I'm documenting the process of making my 2nd album -- this is part 2:
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Perspective
It's been about a year since I finished my first (and only) solo record, and I've experienced a lot since then. I've done a lot of things, been a lot of places, met a lot of people, heard a lot of music, seen a lot of movies, and breathed a lot of air. Now I'm starting to think about a second record, which to me means that I've started working on it.
I've got one new song that I wrote recently, and several little ideas for others, so I'm definitely at the beginning stages as far as writing is concerned. However, I'm finding myself contemplating a thought that I've experienced many times before, so in some ways I feel like it's not really a beginning stage, but rather a continuation of where I've been into where I am that happens... well, daily.
Instead of calling this thing a thought, it's probably more accurate to call it a perspective, and that perspective is this: when creating or writing music (or any art for that matter), you are a part of a very unique viewpoint in that you will never experience what you are creating from a first-time listener's standpoint. This, simply, is because you are the one who created it, and you experienced every step of the process, no matter how long or short, simple or complicated, exciting or dull. No listener can have that perspective, just as you can not have theirs.
This may seem rather obvious, and maybe even matter-of-fact, but here's what intrigues me about it: what does Paul McCartney think of "Blackbird?" What does Led Zeppelin think of "Stairway to Heaven?" What does Jimi Hendrix think of "Purple Haze?" What does Pink Floyd think of "Dark Side of the Moon?" Mozart? Elvis? James Brown? Louis Armstrong? Kurt Cobain? Miles Davis? John Mayer?
When you create something that influences, moves, and affects so many people (like everyone in the previous paragraph, and many others, have done), do you view it or experience it on anywhere near the level that others do, or is it just "a little song I wrote?" And did any of these influential artists have any clue while they were writing that their creation would have that kind of impact?
I've read a little and watched a little about this subject, and in fact David Gilmore of Pink Floyd addresses it directly in the Classic Albums DVD on "Dark Side of the Moon." In the film, there is of course discussion about how popular and influential the album became (hence being part of the Classic Albums series), and when talking about it, Gilmore admits that he didn't get to experience it fresh, for the first time, in one complete listen-through. He was involved in creating it, so he doesn't know what it's like to hear it for the first time, and it makes me wonder... can he understand fully how much it affects other people?
It's strange to think about and analyze the writing process, wondering if there is any common thread amongst all those who have created largely popular and influential works. I prefer to keep the writing process as natural and organic as possible, but it's one of those things that pops up regularly: "Is this song I'm writing going to move people like 'Blackbird' did/does?" And for that matter: "Is it important that this song moves people like 'Blackbird' did/does?" "Does anyone ever intend while writing to move people to the degree that the final creation does?" I think the answers to those questions are: it will do what it needs to do, not necessarily, and probably not (respectively).
I find quite a bit of solace in the idea that most influential music (or other art) does not start with that as its desired goal. You write because you're compelled to, not because you know you're going to affect the entire world. You might hope that people are into what you're doing, but there's never any way of knowing what will or will not move people, and trying to predict that is a game you can't win. I like the thought of Paul McCartney saying "Yeah, 'Blackbird' was fun to write. I'm glad lots of people like it, but I would've written it even if they didn't."
It can be challenging to write without thinking about whether what you're writing is good or not, but I guess the conclusion here is: #1 write what you feel and are happy with, not what you think others will be happy with -- it's the only way to call the music yours; and #2 stop thinking about what others think and get back to writing.
So I'm going to try and keep that perspective while I embark on writing a second album. I'm going to write whatever comes out, and see if I can't say some things creatively with songs. Maybe some people will like it... maybe not... but that's not the point.
I've got one new song that I wrote recently, and several little ideas for others, so I'm definitely at the beginning stages as far as writing is concerned. However, I'm finding myself contemplating a thought that I've experienced many times before, so in some ways I feel like it's not really a beginning stage, but rather a continuation of where I've been into where I am that happens... well, daily.
Instead of calling this thing a thought, it's probably more accurate to call it a perspective, and that perspective is this: when creating or writing music (or any art for that matter), you are a part of a very unique viewpoint in that you will never experience what you are creating from a first-time listener's standpoint. This, simply, is because you are the one who created it, and you experienced every step of the process, no matter how long or short, simple or complicated, exciting or dull. No listener can have that perspective, just as you can not have theirs.
This may seem rather obvious, and maybe even matter-of-fact, but here's what intrigues me about it: what does Paul McCartney think of "Blackbird?" What does Led Zeppelin think of "Stairway to Heaven?" What does Jimi Hendrix think of "Purple Haze?" What does Pink Floyd think of "Dark Side of the Moon?" Mozart? Elvis? James Brown? Louis Armstrong? Kurt Cobain? Miles Davis? John Mayer?
When you create something that influences, moves, and affects so many people (like everyone in the previous paragraph, and many others, have done), do you view it or experience it on anywhere near the level that others do, or is it just "a little song I wrote?" And did any of these influential artists have any clue while they were writing that their creation would have that kind of impact?
I've read a little and watched a little about this subject, and in fact David Gilmore of Pink Floyd addresses it directly in the Classic Albums DVD on "Dark Side of the Moon." In the film, there is of course discussion about how popular and influential the album became (hence being part of the Classic Albums series), and when talking about it, Gilmore admits that he didn't get to experience it fresh, for the first time, in one complete listen-through. He was involved in creating it, so he doesn't know what it's like to hear it for the first time, and it makes me wonder... can he understand fully how much it affects other people?
It's strange to think about and analyze the writing process, wondering if there is any common thread amongst all those who have created largely popular and influential works. I prefer to keep the writing process as natural and organic as possible, but it's one of those things that pops up regularly: "Is this song I'm writing going to move people like 'Blackbird' did/does?" And for that matter: "Is it important that this song moves people like 'Blackbird' did/does?" "Does anyone ever intend while writing to move people to the degree that the final creation does?" I think the answers to those questions are: it will do what it needs to do, not necessarily, and probably not (respectively).
I find quite a bit of solace in the idea that most influential music (or other art) does not start with that as its desired goal. You write because you're compelled to, not because you know you're going to affect the entire world. You might hope that people are into what you're doing, but there's never any way of knowing what will or will not move people, and trying to predict that is a game you can't win. I like the thought of Paul McCartney saying "Yeah, 'Blackbird' was fun to write. I'm glad lots of people like it, but I would've written it even if they didn't."
It can be challenging to write without thinking about whether what you're writing is good or not, but I guess the conclusion here is: #1 write what you feel and are happy with, not what you think others will be happy with -- it's the only way to call the music yours; and #2 stop thinking about what others think and get back to writing.
So I'm going to try and keep that perspective while I embark on writing a second album. I'm going to write whatever comes out, and see if I can't say some things creatively with songs. Maybe some people will like it... maybe not... but that's not the point.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I've Been Blogged
Yeah, I do blogs, but I recently got blogged myself (is blogged a verb?).
MicControlBlog.com is a cool music blog dedicated to "unheard and unsigned" artists and bands. There has been a strong movement on the web towards this specialization, and Mic Control is one of the better examples. It's nice to see real people with a real passion for real music, and the wonderfully world wide web makes it possible for these people to share their thoughts and connect with others who share that passion.
I am happy to say that I am now a part of this hip blog with a recent post called: "Gary Melvin: An Artist Who Deserves Your Spare Time." Click on over to miccontrolblog.com to check out the post, and be sure to check back often to hear/read about more new music/bands/artists.
MicControlBlog.com is a cool music blog dedicated to "unheard and unsigned" artists and bands. There has been a strong movement on the web towards this specialization, and Mic Control is one of the better examples. It's nice to see real people with a real passion for real music, and the wonderfully world wide web makes it possible for these people to share their thoughts and connect with others who share that passion.
I am happy to say that I am now a part of this hip blog with a recent post called: "Gary Melvin: An Artist Who Deserves Your Spare Time." Click on over to miccontrolblog.com to check out the post, and be sure to check back often to hear/read about more new music/bands/artists.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Hotels
Every once in a while I find myself taking inventory on things that I've done in my life, and while finding myself in that place today, I noticed the stack of hotel keys I've been collecting over the past 6 months or so. I can't say why I've been collecting them as the reason is part of a secret operation known only by a few (it's not as cool as I tried to make that sound), but the point is... that stack of keys represents a whole lotta hotels I've stayed in across the country. In fact, if I had kept all the keys from all the hotels I'd stayed in since getting a road gig almost 3 years ago, that stack would be a whole lot bigger.
What it makes me think about is how grateful I am for all the places throughout this country (and abroad) that I've gotten to see. I grew up in a fairly small town, and didn't do much traveling except for the occasional 250 mile jaunt to visit grandma and grandpa. I "learned" about other places in school, but never really saw much of anything until I was 17, when I went to Boston for a summer to attend a 5 week program at the Berklee College of Music. Since then I've been all over this country, as well as Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Kwajalein, Guam, Korea, Japan, and out on the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico on a cruise ship.
I wasn't sure I wanted to write on this topic, because it can seem like I'm trying to sound fancy or looking to impress, but the real reason is that I've realized how incredibly important it is to see as much of this world as you can while you are able. I've learned a lot more than I'm sure I am aware of by going to these places, meeting and talking with people, going to restaurants and bars, seeing "the sights" (even when there isn't much to see), and getting an overall feeling for what life is like in these different areas. It's pretty easy to stay in your comfort bubble around your hometown, or wherever you establish yourself, and keep life to a short list of locations and situations that you deal with on the day-to-day level. But I'm growing more and more fond of the idea of living in multiple places for several years -- a year in New York, a year in Boston, a year in Chicago, a year in Austin, a year in Minneapolis, a year in Seattle, a year in Denver, a year in London, a year in Barcelona, a year in Paris, a year in Berlin... you get the idea. It sounds easier said than done, and that's probably very true, but there's so much life experience to be gained by doing this, even if the list ends up being a bit smaller.
I guess you could say that I have been bitten by the travelling bug, and now it's hard to imagine staying in one place right now. Actually... that's not right. It's too easy to imagine staying in one place, and I don't want to be that complacent. I find that if I don't give myself a kick in the ass every couple years, I start to develop too much of a routine -- I get lazy, get bored, and start to lose sight of all the amazing things that happen and can happen to us in life.
I'm very fortunate to be able to do a lot of traveling as a musician, and I look forward to broadening the scope of my travels as my musical journey sees fit, but the quick visits that these gigs allow still leave me with the romantic notion of living there for a bit. Guess I've got some work to do if I'm going to make that happen... sounds like fun.
Monday, November 3, 2008
New CDs
It's a very regular occurrence for me to go to Amoeba Records here in L.A. to buy new CDs. Yesterday I picked up four, and I've listened to two of them so far.
Why come no one has told me about this guy yet? Mark Ronson is (from what I've read) a DJ-turned-producer. "Here Comes the Fuzz" (2003) is not your typical DJ album. It's loaded with guest appearances from Nate Dogg to Aya to Rivers Cuomo to Anthony Hamilton to Nikka Costa. I went looking for this album in the "hip-hop" section, because... it's a hip-hop album. When it didn't exist there, I double-checked the magic-computer-look-up-machine at Amoeba, and sure enough... it's listed as a hip-hop album. But guess where I found it... Rock/Pop. After listening to it, it makes sense. There are rappers all over it, but it's got the flavor of a rock/pop record, so I guess we'll call it a crossover. Anyway, I'm not blown away by every track, but the album serves as proof that DJs are musicians too. The penultimate track for me is of course "Ooh Wee," and my pick for deep cut would have to be "She's Got Me," with a well-chosen sample of the Average White Band's "When Will You Be Mine" as the foundation of the track (?uestlove is behind the drum kit for that one). Another of the CDs I bought was Ronson's newest disc, "Version," which I haven't started listening to yet. Imma let "the fuzz" marinate for a bit first.
The other purchase I've listened to so far is Keane's recent release, "Perfect Symmetry." I've been a fan of Keane since hearing them on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" around 6 years ago, which was about the time that "Hopes and Fears" was gaining major steam in the U.S. I also own and dig their second release, "Under the Iron Sea." I'm not so sure about this new one -- I'm not making any firm judgements here, and I plan on listening to it more before I decide anything about it. I heard the single "Spiralling" before the record came out, and dug it, but after listening to the whole record one phrase comes to mind: 80's. Now that's not necessarily bad, I just found it overwhelming how much the synthesizer predominates the production of "Perfect Symmetry." And not just the synthesizer in general, but the application of certain kinds of synth sounds reminds me a lot of 80's music. Perhaps it was a conscious effort on Keane's part to do so. In fact, if it was, I'd say that's pretty hip, because they did it in a cool way and it works. It's sort-of an evolution of the 80's sounds which makes it a lot cooler than just a retro record. With that said, I was pretty distracted by the sounds, so I wasn't paying all that much attention to songwriting and melody (some of Keane's strong points), so I'll have to listen more for that in the next few spins.
Seeing as how the last time I bought CDs I was mostly disappointed with what I bought, I'm happy that this go-round was better. There will always be good music being made, and there will always be not-as-good music being made. It's fun looking for the good stuff.
Why come no one has told me about this guy yet? Mark Ronson is (from what I've read) a DJ-turned-producer. "Here Comes the Fuzz" (2003) is not your typical DJ album. It's loaded with guest appearances from Nate Dogg to Aya to Rivers Cuomo to Anthony Hamilton to Nikka Costa. I went looking for this album in the "hip-hop" section, because... it's a hip-hop album. When it didn't exist there, I double-checked the magic-computer-look-up-machine at Amoeba, and sure enough... it's listed as a hip-hop album. But guess where I found it... Rock/Pop. After listening to it, it makes sense. There are rappers all over it, but it's got the flavor of a rock/pop record, so I guess we'll call it a crossover. Anyway, I'm not blown away by every track, but the album serves as proof that DJs are musicians too. The penultimate track for me is of course "Ooh Wee," and my pick for deep cut would have to be "She's Got Me," with a well-chosen sample of the Average White Band's "When Will You Be Mine" as the foundation of the track (?uestlove is behind the drum kit for that one). Another of the CDs I bought was Ronson's newest disc, "Version," which I haven't started listening to yet. Imma let "the fuzz" marinate for a bit first.
The other purchase I've listened to so far is Keane's recent release, "Perfect Symmetry." I've been a fan of Keane since hearing them on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" around 6 years ago, which was about the time that "Hopes and Fears" was gaining major steam in the U.S. I also own and dig their second release, "Under the Iron Sea." I'm not so sure about this new one -- I'm not making any firm judgements here, and I plan on listening to it more before I decide anything about it. I heard the single "Spiralling" before the record came out, and dug it, but after listening to the whole record one phrase comes to mind: 80's. Now that's not necessarily bad, I just found it overwhelming how much the synthesizer predominates the production of "Perfect Symmetry." And not just the synthesizer in general, but the application of certain kinds of synth sounds reminds me a lot of 80's music. Perhaps it was a conscious effort on Keane's part to do so. In fact, if it was, I'd say that's pretty hip, because they did it in a cool way and it works. It's sort-of an evolution of the 80's sounds which makes it a lot cooler than just a retro record. With that said, I was pretty distracted by the sounds, so I wasn't paying all that much attention to songwriting and melody (some of Keane's strong points), so I'll have to listen more for that in the next few spins. Seeing as how the last time I bought CDs I was mostly disappointed with what I bought, I'm happy that this go-round was better. There will always be good music being made, and there will always be not-as-good music being made. It's fun looking for the good stuff.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Hello, there...
Wow... I'm here. When the whole concept of blogging came into being and made its way to my eyes and ears, I never thought that I would find myself taking part. But then again, when I was 12 in the backseat on vacation to visit my grandparents in Altadena, I told myself that I hated L.A. and would never live there. I've been living in L.A. for 6 years now, so go figure.
But why the hell am I here? Aside from a recommendation from my good friend Cameron Mizell, I've experienced a realization or 3 as of late. The first of which is a realization that what I've been so passionate about since I was 13 is in fact the reason why I am here -- it's what I'm here to do: make music. Following shortly after that was an understanding of what that means, and fortunately it didn't scare me. If it scared me, I would know that my realization was false. Instead I felt very, very alive. After realizing this connection between my life and music, I began to notice things in everyday life that confirmed (and continue to do so) my gut feelings.
I believe we are living in a very exciting time (realization #3). Yeah, I know, Iraq is a drag, the economy is in a nose dive, the planet is pissed off at us, and it's getting harder and harder to trust the people who are running things... but where many see crisis and ruin, I see the potential for change. There is a lot of negativity and negative people around, but I also see a growing percentage of positivity and positive people. I'm not talking about naive, blind-happy type people. I'm talking about people who understand that every situation, event, choice and action is subject to perception. We can choose to be reactive, or we can choose to be proactive, and I see more and more people who want to move towards being proactive. Maybe they don't know how, but the will is there. And where there's a will... hell yeah, there's a way.
So what does this have to do with why I'm here? Because I believe we are all part of the "way." Music inspires me -- makes me feel alive. And when I make music for others, I see/hear/feel the inspiration they are receiving from me. It's not up to me to decide how they are inspired, or what they do with that inspiration -- that's up to them alone. But I do know this: belief + inspiration + action = evolution. I'm here to live music, and this passion drives me to put my music into the ears of the willing. So this blog will be a sounding board for me along this journey, as well as a way to connect with others who have similar feelings/beliefs/inclinations. Somehow I know that's why I'm here... isn't that exciting?
But why the hell am I here? Aside from a recommendation from my good friend Cameron Mizell, I've experienced a realization or 3 as of late. The first of which is a realization that what I've been so passionate about since I was 13 is in fact the reason why I am here -- it's what I'm here to do: make music. Following shortly after that was an understanding of what that means, and fortunately it didn't scare me. If it scared me, I would know that my realization was false. Instead I felt very, very alive. After realizing this connection between my life and music, I began to notice things in everyday life that confirmed (and continue to do so) my gut feelings.
I believe we are living in a very exciting time (realization #3). Yeah, I know, Iraq is a drag, the economy is in a nose dive, the planet is pissed off at us, and it's getting harder and harder to trust the people who are running things... but where many see crisis and ruin, I see the potential for change. There is a lot of negativity and negative people around, but I also see a growing percentage of positivity and positive people. I'm not talking about naive, blind-happy type people. I'm talking about people who understand that every situation, event, choice and action is subject to perception. We can choose to be reactive, or we can choose to be proactive, and I see more and more people who want to move towards being proactive. Maybe they don't know how, but the will is there. And where there's a will... hell yeah, there's a way.
So what does this have to do with why I'm here? Because I believe we are all part of the "way." Music inspires me -- makes me feel alive. And when I make music for others, I see/hear/feel the inspiration they are receiving from me. It's not up to me to decide how they are inspired, or what they do with that inspiration -- that's up to them alone. But I do know this: belief + inspiration + action = evolution. I'm here to live music, and this passion drives me to put my music into the ears of the willing. So this blog will be a sounding board for me along this journey, as well as a way to connect with others who have similar feelings/beliefs/inclinations. Somehow I know that's why I'm here... isn't that exciting?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
