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How’s the Band?

It's more than that, but I appreciate you asking!

This past weekend I had a few people ask me how the band was doing. I guess to most people, that's what I'm doing. I suppose it's only natural to assume music=band, especially since that's what the focus of music has been for me for the past few years, and what people have seen of it so far. Don't get me wrong, I love this band, I really do, both on a personal and a musical level, but it's only part of what my new life as a musician and songwriter is right now. If the band becomes a big enough thing that I spend the majority of my time on it, that would be great, but in reality, I don't expect it to become much bigger than it is now, because of everyone's day jobs, mortgages, etc. So, I will occupy my time with other musical pursuits and see what comes of all of this.

Speaking of other pursuits, when Keri came by last week, she left me some lyrics for some songs she's working on. I've begun completing lyrics to one as well as tweaking some of the words she already had in that one. It's more fun stuff! I also need to finish that first song for my sister, but I'm doing a little more research on melody writing before I do.

Mon, 2008 05 12 at 12:07 PM |Permalink for this entry

Songwriter’s Evening with Keri

Last night, Keri Richardson came over so we could work on some songs together. It’s good to get the input of others, as they may have strengths where you don’t, other perspectives, etc. Unfortunately, there is a part of me that wants to do it all by myself right now. I think it’s mostly because I’m still trying to build my skills in a few different areas. If I let other people help me, then I have to be careful I don’t let those areas slide. It’s really nothing against them, in fact I’m probably envious of what they can do, but I need to make sure I push myself to become a more complete songwriter.

That being said, I think we had a fairly productive evening for the first time really working together. She helped me quite a bit with the first song I’m doing with my sister, especially in the bridge. Her melody for the bridge lyric completely blew away what little I had, so we’re going with that! We also talked about some ideas for some of her songs where she feels unhappy with them or that they’re not complete.

Generally speaking, it was cool just hanging out with another songwriter and talking about how we each go about what we do, where ideas come from, what inspires us, etc. Not everyone knows what it is that makes a songwriter (I certainly don’t! 😉) so it’s cool to find a sympathetic ear that understands what you’re talking about. Most of the time, I’m alone when I’m working on songs, so this is equivalent to talking shop with a coworker. I hope to do it a lot more, both with her as well as others who are just as cool about it.

Thu, 2008 05 08 at 12:03 PM |Permalink for this entry

Opening Acts

Getting there early is half the fun

There seems to be some people who for whatever reason skip out on the opening act and show up for just the headliner. My experience has been that checking out the opener is something I'm more than happy to do. I've found out about some of my favorite bands because they opened for other bands I went to see. Back in the 80s, I first saw John Hiatt and Joe Ely when they each opened for Little Feat. In fact, Joe Ely had David Grissom in his band at the time, and Grissom has since been one of my favorite guitar players.

In the 90s, it was Storyville who introduced us to Breedlove, Vallejo, Beth Black, and probably a few others. (Ironically, I came to Storyville from an ad in Musician magazine that highlighted the fact that the Double Trouble rhythm section of Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton were on the album. I only found out about Grissom's contribution later.)

Thursday night we went to see Gov't Mule. These guys are one of my favorite bands. But, opening for them was Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I checked out a little of their stuff before we went and thought, "this could be good." I was wrong. They were incredible. She came out for her first song and started it off a capella. It takes some serious balls to do that, and the commensurate talent to back it up. She had both, in spades, and had the crowd in her hand the rest of the show, deservedly so. It did not hurt that she played great keyboards, guitar, and is fairly pretty as well. When she came out to join Mule for a song during their set, the crowd went nuts. I hope we can catch her again, she and her band are a killer live act.

Yeah, I'm going to keep getting there early for the opening act. Some have been duds, but the excellent bands I've seen have more than made up for those.

Sat, 2008 05 03 at 5:21 AM |Permalink for this entry

Here Goes

I've spent a part of today (finally) writing some music for lyrics my sister sent me. I've noticed some interesting things happening. For one, I have pitch, sort of. I'm singing her lyrics along with the chord progression, and hitting some notes and recognizing them. I'm not much of a singer, so it's good that it's not just the rhythm of the lyrics going with the music.

At first, I was really liking what I came up with, but now I'm second guessing the crap out of it. That's really annoying, because it's not done yet. Her structures are a bit odd (she knows that) so it's a little harder coming up with parts. I'm trying to determine what key the bridge is in, and if it's different from the rest of the song, it might need a transition. But if part of me is thinking it's no good at all, another part then says, "why bother if it will change?" Stupid inner voices. I guess I need to spend some time away from it and see how it sounds to me when I'm fresh. Ah, creativity.

I probably will have to touch up her lyrics somewhat, just to get the rhythm to work. But, I have to admit, this is kind of fun. I hope she likes it.

Wed, 2008 04 30 at 12:27 PM |Permalink for this entry

I’m Still Trying

I wish I could go cold turkey

It would be so much easier if I could just focus on the music, but I can't. I still have outstanding projects with some clients, and have even had discussions with some potential new web clients this week. When I have something to work on, especially when I know or have an idea on how to do it, it's very hard for me to put it aside and not do it right now.

I'm also experimenting with some different approaches to better incorporate music every day, such as playing some first thing in the morning before getting to "work."

I wish I could spend 100% of my day on music, but making some money (as well as finishing some obligations) is nice too. Sigh.

Tue, 2008 04 29 at 8:38 AM |Permalink for this entry

Houston International Festival

Shemekia Copeland and Neville Brothers

We went to the Houston International Festival this weekend and saw Shemekia Copeland and the Neville Brothers Saturday evening. This was the first time was saw Shemekia live, and one of the only times we've heard her since her debut CD (Amazon | ). Overall, I thought her performance and her band was great, but I didn't love some qualities of her singing. Without having seen nor heard her since the first album, it's hard to say if it was the day or how she sings now. Still, it was a great show.

Next up was the Neville Brothers. They started with Hey Pocky Way and continued to bring it for the rest of the night. Man, I love that second line rhythm. That groove just moves and doesn't stop, and neither did they until ending with Amazing Grace/One Love/People Get Ready. I know most people love Aaron's voice, but I really dig Cyril's. He just has a passion and intensity in his voice as well as his playing that can't be denied.

Tue, 2008 04 29 at 7:42 AM |Permalink for this entry

Researching the Blues

Box sets and Best Ofs lead to a tuned ear

I've had Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings (Amazon | ) and Muddy Waters: The Chess Box (Amazon | ) for many years. Late last year, I picked up Howlin Wolf: The Chess Box (Amazon | and truly discovered the incredible music by this blues master. In fact, I found this compilation better than Muddy's, probably because Wolf had nearly the same band throughout, giving him a consistent sound over the years. I've also found that I've developed an ear for Wolf, being able to tell it's him as the tune starts. This is something I was really good at as a kid, and it's cool that I can still do it.

Thanks to Jimmie Vaughan and Omar Kent Dykes, I've discovered the music of Jimmy Reed (Amazon | ). This led me to buying The Very Best of Jimmy Reed (). Again, I've discovered the brilliance of this artist, and also developed an ear for picking him out when I hear one of his tunes. I've also done this with Memphis Slim: The Folkways Years: 1959-1973 (Amazon | ).

Next on my list is Little Walter. I stumbled on to this one for a strange reason. A fellow keyboard player posted this YouTube video of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2008 to show how the band behind James Cotton wasn't listening to nor following Cotton, who is a brilliant harp player in his own right. But, from this, I heard Little Walter's original Juke, and I'm blown away by how he played. Of course, he's also all over The Chess Box :Muddy Waters but I feel like I need some of his solo stuff, which has those great instrumentals.

Thu, 2008 04 24 at 5:02 AM |Permalink for this entry

Protect Your Hearing!

In late January, right around my birthday, I developed tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears. Subsequent tests showed I had some high-frequency hearing loss in both ears, maybe a little worse in the left. It is said that tinnitus can be caused by the hearing loss. Over the years, I tried to protect my hearing, but admittedly have let it slip at times and a jam in late January was one of those times.

Let me tell you that having tinnitus sucks. It seems that I don't have it as bad as some others, as it does not keep me up at night and it's not constant. I "hear" it at various times throughout the day, most noticeably in the late afternoon after a long day of trying to get things done.

I know a lot of people who do nothing for their ears when around loud music or noises, and I hate to see it. I spent years not doing anything to protect my hearing, and I'm sure that the repeated exposure is what got me where I am today. I think all musicians should use earplugs. The natural acoustic volume of instruments like drums and horns is very loud, and when you throw in other instruments that have to be balanced in the mix with those such as guitar and even voice, that's more than you should subject yourself to for a couple of hours at a show, whether you're in the audience or performing.

Lori and I had custom molded earplugs made for us. I wanted her to get a pair because she had problems getting the generic ones to fit, and was thus less likely to use them. Now, with the custom fit earplugs, they fit her perfectly.

Mine came in Saturday and I had a chance to try them that night at a party with a not-too-loud (but loud enough) band that was playing. The biggest thing that surprised us is how flat they are. I mean, except when I spoke, everything sounded rather normal, and it made us wonder if they were doing anything, until we took them out and heard the difference. Normally, when you put in generic earplugs, they cut out most of the din of the room. With these, the din sounded the same, at least relatively speaking. I can see that as a disadvantage in a sense, but in reality, it's better that they're not coloring the music.

Before I left for the party, I put mine in with the solid adapters. We got them with 15 dB filters and they also come with solid adapters for maximum attenuation. I went over to the drum kit in my studio, and whacked the snare as hard as I possibly could, and it just sounded like a snare, but not as loud. Replacing the solid adapters with the 15 dB filters, the snare was louder, but still very tolerable.

I recommend that every musician get these. Considering how much you pay for other gear, this protection is way worth it, especially because they are so clear and flat. My only complaint is that the little "handles" that make it easier to pull them out rub on a spot on my ear, because of the way my ear is shaped. Lori didn't have that problem and I suspect most people don't.

BTW, I got mine in the same colors as the ones shown on this page right under the text, "ES49 Custom Fit Earplugs."

At the very least, do yourself a favor and get some generic earplugs to protect your hearing. The foam ones are okay, but they aren't flat and I thought they were terrible for listening to music. I do use a pair of foam plugs when working with power tools, mowing the lawn, etc. The generic musician plugs from Etymotic (also available from Westone) and Mack's are pretty good and available for around $10 - $12 a pair, though I think you can buy quantities for less than that. However, if you're a musician or music fan, the custom molded plugs are the best bet. They cost a bit more, but as I said, considering how much you spend on other musical gear, this investment is worth it.

Here are some other resources.

Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (H.E.A.R.)
American Tinnitus Association
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy

Protect Your Hearing!

Tue, 2008 04 22 at 2:41 AM |Permalink for this entry

The New Guy at Thursday’s Jam

The four of us (Lori, Rebecca, John, and I; Phil couldn’t make it) got together last Thursday night. Here’s what Rebecca said about the jam afterwards.

Joe, if I may be so bold, you seemed a bit different since committing to and announcing your “transition”... I dunno—you seemed more relaxed, more experimental I guess. Like you really just *felt* better. Hard to describe. But it was cool, because it made me realize that maybe I’m not crazy for wanting to do the same thing, because maybe there’s really something to it. Not that I’ll be doing it any time soon, but nonetheless… Ah, I’m babbling. The point is I’m happy to see you pursuing this. And I hope it all goes the way you want it to. Whatever that may be 😉

I realized upon reading this, she’s right. I hadn’t quite thought of it that way. But, I’m sure it’s the result of that bit of extra confidence that I’ve been giving myself lately because of this “career change.” I often say things to myself like, “hey, this is my job” or “I’m a musician, I should play like one.” It also doesn’t hurt that overall I’m much happier with who I am and what I am trying to be than I have been in a long time.

Mon, 2008 04 21 at 7:13 AM |Permalink for this entry

Songwriting With GarageBand

This is an interesting series of articles on songwriting and using a Mac to do it. It's not the approach I'm currently using, but I've used similar methods in the past, albeit with sequencers and four-track cassette recorders!

In Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting, he discusses recording vs. songwriting, and says, "I eventually came to the conclusion that writing and recording are as oil is to water. Church and state. I could go further and say mutually destructive—but short of that I choose to think of them as a bicameral legislature, a system of checks and balances. Each area of expertise influences the other but for each to function perfectly perhaps the left hand should not know what the right hand is doing."

Still, I'll keep reading these articles and probably continue to link to them here.

Thu, 2008 04 17 at 7:02 AM |Permalink for this entry

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