When I was a young folk-singer, rocker, and Jesus musician (consecutively, not concurrently), there were always place to play, if you just had the nerve to pick up the phone and to send out press kits. Then, for about twenty-five years, the number of places to play seemed to be…
Within the last several months, forum discussions, reader questions, and comments, have reminded me of some of the peculiar pressures and decisions facing young Christians who are trying to make a living in music of any kind. I’m sensitive to these issues because, as a Christian myself, I wrote and…
On another forum, a musician discussed going to an audition for a gig he didn’t really want anyway, so he hadn’t bothered to prepare much. My response (edited a little for clarity) was: To me, the whole point of playing music is getting out in front of people and sharing…
Most Americans are blissfully unaware of the Skiffle movement, which was Britain’s late-1950s-early-1960s parallel to North America’s Folk Revival. Like US teens and twenty-somethings who abandoned the Fabians and Bobby Vintons for the more authentic sounds of the Weavers and Leadbelly, young Brits in the late 1950s were starving for…
Yesterday I wrote and published a bit about why everyone interested in any kind of musical pursuits should learn a chord-capable instrument (probably piano or guitar) early. That article is on the SchoolOfTheRock.com site here. But musing over that content reminded me of something that happened to me a few…
I just reviewed materials from a fellow who promises to take my music career to new heights if I give him money for “private coaching” and access to secret tips and tricks that nobody else knows (except all the other people offering similar services). Now don’t get me wrong; there…
During my recent interactions with many other independent musicians, I get a sense that it’s easy for intermediate goals to temporarily eclipse the reason you “do music.” Worse yet, the list of “things you need to do” to be taken seriously in music changes every twenty minutes, so those intermediate…
Sure, many of your earliest fans may be among your family and friends, so you may be fine having one list for both up to a point. What is that point? Before your music or art starts reaching beyond that circle. It Looks More Professional. If you’re just starting to…
If you’re not a Christian, or not interested in such things, feel free to skip this post. It’s actually a link to an article on our SchoolOfTheRock.com page – this is just an introduction. Back in the early 1970s when I was a young Christian trying to find God’s will…
The banjo is the iconic American instrument, critical to the early development of most forms of American popular music, including “Tin Pan Alley,” Jazz, and Bluegrass. Yet, cultural shifts starting in the late 1960s somehow caused banjo to be, not only neglected by most popular musicians, but derided (especially by…