audiot

being a singer for about 16 years now i sure do know everything there is about ego and a really long time i thought that’s what music is about… so where’s the big deal because the vast majority of musicians think of it the same way.
well, they’re all wrong – it took years for me to figure that out, maybe my inner moron outweighs the ego, but now that i know i’d like you to avoid that mistake. although there is a certain amount of ego necessary to even dare climbing on a stage – call it self-confidence – and if you’re writing songs you need to put a little of yourself in there but that’s about it. as soon as you’re playing – be it in the studio, on stage or even during rehearsals – get rid of the ego. period. as soon as you’re making music, it’s all about the music. it’s all about the song, the moment and being in the moment for that matter. it’s about the picture and not just your single colour. who cares about a freaking guitar solo? just the guy who plays it. a drum fill every few seconds – no matter how fast or fancy it might be – destroys everything the song could be… ok, i’m drifting off a bit. overplaying should get it’s own entry – and it will. back to the ego: for starters, try to make your next rehearsal all about your bandmates. listen to what the bassplayer does…….yes i know, but do it anyway and listen to the others too, one at a time. come to think of it, listening should get its own entry as well. if you really are interested in what they do, it will make you a better musician and it will make it a better song. i guess in a nutshell this lesson would be: it’s not about you.
to be continued…….

listening to Billy Ward’s “Two Hands Clapping” right now makes me write this entry. it’s not easy to describe this album and i hope Billy forgives me if i’m babbling around…
first of all, Billy Ward is a session drummer from New York – he played with Joan Osborne, Bill Champlin, The Knack, B.B. King and many others. you can find out about him on his website. there’s a discussion forum with a bunch of very nice people, mostly drummers, but still an interesting place…
the album was recorded in 1998 and produced by himself. it’s in HDCD-format, meaning you can play it in every cd-player but if you happen to have an HDCD-player you get more depth.
interesting about the record is the way the 10 songs were played. All are live-duets without any rehearsals or overdubs – this is all real. And the musicians among us know what that means… i’m not going into describing each track because i don’t want to spoil anything. the guests are: Joy Askew, Jim Beard, Bill Champlin, John Patitucci, Glen Phillips and Chris Whitley. So here is a true listening experience, a collection of moments in which great musician did what every musician should do: just play!
this album is a one-of-a-kind-thing, check it out here

p.s. although i’m proud to call Billy a dear friend, i’m not getting paid for this ad-like entry nor am i getting threatened in any way… it truly is one of the best albums i’ve ever heard.

a few days ago i saw an interesting discussion about the value of music and it’s got me thinking alot. actually it was more an idea regarding some kind of second hand market for ‘used’ songs but the thoughts that came to my mind where more like what music is about and how will the future of music look like. i’m not talking about genres or styles but new medias aka possibilities and ways to get to the consumer. now, i wouldn’t be an audiot if i were able to present or even collect my thoughts in an organised way. They just pop out randomly and it’s kind of hard to really think of something specificly. so i rather lay it all out in front of me (for example through this blog…) to get a somewhat clear picture, a map showing where the mind wants to go.
first, there’s a thought about custom music (ahuh). now what could that be? maybe the listener defines what he/she wants to hear and the artist provides that. think of this as some kind of soundtrack for the consumer. the artist gets a description about the person, character, job, hobbies etc. and creates the music for and around it. like a movie without the movie – ok, maybe that’s not the best example. this idea sounds a little strange at first but thinking more about it….why not? john smith gets his own theme with some variations to fit different situations and moods he’s in. Could this work? and would it be possible for an artist to do that because it’s without doubt quite a challenge. on the other side, how much would that cost? it is custom-made alright but you can’t charge thousands of euros (is that dollar still existing?) for obvious reasons. working on a john-smith-album and selling only one copy would not be possible either……
hmmmmm, maybe let this sink in a little and see what happens

this blog will begin shortly. i’m just making some final adjustments…

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