Some of you know that I have a little problem called tendinitis. I've been told that I have both "golfer's elbow" and "tennis elbow", which is to say, the tendons on the top and bottom sides of my upper forearm are wacked. I've been given two solutions, by two different sports medicine people:
1) "Build fortresses on your arms." Meaning: lift weights and build strong shoulder muscles, because the rest of the arms depend on strong shoulders. The other problems will soon go away.
2) "You need to constantly massage your arms." Meaning: hire an Asian woman with some strong hands.
Well, I say all this to say that I probably shouldn't be typing any more today. My tendinitis is flaring up. I'll probably try and rub them out tonight, and probably pop some pills, too, to try and pull the swelling down. Toodles.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Challenge
I think we all have had someone whom we highly respect challenge us to do something. For me, I often come back to a single challenge that was made to me when I was a freshman in college. I was asked, "Are you a songwriter?" I answered, "Yes, of course." My professor replied, "Do you write every day?" I responded, "No." He looked at me funny, paused, and finally made a statement similar to this one:
"If you're a songwriter, you should be writing music every day - no exceptions. If you're a songwriter, making music would be as important to you as breath, as food, as life. You would *have* to do it, just like you *have* to breathe."
I thought about what he said for a minute, and I responded with less clarity than I now state:
"I *am* a songwriter, and I *should* write more than I do. It's difficult to write a song, and it's more difficult to write *every* day. And just because something is difficult for you to do doesn't mean that you're not meant to do it. In fact, I'd say that anybody who is any good at anything works hard to get that way."
"If you're a songwriter, you should be writing music every day - no exceptions. If you're a songwriter, making music would be as important to you as breath, as food, as life. You would *have* to do it, just like you *have* to breathe."
I thought about what he said for a minute, and I responded with less clarity than I now state:
"I *am* a songwriter, and I *should* write more than I do. It's difficult to write a song, and it's more difficult to write *every* day. And just because something is difficult for you to do doesn't mean that you're not meant to do it. In fact, I'd say that anybody who is any good at anything works hard to get that way."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Why Rob Miller is Right
Good afternoon, my name is Jay Mathes. I'm an indie songwriter - singer/guitarist/pianist, to be a bit more specific. I've been writing music since I was 13 years old, playing music since I was 10, and listening to my mom play covers of Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, and John Denver on the guitar for as long as I can remember.
There are few things more exciting to me in the world than a great song. They are rare grains in a sea of musical chaff - a world where everyone has access to GarageBand and thinks he can be the next American Idol.
Rob Miller, of Bloodshot Records, recently wrote an article for knowthemusicbiz.com (republished here: http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/music/node/17404) about what indie labels look for before signing a band. I couldn't be happier to hear from his own lips that it's really, really, really simple: 1) you have to be serious - career serious, and 2) you're music has to be great.
The label has to be able to stand behind your record 100%. They'll never fight for it like you will, but if they love it, they'll give it everything they can. Plus, if they weren't behind it 100%, they would not be living true to their own convictions - which is the only reason that indie music succeeds in the first place!
You DO NOT want a label that is not behind you every step of the way, so don't pursue a deal with a label that doesn't know where you stand or where you're coming from. Again, all of this is pretty much just regurgitating what Rob said, but he's right. Don't waste your time sending your music to labels that aren't a GREAT fit for you. Do your research.
Back to the first point, you need to honestly evaluate why you're pursuing music, a label deal, songwriting, etc. Is it about the chicks, the fame, the money, the booze? Is it a hobby? Is it something else? Are you willing to bleed for your music? For me, it's simple, and again on this point, I line up with Rob:
Who am I? I am a songwriter. What does that mean? It means that I can't help but write. I can't help but compose. I can't help but hum new melodies in the car or on the El. It's who I am. It's who I was born to be. It's what I'll do until the day that I die, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that.
I couldn't agree with all of Rob's remarks more, and I am anxious about the release of my new record, Glimmer. I'm putting more time, more sweat, more passion into this record than anything else I've done before in my life. And I expect it to pay off.
There are few things more exciting to me in the world than a great song. They are rare grains in a sea of musical chaff - a world where everyone has access to GarageBand and thinks he can be the next American Idol.
Rob Miller, of Bloodshot Records, recently wrote an article for knowthemusicbiz.com (republished here: http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/music/node/17404) about what indie labels look for before signing a band. I couldn't be happier to hear from his own lips that it's really, really, really simple: 1) you have to be serious - career serious, and 2) you're music has to be great.
The label has to be able to stand behind your record 100%. They'll never fight for it like you will, but if they love it, they'll give it everything they can. Plus, if they weren't behind it 100%, they would not be living true to their own convictions - which is the only reason that indie music succeeds in the first place!
You DO NOT want a label that is not behind you every step of the way, so don't pursue a deal with a label that doesn't know where you stand or where you're coming from. Again, all of this is pretty much just regurgitating what Rob said, but he's right. Don't waste your time sending your music to labels that aren't a GREAT fit for you. Do your research.
Back to the first point, you need to honestly evaluate why you're pursuing music, a label deal, songwriting, etc. Is it about the chicks, the fame, the money, the booze? Is it a hobby? Is it something else? Are you willing to bleed for your music? For me, it's simple, and again on this point, I line up with Rob:
Who am I? I am a songwriter. What does that mean? It means that I can't help but write. I can't help but compose. I can't help but hum new melodies in the car or on the El. It's who I am. It's who I was born to be. It's what I'll do until the day that I die, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that.
I couldn't agree with all of Rob's remarks more, and I am anxious about the release of my new record, Glimmer. I'm putting more time, more sweat, more passion into this record than anything else I've done before in my life. And I expect it to pay off.
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