After a week of having a blog, I finally got a couple of comments! This is thrilling! One commenter complimented the song I have posted in the music player in my side bar!(its a song from one of my former groups) He said he loved the song and that it had a "deep bench". Well I'm not sure what that means, but the fact that I actually had other people read my first post is of great significance to me. It symbolizes my return to music and being a working musician again.
Speaking of that, I have some good news. I was recently selected at my day job to be, "The Voice Of ------s!" I auditioned and was selected to record voice overs for internal media and training videos that my company is creating. I have just recently started getting hired as voice talent for singing and narration and I really enjoyed the work. I am hoping to get more work of that type to supplement my income. Hey, it is music related work! I'll take it.
I am also still putting off rehearsing and learning songs for this up coming gig I have at the end of July. I am getting more nervous about it because a lot of friends from my past may be there. I have probably played and sang in front of them countless times back in the day. But I am kind of flipping out at the thought of doing it again after all this time. I am not usually one to be shy or even very nervous about performing, but it is starting to get to me. What if I sing like a rusty nail on a chalkboard? What if my fingers cramp up and I can't play guitar correctly? What if I forget lyrics to the unfamiliar cover songs? What if our backing vocals sound like a group of drunk karaoke singers after happy hour? ...um, I think I need to go practice!
Before I go, I would like to plug my buddy's blog. Go down to the blogs I follow and click on either one by my friend Jake Allen. His life as well as his postings are much more exciting than mine. I am hoping to visit him someday and help him do some maintenance on Abigail, as well as sample the local culture!
R.I.P.-Michael and Farrah.
June 27, 2009
June 20, 2009
I should be writing lyrics instead of blogging!
I should be writing lyrics or deciding what songs to do for an upcoming show, but I keep hearing how we indie musicians need to have blog so here is my first post.
Like my description states, I am a thirty something singer and guitarist who is established in life with the great wife, awesome kids, a really good job turning wrenches on corporate aircraft. I have been a musician all my life. Singing in school and church choirs, taking lessons on a few different instruments before settling on the guitar at 14. I got in my first band at 15, and cut my teeth playing christian hard rock. Then I moved on to a couple other different groups in my early twenties playing hair band rock, alternative adult rock, and even an all acoustic group.(I am most proud of that group, our vocals were smokin'!)
I came close to the almighty record deal once or twice, with nothing ever really coming out of it. Truth is, the "Christian" music industry is just that ... an industry. Both of the groups I was in were told we were too UGLY to have a recording contract! Well, they didn't come out and tell us that in so many words, but they let us down easy. Kind of like the person who goes on a date and lets the not so desireable person down easy. The dumper says, "I think you are a great girl/guy with an awesome personality,"(you're ugly) but I really want to be your friend!" The record conpamy weasels said, "While we think you are a quality band, we just aren't excited enough about your presentation and image (you're fat and ugly) to take any action right now"(no deal), "but we will certainly stay in touch!"(let's just be friends) Why do I have to look like Ricky Martin to have people like my music or singing?
Along the way I became really interested in studying my faith and cultivating my relationship with God. Being disenchanted with the music business, I enrolled in Bible college to study vocal music and worship ministry. Let me just say that I became even more disenchanted with that facet of the Christian church then the record business! But that is for another post. As I grew cynical of the ministry, I began a friendship with the secretary at my home church. She was the sweetest, most loving girl I had ever met and I thought she was totally out of my league! She was the perfect distraction from my holy roller college. We dated for only five months before we were married! That was almost 14 years ago! Who says whirlwind romances can't last?
So up to this point I had pretty much given up on being a working musician and focused on finding a good job to support my new wife and daughter.(I married a ready-made family, just add Dad!) I was working in an old condemned car wash in a crack house area of town building shipping and warehouse pallets. A good paying job for a single college boy, but not much security for a young family of three.
After almost a year of crack house pallets, I heard at church from a friend of mine about job openings at his work. He was an aircraft mechanic at a growing private jet airline. I applied and got my foot in the door as an aircraft cleaner. That was in 1996 and I have held a few different jobs there before settling in as an aircraft mechanic. I work in the last great post 9/11 aviation companies and I am blessed to be here.
So for the past 13+ years, my musical life has been almost non-existent, except for a few one-off performances and one or two recording sessions. I have written only a handful of song fragments during the years. But something has been stirring inside me. I really have the bug to play and write and record again.
Now, the technology has progressed so that I don't need a record deal to finance an album. They can't tell me I don't fit their formula for sales success anymore. I can record MY music for far less than years ago, have Cd's pressed, sell downloads online, meet and start relationships with real fans, and actually put a few dollars in my pocket for the effort! The artist is now in charge! There is no better or more exciting time to be an independent musician then now. The records labels are dying and the industry is in a state of flux. No one knows what the new business model for music will end up being.
Can I actually juggle having and keeping a suburban family life as well as trying to write music and start a part time music career? Is it possible for my music to be self sustaining and even profitable? Will people even like my singing or my songs? It's going to be an interesting ride. I hope you decide to read along as I chronicle my journey.
Like my description states, I am a thirty something singer and guitarist who is established in life with the great wife, awesome kids, a really good job turning wrenches on corporate aircraft. I have been a musician all my life. Singing in school and church choirs, taking lessons on a few different instruments before settling on the guitar at 14. I got in my first band at 15, and cut my teeth playing christian hard rock. Then I moved on to a couple other different groups in my early twenties playing hair band rock, alternative adult rock, and even an all acoustic group.(I am most proud of that group, our vocals were smokin'!)
I came close to the almighty record deal once or twice, with nothing ever really coming out of it. Truth is, the "Christian" music industry is just that ... an industry. Both of the groups I was in were told we were too UGLY to have a recording contract! Well, they didn't come out and tell us that in so many words, but they let us down easy. Kind of like the person who goes on a date and lets the not so desireable person down easy. The dumper says, "I think you are a great girl/guy with an awesome personality,"(you're ugly) but I really want to be your friend!" The record conpamy weasels said, "While we think you are a quality band, we just aren't excited enough about your presentation and image (you're fat and ugly) to take any action right now"(no deal), "but we will certainly stay in touch!"(let's just be friends) Why do I have to look like Ricky Martin to have people like my music or singing?
Along the way I became really interested in studying my faith and cultivating my relationship with God. Being disenchanted with the music business, I enrolled in Bible college to study vocal music and worship ministry. Let me just say that I became even more disenchanted with that facet of the Christian church then the record business! But that is for another post. As I grew cynical of the ministry, I began a friendship with the secretary at my home church. She was the sweetest, most loving girl I had ever met and I thought she was totally out of my league! She was the perfect distraction from my holy roller college. We dated for only five months before we were married! That was almost 14 years ago! Who says whirlwind romances can't last?
So up to this point I had pretty much given up on being a working musician and focused on finding a good job to support my new wife and daughter.(I married a ready-made family, just add Dad!) I was working in an old condemned car wash in a crack house area of town building shipping and warehouse pallets. A good paying job for a single college boy, but not much security for a young family of three.
After almost a year of crack house pallets, I heard at church from a friend of mine about job openings at his work. He was an aircraft mechanic at a growing private jet airline. I applied and got my foot in the door as an aircraft cleaner. That was in 1996 and I have held a few different jobs there before settling in as an aircraft mechanic. I work in the last great post 9/11 aviation companies and I am blessed to be here.
So for the past 13+ years, my musical life has been almost non-existent, except for a few one-off performances and one or two recording sessions. I have written only a handful of song fragments during the years. But something has been stirring inside me. I really have the bug to play and write and record again.
Now, the technology has progressed so that I don't need a record deal to finance an album. They can't tell me I don't fit their formula for sales success anymore. I can record MY music for far less than years ago, have Cd's pressed, sell downloads online, meet and start relationships with real fans, and actually put a few dollars in my pocket for the effort! The artist is now in charge! There is no better or more exciting time to be an independent musician then now. The records labels are dying and the industry is in a state of flux. No one knows what the new business model for music will end up being.
Can I actually juggle having and keeping a suburban family life as well as trying to write music and start a part time music career? Is it possible for my music to be self sustaining and even profitable? Will people even like my singing or my songs? It's going to be an interesting ride. I hope you decide to read along as I chronicle my journey.
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