“It’s not the world’s fault you want to be an artist, now shut up and get back to work.”
First of all, watch this……
Creativity. If you haven’t noticed, it’s a subject I’m very interested in. I love this video with Elizabeth Gilbert. I read her book, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ several months agao and found it not only an enjoyable read, but it made a difference for me as well. Obviously I’m not alone in this as millions of people have read it. The book not only had me dreaming of world travel, but it did get me back doing some regular meditation for awhile and I found myself intrigued by the whole idea and writing style of the book.
So, it was extra cool to run across this video. I posted it on my Facebook page right after I watched it and some great responses. Beyond being a strong reminder for me to get on with it and do my work, I love the way Ms. Gilbert languages and thinks about creativity. In the first half of her talk, she talks about being afraid of the work and the mental health and well being of artists. The being afraid part really resonates with me. Who hasn’t been afraid that what they’re creating won’t be well received? I’ve had times where it was much easier to concentrate on getting more paying work or cleaning the house than to write a song or even a little old blog post.
And the whole suffering artist thing! I hate that. That kind of thinking has been screwing things up forever and gives a lot of artists a great cop out on success. But I never really looked at what the source of it might be. I find Ms. Gilbert’s explanation as plausible as anything else and it feels good to think that you can change the way you look at your own creative power.
As a coach I do a lot of work with people around their creativity. One of the biggest points of Ms. Gilbert’s talk is the age old idea that our creativity is more of a conduit than some magical ability that come soley from the individual. That when you are in the creative “flow” you are receiving information from the universe, the divine, the source, God, or “Genius” as the Romans put it. Not only does that take the pressure off of the modern day tortured artist, but isn’t that state something that anyone would want to be in. To be in the creative flow of life?
To put it in energetic terms, when you are in the creative flow you are in the energy of abundance. You are connected to the source of abundance. So the more you are in that energy, the more you will attract things in your life that line up with it. So rather than spending time trying to figure out how to get wherever it is you want to go, create! Whether it’s a fine meal, a song, a picture, a job, a relationship, a clean house, you can create it. Creativity knows no limits. So create, create, create!
originally posted at http://www.bassplayersclub.com
this is kind of a random musing from the van. part of an ongoing series about the “glamour” of the road……
It’s noon and I’ve been in the Van for just about two hours. I stayed up a little too late with my friend Jimmy Davis and probably had one more beer than was really necessary. Up at 8:30, which I don’t do when I’m home, and up from the couch I slept on at G’s house. A trip to the Starbucks for an iced tea, I’m off the glorious coffee bean for awhile due to over productive stomach acid tearing up my esophagus and making it very difficult to eat, (feeling really old as I write this) and a 20 minute wait at the customer service counter at Walmart to return the sunglass clip-ons that I bought that were the wrong size for my glasses.
Need to hurry up and meet the van, get loaded up and go. Now we’ll spend the rest of the day and into the night driving. We have no “routing gig” on the way to New Mexico this time. No show to pass the time and put gas in the van. Just the road for 14 hours or so. Then we get to play 3 shows in New Mexico. It’s the first time we’ve played any of these venues so the money’s not so good and we have no idea if there’ll be anyone there or not. Hopefully, it being summer and all, we’ll have good crowds and sell enough t-shirts to make a little extra cash.
Now don’t mistake me, I love to play music. I wouldn’t be in this van at all if I didn’t. And if I’m going to travel in a van with a bunch of guys, this bunch of guys are it. For the hour to hour and a half we get to do our thing on show days it will be pure pleasure. If the stars align and we find our footing in might even be existential. It’s the other 22 and a half hours a day that people don’t talk about much.
When we were younger we could just drink all day to pass the time. But I don’t recover like I used to and the older I get the more I long to be at least somewhat productive as I hurl myself across the country. Especially if I’m not driving. (hence the blog post) And I really do want to play well tomorrow and through the weekend and I won’t if I get plowed on beer all day long.
So we ride. And ride. Small towns fly by. I know what I can get in any roadside convenience store. I look forward to the stops to stretch my legs. An I wait. Wait to arrive, wait to play, wait to sleep, wait to go again, to arrive to play to sleep and I wait for home…..
p.s. after a long drive, we had a GREAT time in NM. The shows were great, the people were great, we made the spirits move…
My first day of singing in the studio for the new record was rough. The human voice is such an interesting thing. There are times when I can sing anything. (or at least it feels that way) And then times when singing feels like peddling a beach cruiser up mount everest.
When I’ve coached singers I talk about things like drinking water and getting plenty of sleep, but I’m realizing that for me as I age, I need to keep the muscle active. Sometimes not singing for awhile can be a good rest, but let it go on too long and the muscle loses strength.
We had a short day that first day of singing. I got one song done, but totally ran out of gas on the next one. I couldn’t even get some of the notes out. I felt beat up afterwards.
Then I was off to a gig at Schriner College in Kerrville with Walt and Johnny. That’s always a good thing and I remember this particular show as being very fun when we did it last year. They do an open mic before and after the main set and as I heard the poetry and songs of the students that night I started to settle down a bit.
We played a good set. We hadn’t done the three acoustic guitars set in awhile, but it felt good. Walt asked me to sing something from the new record. You can imagine that after my less than satisfying studio experience that day I was apprehensive. But, hey it’s a gig. So I performed “Next Time”. John and Walt sang along beautifully and I was redeemed.
So, while I didn’t enjoy getting kind of stuck in the studio it did help me refocus. I’m a singer. All I need to do is act like one.
Hey I found the Schriner College performance on youtube. Here you go:
I’m very excited to announce that recording has begun on my new record. Yeah I know I still say record. I guess I show my age a bit. I spent 3 days starting on Labor Day at Moonhouse Studio in south Austin with Chris Gage (producer, engineer), Glen Fukunaga (bass), and fellow Mystiquero Ray Rodriguez on the drums.
Chris and I have been talking for years about making a record together. I learned the hard way that even though I have had some success producing records for other people, it doesn’t work for me to produce myself. I can’t get far enough away form the music to be properly objective. Chris is a great friend and I usually describe him as the best musician I know. His list of credits is almost as impressive as his playing. He’ll be lending his talents as a player and singer to the project as well, but most importantly he knows me very well. He knows better than I do what I can do and is making sure that I perform up to the level that I’m able.
I had never worked with Glen before but have seen him play numerous times with Joe Ely and Eliza Gilkyson among many others. Glen is pure magic. As some of you know I play bass quite a bit myself, but Glen’s ability to capture the right feel for a song in the studio is unparalleled. And he’s a great person to boot. Really fun to be around.
What can I say about Ray? I love this guy. He and I have been the rhythm section for Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros for over 2 years now. We’ve logged a lot of miles. Traveled the world. He’s like a brother to me and I never have to worry about what he’s going to play. He’s always right on.
We finished basic tracks, drums & bass, and I’ve begun recording some of my final acoustic guitar tracks for 11 songs. I’ll be recording one more song without the rhythm section. I’ll be back in the studio on Tuesday to record more guitars and Chris and I will be working whenever our schedules permit over the next several weeks to finish up the project.
I put together a short video below that shows some of the action from those first sessions to the tune of a great Sam Cooke song.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported me financially and helped me get this far with the project.
I’ll keep you posted on how things progress from here. Enjoy the video!
Last Monday and Tuesday I spent several hours with my amazing, talented and compassionate producer Chris Gage. We went through all the songs I have that might be good for my new record. I already knew I had a few winners. Songs like “The Next Time”, a crowd favorite and the most likely title track, were a no brainer. I found a couple of new / old things as well.
All in all I found the experience of going through my songs VERY confronting. I got positively freaked out thinking about not having enough songs for the project. I have to send a big thank you to Chris for being so great with me. I haven’t been “The Artist” on a project in quite some time. I’ve either been producing, engineering or with my fellow Mystiqueros. I forgot how scary it can be to open your heart and the heart of your songs fro public inspection.
So, now I have good homework to do. Writing, rewriting and collecting more songs for what will be an amazing new musical journey. I’ve also been gathering financial support from family, friends and fans. If you haven’t been to my pre-order page, you can check it out here:
Thanks for all the great support so far and a big thank you to Chris Gage for his unfailing belief in me.
Ok, many of you probably know this already, but Joss Stone …. Wow!! I had quite a bit of road time this week and I grabbed some of Julie’s CD’s on my way out the door. One of them was Joss Stone’s first record. From what I gather she was in the neighborhood of 16 when the album came out. I’ve heard her on the radio a bit and certainly heard her name, but as usual it has taken me awhile to actually sit down and listen to a whole record. I not going to write a record review here. I’m sure there are some great reviews of that record already. What I was struck with was the authenticity in Joss Stone’s voice.
As a singer and a coach of singers, the one thing I’m always looking for is honesty. Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether a person has an incredible singing voice or not. Bob Dylan is a classic example. Best singer? Maybe not, but I believe every word he sings and that makes him a great singer. So many young singers out there are trying to sound like some version of some singer in their heads and not finding the voice that is theirs. Their true voice. Or they are blessed with a great instrument and can’t stop singing long enough to say something. Tell me something true. That’s all I ask.
Listening to Joss’s CD in the car I was reminded again that what makes a singer truly great is if they can find their true voice and let you hear it. If they can express themselves fully. Say something. It’s what makes it all work.
I’ve been performing in front of audiences for 31 years. I remember seeing a performance of our school chorus half way through 5th grade. They did a Beach Boys song. I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of that. I sang my first solo in front of an audience during our end of semester choral show that year. I sang “Where Is Love” from the show “Oliver”. I’d never felt anything like that before. It was amazing.
I’ve spent the majority of my life learning how to perform, write and record music. It’s been and still is a gas for the most part. But, I’ve also made a living as a musician. And sooner or later the question of value always arises. What is the value of my skills, my experience, my talent, my voice as an artist? In a world of failed record companies, digital downloads and American Idol it can be a hard question to answer.
Much of my experience comes from playing in nightclubs and bars where the primary goal, from the venue’s point of view, is how much alcohol they can sell. It’s about volume. It doesn’t really matter whether the performer is of a high caliber. What matters most is sales. How many people in the door and how much beer sold. This “volume” model is pervasive in the music industry at large. For the major record labels that still exists it’s always about big numbers. Even at the mid level of touring around Texas, most booking agents run the same bands through the same clubs for the lowest amount of money they can get away with. It’s not about creating an experience. It’s about volume. More bands, more shows = more money.
So what is the value? I meet a lot of very dedicated music fans while traveling with my band the Mystiqueros. People who are moved by music. People who get in touch with how amazing this life really is when they hear music. I know there are people out there who greatly value music and the people who create and perform it. So now the question becomes:
How do we reflect that value in the business itself?
How do we create a music business that honors the value of an authentic and moving artistic expression?
originally posted 5/19/08…. Neil Diamond: “Performing is the easiest part of what I do, and songwriting is the hardest.”
I saw Neil Diamond on American Idol recently. Yes I watch american Idol. I like to see if the judges and I agree. I find I agree with Simon a lot. I read this quote today and it really struck me. I’ve performed a lot in the last several years and written less than ever. Performing is an art in itself which I can and will go on about, but sometimes I get out of the habit of songwriting. Why is it that the things we love the most, that can give us joy, that express some wonderful piece of us, are so easy to not do?
Sometimes writing does feel hard, but that’s just the noise in my head. It’s that noise that gets in the way of the words. I’ll be recording a new record in July, so I’m thinking about writing right now. I’ve been going through old songs. Both finished and not. Looking for gold. I found a thing or 2. I’ll be creating a few demos in the coming weeks and I’ll post something. And I’ll be writing.
Speaking of posts, if you go to www.hi-iqmusic.com you’ll find 2 live performances from my studio in Austin. we’ll be launching more fun stuff on hi-iq soon, so stay tuned for that. One of the songs here is “Houston” which I wrote several years ago in Nashville. The other is “18 Days of Rain” written by Liz rose and my good friend and Walt Wilkins. I’ve been proudly sharing stages with Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros for 2 years now and when it comes to the art of songwriting, Walt is up there with the best.
So, what’s the point? Well, I think agree with Neil. At least today. I guess It makes me feel better that Neil has to work at it too. And now it’s time to get to work. I’ll share whatever songs and insights come along the way. And I’ll think of Neil Diamond on American Idol. A lifetime. A legacy of music. He was poised. Peaceful and gracious. I can only hope to be that cool one day.
