For almost the same reason I had to play emcee for some of the groups I
played in during the 1980s because the other musicians weren't good at
it. But I was the first person to pass the intro lecture part of TTC.
One of the course leaders asked how I got to such an advanced state and
that was because (apparently like no one else there) had a public
speaking class in high school. That class was great fun. I gave a talk
on capital punishment and brought in one of my cymbals and hit it to
open the talk as the class was gabbing amongst themselves. Then I
opened with "if you think that was shocking" and went into descriptions
of different methods of capital punishment including the popular Indian
one of having an elephant stomp on the prisoner's head.
On 10/28/2014 06:33 PM, curtisdeltabl...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] wrote:
M: I feel lucky that I was able to make the jump into educational
entertainment because, like you, I have musician friends still banging
the club circuit and living off of girlfriends and wives. In many ways
I should thank Maharishi because it was because of the presentation
skills I developed as a TM teacher that made me confident to go into
teaching performances. So many musicians would rather work at
Starbucks than speak in front of a group in between songs. Yea, Mahesh!
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <noozguru@...> wrote :
Thanks, I was curious to see how things were going in your venue.
From what I've seen and heard you do that venue quite well.
Yes there is software development outsourcing to the Philippines too.
BTW, I've also read that is a good place to make your retirement fund
stretch.
Studio work came because the leader of the jazz trio I played in owned
part interest in a recording studio so we got the sessions there.
Then there was some other recording work that came from that. It was
very political venue.
I was surprised that my old friends didn't find some sidelines for
themselves too. One does do graphic arts which keeps him out of
bankruptcy. These guys really liked to perform though and I was more
into writing and arranging. Another friend I worked with in the
software industry who was a semi-pro musician took up banjo a few
years ago and is now writing some banjo instruction methods for Hal
Leonard. His gig in the software industry was technical writer.
I played a few of those weird casuals. One was a wedding reception
catered by one of the premier restaurateurs of Seattle, Victor
Rosselini, who came over as we were playing and asked us to go
through the food line because no one was eating! Another gig was in
the high rent Broadmore district of Seattle where a neurotic trophy
wife was trowing a Christmas party for the who's who of the city. She
was upset because we were dressed too casually. But the keyboard
player soon found her favorite tune and every time she passed by broke
into it giving her all smiles. On our break her husband hung out with
us because she was driving him nuts!
On 10/28/2014 03:24 PM, curtisdeltablues@...
<mailto:curtisdeltablues@...> [FairfieldLife] wrote:
Probably depends on what ecological niche you occupy. You were
much more diverse in your talents than I am musically, so your
opportunities would be so different. My stubbornness to only play
acoustic blues as a solo act kinda forced me into certain
directions to make it work. I rely on a few agents in different
states for the majority of my work.
Since your day the tyranny of the record labels is replaced by
the tyranny of social media which opens up the field on one hand
and shuts out the money on another. There is always a phenom in
the Philippines who is more amazing than whatever we do! And
people know about that little F'er now and he will work
practically for fee! (That sounds like the programming world too
right!)
But indie artists can now self produce their own shit, find a
niche market and roll with it. That is kind of my world. I still
play an eclectic array of gigs in any week which I find
stimulating and challenging both. Same old formula as in your day
probably, keep your overhead low, save when the money is pouring
in and don't let the business end of the business crush your
personal growth in areas less commercial.
I know you toured but I think you were also a session guy right?
That is a different world from what I do. I know so many great
musicians who went into computers and found it very satisfying,
playing gigs on the side. In many ways the day job is a huge boon
for focusing on your personal musical development. I recently
expanded my world by adding African musical instruments into my
show so I can get paid to do what I love learning about. I am
exploring the roots of blues in specific African countries and
music style that came to the New World in the various waves of
slave ships. Cuba is so much ore pivotal than I had realized.
But here is a chuckle from your days gone by: Person calls you
for a private party gig. Here is what they want, play classical
during cocktails, soft rock and oldies during dinner, entertain
the toddlers while the parents set up the dance floor, then play
every song they ever heard JUST LIKE ON THE RECORD. And BTW, you
can rap too right because Uncle Whoever wrote a cute rap for the
birthday girl. And after a prolonged fist fight haggle over your
pittance of a fee, you get to the gig and it is a freak'n mansion
with the asshole who chiseled you out of your regular fee
lighting his cigars with hundred dollar bills.
On the plus side he hot 3rd wife corners you in the bathroom
before you leave. Gotta keep our eye on the little positives
right brother!
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com>, <noozguru@...>
<mailto:noozguru@...> wrote :
So how is the music biz these days? I've been hearing that old
musicians I know and used to work with in the Seattle area are
having a tough time getting work and they're exceptional players
(some played with famous folk). I'm glad that I stopped
depending on music for a living back in the late 80s. Writing
software to me was like writing music. Unfortunately there is not
much work for old programmers these days either.
On 10/28/2014 11:20 AM, curtisdeltablues@...
<mailto:curtisdeltablues@...> [FairfieldLife] wrote:
At least you can avoid purple to fit in. I've had booking
agents tell me that my act is a harder sell because I am
white! Skin melanin as artistic street cred, who knew?
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com>,
<no_re...@yahoogroups.com> <mailto:no_re...@yahoogroups.com>
wrote :
When I was trying to make a living doing "art," I met "real
artists" who were so artistically superior that I was
ashamed to present my stuff -- and yet most could not make a
living selling their art. At one time I was in three
galleries and never came close to selling enough to "cut
it." I met one guy who had major works in many museums and
still couldn't sell enough to quit his day job.
And the gallery owners are all about the money. I had one
tell me, as he looked at one of my canvases, "Oh, I couldn't
sell this. Purple never sells." See?
Try to use purple after that. The true artist is up against
such a wall of ignorance.
Each one is like a preacher on a stump in the public square
-- speaking an unknown dialect.
