045 - Thinking about my music career
As I was listening to Walking the Floor episode 112 on today's rainy dog walk, I got to thinking. It was a great interview with Dave Alvin and he spoke about being a musician in the modern world.
I've been writing a series of blog posts on Steemit about my musical journey and am working on #6 just now. In my research for that, I've been looking back and the spread of years since I started going to an annual gathering in the UK and it's fascinating to see how hungry I was back in 2005-2007 and how quickly I was growing and making connections. That all changed when I moved back to Scotland in early 2008, but not always in a bad way. It's something I've yet to parse properly and I think that'll come as I analyse the more recent period. I know for a certainty though that my current job of 10 years is responsible in a very large way for my loss of drive and dedication musically speaking. It never used to ebb and flow as it does now, and that ebb is down to time and money. I can't afford to travel as much as I did, both in terms of time and of money. But, I have been earning money playing - that never happened before I moved here.
Lots to ponder.
Musical Journey - Part 1
Musical Journey - Part 2
Musical Journey - Part 3
Musical Journey - Part 4
Musical Journey - Part 5
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You have some really good stories with music. I never liked to play gigs which I think is about 90% of the way to succeed in music. It might just have been the area I lived in and my unwillingness to travel. Since I married my wife when we were young starting our lives together took the forefront. My big thing was writing and recording original music. I never really sent anything in and whenever I did get attention I would never come to agreements because I was paranoid about being taken advantage of. Nowadays I prefer not to think about how I should have played my hand I am just glad I created recordings that if not anything else are like photos of my past. I've noticed that you have (what I am guessing is) a Presonus studio live mixer. Do you like it? I've always been interested and getting one.
Thanks for your response Tim. Writing and recording is all fairly new to me. I'm not sure where I'll go with it really. I've been following Joe Gilder's content for a couple of years and learned a great deal about recording and mixing. I also took Ian Shepherd's home mastering masterclass and that too was a big learning curve, but ultimately worthwhile.
It is indeed a PreSonus Studio Live mixer, the Series III. It's expensive, but it's absolutely superb. I bought it to live mix the wedding band I played with, then we broke up. I'm kinda loathe to sell it, so if I can make it work for live streaming I'll be able to justify keeping it I think. I did consider getting out there and running live sound for other bands, but it's an island and there's a company that already kinda has that market sown up. It's run by friends of mine and it's a community interest company, meaning non profit basically. So I'm not sure how I would even complete with that! I can highly recommend PreSonus gear though. It's top drawer.
Hey man, I really appreciate everything you said in the video. I can relate intimately to everything you said. You know what to do - you said it. It's not about the money (although the bills must get paid.) You went for 8 years without your "gathering" - that's so sad and I'm sorry, I know that sucks. I've had periods like that too, sometimes because of a move to a new city. All artists, even highly talented artists (like you) all need the exact same motivation to do art: it always involves community. No point in practicing your art with no one to share it with. Solo gigs are good and can be a rush (and a paycheck), but playing with peers, or players that are close to your peer level, is what will really drive you. Which you know, because you said it.
My advice, keep doing what you're doing. Get another jam circle formed. (Even if many of them are below your level, which is likely the case.) As you know, I'm new here on Steemit, but I'm treating it as a way to connect with folks like you, if only digitally, talking with you makes me want to play and get better for you!
You're the man! Remember that. (Oh, and bluegrass will never make you rich.)
That last sentence had me laughing out loud. It's funny because it's true!
I'm still going through the analysis phase and learning about what's happened over the past 10 years or so. I need to able to come to terms with where I am and not regret the what-could-have-beens, and also give myself props for what I have achieved. I'm terrible for not concentrating on the achievements, I guess like a lot of us.
Something I'm looking at now is motivation and accountability. My motivation ebbs and flows in phases. Now I'm in an upswing and all I want to do is play, learn, jam, figure out practice routines and strategies, and so on. I know that that will dwindle and some days I don't feel like playing at all. So, now that I know that, I need to come up with a strategy for getting me through the low energy times, and I think accountability will help with that.
One of the best things I did two years ago was sign up to Bryan Suttons ArtistWorks classes. They are so good you just wouldn't believe it. I paid for a year and lasted two months. 'Right,' I said to myself, 'come Christmas eve I'll sign up again (50% discount day) and this time I'll really use it'.
I signed up and lasted the same two months, which is ridiculous because it's some of the most valuable tuition I've ever had AND I paid for it, then just let it slide. What's that all about?
I didn't have a strategy in place. I I had gone through all the video lessons and books I have, I'd be a way better musician, but I shouldn't dwell on that, right? I should start today and move forward.
Any ideas on a strategy?
Good to have you on here and be able to have conversations like this. Thanks for hanging with me!
Teaching guitar has always kept me accountable. I've been doing it for something like 25 years, and in the past, I had moments where I was only barely ahead of a student, which seriously motivated me to study, woodshed, and improve in a hurry. It can make you feel like a boss of a guitarist, speaking with authority to your guitar disciples, which I think you need right now. (I say that because you're really talented - and you have some insecurities about your ability, which is crazy.) You'll always need to improve - I do - I have a ton of guitar work to do still. But, I'm better than 99.9% of players out there, I really think you are too. Get a student. Start with one. No one too young, an adult would be best. It'll remind you of all you have to offer & teach, and all the loads of knowledge knocking around in your brain - that'll make you feel good, so you can stop worrying about it!
Gosh, thank you for the really well thought out response. If you keep that up, I might actually start believing in my own playing!
No, really, I know I play well, but it's never well enough, and I guess that's a good thing as it keeps me moving forward. The hunger is there as much as ever. Your advice is well received. I did have a couple of adult pupils a few years ago and my work got in the way and then it just fell by the wayside. I should find the courage to take that up again. I'm still friends with the two pupils I had so I've got a potentially easy in if I'm looking for one, and I am!
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