I’d like to think that I’m not always right, and more importantly, that I’m always willing and able to view a subject from a fresh perspective. Otherwise your thinking becomes calcified and you can suffer from the dreaded “old geezer” syndrome. Sheesh, I really don’t want to go there. So I’ve been thinking about my … Read more
Leee Black Childers recalled finding himself at the Factory, the Andy Warhol studio that had become a gathering place for artists and musicians. He told Warhol that he aspired to be a photographer; in that case, Warhol told him, he should just call himself one. “He said, ‘Say you’re a photographer, and you’re a photographer,’ … Read more
The whole purpose of my job is to help people. No matter how shitty things are – in my life or in the world – I get to go to work knowing that I am part of the solution and not part of the problem. I get paid to do the one thing that is … Read more
I’m being serious here – and the specific art I am talking about is music. I think it’s safe to say that most people who consume music no longer feel it’s necessary to pay for it. I’m not making judgments here, just being real. It is what it is. The web both giveth and taketh … Read more
Who told him that he could create a new kind of art? (Frank wouldn’t refer to what he did as “art” – but I can). The correct answer is Frank Zappa. Artists don’t ask permission to create. They just do it. What happens to it after they make it is secondary to the process itself. … Read more
I’ve been listening to and reading about the Beatles quite a bit lately. There’s just nothing about this band that’s not interesting. I’ll go through phases where I become fascinated with different aspects of what they did, and recently I’ve been re-examining some of their songwriting. “Happiness is a Warm Gun” is a John Lennon … Read more
Believe it or not, quite a few of the residual effects of surviving cancer are positive. But one negative (maybe I just haven’t evolved enough yet to see it as a positive), is that one becomes acutely aware of just how fragile and temporary our health (defined as the absence of disease) is… You are … Read more
I found this amazing performance of (what I thought was) an R&B tune called “Changes,” sung by Charles Bradley. I’m listening to it and just mesmerized by his palpably heartfelt and visceral rendition of this beautifully simple arrangement. It’s an incredibly great and authentic retro-soul mix of a Daptone Records production – the players are nailing it … Read more
I get distracted by tools. Everything a music producer/musician uses to help create a transcendent recording is a tool of some sort. Trust me – that’s a lot of tools. And in order to use a tool effectively, you must understand how it works and what it is capable of. This takes time – sometimes … Read more
OK, time for an inspirational and thought provoking quote from the great film director Jim Jarmusch: “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. … Read more
I’m addressing myself here – specifically about writing music. Or rather, my current difficulty in doing so. One of the purposes this blog serves is to try to understand myself better, to achieve clarity of thought. Often just the act of writing down your thoughts exposes distorted or nonsensical thinking. So if I’m having difficulty writing … Read more
Making something is hard. Sometimes really hard (like, it just seems impossible) – you desperately look for the inspiration, the spark that will get you going, and you just can’t find it. I am going through this now, and it’s driving me fucking crazy. I keep thinking “I’m not done yet,” and I really feel … Read more
Understanding context has nothing to do with age, it has to do with caring enough to delve into something to the degree that you are compelled to understand it, or at least try to. It makes life more fun. I’ll use music as an example, but this basic idea applies to any subject matter. The … Read more
I love recorded music – when it works it’s just magic. But let’s back up for a minute – I want to give this some historical context. It’s important to remember that the invention of the first devices capable of recording an audible event and then playing it back were in the latter half of … Read more
One of the things I wrestled with when I was thinking about doing a blog was how to deal with comments. In the best of all worlds I would have a comments section and engage with readers, learning from them, expanding my circle of reciprocal influence, and connecting with other humans in a meaningful way. … Read more
Long game: Working for four years to get a college degree. Payoff: Having a greater understanding of the world and how it works. Acquiring knowledge and having the ability to apply it makes one more able to contribute in a meaningful way. Sacrifice: Consistently applying oneself over a period of years represents a lot of … Read more
Merrium-Webster defines grit as: Firmness of mind or spirit: unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger. I love this word and it’s definition. Cancer taught me I had grit – so there’s a positive that came out of a negative! Grit is a quality you are never quite sure you have until you have … Read more
Know this: every moment of every day, you are defining yourself by the actions you take. And everyone who watches you is judging who you are based on what they see. From a psychosocial perspective, here’s the interesting thing about people. Nobody is really that interested in you, at least not superficially – they don’t really … Read more
I once worked in a restaurant kitchen with a dishwasher who was a thing to behold. In a job where no one in their right mind was supposed to give a shit, this guy was a virtuoso at the dishwashing station. I mean, I still remember him over 40 years later. This wasn’t a “nice” … Read more
In 2006, a year before he died at the age of 85, Kurt Vonnegut was invited visit the students of Xavier High School in New York City. Although he declined their invitation, stating “I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana,” he wrote the students this … Read more