Local music award shows and Battle of the bands are dumb!

Hopefully, this title got you to look. We don't really think the idea of either is dumb but as is the case in a lot of this life, people act dumb in regard to these ideas. At every battle of the bands, we have been a part of there is always some negative talk from other musicians. Either about the other performers or how the contest was decided. Musicians are a sensitive and jealous bunch. It is difficult to find any player or even close scene supporter who isn't totally jaded and opinionated about music. Musicians are constantly complaining about famous artists and stars who are not talented or used something other than talent to get where they are in the public eye and even to peers in their own music community. This also applies to local music award shows and battle of the bands and therein the dumb part. Live music scenes around the world are competing for the disposable dollar of consumers against movies, restaurants, malls, video games and the internet. Now, one can watch a video, stream or flat out take music and other medias at no cost to them. The best way to support a music scene has always been, from the inside out. Musicians supporting other musicians. Followings happen in only one way. Someone, tells someone else. The general public usually sees a band on friends tip. That tip, initially is a musician asking friends to come see them perform and hopefully, word spreads. It makes sense then that musicians would tout the talents of their peers. Go see other artists perform and get friends and fans to become their friends and fans. Our opinion is that ANY support of local and underground music, should be supported not thwarted. And, like your momma said: You don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. As always, we welcome your feedback on this or any topic

No disclaimers!

Imagine going to a steak house. You order the food the way you like and you are ready to enjoy the experience. When the waiter comes back, he says "The peas are mooshed, the potatoes taste like wood and the steak is way over cooked. Enjoy!"

How excited do you think you'll be to dig into this meal? Probably not at all, but disclaimers seem to be the norm in the music business rather than the exception. I cant begin to count how many times someone has handed me a demo only to disclaim that - The drums weren't tuned right, the guitar amp was messed up or the singer had a cold. Or Ive got a demo that just wasn't ready. The meter was off the mix was not good or the songs had not been fleshed out all the way.

What I would really like to hear is - "Take this demo, its going to rock your frickin world", or "This is the best thing ever". Am I going to be skeptical? Perhaps, but chances are that I will take a listen.

Recently a band asked me to listen to a demo and give them an honest critique. The short version of my answer was, to start over. Primarily the drums were having a meter issue and this was a metal band. One thing about metal, you want it to be precise. After some debate the band took my advice and re-tracked the drums. They are much happier with the overall product, now.

Music is your creation and you want to make it the absolute best it can be. That means no shortcuts. If you put out inferior product and no one buys it, you will make excuses forever. Take the time to do it right and it will pay off. Worst case scenario if no one buys it you still have work to be proud of, with no disclaimers.

As always, we welcome your feedback on this or any topic

Influence and role models

Merriam Webster says that influence is the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways.

My influences as a musician are as far flung as they could possibly be. Id like to think I love all genres of music. I believe there is good and bad music in all types. You can be your own judge on good vs bad.

Early on, I loved the look and sound of KISS and strived to learn all their songs and get down some stage presence from seeing them on TV. Very soon after, I came under the influence of Black Sabbath, of which I still cant escape from. Their ability to make all things heavy and ominious still chills me.

I think its very important to have influences in your music that shine through. All music is the combination of your influence and role models.

A role model is a person whose behavior in a particular role is imitated by others

My friend, Terry wrote something on his myspace page where he said some nice things about me being an influence on him. At the time, I thanked him in a blog, which I promptly posted. Since then Ive done a lot of thinking on the subject of influence and being a role model in music and in life.

My father passed away when I was very young and I spent a good deal of time like many young men rebelling against authority, convinced that I knew everything. During my teen years, with my mother raising her family alone I didnt have many male role models.

I was interested in being in a band and although I had one with my friends, I joined a summer school music education program called Stairway To Stardom, produced by Skips Music in Sacramento, California where you are matched up with a band and an adult music professional as your coach. My two coaches, Larry Schiavone and Larry Gosch were huge influences on how to conduct band practices to be efficient, how to work songs within the parameters of players and their ability.

I was also hugely influenced by Steve Wall, Michael Rowe and Michael Gregory, three monster guitarist/songwriters from Sacramento who I loved to watch play and be inspired to be great. I also learned some huge lessons by talking to singer/songwriter Brent Bourgeois. Although my exposure to these people was limited to picking their brain or the occasional guitar lesson Id like to think I learned a lot about conducting myself as a man as well.

Three years later, I became the first Stairway To Stardom student to become a coach. Over the years I tried to be an influence musically, drawing from my own and a role model to the younger musicians. The last year I coached in 2005 I came into contact with four young musicians who, despite their ages, would introduce me into a whole new world of influencing and role modeling. The aforementioned Terry, Stephen, Thomas and Dalton. At the end of the program, Stephen, Thomas and Dalton approached me about continuing to work with them to become a band called STD.

I see in them the curiosity and desire to learn about music, the music business and life that I had at their age and still have at mine. I think this is what makes the group so good.

I feel it is our responsibility to share with other musicians and non musicians the sum of our influence when we play and perform. It is also our duty to be good role models as musicians and humans to continue the tradition for generations to come.

As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback

Spontenaity, within parameters

Spontaneity - implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness. Spontaneity within parameters is often called improv, or improvising. Merriam Webster describes improvising as to make or fabricate out of what is conveniently on hand.

Here are some tips for spontaneity with parameters for melody ideas.

If you have a program such as Garageband, Cakewalk, Reason or any other loop based program, set up a some chords or riff that you have in mind to work with. If you don't use a computer/software to write then get a friend or your group to play the riff or chord changes.

Get a different instrument to use for your improv. This idea will work best if its a totally different instrument than the one you use primarily. I can play bass, drums, keyboards and sing but guitar was my first and still greatest love to play. Grab a microphone and scat sing guitar solos instead of playing them. Now, if you have one of the programs listed earlier you can record this. Now you have a challenge of playing on (guitar for example) what you sang. Conversely, when searching for a melody idea on vocals I will play guitar over the section throwing down solos and having fun but it also shows me what notes are available to pick from working within the parameters given (the riff or chords). Once I have that, Ill settle down and play fewer notes since most vocal melodies are not as many as a solo.

In future installments we will discuss getting ideas down quickly or how not to miss the greatest riff or song of your life.

As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback

Playing Covers

There seems to be a growing trend of young musicians, interested in pursuing their own music that are excluding the learning and performing of cover songs.

According to the Wikipedia entry, a cover song is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded, commercially released song. Most musicians learn existing material to help them get a better understanding of their instrument and for the enjoyment that learning brings them.

When I was growing up in my local (Sacramento, CA) scene you really couldnt get on the "good" gigs unless you played covers and played your original songs intermittently. The goal of course, is to keep people on the floor moving around, dancing, watching and what have you. That way they get thirsty and drink more booze, which makes more money for the club and gets you more bookings.

For the new scene bands, we still think this is a really good idea especially at the beginning of your career and heres why. As mentioned, the covers will get people up close, dancing or what not. Then you can sprinkle your originals into the set and see if the people stay through them. Its a good indicator of if the song is decent.

It also enables you as a band to really take your time and craft your songs to the best that they can be. You wont have to worry about filling up your set with songs that arent ready or re work those songs, as much any way.

Before anyone boo boos the idea of playing a cover understand we are not advocating everyone turn into an ALL cover band, but that bands might consider incorporating covers into their set. At least one or two. Please keep in mind that The Beatles are the most successful band of all time, selling between 600 million and one billion records, also played more covers that any other group. So, if its not beneath The Beatles, its not beneath you.

For anyone still not convinced, or just for fun, here are some famous covers

Piece Of My Heart originally recorded by by Erma Franklin - Covered (and made famous by) Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company Also covered by Sammy Hagar and many others

These Boots Are Made For Walkin first recorded by Nancy Sinatra. Has been covered by Jessica Simpson and by Megadeth and more

Megadeth also covered I Aint Superstitious, a song by bluesman Willie Dixon and first recorded with Howlin' Wolf in 1961 and has been covered by numerous artists.

Metallica released Garage Days Re-Revisited, a full album of covers in 1987 and then Garage Inc. released in 1998

Black Sabbath started out in 1968, playing by Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer, and Cream, as well as lengthy improvised blues jams. Here is a You Tube video of the band playing the classic Blue Suede Shoes.

Slayer released an album of punk covers, called Undisputed Attitude in 1996

As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback