
I've been listening to some fine music lately, and it's made me think about my own musical career. Having had a few cringeworthy personal moments, I had the thought that sharing my own fuck-ups might be interesting to fellow musicians who might also have that tendency to overthink, overanalyze, and often regret either doing, or not doing enough.
So here's my list and I will call it:
ADVICE TO SELF:
Don't fall into the genre trap. It might seem convenient to label yourself, and to stick to one kind of music available in Los Angeles. Resist that. The scenes here are glorious. Challenge yourself to experience singer-songwriters at Hotel Cafe. but go to Ireland's 32 and experience roots music. Get to the Cowboy Palace and try line-dancing, take in some Country Western music. Don't be type-cast. Head to The Hollywood Bowl. Expose yourself to as much live music as you can. This is the value of living in a very diverse metropolitan city!
In the same vein: listen to different kinds of music. Take advantage of the free radio stations we have in the LA area. We have:
1. 91.5 KUSC Classical
2. 88.5 Pop, Americana, Rock
3. 89.9 KCRW: often a lot of EDM, hipster music, mixed with soul, R&B, hiphop
4. 88.1 KJAZZ the largest independent jazz station in the US, also featuring Blues on S/S.
3. Find a musical community in Los Angeles that you relate to, one that welcomes you. Support Artists whose music you love. Don't be insincere. The idea of supporting someone so that they will support you is repugnant to most. Be genuine. Love what you love, and don't hold back.
4. If you want to work with someone in the LA scene, be it a producer, musician or songwriter, be prepared with your best music and your best financial offer. Don't assume that because you love this person, that should suffice. Everyone needs to be paid. Be realistic about what you can do. If you cannot afford someone, there is someone else who is great and more amenable to your budget.
5. If you are working with someone who simply sees you as the money guy, don't feel obligated to stay. Anyone who is working on your music who doesn't spend time with it, who phones it in, who is always looking for the next money gig is not someone you want to hang with. You are allowed to leave, gracefully, and seek people you vibe with.
6. You don't have to be arrogant to believe in your own sound and music. Work hard on your own and love what you do. Don't apologise for who you are. We need you to love yourself. You shouldn't need us to build you up.
7. Find venues and musical haunts that feel natural to you. If you are over 40, and hanging out in a venue full of 20 somethings, you might feel a wee bit weird. And likewise the other way around. I prefer all ages venues. I like to feel free being myself wherever I am. But if I don't feel good, I don't want to be there, regardless how "hip" the joint is. I don't have to.
8. If you are reading those HOW TO MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC BIZ books, ok, I get it. I have, too. They, however, bring out the worst in me. Before you know it, I am comparing and despairing and pushing myself to do more than I need to. I truly believe music comes from relationships. When I coach people in my studio, my first comment is "We are a team. " The success of the client is dependent upon our relationship and how well we vibe together.
9. I think being involved in more than one project is healthy. Currently I am looking at the power pop thing I have going on for IPO as a viable trio to do certain kinds of high energy shows. My own Feef project is more personal and intimate. I am working with two friends to create a Neil Young song band, and it is hugely fun and satisfying. I would happily be someone's guitarist or backing singer. I am not in need of being in the main spotlight. I just want to learn more and more, and give back to my community.
10. This is my final comment for now. The way the industry is, currently. You are lead to think you have to do everything yourself. You have to self-promote, self-finance, self-create. It's expensive. It's lonely. It really pulls you into the constant vortex of analysis: Is this worth it?
I am making no money. I am getting nowhere. Look at these other people playing festivals and touring. Blah blah blah. Instead, I think: who is my community? How am I serving them? How does being with them serve what I need? We can barter. We can support. We can be there for one another. These words do not come easily for me. I have thought I do not fit in to any genre, or group. But hey, what I have discovered is that most musicians I know feel the same way!
All of us want to make memorable and personal music. We want others to listen and appreciate what we do. We are not happy with the current state of the music industry. But... have we EVER been happy with it? Let it do what it does. In the meantime, let's own who we are, and keep doing what we were born to do, realising that we can be creatively unique but also collectively never alone.
More and more, this just feels more like THE REAL.
Thanks, Feef. I've been pretty despondent about it all lately. I agree with al that you say. My problem is that, because I do not play any instrument well enought to accomany myself live, I don't even know where to start with live gigs.