We continued with the exercises as per her cd. Essentially the cd IS the class.
I've made a point to interject questions...and try to get feedback whenever possible...because that seems to be the real value here. Otherwise I could just listen to the cd and not come to class.
Yesterday one of the people who sang was the girl who has a theatre voice...like Broadway musical type stuff. She's been talking alot about "head voice" versus "belting voice" and the "break" between the two...and I've only been vaguely sure what she's been talking about. Yesterday was great because the instructor had the girl sing a song first in her "head voice" and then in her "belting voice." So I could see the difference. And then I asked...which is better? Do you use both? Etc.
Essentially...the "head voice" is what I think people like RS call "falcetto"...it's higher in your range. "Belting voice" is lower in the range. I've always assumed the "belting voice" was more desireable...but apparently this is counter to classical teaching. Classical voice instructors WANT you in your head voice. Which seems weird to me. The "belting voice"...that which is more in your natural speaking range and is more powerful seems like it would be better. And there's the whole issue of the part of your range that falls between these two places...the transition...or "break"...and how to navigate that.
So the real life example for me is "Levitate Me".
Live version 1988:
From album:
At 0:30 in the live video (0:32 in recorded version)...where he sings "If all and all is true"...that's a place that RS has struggled with. It's too high for his "belting voice" and he hasn't wanted to sing it in his "head voice" ("falcetto to him). I would argue that Black Francis actually DOES sing this part in falcetto in the live version above. But from the discussion about it I figured out that I naturally drifted to my "head voice" for this bit. I then forced myself to do it in my "belting voice" instead and found I was able to do it. And in this illustration...yeah the head voice sounds sweeter and more classical and the belting voice is a little nastier and more rock and roll. But both work. Both are in pitch. And, yeah, the belting voice is more Pixies-esque. But that said...he (Black Francis) never sings this song live anymore as far as I can tell. So he could belt it maybe in his 20s...but not so much in his 40s. So RS, who's pushing 40, shouldn't feel too bad.
My personal issues continue to be with difficulty in feeling how to breathe properly. But I think it is just practice. Which I'm not doing enough of.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
CJ, 7/8/10, Great Dane
Played Great Dane Brew Pub downtown pool hall for the first time last night with CJ. We had 30 songs (set list to follow) in two sets. Sadly, the show start got delayed and we had to cut three songs for time (I've Been Tired, Levitate Me, and Bone Machine)...but we at least had enough presence of mind to cut the three weakest songs rather than the last three.
We had a good rehearsal the night before and then I had gone to a show but still managed to get to bed by 11pm. Had dinner at Coop annual membership meeting around 4:30pm and took a nap for a few hours. I had two Great Dane beers before the show (starting around 9:30pm), one during, and two after. I was drinking shorties, though, rather than pints, and didn't feel drunk at any point. Drank 2 cups of coffee around 8pm...and most of a 32 ounce bottle of water. Also had, I think, three more glasses of water. I ran through some vocal warm ups from my class in the car on the way to load in.
Met the boys at 8:30pm. The opening act, Sunshine for the Blind, went on probably around 10:45pm (we'd meant them to start no later than 10:15pm). It was largely an issue of setting up the mis-mash PA and also that one of the members of SFTB had to run home to get something he'd forgotten. I'm not sure when we took the stage, but it might have been around 11:45pm. We were supposed to finish before 1am...but we started the next to last song (after dropping 3 from the second set) at 5 minutes to 1am. So I'm sure we went over time. I gave a friend a drive home and by the time I got back to the Dane around 2am to help with load out the boys were already gone. Was home in bed by 2:30am.
The performance went pretty well. The sound at the Dane was really weird. Super loud on stage. The monitor wasn't very adjustable, so RS and my vocals were both about equal in the monitor...both loud. I was pretty disoriented until about the 3rd song when I finally got used to the sound and was fine after that. I don't think EH could hear the instruments, particularly the bass, very well, which made the first few songs a little rough...but I think he got used to it too. For the 2nd set I turned my amp towards him a bit. I had the amp pretty much maxed out. KS said the bass amp sounded fine in the audience (and I really trust his judgement)...but the boys said I needed to be louder. At some point in the future I may need a more powerful amp...but I really think it's actually fine. Most venues I will run DI anyway...and for the ones that we have to run our own sound I kinda feel like we ought to not be so fucking loud anyway. I think it's kind of just a pitfall of not having the amps running through the monitors...not being able to hear ourselves when the amps are pointed at the audience.
The bar cleared out a bit when the music started. It was a Thursday night and REALLY busy in town. There had been a free concert early on the square and Fete de Marquette and a couple of other high profile shows going on. The people who stayed seem to enjoy the music. I thought we did a good job. I felt pretty good about my performance, though I'm still not totally happy with the verses on Into the White.
We got paid, though I don't know how much cause I left before cashout. Also free beer. EDIT: Opening band got $100. Main act got $300. This means I personally brought home $75. Pretty sure that's the most I've ever made at a bar and second most I've ever made (got $300 for The Lollards, a 3 piece band, to play final fiesta in 2007).
Kind of a side note...EH said something about that it would be nice if we could fill an entire bill at the Dane at some point in the future...which essentially means three sets...or about 2 hours and 15 minutes...and probably about 45 songs. I've also thought that being able to fill an entire night at Mickey's would be great. Prior to CJ, the most songs a band I've been in has ever had is about 22 (about two sets), and that took about a year to work up. CJ has worked up the current setlist of 30 songs in a little over 3 months...and it's as tight as any group I've ever played with. The Pixies only had about 90 songs that they ever recorded...so at the current pace we totally could learn the entire catalog in less than a year. Not that we are going to maintain the current pace...because it's been pretty intense (though not as intense as the 2 a weeks that went on for a year with The Lollards) and I think we're all getting a little tired. Plus, there's really no urgency now that we have two sets of material to add songs (because the situations in which more than 2 sets are required is pretty limited). That said, adding 5 or so songs per show when we have a month between gigs doesn't seem like too crazy a charge...and that still means it would only take about another 12 months to finish the catalog...and only about 3 months to get to a third set. I guess I'm just shocked at our ability to bang out these tunes...shocked as much as anything at my own ability to remember bass parts and lyrics. I really didn't think I had that much capacity for memorization. The songs are practically on autopilot now...and that's just weird to learn that I'm capable of such a thing.
Setlist:
Set #1
Broken Face
Isla de Encanta
Tony's Theme
River Euphrates
Cactus
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Hey
Oh My Golly!
Nimrod's Son
Ed is Dead
Debaser
I'm Amazed
Brick is Red
U-Mass
Into the White
Set #2:
Wave of Mutilation
Something Against You
The Holiday Song
Here Comes Your Man
Down to the Well
I've Been Tired
Levitate Me (skipped for time)
Break My Body
Caribou
Gigantic
Bone Machine (skipped for time)
Crackity Jones
Vamos
Where Is My Mind?
We had a good rehearsal the night before and then I had gone to a show but still managed to get to bed by 11pm. Had dinner at Coop annual membership meeting around 4:30pm and took a nap for a few hours. I had two Great Dane beers before the show (starting around 9:30pm), one during, and two after. I was drinking shorties, though, rather than pints, and didn't feel drunk at any point. Drank 2 cups of coffee around 8pm...and most of a 32 ounce bottle of water. Also had, I think, three more glasses of water. I ran through some vocal warm ups from my class in the car on the way to load in.
Met the boys at 8:30pm. The opening act, Sunshine for the Blind, went on probably around 10:45pm (we'd meant them to start no later than 10:15pm). It was largely an issue of setting up the mis-mash PA and also that one of the members of SFTB had to run home to get something he'd forgotten. I'm not sure when we took the stage, but it might have been around 11:45pm. We were supposed to finish before 1am...but we started the next to last song (after dropping 3 from the second set) at 5 minutes to 1am. So I'm sure we went over time. I gave a friend a drive home and by the time I got back to the Dane around 2am to help with load out the boys were already gone. Was home in bed by 2:30am.
The performance went pretty well. The sound at the Dane was really weird. Super loud on stage. The monitor wasn't very adjustable, so RS and my vocals were both about equal in the monitor...both loud. I was pretty disoriented until about the 3rd song when I finally got used to the sound and was fine after that. I don't think EH could hear the instruments, particularly the bass, very well, which made the first few songs a little rough...but I think he got used to it too. For the 2nd set I turned my amp towards him a bit. I had the amp pretty much maxed out. KS said the bass amp sounded fine in the audience (and I really trust his judgement)...but the boys said I needed to be louder. At some point in the future I may need a more powerful amp...but I really think it's actually fine. Most venues I will run DI anyway...and for the ones that we have to run our own sound I kinda feel like we ought to not be so fucking loud anyway. I think it's kind of just a pitfall of not having the amps running through the monitors...not being able to hear ourselves when the amps are pointed at the audience.
The bar cleared out a bit when the music started. It was a Thursday night and REALLY busy in town. There had been a free concert early on the square and Fete de Marquette and a couple of other high profile shows going on. The people who stayed seem to enjoy the music. I thought we did a good job. I felt pretty good about my performance, though I'm still not totally happy with the verses on Into the White.
We got paid, though I don't know how much cause I left before cashout. Also free beer. EDIT: Opening band got $100. Main act got $300. This means I personally brought home $75. Pretty sure that's the most I've ever made at a bar and second most I've ever made (got $300 for The Lollards, a 3 piece band, to play final fiesta in 2007).
Kind of a side note...EH said something about that it would be nice if we could fill an entire bill at the Dane at some point in the future...which essentially means three sets...or about 2 hours and 15 minutes...and probably about 45 songs. I've also thought that being able to fill an entire night at Mickey's would be great. Prior to CJ, the most songs a band I've been in has ever had is about 22 (about two sets), and that took about a year to work up. CJ has worked up the current setlist of 30 songs in a little over 3 months...and it's as tight as any group I've ever played with. The Pixies only had about 90 songs that they ever recorded...so at the current pace we totally could learn the entire catalog in less than a year. Not that we are going to maintain the current pace...because it's been pretty intense (though not as intense as the 2 a weeks that went on for a year with The Lollards) and I think we're all getting a little tired. Plus, there's really no urgency now that we have two sets of material to add songs (because the situations in which more than 2 sets are required is pretty limited). That said, adding 5 or so songs per show when we have a month between gigs doesn't seem like too crazy a charge...and that still means it would only take about another 12 months to finish the catalog...and only about 3 months to get to a third set. I guess I'm just shocked at our ability to bang out these tunes...shocked as much as anything at my own ability to remember bass parts and lyrics. I really didn't think I had that much capacity for memorization. The songs are practically on autopilot now...and that's just weird to learn that I'm capable of such a thing.
Setlist:
Set #1
Broken Face
Isla de Encanta
Tony's Theme
River Euphrates
Cactus
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Hey
Oh My Golly!
Nimrod's Son
Ed is Dead
Debaser
I'm Amazed
Brick is Red
U-Mass
Into the White
Set #2:
Wave of Mutilation
Something Against You
The Holiday Song
Here Comes Your Man
Down to the Well
I've Been Tired
Levitate Me (skipped for time)
Break My Body
Caribou
Gigantic
Bone Machine (skipped for time)
Crackity Jones
Vamos
Where Is My Mind?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Clem Burke: Revisited
I've tried not to repeat my series on drummers too often, but sometimes I explore someone and then drop them...or give them short strife the first time around...and rediscover them later. Lately I've been thinking about Clem Burke again.
Listening to the Blondie greatest hits disk on Sunday in the car, I was noticing that, though his beats aren't super complicated (he isn't doing tons of fills and such)...he's got alot of finesse stuff going on. Almost jazz-like. Detailed high hat and ride work. Not typical rock stuff. Just really nice. It's dance music, of course, so a steady/catchy beat is the key.
He's got something going called The Clem Burke Drumming Project: The Clem Burke Drumming Project is based on the pursuit of knowledge through the application of scientific principles to the various art forms of drumming. It is committed to the dissemination of information leading to increased enjoyment, health and well-being of all participants involved in drumming.
Found something on the net that said he played on Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" but I think this was wrong. Sounds like he played on some cuts on the "Bad Reputation" album...but nothing top 40. Also sounds like lots of those tunes were recorded multiple times before the "famous" versions were done.
Rapture live:
The Tide is High live:
Call Me live:
Here he is playing with Eurythmics:
At a solo clinic:
Listening to the Blondie greatest hits disk on Sunday in the car, I was noticing that, though his beats aren't super complicated (he isn't doing tons of fills and such)...he's got alot of finesse stuff going on. Almost jazz-like. Detailed high hat and ride work. Not typical rock stuff. Just really nice. It's dance music, of course, so a steady/catchy beat is the key.
He's got something going called The Clem Burke Drumming Project: The Clem Burke Drumming Project is based on the pursuit of knowledge through the application of scientific principles to the various art forms of drumming. It is committed to the dissemination of information leading to increased enjoyment, health and well-being of all participants involved in drumming.
Found something on the net that said he played on Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" but I think this was wrong. Sounds like he played on some cuts on the "Bad Reputation" album...but nothing top 40. Also sounds like lots of those tunes were recorded multiple times before the "famous" versions were done.
Rapture live:
The Tide is High live:
Call Me live:
Here he is playing with Eurythmics:
At a solo clinic:
Singing Class Week 2
We went through more breathing exercises and vocal warmups and then two of us (me included) presented songs we wanted to work on. I sang "The World's a Mess It's In My Kiss" by X...which has always been a song I thought that I ought to be able to sing but have struggled with to the point of telling the boys we couldn't do it. I sang it a cappella in front of about 10 strangers. Eyes closed as is our way. It came out pretty good, really. I don't feel like the instructor really helped me with it, though. She made some comments about belting a certain word and reminded me to breath from the belly...but no reall constructive criticism or suggestions.
The breathing is the key to it all...and I really struggle with it. I don't know if I'm just not used to the kind of breathing we're doing...or if my considerable girth makes it hard to expand by belly and ribs. I just naturally breath shallowly and into the top of my chest...and I don't really push with my abdominal muscles at all when I sing. But that's what I'm supposed to be doing. It's hard to get the hang of. I probably should practice every day on the floor. One more thing to remember to add to life's obligations.
The breathing is the key to it all...and I really struggle with it. I don't know if I'm just not used to the kind of breathing we're doing...or if my considerable girth makes it hard to expand by belly and ribs. I just naturally breath shallowly and into the top of my chest...and I don't really push with my abdominal muscles at all when I sing. But that's what I'm supposed to be doing. It's hard to get the hang of. I probably should practice every day on the floor. One more thing to remember to add to life's obligations.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Professional Musician
I don't tend to write much deep reflection or opinion in this forum. I've been burned in the past by being open on a blog and someone using it against me. This space I've hoped to keep clean of the nastiness.
I'm not sure if this topic falls in the nastiness or not...but it seems worth writing about here. It's something that I think about often. It's the whole concept of what makes a "professional musician" and what is the merit of performance music for fun.
Just got done reading this article that newlow linked to. I'm not sure why this brought me back to the topic at hand. Maybe because Black Flag is both a well known band...and obviously a band that was very DIY.
If you read the Craig's List ads for musicians long enough (not very long) you'll see a thread of "we're serious, we're not weekend warriors" attitude. In a related topic...you'll frequently hear some people complain about how little they get paid to play bars...or about playing charity gigs for free. There was a long thread on the forums at Isthmus about this recently.
Let me see if I can summarize the philosophy...REAL musicians are only people who ONLY play music (don't have day jobs) and who are (and should be) well compensated for their services. Anybody who plays music and plays shows "out" and doesn't fit this description is a hack who is diluting the market and hurting the REAL musicians. And perhaps related to this is the idea that a REAL musician settles into one project, focuses on it, and takes it to the top (i.e. record contract, tour, etc).
As little as 8 years ago I didn't know anybody who played in a band that played shows. I had been in a few groups that played open mics or weddings or community centers or retirement homes as early as 1995 (15 years ago)...but I didn't really know anyone "in the scene." The idea of being in a rock band that played in bars seemed like a fantasy.
But since December of 2006 I've been playing in a rock band and playing in bars about once a month. And after three and a half years of doing that, I know some folks "in the scene."
Most of these people...nearly all...have day jobs. The very few who don't have day jobs teach music lessons (which is kind of a day job too) at least to make ends meet...or they have a supportive spouse. Some play in one band...some play in several...three, four...six...more. Some have had a shot at "the big time"...even been on a major label. Of all the people that I know personally, only one has ever complained about pay/charity events. Most of the complaints that I hear about that comes from anonymous people on the internet. I HAVE been told twice in the last six months that I couldn't effectively split my time between multiple bands...in one case by someone who didn't have a problem with me until he found out I was in other bands (that is, he thought I was doing fine until he heard about it...even though nothing changed with me) and in the other case with someone who had never met me or heard me play.
I still think of myself as a beginner musician. I'm improving and I'm light years away from where I was just a few years ago, but I'm still at the start. I think I have a pretty solid musical background, though...I'm reliable and I dedicate myself to things...and I'm pretty good on the business/promo side too. As time moves along I realize that I am more like the average gigging musician in this town than I am different from them. I'd like to bring in more money for playing music...but that isn't a major consideration. I don't mind playing for free as long as people still show up to the gigs with a cover charge. I want bodies in the room...whether or not they are paying. Otherwise you just feel stupid playing to an empty room.
But I don't see how my enjoyable hobby has any effect at all on the REAL musicians. It's a market place out there...and if you're so great, you'll prove it and you'll bring in a following. And if you're willing to quit your day job and "go for it" than you'll find a way to make money playing music.
Charities and bars are struggling to stay open as far as I can tell...most can't afford to pay. Hopefully those that can do. But if they can't...they can keep it.
Is the work of musicians undervalued? Absolutely. And this has never been the case more than now...in the age of free downloads. Music takes years of training and practice and work to produce...and rarely is that compensated for. But frankly, society isn't fair. People get paid lots of money to do lame shit...or bad shit. People get paid to essentially do nothing. People who work hard and deserve more get screwed. If pay was equitable to effort...the entire economy would be turned on its ear.
A complicating factor...what value art? Why should those who produce easily digestable crap get more money than those creating important "art"? What IS important art? Who decides? It's an impossible question to answer. Is value proportional to how many people get enjoyment? Or are made to think?
Also...what I've learned from life is that...once you make something your job...you tend to start hating it. I don't know if I'm good enough to ever be a full time musician...but even if I was...I wouldn't. I don't want to hate it. I don't want to have to make compromises...which is what always happens at a job. Not that I'm some great artist with high ideals...but there are thousands of little deaths by compromise in life. There are probably people who can sustain the joy of a calling through a profession...but the situations where that is the case are few and far between. Everybody hates their job...at least sometimes.
In the end...I think the REAL musicians are full of shit. They are all talk. Big egos...fragile egos. If they were able to make a go of it...they would...and wouldn't complain about the little guys...the weekend warriors.
I'm not sure if this topic falls in the nastiness or not...but it seems worth writing about here. It's something that I think about often. It's the whole concept of what makes a "professional musician" and what is the merit of performance music for fun.
Just got done reading this article that newlow linked to. I'm not sure why this brought me back to the topic at hand. Maybe because Black Flag is both a well known band...and obviously a band that was very DIY.
If you read the Craig's List ads for musicians long enough (not very long) you'll see a thread of "we're serious, we're not weekend warriors" attitude. In a related topic...you'll frequently hear some people complain about how little they get paid to play bars...or about playing charity gigs for free. There was a long thread on the forums at Isthmus about this recently.
Let me see if I can summarize the philosophy...REAL musicians are only people who ONLY play music (don't have day jobs) and who are (and should be) well compensated for their services. Anybody who plays music and plays shows "out" and doesn't fit this description is a hack who is diluting the market and hurting the REAL musicians. And perhaps related to this is the idea that a REAL musician settles into one project, focuses on it, and takes it to the top (i.e. record contract, tour, etc).
As little as 8 years ago I didn't know anybody who played in a band that played shows. I had been in a few groups that played open mics or weddings or community centers or retirement homes as early as 1995 (15 years ago)...but I didn't really know anyone "in the scene." The idea of being in a rock band that played in bars seemed like a fantasy.
But since December of 2006 I've been playing in a rock band and playing in bars about once a month. And after three and a half years of doing that, I know some folks "in the scene."
Most of these people...nearly all...have day jobs. The very few who don't have day jobs teach music lessons (which is kind of a day job too) at least to make ends meet...or they have a supportive spouse. Some play in one band...some play in several...three, four...six...more. Some have had a shot at "the big time"...even been on a major label. Of all the people that I know personally, only one has ever complained about pay/charity events. Most of the complaints that I hear about that comes from anonymous people on the internet. I HAVE been told twice in the last six months that I couldn't effectively split my time between multiple bands...in one case by someone who didn't have a problem with me until he found out I was in other bands (that is, he thought I was doing fine until he heard about it...even though nothing changed with me) and in the other case with someone who had never met me or heard me play.
I still think of myself as a beginner musician. I'm improving and I'm light years away from where I was just a few years ago, but I'm still at the start. I think I have a pretty solid musical background, though...I'm reliable and I dedicate myself to things...and I'm pretty good on the business/promo side too. As time moves along I realize that I am more like the average gigging musician in this town than I am different from them. I'd like to bring in more money for playing music...but that isn't a major consideration. I don't mind playing for free as long as people still show up to the gigs with a cover charge. I want bodies in the room...whether or not they are paying. Otherwise you just feel stupid playing to an empty room.
But I don't see how my enjoyable hobby has any effect at all on the REAL musicians. It's a market place out there...and if you're so great, you'll prove it and you'll bring in a following. And if you're willing to quit your day job and "go for it" than you'll find a way to make money playing music.
Charities and bars are struggling to stay open as far as I can tell...most can't afford to pay. Hopefully those that can do. But if they can't...they can keep it.
Is the work of musicians undervalued? Absolutely. And this has never been the case more than now...in the age of free downloads. Music takes years of training and practice and work to produce...and rarely is that compensated for. But frankly, society isn't fair. People get paid lots of money to do lame shit...or bad shit. People get paid to essentially do nothing. People who work hard and deserve more get screwed. If pay was equitable to effort...the entire economy would be turned on its ear.
A complicating factor...what value art? Why should those who produce easily digestable crap get more money than those creating important "art"? What IS important art? Who decides? It's an impossible question to answer. Is value proportional to how many people get enjoyment? Or are made to think?
Also...what I've learned from life is that...once you make something your job...you tend to start hating it. I don't know if I'm good enough to ever be a full time musician...but even if I was...I wouldn't. I don't want to hate it. I don't want to have to make compromises...which is what always happens at a job. Not that I'm some great artist with high ideals...but there are thousands of little deaths by compromise in life. There are probably people who can sustain the joy of a calling through a profession...but the situations where that is the case are few and far between. Everybody hates their job...at least sometimes.
In the end...I think the REAL musicians are full of shit. They are all talk. Big egos...fragile egos. If they were able to make a go of it...they would...and wouldn't complain about the little guys...the weekend warriors.
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