Sometimes amazing things happen to me. Saturday night was one of the most amazing nights of my life – the kind of night I have been dreaming of me whole life. Let me set the stage. It is my band’s video premiere at Jim’s house, a subtle and intimate venue for something that is so… Continue reading Amazing things.
Tag: thoughts
Changing the Way I Sing
I have been taking voice lessons for the last month or so and have learned a lot about how some singers use their stomachs (i.e. diaphrams) to push air through their mouth rather than using their throats as I normally do. The advantages of using my diaphram are potentially huge, with the biggest advantage being… Continue reading Changing the Way I Sing
Rock-and Roll in the Digital Age: How the Garage Band and the Internet has Democratized Music
Yesterday I led a session at Unsummit about the democratization of music entitled, “Rock-and-Roll in the Digital Age”. The personal computer and the Internet have significantly altered the path of music history. With virtually no technical roadblocks to recording music, everyone with access to a computer can do things that would have cost thousands of… Continue reading Rock-and Roll in the Digital Age: How the Garage Band and the Internet has Democratized Music
The Politics of Listening
I purchased Andrew Bird’s “Noble Beast” on Amazon MP3 a couple of days ago. It is one of the most expertly crafted rock albums that I have heard. Today I am listening to a live recording of a Spoon show. Spoon is not a brilliant band by any means, but their second record, “Kill the… Continue reading The Politics of Listening
Help me position my band's brand! You are smart…we are musicians.
We need help. We have no brand. Well, actually, we have a brand, but we don’t know what it is yet. My band, Cryns #3, has been playing shows regularly now for over 3 years, and over that time we have been focusing on what we do best (making music) and neglecting what we do… Continue reading Help me position my band's brand! You are smart…we are musicians.
True Affection
There’s this song by The Blow called, “True Affection“, that I absolutely love. It is beautiful, catchy, and simple and means something different to everyone who listens to it. THAT is the sign of a good song. When it means something to you. The great songs mean different things to you over time. For me,… Continue reading True Affection
Focus
Here is what is on my band-related docket right now in order of priority: Finish the new album! Start “song-a-week” workshop thing (and write a song a week) Build “Guitar Lessons/Media/Lyrics” page/interface I have been traveling so damn much recently that it has been hard to get into a groove. Maybe the first thing on… Continue reading Focus
Thoughts on a Dual EP Release
I have been doing some thinking on the new record, and when I listen to the songs all together, I get the feeling that there are two categories that the songs fit into: Damn, that was a long way back from the black infinity of sadness. Let’s dust our clothes off, take a shower, and… Continue reading Thoughts on a Dual EP Release
What We Can Learn from Mickey Rourke?
“I look at these guys like Matt Damon, George Clooney, Sean Penn – they’re all very bright, educated guys who understand that it’s a business and there’s politics involved. I wasn’t educated or aware enough. I thought I was so good I didn’t have to play the game. And I was terribly wrong.” – Mickey… Continue reading What We Can Learn from Mickey Rourke?
Life, the Universe, and Rock-and-Roll
Don’t let yourself get scammed! That’s what Grandma always says. I’m paraphrasing, of course. Grandma always says, “Don’t accept any wooden nickels!” But the more I work, the more I play the game or life, the more I see the humor in it, the big scam. In the end, none of this REALLY matters. In… Continue reading Life, the Universe, and Rock-and-Roll
That Thing You Do!
While I am waiting for the noodles in my mac & cheese to cook, I am watching That Thing You Do! on Netflix. I love this movie! It’s the story of a 1-hit-wonder band called “The Wonders” and stars Tom Hanks with a great supporting cast. The movie accurately portrays the prospects of making it… Continue reading That Thing You Do!