Music and musings from magicbrook.com

In a blog post about helping one’s self, Derek Sivers writes about the hard realities of gigging music:

“There are no great agents that would want to take you on unless you’re already earning $5000 a month gigging, so that their 10% cut (only $500) would be worth their time. ”

This, I believe and have experienced, is most certainly true.

This remark is tangential to Derek’s point, which was that no one but one’s self is going to help. If I want gigs, I must book them myself, simply because the economics of the music business dictate that it’s not worth the effort for a professional.

Still, Derek’s remark got me to start thinking about the economics of music gigging, agents, and the music business in general. It’s not a pretty picture.

But I would offer that the realities are not a factor of either the lack of interest on the part of agents, nor of the skill of musicians.

It’s the economics of music that have driven some big changes from my grandparents’ time to the present time. Couple these changes with antiquated booking models and agent laws. This creates a situation where the less well known players and other music-minded folk cannot help each other. Doing so is literally a violation of state laws.

While there are corners of the business that operate a little differently (weddings and corporate events), for most clubs and other performance venues, I think the economics are more or less consistent with what I’m going to write, below.

I’ve gigged a great deal, getting paid everything from dinner, a drink, and tips for a couple of sets to getting $400+a gourmet meal for 15 minutes playing (not bad. Too bad it was only once!). I’ve happily played for free because I wanted to or the cause was right for me. And, I’ve been paid some nice chunks, as well, for everything from reading charts of music I didn’t particularly like, to playing with great folks that I would happily have worked with for free.

One of the big changes that I made 5 years ago was to let go of the idea that if I wasn’t being payed, I was playing for “real”, whatever that means. That was incredibly liberating.

But, now that my 3rd solo album is having a little bit of success, I’m back considering once again the economics of gigging and touring.

Derek’s post has me thinking about some important realities.

Consider this story. I was playing a jazz gig, I think perhaps, subbing for a sub at the No Name in Sausalito, California some years ago (bass player called me. Thanks, Lee!) The sax player on that gig (also subbing. hehe) told me this story.

There was a sax player who worked the jazz clubs in North Beach, San Francisco in the 1950′s. At that time the median income for the USA was in the neighborhood of $135/week. Local gigs paid $35-50/night/player. As you can see, a couple of gigs a week brings in a more or less middle class income. Working for $50/gig 3 times in a week is starting to look pretty nice. This sax player bought his house in San Francisco, raised his kids, sent them to college in the ’60′s. Golly, it’s great to be a musician, huh?

Now, let’s consider the booking agent law. California’s (like other states that have such laws. not all do!) mandates that agents may only take 10% of the performer’s compensation. These laws were enacted to protect performers from unscrupulous business practices. The law mandates that the majority of the earnings goes to the performer. That should be great, right?

In the 1950′s, this system worked fine. If an agent had 5 performers, all making $100/week (perfectly reasonable, in those times), that’s $100 for the agent, too. If the agent worked hard and the performers made a little more, then life is good all ’round, see? Even local musicians and local agents can make a living under this system.

Now, fast forward to the 1990′s: That same saxophone player was still playing in North Beach. Pay each night? $35-50!

And, those numbers have not shifted particularly since the millennium. While it is certainly true that a band may get more than this, $200 is typical pay for 4 in small clubs. (When working as a soloist, I do a sight better, but it’s not big money in music!) For the agent, that’s only $20. Not worth the time and effort – all those recalls to get the club owner on the line, to pitch the band, ugh!

So, the booking agents chase the stars, the already successful. Of course. That’s where a living can be had.

That leaves yer local musicians with no possibility of help. None. Booking a tour? All those calls are on you, friend. Got a day job? I hope they don’t mind phone interruptions during your work day?

Where am I going with this?

I believe that our laws are antiquated. They were put in place in a different time:

– there were fewer musicians trying to work professionally
– live music was the usual, not the un-usual: there were more gigs to go round
– pay was much, much higher, relatively

Today, there are millions of folks who’d very much like to work as musicians. Just take a listening tour around myspace.com. There are fewer venues. There are many more competing events – how many CD release events are happening this week where you live? And gig pay has fallen or at least, not risen in 50 years.

Most importantly, the technology for reproducing recorded sound has vastly improved in the last 50 years. Why have live music at all? (some clubs owners say.) Add the new art forms for DJ’ing, mixing pre-recorded and sampled music, who work where bands might have worked in the past. (I don’t mean to dis great DJs. Like any musical skill, it takes time, ears, taste, experience to be a great DJ, just like it does to play any instrument well. Still, if ya wanna dance, DJ’ed music is just as big, maybe bigger sound than a band)

Nope, the situation is not good for all but the well known names.

I’m thinking that we need a different model. I’m thinking that like everything else in the music biz, gigging has changed dramatically. But the process, the roles, the economics have not.

What about a collective of folks who are the “production company”? Each contributes what skills they have: performers, publicist, someone good on the phone (booker?), graphics, engineering, all the skills that must come together well for successful performances? Maybe they all share whatever financial gains are seen by the collective work?

I’m probably just dreaming? But I do think that the day of the booking agent is over. Just like labels (who buys CDs any more? Well, I do, but I’m weird!), booking agents are dead. But that doesn’t mean that the performer must do it all him/herself!

Sorry Derek, I disagree. Rather, can we think outside the box that has been given to us? Can we figure out other ways to get booked than having a brilliant but perhaps highly introverted performer trying to book herself? Or should she just sit home letting the more brazen but perhaps far less interesting performer get the gigs?

This situation calls up the activist in me. Why live with the world as it’s given? Maybe that’s not the best choice? Why not make the world that which we want to live in? Let’s make it different right now?

cheers

/brook

How many times I’ve found myself in this artistic place? Too many, a lifetime!

I set up my studio for quickie video shoots.

I put up a nice Celtic hanging to hide the wiry mess. I found a good angle for shooting, (if a bit tight against the recording booth – small room!) set up sufficient lighting to capture the work visually – no fancy camera work here – one angle, thank you, isight.

These videos are supposed to help folks see what I’m doing, give a sense for how the sounds are made. I set up a quickie microphone that maybe doesn’t sound like my studio recordings but still represents at least some of the beauty of my instrument. Bless that Royer 121!

And, of course, I want them to be compelling performances, too. Of course!

I cut a couple of takes. After all, this is material that I’ve been performing fairly regularly. Shouldn’t take too long, right?

Ahem.

While I got a couple of good takes, I am plagued with that solo guitarist’s disease – speeding up during the exciting parts. Yeah – I admit it. I DO speed up consistently and repeatedly.

So, after watching the best take, I couldn’t tell if it was “good enough”, being probably wayyyy too close to the work, “is it ok?”

I asked a really fine player friend of mine who has gushed over the new album (“The Source”) to take a look at the video and give me a critical 2nd eye.

Trouble is, this person has not responded for days. I sent a little email nudge. Nothing, nada, zip, zelch.

Of course, the perfectionist paranoic in my says “It’s so terrible, an assessment cannot be made”.

But then, I’ve been playing this stuff for audiences for a while to pretty nearly unanimous praise, too.

But still, video, like recording, is different than live. What goes by during a live performance is heard/seen many times when recorded. I’ve heard it said that, “Recording is a close up magnifying mirror. Every blemish is amplified.”

So, because I handed my power of decision making to someone else, I’m stuck. This is just the reason that I got so lost in the middle of my music career: waiting on other folks to help me make it happen, waiting on other folks’ approval before taking a chance. Hmmm, I guess I’ve been here before…

What’s the solution? Ah, dig deep. These are dark fearsome shadows, to be sure. But it seems to me to be better for me if I take responsibility for my own work, my own actions, my own decisions.

I suppose that the lesson here is that, since I wasn’t sure about the work, it wasn’t ready, huh? I didn’t want to listen to my little voice telling me to keep working on it. So, I handed my power to some one else.

Back to re-play “Soul Art Dance” and get it right this time!

Stay tuned to youtube.com/magicbrook for some video – when it’s ready, when it’s played well enough.

Thanks universe for giving me another lesson…

peace,

/brook

Today, R J Lannan published a review of “The Source” radio EP. Wow! Thank you, RJ, for your kind words of encouragement. I’m humbled and more than a little stunned at what you wrote, RJ.

I’m not sure that I can live up to your praise, musically. But I do promise to try.

Thanks for listening, for hearing the music behind the notes, the intent to create something beautiful, my meager attempt at painting with my own kind of strange broad brush strokes.

peace,

/magic brook

“The Source” has broken the top 15! – The album is listed at #14 (of 204 charting albums). New Age/Ambient/World Radio Playlist Chart

I am so deeply grateful for the support of listeners and the brave DJs who are spinning my album, many of whom, I’m sure, had never heard of me before “The Source”.

You can hear “The Source” in these areas, from these stations:

Barcelona Radio Despi 107.2 FM
Chico, CA CA KVMR (core) 89.5 FM
Santa Rosa, CA CA KRCB (core) 91.1 FM
Wilmington, DE DE WVUD 91.3 FM
Columbia, MO MO KOPN 89.5 FM
Raleigh-Durham, NC NC WXDU 88.7 FM
Atlantic City, NJ NJ WDVR 89.7 FM
New York, NY NJ WRSU (core) 88.7 FM
Albany, NY NY WRPI (core) 91.5 FM
Rochester, NY NY WITR (core) 89.7 FM
Rochester, NY NY WRUR (core) 88.5 FM
Toronto, ON ON Galaxie CBC Cable
Chattanooga, TN TN WAWL (core) 91.5 FM
Richmond, VA VA WCVE 88.9 FM
Spokane, WA WA KPBX 91.1 FM
Wausau, WI WI WWSP 89.9 FM

Please call up your local alternative, public radio, college station, or your favorite Internet station and ask them to play “The Source”, magic brook.

thank you so much for your support

/brook

I’m rating #68 (out of 191) on the New Age Reporter for Albums for October

I’ve actually had several more spins not reported last month:
Santa Rosa CA and Richmond VA have been spinning me for a few weeks.

If you live near one of these locations, please call these wonderful
folks who are playing tracks from “The Source”, please listen to these
supportive programs.

Wilmington, DE DE WVUD 91.3 FM
New Bedford, MA MA WUMD [was WSMU] (core) 89.3 FM
Springfield, MA MA WMUA (core) 91.1 FM
NEW LONDON, NH NH WSCS 90.9 FM
Richmond, VA VA WCVE 88.9 FM
Santa Rosa, CA CA KRCB 91.1 FM

Broadcaster: Radio Despi Barcelona
Show: La Otra Orilla
Date: 10/27/2008
Host: Francisco
Theme: SHOW 439
Notes:
LISTEN TO THIS SHOW AT http://www.laotraorilla.blip.tv/file/1405373

Broadcaster: WXDU Durham NC
Show: New Frontiers
Date: 10/25/2008
Host: Marty

thank you to these DJs, the Internet stations that have played “The Source”, to all my supporters

/brook

I just received this wonderful comment from WDVR 89.7 FM in Atlantic City NJ:

“I got the new Magic Brook:The Source and will be playing it on my show. I play a lot of guitar and like this one very much”- Carla Van Dyke

Wow! nice Saturday present, huh?

thanks so much, Carla!

Carla runs a Celtic radio program. If you like that kind of music, and I do, please give her a listen.

I’ve been wondering about “Celtic fingerstyle guitar”, which is a term that I’ve seen used lately. I have played a bit of various strains of Celtic music from time to time (not well, perhaps?). I listen to a fair amount. And, of course, whatever I listen to comes out somewhere in my playing.

But, frankly what is “Celtic fingerstyle” as opposed to say “fingerstyle” or “blues fingerstyle”?

Does it involve only Celtic traditional tunes? My friend, Shay Black, would be the master of that! His playing always amazes me for the grace that he adds, the subtle counter melodies and elegant harmonies he gives traditional tunes – his work appears effortless to me.

Shay’s playing, as “Celtic fingerstyle”, I can buy as a genre, or sub-genre – Celtic traditional music is put together somewhat differently. Shay likes to tell a story about accomplished jazz players falling apart trying to jam on traditional Celtic tunes. Why? The harmonic motion in Celtic music is often different than the movements that jazz and blues players become intimately familiar with, that they can usually feel by ear.

So, playing traditional Celtic music (fingerstyle or any other technique) is a different set of aural skills. The chords that Shay plays are well known and understood by many competent guitarists. That’s not the “special sauce” that defines his playing. It’s the music, the deep understanding of Celtic harmonic motion!

But maybe Celtic fingerstyle is a wider thing? When John Fahey was quoting the blues, was that blues fingerstyle? John was of Irish decent (obviously!), so does that make his work intrinsically Celtic or is it the blues?

There are some really fine jazz oriented fingerstyle players. Is that “jazz fingerstyle” or just jazz?

I think the term, “fingerstyle” suffers from a bit of overloading.

It’s a technique that can be used on any genre. Do we say “plectrum rock”? “plectrum jazz”. Heck no! Is Jeff Beck a “fingerstylist” because he doesn’t use a pick? It seems to me that Tuck Andress is a jazz player, first and foremost. Fingerstyle is just the technique for producing Tuck’s unique and amazing jazz guitar.

But, it seems to me that fingerstyle is also developing into a genre of its own. That genre seems to quote and blend and bend many threads. But it also involves something unique:

– a fuller use of the many sounds and possible tones of the guitar. Sometimes drone strings are heavily employed.
– a broad range of genres blended
– an emphasis on composition, melody+harmony+groove
– often compositions involve more complexity than simple song forms.
– is NOT classic guitar (and this is very subtle. one could argue that this is a type of composed music similar to what is commonly called “classical”)

We’ve inherited this genre from John Fahey (who copied the technique from Mississippi John Hurt, as I understand the development). Players like John Renbourn, Leo Kotke, William Ackerman, etc., have taken it to various places, and Michael Hedges added a slew of techniques and new possibilities that we’re still trying to assimilate.

I would argue that there is a growing body of working players doing this genre – check my myspace friends (www.myspace.com/magicbrook) for well known and lesser known practitioners. I’ve connected with some amazing players… (lucky me!). I think some of these players might even be Irish, Welsh, Cornish, Breton, Manx, or Scots? (smile)

to Celtic or not to Celtic? – that is NOT the question.

Still and all, deep appreciations, Carla, for your support on WDVR.

cheers

/brook

It’s been a very long haul. What started as a small brain child to release some nicely recorded guitar improvisations has taken me on a long, 3 year journey. It was early 2005 that I posted one of the first pieces, titled “Andulasian Mist”, please excuse the misspelling of Andalusia. Smile.

On this particular journey, I’ve tried to seek the best possible ways to record the acoustic guitar so that the recording (and hopefully the listener?) can hear the details of the wood, the strings, the hands, as though one were sitting in front of the guitar experiencing the music unfold.

Recording alone proved a very tall order. A recording is never a perfect representation, I’ve found. Rather, one paints with the sound qualities that different microphones, different placements, different pre-amplifiers, different analog to digitial (A/D) converters, etc., may deliver. I’ve learned a lot. When these come together into a whole, I find that I can have an aural experience that is rich. It’s not the same as listening to the guitar in a good room. It will never be! Rather, it is its own representation.

Many thanks to Winter (of the Sharon Knight Band) and El Mundo Bueno Studios engineer extraordinaire and to Dave Feder, who both helped with key pieces of the puzzle.

And, paraphrase John Lennon, “life was happening while I was doing other things”. While searching for an acceptable, even beautiful way to get the guitar recorded, I spent a great deal of time thinking about the pieces that might be a part of this collection.

While I was improvising on grooves and licks, compositions started to emerge. A creative space opened up. this opening has been such that, at this point, there’s very little pure improvisation in this collection. While there are open sections in some of the pieces, the material has been thought out, much material discarded in favor of that which develops the thematic material in some, hopefully, interesting and compelling manner? The arc of the development hopefully moves towards a particular musical place?

I used many different forms for these pieces, from almost through composed “The Awakening”, to theme and variations “Andalusian Fantasy”, to even classical sonata form (well, almost) – “Stony Creek” and “The Sun and the Clouds at Play” come closest in form, I think? You will even find a very simple song form, AABA, with “Sweet Sigh”.

I will post and podcast some of the early, for-radio-release, versions of these over the next couple of months while we finish the album.

To start, you can find “Fetch! (the)” on my home page. These pieces may also be heard at my MySpace page, Broadjam.com, iSound.com, and at Fingerstyle-Guitar.com

take care,

/brook

One never knows which song will have legs – “12 Long Years” continues in the top 10 in the Chicago Blues category on Broadjam.com.

Golly, maybe I should head on for another turn on the blues circuit?

I wanted to recreate a bit of the magic of late 1950′s, early ’60′s blues. Not the heavily electified sound that came at the end of the 60′s, but that slight harmonic distortion of the lead guitar, but still hearing the sound of the pickup – where there was a bit of T-Bone’s jazzier playing, while still being true to the blues. Little amps, cranked not so loud that it hurts, but so that you feel the music.

Not sure I got there? But that was the sound I was reaching for.

I did have some wonderful help on harmonica, Keith Brown – I think his playing adds a a lot to the tune. And, my old comrade in musical adventures, Joyce Baker, gets that perfectly laid back snap on the snare for the authentic Chicago blues pulse.

A regular comment about the tune is about the great “band”.

Uh – I hate to tell on myself – but this is the day of easily overdubbed recording.

I played bass and piano as well as lead vocal and guitar.

I was going find someone for the piano part – thought I’d lay down a scratch version to be overdubbed later by a pro. But, my backing didn’t come out too badly; there was a nice support for the guitar solo – so I left it in to I could call on my helpers, the real piano players, for other keyboard duties. Yep – that’s ‘lil ol’ me on piano. Now you all know just how poorly I really do play piano. I’ve been tellin’ folks, “I play a lot of instruments badly”. smile

So, if there is fault with the band, the fault lies with me.

peace to all, and thanks to all the wonderful and thoughtful reviewers who’ve kept “12 Long Years” alive.

/brook

I found a guitar player asking, “practice, what is it? how do I do it?” on the 13th fret site. This is such a tricky question. Often, we respond with, something like “take 2 exercises. Call me in the morning” Smile.

But practice is not exercises or studies. It’s a way of approaching things that we want to learn. A lot of the guitar is somatic, that is, learned and understood by the body. It must come without much conscious thought.

I can’t think, while playing, “I want a 8th note syncopated rhythm followed by flamenco rasgueado triplets. Oh and while we’re at it, could that please fit over a basic 4 meter, in 2 measures, please, body?”

The measures are already long past. No, the way this works is I feel in the stream of sound in my mind that accompanies the sound coming from my hands: these rhythms over these notes (chords, whatever), these well practiced hand patterns. And, if my practice and accomplishement is sufficient (big statement, that!), it all comes out as though it’s a part of me and a part of the music emerging in this unfolding moment. Wow!

I had a major breakthrough when I worked through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: I moved away from frustration based learning, will based learning to giving myself the space to discover technique in my own way. The next big break that I had was at a workshop with Kenny Werner, Toots Thielemans’ pianist. It is this bit that I wrote to the person who wanted to know how to practice, pasted below:

I do want to share something I learned about 6 years ago from jazz piano player and improvisation master, Kenny Werner.

The important bit is: most of our teaching is off in terms of approach. Standard is: “take 2 exercises and call me in the morning – or next week at your lesson” hehe, wink wink.

Mostly, we overwhelm our ability to learn by taking on more than our body can assimilate easily. We can only really learn one thing at a time!

So, in response to that teaching, I changed my approach completely. And I don’t play at all like what I did 6 years ago! The amount of things that I can learn has shifted dramatically. And, I’ve seen it in my students as well.

Work concentrated on one thing. Just one thing. If it takes 6 months – it takes 6 months. If it takes 20 minutes, it takes 20 minutes.

Now that doesn’t mean just playing one thing over and over for a year. One can work on maintaining and sharpening techniques in multiplicity that one already has learned.

And, some time regularly should be spent on getting in to and maintaining “the zone” – that place where playing is natural and open, that flows easily (whether your an improviser or only play set pieces, I believe one still needs to understand and get into “the zone”) That is a different practice, more akin to meditation (which, BTW, helps get to the zone)

But, the trick that I learned at that workshop was to focus completely, stopping when I feel frustrated.

Another piece that I stumbled upon is avoiding frustration through trying a different way if after concerted effort things are not coming along. No head banging, no overwhelm. Because we cannot learn when we are overwhelmed.

If I could help other players in any way, it would be to suggest that they (and myself) really narrow the scope of practice – hard focused practice, to one thing at a time. It seems like it will slow one down. But amazingly, it has not for me.

Long way round to simple answer.

I will add one other thing: spend some time and effort on what’s hard for you, rather than always focusing upon what you already know in an effort to make it better.

I find that people (my students, myself) make a lot more progress by at least trying to do things that they are weak on, rather than endlessly refining that which is already well within accomplished technique. One doesn’t have to get really good at a new thing to get the benefits. There’s some mystery happening when we work on our limitations that opens the playing a lot.

the change that will come not only affects what we are attempting to learn, but also affects what we know. It is a lateral support to what we have already incorporated.

Consider these as you build your practice.

In a future post, I’ll try to discuss some of the ideas from George Leonard’s book, Mastery.

peace

/brook

Friends,

Some exciting musical news to share. As many of you know, I’ve been hard at work on a series of solo acoustic guitar pieces. It’s been a long, hard road – I started this journey 2 years ago in December. I thought that I’d kick out a series of improvisations somewhat like those of my friend, Rich Hubbard’s “Midnight Daydreams” Ha!

Then I started composing. Dangerous activity, that.

Many times, I thought that I was getting reasonable recording, only to discover that it was not rich enough, or some other technical issue had cropped up. Just getting my breathing from becoming a main part of the recordings was a whole journey into the land of gobos (thanks, Dave Feder)

Or, I’d believe that a particular composition was completed, only to discover that it really wasn’t. Many of the compositions have been through a lot of changes to refine them, to get a thematic and dramatic arc, richness of texture, contrast and development.

Now, I think that the work is ready for comment.

There’s a test mix up on MySpace. If you’d like to hear what I’ve been up to lately, please go to my page and listen to “Fetch! (the)”

There’s also a very early mix hopefully for eventual radio release of “Andalusian
Fantasy” there.

I’ll be podcasting some of the radio mixes soon. In the meantime, If you
have myspace account, please send my music page a friend request.

I appreciate any help (comments on the music, friend requests, etc.) from those of you who are myspace users. If you listen, comment, rate, link, then others will be encouraged to, as well.

I also have some of the new music up on www.broadjam.com. Broadjam has been good for some of my blues, which have several weeks last year been in the top 10. If you have an account there, please do review my new material.

As always, you can find my music in regular rotation on the isound.com radio stations and selected stations in the US and Europe.

Hope that your new year is well?

/brook