Just came out of a Alabama Shakes show at the 2012 SXSW.
Only loving their grovin’ hit “Hold On” when I went in, I am more of a believer now. Brittany Howard called upon the ghosts Austin’s 1968 dicovery Janis with her bluesy and soulful 12/8 ballad wailing and cries. Watch for her real reality show on tour making everyone a believer.
Being real is more powerful then posing as pieces of your hero’s journeys. When you find your own, it hits people to their core as I witnessed today.
Pat Metheny came to Rollins College in Orlando this week for 3 different events.
It kicked off with an interview by the Wall Street Journal music writer and author Terry Teachout.
They covered his over 40 music career and Pat’s musings on all things music.
Below are some of his quotes with a few additions of my own,
The events also included a masters class and a concert on the final night.
Q. What do you think about when you improvise?
A. You do not think about the process or the mechanics of writing when you write words. It can be the same when speaking through your instrument. Improvising is like communicating with who you are speaking with (the other musicians) and also reaching any other listener (the audience).
Q. What does the word jazz mean to you?
A. It is all just music. Not putting labels on music can open the pallet to fresh ways of listening.
Music it a scripture that is unique to each of us. It can reach beyond anything anyone can describe. As soon as you do, it gets lost beyond your capture point.
My final thoughts:
I came away humbled and inspired by Pat’s talent, honesty, and humanity. We are all students and never stop learning The deeper you go the more the sea looks vast and never ending.
Inspiration can come from any form of media. Or it can present itself in a current event, watching other creative people, a desire to change a wrong, or just from a muse.
My newest Inspiration came from my recent trip to Art Basil Miami, a week long event in Miami every December that showcases modern artists works from all over the world. From the million dollar cutting edge modern works and the famous Miro and Keith Herring pieces in the Miami convention center, to the many smaller gallery shows in every available space throughout Miami, there was Inspiration everywhere to draw upon.
What is your Inspiration?
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It might sound obvious but when deciding between vocal takes or if an instrument should be added to an arrangement, go with your gut. It does not lie to you unless you want it to.
Sometimes you really want your gut to lie to you.
Sometimes you have to be less then harsh to spare the feelings of a delicate artist.
But most of the time, lead with your gut and head down the path that feels the truest.
My body is an indicator of what I am feeling. If I start bending my back when a singer is trying to hit a high note, my body is instinctually trying to bend the note as a guitar player would when reaching for an emotional peak.
Trust your body. It knows what is good.
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/1128423
Whenever I get to a place where adding or changing small items do not help to bring out the best in a song, I tear it down and build from the foundation.
Leave the vocal and the most important instrument to convey the emotion of he song, then add parts one at a time that are really necessary and do not fight each other. Less parts mean each can be louder and have it’s own space.
Be ruthless and do not hold on to the past.
Five questions to ask an artist before you produce them:
1. What are your influences?
2. Who are your favorite current artists?
3. How do you see yourself as an artist?
4. How do you want to be seen as an artist?
5. What kind of music career do you want to have in the future?
Once these are answered honestly, the many decisions that must be made regarding song styles and choices, vocal delivery, and arrangements will be made with the end game in mind.
Inspired from an article by producer Cliff Magness
1. Surround yourself with talented people
2. Let them bring their A game and show their unique talents – it will make you look better
3. Come to a rehearsal, session, or production meeting confidant and well rehearsed
4. Pick the specialty that is unique to you and become known for that
5. Always aim for the highest production and performance level and allow your creative partners to do the same
I went to see two concerts in the last few weeks.
The Decemberests at Hard Rock Live put on an amazing recreation of their latest 45 minute rock opera. Straight through with no breaks or talking between songs, each of the characters played their progressive rock parts and character vocals perfectly. Their devoted audience knew what to expect and they got it. Even when Colin Maloy’s guitar amp was making loud humming and buzzing sounds like a blown tube until the tech crew fixed it, it just made it more real and honest for us.
After a 30 minute break, their second set was just the opposite. It felt completely ‘off the cuff ‘. When they divided up the crowd for a three part sing along, or when the audience passed the drummer over their heads, they had their fans eating it up.
A great show and the audience walked away with more then they expected.
The other concert was Blues Traveler at a small club The House of Blues. They are a musicians Jam Band and they felt like they were playing for themselves with long extended solos. That would be fine except the groove was not there like at a Grateful Dead show. Without something to move your body to it became a cerebral experience. Their hit “Runaround” from 15 years ago was the highlight as it actually had a groove and a melody everyone sang along with.
I came to hear John Poppers great harmonica work, but with his constant riffing, it did not have the impact it should have had.
The future of the music business is authenticity, being able to play, being honest but most importantly pleasing your core audience.
Is there a such thing as bad music? What is good music? If we call good music good, is it because it is really good or is it because we have lost a reference point?
By definition, bad is substandard, poor, inferior, second-rate, second-class, unsatisfactory, inadequate, unacceptable. Does society set the standards or does the media force it on us?
Think of an example of music that you labeled as ‘bad’. Someone else could hear it while they in the middle of an amazing experience and upon hearing it again get reminded of that experience. To them, would it be called ‘good’ music even though society might agree it does not fit in their standards of quality.
Music put together with any visuals also could be hard to simply categorize as good and bad because the visuals entice our brain to react in a different way.
- Please post you thoughts.
