and virtual instruments!)
Hear some examples!
Proud Mary You can almost hear the Moog mouthing the words... wah weft wha wha whob whin wha whitty... ok maybe not.
Sugar Sugar Claude knows how to make your life so sweet... yeah!
Venus A heavy-handed Moog version of the classic tune.
Posted by leonolguin at 02:09 PM | Comments (1)
July 02, 2009
The Adventure Continues
I had put it off long enough. Sandy, my songwriting partner, had sent me a lyric. I had read it as soon I opened her email, and immediately began thinking about what kind of music I would put to it. I kept thinking, and I kept thinking. For a couple of weeks I kept thinking.
Finally, I had to tell myself, “You’re always telling songwriters not to be afraid to just start writing, so practice what you preach. Get going!”
So I sat down last Monday with a blank piece of music paper, and Sandy’s lyric. I wrote down the tune as I heard it in my mind. Then I waited until Sheryl left the house for an appointment, and recorded a “work tape” (actually a “work CD”) in the studio. Of course, I’m thinking to myself, “But what if Sandy doesn’t like it?" Finally, I sent an MP3 of my VERY rough demo to her.
OK, she liked it! Whew! But now we have before us the even more arduous task of re-writing.
When we get this song polished to the point where we are happy with it, then perhaps will let you all hear it. (With Sandy singing it, I hope!)
Posted by leonolguin at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)