Posts Tagged ‘#lyrics’

All Night Long – The Tale of Two Singers

Posted: February 25, 2015 in MUSIC, My Tunes
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While this is not the first song I wrote I will use the same lyrics, the same instruments, the same arrangement, the same studio and recording gear to show how differently the same words can be interpreted. In this case the only difference is going from a male lead vocalist to a female lead vocalist…… but the outcome is totally different. No, I am not the lead vocalist, so that will have to wait a little longer. I am playing my favorite 12 string acoustic/electric guitar and a rhythm electric track. Writing lyrics is a powerful tool. Maybe because they can be interpreted in various ways.

Now the only change is the lead vocalist. The song has added controversy if you will, and maybe the subject has more acceptance now than in the past, but it changes how the lyrics are interpreted. All Night Long took me about fifteen or twenty minutes to write. I wanted a simple R&R theme. Most of my songs are not main stream. I do not pretend to be commercial. The other reason I wanted to introduce you to this song now is because it is not like any of the others I have written. Throughout my life I have searched out unusual artists and creative ideas. Art, poetry, sound engineering, acting, I have been drawn to and inspired by some amazing people. So this is more cookie-cutter. Predictable song with the usual topic and repeating lyrics. I still have fun with it!

As I was practicing my wife did a mic check to set levels and she started singing the song. I thought immediately that was IT! It totally changed the song’s meaning. So changing the vocalist in effect took it off main stream and cookie-cutter. The subject material was not so acceptable back then……..

I entered a few of my recent songs into a local radio band contest. Too much to go into now, but at this point, my wife had never really performed in front of an audience. She is a bit shy in that area. It was a total shock when one of the songs we submitted was played on the air and a runner in the contest and another song I submitted for another friend of mine was selected to a battle of the bands in a large venue to compete for title and prizes. We were jazzed…..

But there was one little detail missing; He did not have a band! His song was picked and we (we, because it was my bright idea to enter his song into the contest!) were to compete against other bands in less than three weeks from the day we were notified. We worked in the same music store at the time and we quickly merged members from three different local bands. Each band would bring 2-3 songs to be added to the set list. We had to play for about an hour! That is how All Night Long was performed for the first time; live, to a packed house. My wife will have to give you her thoughts of that evening. I cannot do it justice. All Night Long is added to the set list and we all agree that my wife should sing…… She is terrified. We practice for two weeks learning the other band’s songs…

On stage now and good crowd. We knew they were not here to see us, because until two weeks ago, there was no US! We also figured there was no way to win, but we were going to go up there slamming. We set up and play the first songs on the list. When it is time to start All Night Long, my wife….. A little bit nervous to say the least, walks up to me and says, “if nothing comes out of my mouth, START SINGING!”.

She did great and it was a blast. I will encourage all of you to push the comfort zone a little. Be prepared to take advantage of the feedback and be ready to change and adapt. Work with other artists you appreciate. Encourage them to adapt if needed and support them when they do. My friend would never have submitted a song on his own and he even had me pick out which songs to enter. My wife’s big ambition was not to sing in front of a crowd, but we all remember that event to this day. Fortunately, a friend of ours was in the audience with one of those hand-held video recorders and got the whole thing. WE didn’t win, but they knew who we were… we were NRSB!

You can check out the rest of the album at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/perigee

Introduction to My Tunes

Posted: February 25, 2015 in MUSIC, My Tunes
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As the Live Sound Reinforcement Series (LSR) continues, I would like to share some of the events that allowed or inspired what I refer to as captured creativity.  Let’s address a couple things now; the most amazing show/event with powerful and talented performers has little meaning if no one is in the audience.  The performers will feel great and energized, but if there literally is no audience (even in the form of recordings),  it will be lost.  The other obvious reality check is no matter how talented and smart you are – or think you are – will NOT make you loved and famous.  Touching on my daughter’s gracious note to me, some of the most talented musicians out there we will never hear.  You will not find them in a search and no one will point you in their direction.   But they just keep on creating.  Soloists, artists, groups and garage bands.

I know that thrill.  I understand the communication link that HAS to happen when you perform with someone.  I first got that thrill in my preteens when I put some of my brother’s poetry to music.  In truth, I exaggerate; I played on bongos and sang a rough melody line with his poetry still intact for the most part.  I would get another type of thrill when I began to write lyrics and finally a bunch of ideas became a song. 

We also knew right away that I was not the best singer out there.  I never really excelled while playing various instruments but over the years I got pretty good at a few of them.   But at least I was a songwriter and I knew I had a powerful tool.   I love to teach by sharing.  Or is it the other way around?

A Message From My Daughter

Posted: February 24, 2015 in family, MUSIC, Opinions and Observations
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It all started with my dad. I grew up with a recording studio right below my bedroom. He produced and recorded hundreds of original songs at home. The whole family got involved. We sang on tracks and gave our input, but mostly we just supported him, which encouraged him to keep producing music. I learned how to use his equipment, how to play the instruments, how to run sound, which eventually lead me to start my own booking agency to help unsigned bands/artists release albums, go on tour and have their music heard by as many people as possible.
I hate that it all comes down to money. I hear shitty bands being played on the radio every day, but these amazing bands are struggling to gain fans one at a time, go on tour with very little money, stay in shitty hotels, and do it all for the love of their passion. In my dad’s case, he barely had that chance. He put his music career on hold to raise a family. I wish I could give him back the time he lost. I look at him now, years later, still in the studio, still making music and struggling to have that music heard. All he wants is to share his art with others.
I’ve never really stopped to tell him how amazing and unique his music is and how much it has truly changed my life. It isn’t about the money, popularity or fame, it is about connecting with others, reaching people with his words and being able to do something that he is passionate about. If you have someone in your life like this, please take a moment to stop and tell them how you feel. Thank them for inspiring you, support them, and don’t let them give up. The worst feeling in the world is that you are fighting for something alone. Dad, this is for you. I love you and I will always believe in you.

Live Sound Reinforcement Series Chapter 3 – Equipment and Set-Up

Posted: February 23, 2015 in Live Sound Reinforcement Series, music technology, technology
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Now that you have the gear you need (or more likely what you could get your hands on), we can assemble it as we carry the gear in.  Do not carry this heavy and bulky stuff anymore than you have to – bring it in and put it where it goes.  So, as mentioned in earlier in this series, scope out the venue so you have a plan of attack.  Even if it is 15 minutes after you arrive, take a quick look around…. Where is the best place for the sound board?  How is the best way to run the long snake cable?  Where are the electrical outlets… can they handle our system power requirements?  Are there any doors or emergency exits you need to be aware of?  Where will the audience be?  Where should you set up the drums, keyboards and monitors?  Sometimes you will not have any choice at all and the host of the event will have their own layout.  Roll with it.

I try to get the main system and all cables run before the band gets there.  I have monitors in-place on stage based on my understanding of the performance/band/event.  I connect the mixer and all house cables. 

Then I test entire system;

Turn on mixer and plug in talk-back mic or any mic into a channel on the mixing board.  Make sure levels work.

Send Talk-Back signal to each of the affect inputs to make sure signal is going to proper effect box or internal effect, and make sure it returns to the input or ‘bus group‘ you will use for that effect.  Make sure headphones and ‘solo’ function works properly.  Yes………..   Bring your own headphones and (ear plugs too!) make sure they are good quality closed type.

Turn on stage monitor amplifiers.  Turn up each monitor send (can be one to four monitor sends from the board) and use Talk-Back mic to send signal to each monitor.  Turn all others off and listen to one at a time to make sure you are controlling the right monitor.  Do not overlook this step.  The on-stage mix is critical, and the mixer – sound engineer is not able to hear the speakers on stage once the mains or house speakers are kicking in.

Make sure all mixer sends to the main amps are turned off all the way before turning on the main amplifiers.  This can save you and the event host a lot of headaches.  Plug in an audio player to the mixing board ‘tape’ or other stereo input and set the levels.  (**)  Slowly turn up the mains with the audio source playing and the signal strength can be seen on the input indicator.  Give it some gas but no need to rattle the windows now.  Keep at a good level and make sure each speaker (or cluster/group) cabinet is connected properly and working.  Walk around the club/venue and listen to your test music.  Hopefully something you know very well.  Try to find areas where the sound collects in corners (sometimes the bass can build up in an area and become very boomy while the rest of the area you cannot hear the bass at all….) or where the sound ‘drops out’ and gets softer or thin sounding.  (this can be from improper phasing due to room acoustics or other audio timing issues.  Try slowly turning main speakers at different angles toward the audience to correct).  Make sure it sounds good everywhere, or at least know that particular areas will sound different and in a number of venues it will sound totally different as you walk around. 

It is not unusual for the sound board to be placed in the worst acoustic piece of real-estate in the club!  Make sure it sounds good standing in the audience, even if it does not sound so great where you are mixing the board.

Now, we are ready to bring in the band or performers.

Into the unknown

Posted: February 15, 2015 in MUSIC, Opinions and Observations
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My experience with music and performance is probably not unique.  Like a lot of people starting a craft or sport, learning to play an instrument or act, I just didn’t have a lot of confidence or even history to know how I was doing.  I mean, at this point I am not even asking ‘when will I be good enough to …).  Still fairly young at this point, I really like playing drums and percussion.  I tapped out rhythms everywhere I went.  We got a small organ for Christmas one year and I was drawn to it for months.  Harmonicas, a cheap guitar lead up to recording gear.

As I played instruments and fiddled around with lyrics or microphones and power amps over the years, I realized two things pretty quickly; 1) I knew and understood things a lot of people will never understand and 2) I knew a lot of really good players/musicians/artists, and they were much better than me.  I rationalized that I considered myself to be a songwriter (not even singer/songwriter early on) and that was good enough for me.

Today, I encourage each of you to think not just about the target or the goals in your musical performing careers, but to think about how you will continue to improve your craft.  Writing songs, performing someone else’s or running sound and making everyone sound great – each takes practice and effort.  But eventually it takes confidence.  Can you really do it.  What if you totally screw things up? What if they don’t applaud (or laugh or cheer)?

I spent quite a long time before I realized I had everyone else’s confidence BUT mine!  Knowing what I do now, I would have accepted a few more challenges.  I might have encouraged more projects.  I could have inspired someone else.  So now, let me inspire you.  Don’t wait until everyone in the universe thinks you are “good enough” to get out there and jump in.  At my job I tell trainees that I know as much as I do because I have made every mistake possible.  Do what you love.  Put your heart into it.  What if you screw things up?  You learn from it and the next time you do better.  Do it a bunch, and you will be great.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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