Need Some Advice About Confrontation

[Human Avatar]

I’m glad you got that sorted. I’ve had a few muso mates over the years, for one of them music was his only income. He was never wealthy but he was never broke either.

That’s great you know some people like me .

Old joke: What do you call a musician that’s just split up with his girlfriend? - Homeless.

Haha that is a good one !

What’s the difference between a musician and a pizza?
A pizza can feed a family of four.

Where Paul managed to keep himself continuously employed was by behaving like a business manager and operating himself like a business. He didn’t have a band as such, he went to different pubs and clubs and organised gigs and then he’d put together a group that suited that venue.

That’s a very interesting way to keep income flowing . It is actually a really good idea.

He performed solo a lot and put together different duos and trios for different places. This is more profitable and easier to sell than a full band, each musician wants to get paid a reasonable wage and if there’s too many of them it becomes expensive for the venue owner.

This was in a very densely populated upper middle class area close to the CBD in Melbourne, a pub on every second corner and fierce competition to get drinkers to come through the door. Paul usually played acoustic guitar and sang, he also played the piano and gave piano lessons as a bit of extra cash on the side, but he hated electronic keyboards.

He sounds very talented. I agree some electronic keyboards can sound a bit cheesy.

This was back in the 90s. I put together an old computer out of second hand parts and gave it to Paul and he asked me about tablature software. I didn’t know much about it but I found one called Noteworthy Composer. Paul played around with this a bit and found it very useful.

I have heard of that program .

He often dreamed music, and he’d try to remember it and write it down when he woke up but the memory of dreams fades too fast. Now he started leaving his computer on overnight and leaving his guitar plugged in to it and leaning against the wall next to his bed. When he woke up in the middle of the night with music in his head all he had to do was grab the guitar and start playing, Noteworthy Composer turned it in to tablature.

That’s really cool he dreamed music very rarely does that happen to me . I usually just compose in my head for a few days then I will try to play and make out the chords and melody on piano or guitar . I have notebooks full of chord progressions I wrote . Good thing is having a notepad on my phone .

He tried writing music himself but when he got Noteworthy Composer to play it back to him it sounded like a cheesy door chime. He started writing music much more accurately, putting in all the little swings and dipthongs and things, doing this got Noteworthy Composer to play music that sounded real.

I know what you mean . The program has no expression unless written in. When I write symphony and orchestral pieces, I use a program on my iPad called Notation composer . What is nice is I can write every piece for a whole orchestra . I can type in the notes or just play them on a keyboard and it enters it into the program . It is what lots of film score composers use .

The bonus of doing this was that when he put together groups of musicians that he wasn’t used to working with he could hand them sheet music that left little room for misinterpretation. This greatly reduced practice time.

Oh yeah that is very effective way to do it .

 

[Human Avatar]

This is a really tough situation. I have a hard time not either saying, "This sucks, I quit" or simply making up BS excuses everytime the band wants to rehearse until they come to the conclusion on their own.

Yeah it was for sure , oddly enough this was one of the first times I have been in a situation like this . Usually in bands people are impressed with my creativity and originality they let me do my thing and enjoy it .It was stressful.

I've had that happen in band experiences as well, and when someone wants you to play or sound like someone you're not it can be a little insulting at best and make you feel like you're not really cut out for jamming with them at the worst. Especially when you're already doing the best you can and just have your own, unique sound.

I agree , some musicians can just copy anybody but if find them not very creative , they are probably best suited to play in a cover band with their talent because it takes lots of practice to copy and it does bring them much happiness.

But to be in a original band that is a complete copy of another band seems weird and plastic to me

I think it’s great to hear influences of other bands and artists in ones work .which everyone has . But to be told I have to copy to be someone else. I could not handle that . Along with all the other social crap .I wasn’t enjoying it

 

[Outdated]

That’s a very interesting way to keep income flowing . It is actually a really good idea.

Paul's favourite genre or era of music was the 1940s, even though he wasn't born until the 60s. Because he knew so many other musicians through organising gigs he managed get a few of them riled up about an idea and they put together an old fashioned 1940s Big Band, 9 piece.

He managed to get them a few gigs here and there but you don't put a band together like that because you want to make money, you do it because you love the sound. They came together and did the occasional weddings and corporate gigs but they were an expensive hire. I played roadie for them just for the joy of listening.

 

[Human Avatar]

@Outdated
That is really impressive, to put together a Big Band. It’s amazing to think that was the standard job for musicians during the swing era.

I would enjoy seeing a band now do that music . I really like music from that era as well .
Not sure if you have ever heard of the “Dorsey Brothers Jazz Band”?
They were very popular in America during the Swing era . My Grandmothers uncle was one of their piano players .

He was the one who helped get my grandmother her Piano . It was a baby grand . My grandmother was a virtuoso at piano could play anything . She got excepted into Juilliard .But she decided not to go and start a family instead.

She could play all of that music from that era . But Her favorite band was Pink Floyd ! I have footage of my dad playing drums @ age 12 with her while she plays piano .

Before I could even walk she used to sit me on the piano bench with her and I would push notes to hear the difference on pitch .

As I got older i always went and played her pianos every time I had a visit . The sound of a real baby grand is amazing. Or I would stay weeks or months at time with my grandparents . And she used to have to pry me off her piano so I would eat . But she used to get confused that I didn’t want to play other people music . I just wanted to create my own . It is easier for me .

I never got as good as her because she could read music so well . I never cared about reading music I just play everything by ear . But anyway I have a deep personal connection through family to the big band era .

You are so lucky to have been a roady for your friend to hear that music . Are you still in contact which him ?

 

[Mr. Stevens]

^Cool topic! There is so much interesting big band music. I love Ellington, Goodman, Stan Kenton, and the big band albums by Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. I know many fans hate Monk's Blues, but I find it thrilling. His melodies played by a bunch of horns are so powerful, in a different way than on the piano. Electric Bath by Don Ellis is also one of my favorite albums. I don't know if either of you knows it.

 

[Human Avatar]

^Cool topic! There is so much interesting big band music.

I agree with you on that

I love Ellington, Goodman, Stan Kenton, and the big band albums by Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.

Met too they are all great . I really like Miles Davis

I know many fans hate Monk's Blues, but I find it thrilling. His melodies played by a bunch of horns are so powerful, in a different way than on the piano. Electric Bath by Don Ellis is also one of my favorite albums. I don't know if either of you knows it.

I am not sure if I have that one . I will check it out . I think the horn Melodies as well can be powerful and moving. I will check out Don Ellis as well

 

[Outdated]

You are so lucky to have been a roady for your friend to hear that music . Are you still in contact which him ?

I lost contact with everyone when I lived in the bush, but when I got internet again I tracked them down. Covid wrecked Paul, not through illness but through destroying his life, these days he's a nasty drunk. The picture below is from about 7 years ago, Paul is the one on the right.

I still stay in touch with the drummer, centre, John Brockton, an incredibly nice man.