zero360|music

Stoking Embers

Mar 10, 2009 sojourn

I’m very fortunate to be at a point in life where I can play gigs without sweating how much money I’m going to pocket. Of course I don’t always play for free, though at times I make barely enough to cover gas and a drink, but I don’t turn down opportunities to stretch my musicality and be around fresh sounding players and writers that spark inspiration into my own works.

This past weekend I packed a bass and made a trip to Atlanta to back a 17 year old guitarist/writer named Desmond Myers. With heroes like John Mayer and The Beatles, he’s a welcome breath of fresh air. Not only talented, but a great guy and I certainly hope nothing but the best for his career.

Aside from basic expenses (food/lodging) I made the trip pro-bono, and I’m REALLY glad I did. I got to hear other bands and writers, many quite young, most with an infectious hunger to make music at all costs. I got to hang out with Desmond’s producers, Alan and Jimm of Hit Music Studios in Spencer, NC., as well as a couple of other budding artists being produced by HMS.

The road to ATL was an interesting one, to say the least. I hooked up with the situation via friend/musician with whom I recently reconnected, after 25 years. We rehearsed less than 4-hours total, and did both gigs without sound check. Not everything went off without a hitch, not all the music I heard enamored me. But, overall I came back to CLT pumped about future opportunities with Alan/Jimm, and, perhaps more importantly, ready to freshen my approach to practicing and writing… not to mention the prospect of cutting an EP by summer.

First thing after dinner, I caught up on emails and to do’s. I listened to a talk on creativity and read a blog post on Lefsetz Letter that really helped put the weekend in context (a 5-minute read). There’s so much negative press about the music industry these days, but there are many spurning the pundits and choosing to invest the time and energy to get in the game for the long-haul.

Few will make it big, some will make it regionally, others, like me, perform in coffee houses because we love to play and sing. But the revolt is on, and it’s fueling the dreams of many, including mine. Indie artists with quality material and a well defined sound can and will make inroads. There are audiences out there wanting to escape the media’s torrent of lousy news, and our music is part of what they seek as refuge. It takes guts, planning, a ton of practice, and some luck, but, at least in my mind, passion trumps odds, and I’m seeing a lot of passion out there.

True artists get after it every day… it would be very easy for me to say “hey, I tried”, grab a cup of coffee and sit back and watch “younger crowd” fight the good fight. This past weekend reminded me of many past experiences, good and bad. I’ve been working pretty hard over the last 5-6 years to rekindle the fire by developing some songwriting chops and re-activating my bass playing. I’m still in the game, and plan to be till the embers go out.