On Monday night, September 14th, Sheryl and attended the Brevard Live Music Awards at the Henegar Center in Melbourne, FL. We went mainly to support our good friend Pam, who was nominated for “favorite vocalist” award, and her band, “Chain Reaction” was up for the biggest award, “Entertainer of the Year.”

Since this was an evening dedicated to entertainers who played mostly rock ‘n roll, it was, to say the least, LOUD. I most sincerely regretted not bringing my earplugs (and an extra pair for Sheryl). My ears have only recently stopped ringing.

It may have been thunderous, but the musicians could truly play, no doubt about that.

It takes a special brand of musicianship to play in a cover band. An excellent cover band will faithfully capture the sound and spirit of a popular song, and still manage to put their own spin on the material. After all, if they were going to copy every note from the CD, then the club owners might as well hire a DJ.

A musician in a first-rate cover band must truly master his or her instrument, since they will called upon to play in many different styles and keys.

Fortunately, there are several clubs and restaurants here in Brevard County that support live music, and I salute them all. Not to take anything from DJ’s (a first-class DJ is really an entertainer, and can always get a party moving) but there is something special about listening to (and dancing to) a high-quality, live band. The audience instinctively knows that a lot of hard work went into creating the show, and they often get a chance to meet the musicians, and there is something glamorous about knowing a working musician personally.

By the way, congratulations to “Chain Reaction” on winning the award for “ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR!” When they won, I turned to Sheryl and said (actually SHOUTED, since the music was rather loud…) “Just think, they played at your benefit last year!”

Now we’ve got to start getting ready to go play a two-night stand at the Vero Beach Yacht Club this weekend. Yep, Sheryl and I will be a cover band! Now, let’s see, where are the lyrics to “Sweet Caroline?” (It ain’t really rock ‘n roll, but they love it at the VBYC!)

Chain Reaction (Pam is the glamorous dark-haired one!)

I want to go to sleep at 10:30PM, but my body sternly states, “Sorry, you can’t sleep yet. Its only 7:30.”

My mind is still hard at work processing everything from our recent trip to California and Oregon.

Naturally, upon our return our friends have been asking, “Did you have a nice vacation?” I feel compelled to remind them that it was a “working vacation.” I am tempted to say, “Don’t you remember what I told you before we left, that we were going out there to work? We spent most of our time working, along with preparing for and leading a songwriters’ workshop in Oregon. We may have had a couple of days off, but we did not return home all refreshed and relaxed.” While this is what I am tempted to say, I realize that petulance is not attractive, so I simply say, “Did we have a nice vacation? Yes, it was very nice.”

So, am I complaining that our trip was not restful? Of course not! It was in fact, quite beneficial, and we actually did return home refreshed and rejuvenated mentally, if not physically.

In the coming days, I’ll relate some thoughts that came to me during our CA and OR expedition. As I write about our trip, it won’t be just a “we went here and we did that” recollection, (we can tell you that over lunch sometime…) but rather a collection of “life lessons” that were brought to mind during our various activities. No radically new or unheard of concepts here, just a little common wisdom that benefits the mind and the soul.

Sheryl and I, along with our daughter Rose, will be leaving early Saturday morning for Newport Beach California. This marks the first time we have traveled together as a family for quite some time. I have not been away from Florida since 2005. Sheryl and I have not traveled together for more than a night or two since early 2007, before her battle with cancer.

We will spending a week in Newport Beach, staying with Sheryl's mom Bev. While we are there we will be celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday, and attending the 80th birthday celebration for my Dad. I also get to meet his new wife. He recently got married again after 4 years as a widower.

We'll also get to see various siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends we have not seen in quite some time. There are a few folks we are looking forward to meeting, too!

Then on August 30th, we will put our daughter on a plane bound for Osaka, Japan. Rose will be spending her senior year studying at Konsai Gaidai University. She will be staying with a host family, and completely immersing herself in the Japanese culture and language.

Sheryl and I will then go to Eugene Oregon to help conduct a songwriter's camp. More on that later.

Postings will be sporadic over the next few weeks since we'll be away from the office and the studio, but I plan to post some updates “from the road.” So the PSG will not be stopping entirely, but I may miss a day or two.

~Saint Peter is checking in new arrivals in heaven....~

"What did you do on Earth?"
"I was a surgeon. I helped the lame to walk."
"Well, go right on in through the Pearly Gates"

"What did you do on Earth?"
"I was a school teacher. I taught the blind to see."
"Fine .. go right on in through the Pearly Gates!"

"What did you do on Earth?"
"I was a musician. I helped make sad people happy."
"You can load in through the kitchen."

What's the difference between an accordion and an onion?
No one cries when you chop up an accordion.

For this next joke, you need to understand a little music theory. Need to learn music theory? I give lessons! Very useful for songwriting and all musical activities!

C, E-flat and G go into a bar. The bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve minors," and E-flat leaves. C and G have an open fifth between them and after a few drinks, G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough. D comes into the bar and heads straight for the bathroom saying, "Excuse me, I'll just be a second."

Well, enough frivolity. Time to go to work!

Here's what Frank has to say about “The Kids from the Brady Bunch.”

Who needs the Partridge Family? These kids do it all -- they even cover the Beatles!

What impressed me most about this record was that I could actually identify each individual Brady in most of the songs -- quite a feat when you consider that there are six children's voices mixed together (or maybe it's a sad commentary on the number of hours I wasted over the years watching television).

Listen to the MP3s!

Drummer Man Lay it on me, Drummer Man!!

Candy Marcia makes you a sweet offer you can't refuse.

Love Me Do A cheesy Beatles cover that actually rocks, in its own special Brady way.

Last Monday (August 10) we welcomed to the studio the “Three Blind Babes” (a temporary group moniker of their own invention), Asli, Judy, and Alicia.

We also made room for two of their guide dogs, Judy's dog Sachet, and Asli's dog Jane. (Now wouldn't it have been a weird thing if Jane were Judy's dog? It would have been as though a blind woman named June had a guide dog named Wally...)

Playing bass on the session was our good friend Spike Dean.

They all came over to record a new song written by Asli, “Renew Your Heart.” This was to be the theme song for the counseling service “Renewing Hearts” which is headed by Alicia.

Needless to say, this session was a logistical challenge, especially with three dogs in the house. We eventually had to sequester Abby Rhodes upstairs so that she wouldn't be tempted to try and play with the well-trained and admirably quiet “working dogs.”

The four musicians involved, (Asli on guitar and vocals, Spike on bass, and Judy and Alicia on vocals) were very well prepared, so once we got the dogs settled down, everything flowed smoothly.

I just finished mixing the song this morning. Hope they like it! They all did a great job.

Asli, Alicia, Judy

Spike

While I'm not so sure that everyone on this list is a great artist (or even a “good band”), I certainly agree that the songs are less-than optimal examples of the art of songwriting.

One of the first rappers? Eating cars and guitars? Men from Mars!?!

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I, like most young boys, wanted to excel in sports. I was, admittedly, not a gifted athlete. I was too small for football, and too slow for track or cross-country running. I could hit a baseball well enough, but I was not a good fielder. I could not swim at all, and was too uncoordinated for gymnastics.

The one sport where I showed a little promise was, surprisingly enough, basketball. I had a pretty good outside shot, and could handle the ball fairly well.

I even thought briefly about trying out for the “B” team in High School. I knew I wasn't good enough to play varsity, but I thought I might have a chance to make the “B” team.

When these plans became known, I was subtly (well, not so subtly) discouraged from trying out, since seemingly everyone was worried that I might jam a finger (as often happens in basketball) and thus hinder my ability to play piano.

Thus ended what promised to be a very mediocre athletic career. I have not played basketball for over 20 years. But I still play the piano.

The most serious injury I ever suffered from piano playing was during a recital when I finished my piece, got up from the piano, took my bow, and tripped over the bench while attempting to exit the stage.

Yet every month we NSAI members subject ourselves to this very real possibility when we play our songs for the group. The purpose of our meeting is to have the members remark candidly on the strengths and weaknesses of each song presented, and offer suggestions for improvement.

One cannot have “thin skin” where the critiquing of one’s song is concerned.

My songwriting partner Sandy and I were a little anxious at our most recent NSAI meeting, since we would be presenting our first collaboration. Our “work tape” was a simple piano/vocal demo, with Sandy singing.

So, what did the NSAI Orlando Chapter think?

The general consensus was, “Your baby is pretty good looking, and here are a few ways to make it even better looking.” Not a bad start for a fledgling songwriting team.

Sandy and I are already hard at work on a second song. Well, Sandy’s working hard anyway; I’ve always considered the lyricist’s job to be more difficult than the composer’s.

As for this first one, we will “tweak” it a bit more, and record a proper demo. And THEN we may let you all hear it!

Sheryl has been using this weekly event as motivation to write a new song every week, and she has largely succeeded, getting her creative fires burning again in the process. It seems that when she gets one song finished, an idea for a new one appears. Sometimes she finds herself with several song ideas rolling around in her mind, all fighting to get out.

I, or course, as the PSG, have the privilege of recording her “work tapes” (we still call them work tapes even though we use CDs now…) and helping her get these new songs “up on their feet."

Sheryl’s rebirth as a songwriter has been an exciting process to witness, and the sheer joy of creativity and the sense of accomplishment that she has experienced have played a major role in her continual recovery.

As I watched her find great delight and pleasure in pursuing her craft and her passion, I began to think about my own creative endeavors.

I wrote a lot of songs and instrumental music back in the eighties and early nineties, have seen many of my works recorded and published, and have even written a “hit” song (If you want to know more about that, just “Google” my name [Leon Olguin] and see what pops up!).

But as I worked in the early nineties to build our studio business, I largely left songwriting behind. I believed that I was being resolutely and laudably pragmatic. I had to do what people were willing to immediately pay me for (record and produce their songs), and while I certainly enjoyed receiving my royalty checks (or “mailbox money” as they call it in Nashville), I could not consider this a reliable source of income.

So I attempted to completely suppress my desire to be creative, convincing myself that it was not a viable activity. Perhaps this mind set came partially as a result of my upbringing, which stressed gaining a skill and getting a job. Creativity was seen as a self-indulgent and somewhat narcissistic activity at best.

Now of course, my work as an arranger and producer certainly involved, and continues to involve, a tremendous amount of creativity. No one could ever accuse Sir George Martin (who produced the Beatles, and many other artists…) of not being creative! But this was creativity applied towards enhancing the initial creations of others, a very different “animal,” so to speak. While I find vast satisfaction in this work, and believe it to be something I was meant to do, I have also begun to realize that if I don’t continue to create my own things, I run the risk of getting burnt out.

The desire within me to be creative, to come up with an idea and bring it to fruition, has never died, despite my half hearted efforts to kill it.

So as the story reached it climax with the emotional reunion of Euna Lee and Laura Ling and their loved ones, I spotted a “headline” that was running along the bottom of the screen:

Paula Abdul to leave “American Idol.”

I am the only person in America to find this juxtaposition of news stories somewhat disconcerting?

Big News!

Big News?

They mentor, they instruct, they warn of dangers and pitfalls.

They encourage, they motivate, they praise.

They may even rebuke and exhort when necessary.

They remain unthreatened by another’s improvement or success. Rather, they are spurred on to do even more themselves, not in an effort to outdo anyone, but rather to keep growing and remain vital and active.

All musicians are on “the continuum.”

There are those who are still close to the starting point. Perhaps they have learned a few guitar chords, or taken a piano lesson or two.

Then there are some who have moved a bit to the right, a little further along the continuum. They have learned to play their instrument with a touch more ease and fluency, and have tried writing a few songs.

There are those who are farther down the line. We might even call them “professionals”. They have written countless songs, played innumerable gigs, made some decent money from their musical endeavors, perhaps have gained a little recognition along the way.

But here is the main question: are the professionals “better” than those who are less advanced, who are “farther to the left?”

No!

They are simply in a different place on the continuum.

I have always rejected the notion that one musician is “better” than another. This is one reason why I don’t like music “competitions.” (And no, I don’t like nor watch “American Idol!”)

Yes, it’s true that “natural” ability (i.e. talent) plays a part in determining one’s place on the continuum, but diligence, dedication, and hard work also go a long way in establishing one’s position.

That position on the continuum is not fixed. A good musician keeps moving to the right by continuing to grow through conscientious practice and study, and by finding motivation and inspiration from those who are “farther to the right.”

The continuum to which I refer is the one upon which all musicians are placed.

Sometimes a musician of modest attainments will be confronted with the substantial accomplishments and seemingly supernatural abilities of another musician, and find himself or herself becoming discouraged.

“I’m not very good, and this other guy is better,” becomes the dominant thought.

The problem is that we tend to think “vertically” in terms of “how good” a musician is. Supposedly, there are those perched on the highest levels that have the most talent, and those on the lower levels who are destined to toil in mediocrity.

It’s akin to the way we view differing levels of financial means. The rich are obviously on a “higher level” than the middle class and the outright poor.

I do not believe it works this way with musicians. I would encourage you to learn to think “horizontally”. We are all on a continuum. There is a “starting point” to the far left, where all musicians begin.

That’s the first thing keep in mind: ALL musicians start at that point.

No one is born automatically knowing how to sing, write songs, or play an instrument. There was a time for every musician when they picked up their instrument for the first time (or sat down at it if it was a piano!), or sang a song for the first time, or made their first attempt to create something musical.

More on this tomorrow.

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.