• Techniques
  • Breaking Musical Stereotypes? ... Overcoming blandness and fakeness (p.7)
2012/07/02 18:58:34
BenMMusTech
Philip


BenMMusTech


Dappa1


Hard to break out of the production line type of production if that is how you have been taught.

My question is.

How do you learn in a new way for you to stand out? Is it better to learn by ear and be creative from day dot or, be taught to be like everyone else then create your own style? Which is quicker, better and which is the smarter move?

I have my own thoughts on this but an interesting topic, how different can we really be when all our learning is taken from somewhere?
 
"I don't care if it's perfect I care about feel.  Do we have a great song??? 
 
(I appreciate that statement more than "finished is better than perfect")
 
Certain feelings, IMHO, seem to transend the stereotypes:

If the artist's ponderings are lame ... expect lame songs.
 
If the artist's ponderings are stereotypical ... expect nothing-new-under-the-sun.
 
But if the artist's ponderings are magical, inspiring, redeeming, comforting, disturbing, forcible, killing-with-love, etc. ... it may be that the stereotype-boredom can be overcome.
 
Does not every man have a non-stereotypical story to sing? ... else I'd probably conclude we're all neurotic clones. 
 
Personally, I'd be an evo-biologist and not a singer ... if I believed we're just neurotic clones.

Sorry Philip,
 
"I've got some bad news for you sunshine, Pink isn't well he's back at the hotel, so they sent us along as a surrogate band, now were going to find out where you fans really stand."
 
Philip the world turned and whilst we wern't looking all the things that made an indivdual special were, banned, frowned upon, stamped out, weeded out or else they burnt out.
 
Is there pockets of resistance, HELL YEA but to climb above the clamour and be bigger than the internet because this is what is necessary to reignite the flame is going to take someone truly biblical (and no Philip, I'm using biblical as a metaphor) this is my belief.
 
My proof goes back to The Beatles for a few bright years they were bigger than all the media that exsisted at the time, they were everywere, T.V, print media, Time Magazine even ran a story on Ringo's tonsils.  And finally they were the first band to be beamed around the world to a global audiance of a billion people.  Truly fantastic figures.
 
Lady Who Ha has tried to emualte this and she understands my statement about being bigger than the internet, unfortunatly there is two things lacking to make her the person to reignite the flame, one, she is truly musicaly awful and secondly we don't have a moment in history where the whole world held it's breath and went is it (world war two) the end.
 
You see The Beatles for all there talents would not have been HUGE if it wern't for that tiny little war, the whole world had gone through armageddon, then the bland 50's (starting to see any parallels Philip?) then along come The Beatles like a breath of fresh air and they took our blues, our collective hearts and our breath away because the world needed it.
 
Now here is the kicker in the story, we are on the precipice of another armageddon moment, the west is not the best and the west have over spent and over borowwed and guess who from, The Chinese.
 
Now this is off topic but in the 90's we had what we called the Asian crisis, this is the same as the financial crisis as the west is facing now.  We over lent to a number of Asian countries the wankers sorry bankers got cold feet and they then pulled their money out of these countries, their housing prices were too high and the whole Asian banking system collapsed.  Sound familiar.
 
They learnt, the Asians are better at pulling their heads in and quickly paid back their debts and then they decided to give the west a dose of their own medicine.
 
Back to the armageddon moment, the west does not have the same discipline as the Asians, we over borrowed from the Chinese and there is going to be a moment of some pain, I don't know what, how or where but there will be that moment of pain.
 
From here then the recovery and this is the moral of my tale, then perhaps we might get some decent tunes because after all this gloom we will need cheering up.
 
I know I ramble and a lot of people will go huh but basicly history does repeat (cool name for a song LOL) after each socital breakdown comes a renaissance and the renaissance is the best chance to right the sinking ship.
 
So I hope you get what I am saying Philip, don't get too discoraged.  I don't know how old you are but in 20 years we might yet be needed to help guide a new generation through their art.
 
Peace Ben
2012/07/03 00:25:20
droddey
It was hard to tell in all that, but does this mean I'm going to start getting laid more or anything like that?
2012/07/03 05:52:53
John T
Load of old dudes talking about how nothing is quite as good as prog rock, is the main thing I'm seeing here. I have to tell you chaps, it's hysterical.
2012/07/03 06:37:49
trimph1



Definitely old school, eh wot?
2012/07/03 07:32:06
Chappel
trimph1





Definitely old school, eh wot?

For sure that describes me. My inspirations are the musicians that spoke to me on an emotional level and told me a story. Joni Mitchell singing Ladies of the Canyon, James Taylor singing Sweet Baby James or Fire and Rain. The voice and guitar creating something that was more than the sum of its parts. Listening to Eva Cassidy and not realizing that there were tears in my eyes until the song was over. Playing Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man over and over because it made me feel something new and powerful. Don McLean singing Vincent or American Pie as I sang along... wanting to be part of those stories, to be able to make people feel the way I felt when I heard those songs. That's what I always go back to to remind me of why I wanted to sing and play guitar. I wanted to have my own stories to tell.
2012/07/04 09:49:27
Philip
John T


Load of old dudes talking about how nothing is quite as good as prog rock, is the main thing I'm seeing here. I have to tell you chaps, it's hysterical.


Hey Dawkin's dude ... when are we going to hear your *inspiring* music?  'Can't wait!  Are you a musician or just a ranting cynic (AKA troll)?   Happy Independence Day Mr. Smart!
2012/07/04 11:05:50
John T
I'm not sure what's cynical about taking the view that loads of contemporary music *isn't* bland or fake or inferior to stuff from 40 years ago, or all the other stuff being blathered on about in this thread. As for sharing music on here, I mostly don't have the legal right to put things I've worked on the internet, and I prefer in any case to remain anonymous on boards like this. And before you say anything, no, I don't care whether you believe that or not.
2012/07/04 11:27:22
trimph1
There is lots of 'modern' recordings that are just as inspiring to me...

Faun...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgGIOZiVCVU

Heidevolk...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgGzFVvWWQ0&feature=related

Arkona...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgXlUxDGFvU&feature=fvwrel
2012/07/04 13:29:32
Philip
(@John ... appreciate your anonymous stance and privacy (though you've thoroughly violated mine (my SC web site ... and my 'unfinished' song Evo-Trash!)) 

... just stop what may be perceived as snide remarks ... against aspiring top-drawer producers ... 2 of whom happen to be my best friends (Yoyo and Danny): calling them a "load of old dudes"  and/or slighting them as "histerical".   Do you not agree that OGrant, Ben, Yoyo, and Danny are all top-drawer performers and producers?  ... I fear they may be offended by your words?  Please extend your civility toward them.  Utmost Peace to you, John!)

@Trimph1:

'Listened to Faun and Heidevolk ... some tongue speaking or non-English ... Both seemed familiar *gothic* hybrids (perhaps a stereotype I'm spookily projecting) ... still difficult for me to judge without understanding the words.  IOWs, without knowing the words, these felt a bit spooky and creepy on 1st listen.  That said, they feel to me as extremely powerful artists, IMHO!!!!!... their unique instruments and style do inspire me!  They transcend the stereotype garage bands to be sure!!!

What inspires you most about Faun and Heidevolk?

To all: I'm trying to transcend stereotypes as an artist craves.
2012/07/04 16:18:45
trimph1
The arrangements are what gets me, especially with Faun..they use a combination of modern with ancient/medieval instruments and also their vaguely Eastern European tonality ...

Heidevolk is about the same in their approach..dual male lead vocalists in their case. 

Both pull off their cultural differences very well...much like Ego Falls with the use of Tuvan throat singing as part of the overall feel for their pieces...
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