FROM THE WOODSHED TO THE STAGE!!

Lawdy I been in musician heaven the past few weeks. Between all the gigs, the auditions for Boss-Lady, and the jams at Elenas I've been on a constant clinic. From parts to random improvisation, my homies did it up.

A big lesson I learned as a musician and just as a human in this life is the best lessons come from things outside of ourselves. In the case of music, I constantly improve as a musician often by NOT focusing on bass. My time and groove are definitely heavily influenced by my love of the drums; harmonic changes definitely all guitar and piano. It goes back to my "musical body" philosophy: every part of the body has to work together to take a successful walk.

Anyway, I just want to acknowledge and thank some of you that have been seriously inspiring me and keeping me on my toes: Steve McKie, Joe Truglio, Luke O'Reilly, Dai Miyazaki, Jeanette Berry, Theron Shelton (RIP), Anthony Tidd, Jay Lawson (!!!!), Pete Kuzma, Mike Patriarcha, Tom Long, Damon Bennett, Elliot Garland, "Biscuit" Rouse, Ms. Lauryn Hill, N'Dambi, Kindred...and a bunch of y'all I'll remember at some point and I'll come back and add you!!

- rah

Soulful Saturdays.....

Aiight, since I talk so damn much, every Saturday I'm going to post a song that got to me in a special way that week. It may be lyrically fit, be a very moving live performance, or it's just some funky shit. Listen, watch, learn, and enjoy....

"DESTINY"

In this world there's much confusion
And I've tasted the city life and it's not for me
Now I do dream of distant places
Where? I don't know now, but it's destiny...

If it's the rich life
I don't want it
Happiness ain't always material things

I want destiny
It's the place for me
Give me the simple life
I'm getting away from here
Let me be me
C'mon let me feel free

Now I'm a man that's for all seasons
And what the city offers me ain't naturally
I look to greet the stars but there are no stars to see
I'm gonna search this world until I find my destiny

If its the rich life I don't want it
Happiness ain't always material things...

I want destiny
It's the place for me
Give me the simple life
I'm getting away from here
Let me be me
C'mon let me feel free
Let me be me

I wanna get far from here
Or should I up and fly away so fancy free
yeah
Nobody can change my mind
the words of destiny are calling me wild time...

Ah destiny
you and me
so fancy free

Ah destiny
should we fly away

Ah destiny
you and me
so fancy free

Ah
destiny

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

I was in Jersey the other day holding some auditions when we got into a interesting conversation (lecture lol) with (from lol) the boss-lady. In a nutshell, she described what she does musically and with her career is with the intent of being a "fire-starter" and revolutionizing the industry; more or less, making it less of an "industry" and more of a creative outlet. I really could relate to that point, as many of you know I'm harshly critical when it comes to music, lyrics, and things of the like. But at the same time, this is still an INDUSTRY and a way of life. With rent, mortgages, car notes, and children in the mix, a deep question presents itself:

WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVATION, THE MONEY OR THE LEGACY?

It's a noble, artistic, beautiful thing to say we do what we do strictly for the sake of music. Let's face it: we are only here for a relatively short amount of time. We strive to be remembered through the ages like Michael Jackson, GURU, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Richard Manuel (homework!) and Ray Charles, or to leave a legacy like that Bob Marley, Bach and Chopin just to name a few. Their music speaks well beyond decades, and in some cases even through CENTURIES! That's an amazing thing to imagine, let alone actually create. But the fact of the matter is the most artistic and revolutionary things are realized long after the creator has passed on, and while they are here they are subject to ridicule, criticism, and in some cases poverty and inner turmoil. The Beautiful Struggle sounds great, but being one that lived it first hand for a little while it is HARDLY beautiful!

Now consider the other side: doing it for the money can take care of all of that. Frankly it's not THAT hard to make a living or at least a partial living as a musician, with a million and one different avenues out there (i.e. wedding bands, jingle writing, etc.). The wedding circuit is easy, playing some extremely easy songs EXACTLY the same way in any and every band across the country makes it easy to pull in a few hundred bucks a week, eventually getting to the point where there's no need to do anything else but play weddings. I've been there...after a while, you want to kill yourself. I can only play "Sweet Home Alabama" or "It's Getting Hot in Huuuurrr" but so many times before I become suicidal and homicidal at the same time, it's not a pretty sight. But beyond that, it's not a fulfilling feeling (outside of paying bills) to not be able to play your OWN music or at least music you truly enjoy and inspires you and listeners. But, at the end of the day, money makes this world go around, and wedding gigs and bubblegum pop music pay the bills and pay them WELL.

I can't really say which way is the right or wrong way, we all have different situations in our lives that may require certain courses of action. All I can say is that at the end of the day, if you're happy and feel content with your current space and on the path you've chosen, more power to you. I'm a full-time musician, so sometimes I have to live in both of the above worlds, but I keep this in mind through it all: paying your bills, taking care of your family and being able to live comfortably is a beautiful thing. But when it's all said and done, if I become a millionaire off music, I can't take that money, the superficial fame and all the houses and cars with him into the afterlife. So I strive to know that the words I speak, the poetry I create, and the music I give have some meaning, merit and love behind them, because those are the things that you CAN carry with you through enternity.

with that, I'm 'bout to bump this Devin CD loud as hell up to run these auditions! LOL
peas,
rah.

P.S. I Love You Music.....

"i guess i'll always feel the same/love is strange/or P.S. I love you baby…."
- curtis mayfield

Any style of music can be soul music, be it pop, rock, jazz, funk, whatever. it's an ever changing title that describes a true display of lyricism, musicality, and above all true artistry. In all honesty, ALL music should be Soul music. In this day and age with songs speaking about sex like "she gon' let me beat beat beat…," one can't help but to become discouraged and wonder:
WHAT THE F#CK HAPPENED TO REAL MUSIC???

Music is art, a language and culture if you will. Above all else, Music is a living, breathing, walking and talking being. She is healing, beautiful, humorous and nurturing. The issue is today that people don't respect Her as such. Music is used, abused, and downright made a mockery of by all the the bullshit that's being put out these days under Her name. Lyrics don't have to be so sophisticated that nobody can follow them, but "beat beat beat beat" is plumb dumb and ignorant. The chord changes don't have to be complicated, but even the simplest thing can be played with all the feeling and meaning in the world if you respect Her.

"so don't hesitate to call out my name/i'll catch the final train to make my way to you./and I may be 10,000 miles away I won't delay my love is true/let me show and prove…."
- Kindred

Often like-minded folks (old people lol) will say "The Good Old Days" when they speak of good wholesome music from the soul. True, it was more prominent back then, but with artists like Kindred, Van Hunt, D'Angelo, John Legend, Kenna and Erykah Badu still in the mix it's evident that this level of artistry and true love and respect for Music is alive and well.

"Now, who you know without any flaws/That lives above the spiritual laws/And does anything they feel just because/There's always someone there who'll applaud"
- Lauryn Hill

Artists, musicians, and listeners alike: Music is hurting. She is weeping and slowly dying with the sad state of the industry today. It's up to all of us to uplift Her, we CANNOT CONTINUE MAKING A MOCKERY OF HER BY CREATING AND SUPPORTING GARABAGE THAT USES HER NAME IN VAIN! Demand more, expect better, and don't settle for less.

and to you, Music, my lover, my mother, my friend, my daughter, my everything: "I guess I'll always feel the same. Love is strange, or P.S…..I love you baby."

- sung.

LIVE, BREATHE, BE ONE with the MUSIC.....

What makes an Artist's band truly amazing? Most people are drawn to the flashy arrangements and a thousand and one chops all over the place. Yes, that stuff is amazing and exciting, but at the end of the show, did you play all that for yourself or the Artist/audience?

I had a conversation with a dynamite singer/co-worker of mine for a major artist and we got into a deep insightful discussion about the subject of being a backing band. My philosophy is a simple one that I applied to myself early on and continue to preach to this day: LIVE as the music, BREATHE the music, BE ONE with the BODY of the music.

Musicians, take a moment to think about how you walk down the street; pay attention to how EVERYTHING works together to make this walk possible. You don't breathe fast like you've been sprinting when you walk, you breathe harmoniously with the speed you're traveling. We walk swinging our arms lightly opposite of our legs, we look forward, etc. This is exactly how a Band needs to approach each song on a gig. Breathe with the groove of the music, this is where the POCKET comes from. If you're not focusing on LIVING as the song, you're not going to be able to truly compliment the song.

Once you master yourself in the moment of the music, the key is to focus on everybody around you to build the sound, most importantly the artist you're backing. No matter how nasty as chord can be or how complicated an arrangement is, if it doesn't work with the lyrics and mood of the song IT DOESN'T WORK!!! And nothing burns me up inside more than to hear musicians (drummers especially) losing the "one" or singers missing the first note/word of a phrase because they decided to go off on a tangent and "express themselves" in the middle of the song. Think back to the walking example: you start breathing out of wack with the rest of your body, you have to stop to catch your breath. If your left legs decides to do it's own thing, you'll fall over.

Everything has a role in life and msuic, and every trip a destination. PLAY YOUR PART musicians, and the journey the Artist is taking will be so much sweeter and meaningful for the audience and for you (plus you'll keep the gig, take it from a dude that's NEVER been fired....).

- r s.g.

p.s. - if you don't believe me, check this out and apply the example to EVERY instrument/voice you hear on stage...