wanna come to my blog my blog my blog

......someone brings you a spoon and you get the biscuit out and it's all ok and the world is right again and we all dance and sing and whoooopppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (falls off chair)

I felt there was a necessity for lots of eeeeees in that whoopee.

....your biscuit falls in to your tea??  maddening.

I've been thinking more and more about my progress in music.

You know, I read on Kayla's site: Hard work beats talent where talent doesn't work hard.

This is very true. Also true is that it is very hard to be in the music industry and also have a family life - by that I mean to truly give your children what they need. To dedicate yourself to your talent and work hard as it requires, it means that you have to cocoon yourself to your art.

To be a really successful singer I would have to decide between them and me. Or at least have some serious help around me. In the days of the nuclear family and economic problems, who can manage to juggle trying to be successful at what is most important to them plus giving the people you love what they need?

Maybe it is true for me that I will never reach the success I could have achieved with my talent. For example, I have written great songs but have no finance to record them. I have two children who take up my practice time and my evenings out are limited, as is my ability to travel to music venues and concerts. My social field is much smaller now, as mainly people without children are on a different road to me.

But still I am working against time to try to achieve my dreams and be a good wife and mother. Yes I chose to be those things, but it is also hard to see other people achieving where I can not. Because life does slow you down. And I made choices.  I love my family but I also loved my music.  It is such a difficult balance.

If I knew at 21 what I know at 31 I would have spent less time messing around and more time working hard. Because in the end, Kayla is right.  You can have all the talent but if you don't work hard and smart, you will be at home with your talent in your pocket. To all the young musicians out there, I hope you find focus quickly and make the most use of your time, and try to see a path through all the fog that surrounds you. Whilst it is not impossible to achieve things when you get older, it is not as easy as when you have freedom.

I think trying to come to terms with time is one of the hardest things we have to deal with in our life.  We think there is always a 'one day' but the reality is there is only 'today' and we must try to make today count.  There is no yesterday and no tomorrow.

Plus, my knowledge will hopefully help my children when they get to 21 and they need direction.  I can be successful in that. My parents didn't know what to do for me, and they didn't have any idea who to talk to, to get help.  At least I learned that part, and hopefully I can be more able than them.

Music is a difficult career path.  But it is not impossible.  For those people who have opportunities, go for it and do what you can to make your mark. And remember that your idea of being successful may have to evolve with time, depending on what you do. 

I like new music as much as everyone seems to do. But I am always wondering if the music scene keeps going as it is, then won't that finish the game? Who is looking after the real music? I know today's music is well produced.  But how many of those artists are 'real' musicians? How many can write and play their own songs as opposed to being manufactured?

You know, real disco started on real instruments :) Real rock was played by men in tights.

The only true success seems to be to get famous these days.  What is success?  Money? Many songwriters or artists don't consider themselves to be successful unless they make a stack. Or five. Who wants to be famous anyway? 

I wanted to be a musician.  A real one that really sings great live.  I want a drummer that can really beat the drums like Phil Collins.  My bass player has to know who was Jaco Pastorius and why was he great? My guitarist has to have listened to Bryan May and felt weak at the knees.  I want a band who really are a band. Not 'cast' from the four corners of The Stage magazine.

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1 comment

I want to be real, with a real sound, and not be afraid if my music isn't added to with digital sound. Music is an art, people, and it needs studying. In 30 years, how many of the artists of today will be playing live concerts with real skill? Who will be our Sting, or Elton John or Barbara Streisand?   There will be no-one to fill their shoes. Look at Elton John's life.  Real hard work went into his career, real songs, real playing, his fingers are fire when they play.  He really learned what it is to play the piano and understand it.

The real music still comes from the great musicians. We live in the memory of Elvis, Queen, Bon Jovi, Toto, Anita Baker, and more. Look at Madonna and Mariah Carey and all the other artists who have tried to fit in to the new music scene. They changed who they were, and all people do now is criticize them for trying. I mean people on the streets, not people in the media.  They just write what they want you to read, hoping you will believe it.

It just seems to me that the great people of today are being MADE great by the last generation of greats.  And what happens when they are not there to hold our hands anymore? Why do you think that there is no Bach of 2009?

We need a saviour.  And I don't think it will be Simon Cowell :) (even though I like him - sorry simon). We should be careful I think. Pop will eat itself.

And another thing (mouth full of cake)

I spent years just trying to be myself without getting railroaded into being something else. All the music industry seems to want to do is re-create more of the same. I thought the whole point is that you are supposed to be original. It seems to me that it used to be that 'they' (the powers that be) found new talent, shaped it and showed it which way to the middle of the stage.

Now if you don't have a fully functional web page, a marketing strategy supplied free by a supportive family member, no cellulite and full ready-to-be-published masters then you are buggered. Whatever happened to 'we supply the brains, you supply the talent'? Didn't anyone up there in the penthouse notice that the biggest market for music is the over 30's cause they have all the time and money? And the over 30's generally don't listen to crap?

Isn't it possible anymore to be a normal person at the same time as wanting to be in the music industry? Can't I have two kids and still want to be a musician? (shouting a bit now, spitting cake)

That's it now, I can't believe it. I just read an advert and it said, 'looking for musicians aged under 32'

IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH 33 NOW?!?!?!?!?

I think I need a lie down.

Yes, all day I have mused over the following;

1. Is it true that I could be toooo olddd for the music business
2. Am I really 'past it' at the tender age of 31?
3. Am I the only one that thinks that nobody is playing 'real music' anymore?
4. If I am too old then why because when I was younger I was crap and I didn't know what I was doing.
5. And when I was younger people told me I needed more experience.

My conclusion.

Life is crap so eat more cake.

More on this subject after I've finished eating.

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Today I wrote 3 songs.

Not bad for a day's work.  One country, one rock song and a ballad.
In between I made 23 fairy cakes (one fell on the floor, I don't normally cook in odd numbers), re-organized the spare room and completed my son's homework in a foreign language.

God I'm good.