I am a Los Angeles-based twentysomething. I have a profession, and I have a secret life in music, and this blog isn't about any of that. I like Blogger because I can't read what you're thinking.
"You need to listen to The Silver Seas," I was told yesterday by a jazz peer from some years back. I went home, looked it up on Rhapsody and was instantly floored by the title track to their High Society LP. So floored, I bought the track just so that I could share it with you nerds.
The only problem is that it's too short. I haven't listened to the album enough to find out why. I'm sure there's a reason. Instant fan over here.
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Got some interesting feedback about my (unapologetically abrasive) post yesterday. It's nice to know that like-minded musicians are reading this, so keep them coming (on Twitter preferably kthnx.) Oh, and welcome Phantom Planet bassist Sam to my little blog community. I like your band. Un-break up.
- "Aren't you afraid of putting up your chord progs?"
No. I mean, unless it was some glorious chord progression that has never, ever, ever been played and it can somehow make me a billion dollars, then, no, I really don't care. If you want to take it and use it, go ahead. I'm sure I subconsciously stole it from someone. Everybody does it. There's no context of rhythm or melody, so it isn't much more than the foundation to a possibility. Plus, who's to say it's any good?
- "I don't know what the b9 is."
There's a blessing and a curse in being formally educated in western harmony with a focus in jazz: The blessing is that you're trained to think FAR beyond power chords and almost make it a point to fuck with everyone's listening expectations. It also allows you to listen to anything without prejudice.
The curse is that when you play with other musicians who were (musically) brought up otherwise, talking with sharp-this and augmented-that and blahblahblah makes the playing environment a little intimidating, so I make it a point to keep that kind of talk super diluted unless it's absolutely necessary. The ornamentation is usually for my own sake, and not anyone else's.
So, to answer your question, don't go to music school.
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It's been a mind-blowing couple of days making new music connections and revisiting past ones and figuring out where the hell your identity remains between the two. I am so confused.