Check out Chris Ra on #SoundCloud
all here…not bring greedy x
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I’m not sure if you are saying folks can’t access them? Anyway - so, they play here and can click here and go to SC and play there.
I already did a pretty good “click through” and enjoyed it and said so : ) lol!
- So, good work, keep it up, what more can one say…, keep developing your “style” if that’s your thing; otherwise, keep doing what keeps you doing, so you do more doing : )
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b less you…same to you
keep on keepin on… Fawm not far away x
Thank you for doing this! The songs are great! Some of them have background voices like you’re playing at a bar. Do you gig?
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i wish…bravery problem (you only hurt yourself!)
where are you?
thanknyiu for lestening x
I love your vocals - so pleasant just to hit play and let them surprise me!
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thank you so much…really lovely …tha ks for lestening xxxx
I’m in Phoenix. And I’m too new at everything to gig. Don’t have my own equipment, bravery, etc. Plus I have to read the lead sheets and lyrics.
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Hahhh, I would normally definitely never comment on this, like this, but you are open as you say - so - it’s definitely a TLTR, TLDR comment, so, maybe just skip it or don’t read every word! LOL! :
Eh, imo - you’re ready. One has to define “gig”… some places have some token stipend since they may benefit from an “open mic” on a Wednesday, etc. “Gigging” is a word that may have very specific feelings of definitions. What do I mean? (Again, this is not something I’d mention, ever… but… I’m feeling brave at the moment : ) …
- Well, I’ve engaged some fairly accomplished folks (not that I’m one, not at all) however, and then - they complained to make ~ $50 a night. The Venus may have allotted from like ~ $150 to maybe $300 (seems like $250 more so) for a “band”. If you had 10 musicians, divide by 10 : ) Typically these venues wanted videos of “you” at other places showing folks dancing, etc. and was not about quality of audio - just proof of dancing, drinking and eating folks at several places with numbers to call. (Boy, you really gotta want to play, and covers to boot - many of these “cover bands” were, imo not accomplished at all - if even on key, etc. But, hey, folks liked them or their extended family followed them around : ) lol!!
- An example of “extremes” and what “pro’s” do, so may “say” what they did… (self validation) - this Bass player from Australia, flew to Atlanta GA (had to purchase a flight case for his bass to boot) to make (might have been $50) ~$50~ and be able to say he did that. Yes, he had to be accepted (auditioned) for it. But, they didn’t care if lived down the street, or $3000 dollars/miles away : ) lol! But, sans those details (he should have kept to himself!?) - back home in Australia, he was “the guy” that got a “Gig” in Atlanta GA, USA, and etc. : ) lol! It may have helped him - however, he was one of the hardest people I ever met to get along with. He looked for things to not like about others - aggressively. That is a music career killer - but, end with that anecdote of a minor player in that game. (If I’d had been asked about him - would have said, “very challenging to get along with, find someone else…” it’s a smaller world than most realize.)
In the present time, on a happier note! – I have a close friend that moved to an area of (not well known) venues that want cover bands). This one person he got connected with has the place kind of “sewn up”. So, not known : ) so funny - since he moved into a house down the street from my parents house (when alive, living there). I was a “local”, especially to the pro Fishermen in the area, but then, not so much music… stuff happens and it sticks. He got soooo lucky, and was giddy with surprise - I remember, lol! It happened there. So anyway, he can work and does often 6 nights a week to $250+ (+ venue benefits, food, etc.). This NYE (tonight) he’s only going to play 10 songs and spend the evening at a very nice place with very “well off” folks (tips, etc. just for being “cute” : ) hahhh…). He’ll be home to the wife and kid 20 mins later.
So, what does any of that mean? Nothing really LOL! Well, maybe other than I’m framing “ready”, and what’s that mean. You have your own definition. Phoenix if remember correctly has, or had a pretty lively local music community.
- So, you already sing in public (not the shower) in a Choir
- You already, do 1V1G in public (not just your music room)
- You already, get along very well with various diverse folks, personalities and show it on YouTube
- You do take feedback well and get along with everyone, always no matter what : ) (one of the more important attributes many may overlook as “corny” - not really)
For me, imo, you just never know with whom you are speaking in “this” stuff and have to never, ever take offense at what’s said (may have meant very well, but came out wrong - many “ESL” folks from other countries say stuff they have no idea how it came across… I’ve got so many “family” stories), and always be authentically “nice” to others. I could go on with specific examples and etc., but, I’m not writing a book about it : ) hahhh…
In terms of “help” - it’s all free if look for it, meaning: there’s so MANY folks, that take a PO Box in “Nashville” to have “that” and then put on, for e.g., a “Boot Camp”, and folks pay a silly amount of money to get “Stagecraft” direction and/or “Producer” feedback on Mixes, Lyrics, etc. I remember when https : //en. wikipedia . org/wiki/Tal_Wilkenfeld “Tal” on Facebook around like, 2019 ish… had a producer try to “brand” here away from what she was known for - an extremely talented, Bass Player, as adorable as anyone can be and Jeff Beck’s daughter. (No mention of her Dad on that page : ) - she’s very talented; Dad didn’t “do it”, she did… )
Anyway, that new “look”, videos, etc. - folks knocked her for it, and on Facebook - she pushed back (not a great idea). She had a fairly large “Bass” player following and they just didn’t “get it”, or like it - or so it seemed.
I sent her a well considered message on Facebook (I listened to her Dad since I was 12 yo, and etc. among other as I could swipe vinyl from friends : ) - and told her : ) lol, don’t become a “producers hoar” (not hore… different words, and not the candy, herb horehound lol!). What happened was she got back to me - we had an interesting discussion and that was the end of it. She appreciated it - not surprisingly - as any human being might. She said, she had a version of herself she wanted to express as an artist - yes, indeed, I agree entirely - but that stuff I saw her doing - Dad may have tried to advise upon - but knew better not to try? : ) lol! Dad’s and daughters… nieces and uncles… can’t win sometimes.
So, you’ll learn or seek out “Stagecraft”, Mic use, best “Key’s” to push vocal modulations and “look”, feel, so to speak.
I’ll try to wrap this up, lol!:
A fellow you may or may not know – Seasick Steve? https : //en .wikipedia .org/wiki/Seasick_Steve - on that page I skimmed it just now, and reading stuff I never read or know of previously. Eh, it’s wiki… anyway, my summary of him that I understood - his wife commented to him to get off the back porch playing his stuff and maybe see if folks were ready for it now - they were. I first I heard of him via Jack White (love that guy…, brilliant music business person - from the “streets” and “out of the box”) and anyway, Jack favored him on his Vinyl Record Nashville web pages.
- (Jack purchased old vinyl press machines being tossed as scrap junk and offered them (“Records” !
) from an old Nashville warehouse, also no one cared about then : ) soooo funny - and because no one in Nashville would care he was there - he ain’t country, to be sure!.. brilliant mind, business savvy and just did his thing, period.)
“Barracuda”
seems to have been the track that just kept him going even 'till today. He did a Covid Live thing, (one of the first) - that was very entertaining, etc.
So, you’re ready when folks - want to hear your stuff. Just watch out for the folks that then, (then) try to “help” you. They won’t be, as I said to my buddy, all the friends (me) that gave him the exact advice for “free” and not charge a $20,000 producers fee when the band drove to Nashville for a week. : )
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His response, smart guy that he is was, “eh, if you don’t pay, it don’t matter” : ) lol! Indeed! And, while was their Drummer - didn’t pay into that. Took a $0.01 in perpetuity royalty for just in case something happened. He learned from the mistakes of his Dad - one of the first guitar players in KISS : ) lol!! Poor guy, literally the next day… after, as they story goes : ) lol! … always be nice…
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Jack White had, I’ll add to this mess I am writing - circa 2005 ish, a Webpage that, well, you had to look for it : ) but, you could upload or link to your own track (by accident or on purpose, not sure : ) - OMG : ) … anyway, I saw it (no one had seen it), I linked to a track (I was so sick then, home from an operation, and bored beyond saying… and, the first person to listen was like “wow, I really like your song, an original, it sounds great” or similar words. I was beyond reasonable self critical levels and hoped no one saw it : ) … but, that just sort of hit a spot in my brain that connects to stuff I saw later - "someone not liking your work, does not mean it’s not “good” - so to speak. Jack has a “Black” album I call it : ) out (that I love):
Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998 - 2016 - Album by Jack White - Apple Music -
Many that know me wonder why I like Jack : ) they’re old demo’s and he just wrapped them up and put them out that way. Why not, it’s easy money! : ) Many of those tracks sound no better than tracks here - so, it’s a good “sample” to go by; especially if one is told to be “radio ready” - bs - what is that anyway?
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(I really liked his “It Might Get Loud” video documentary I’d recommend too. Here’s the full 1.5 hours “free”. I checked and not sure why “free” but it is and no mention of CR issues. I know JW will sue for misuse… so, I presume this is fullly “legal”. It is from 2008, so - what sales would they miss out on…)
So, moving on : )
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Its seems, it’s Coffee Houses or Madison Square Garden, but no in between or much of it; “Austin City Limits” may be that, or like the “Doobie Brothers” that still tour and make a “normal” years salary versus taking a Mail Deliver Route : ) for a salary, etc. so to speak, how to say that. They just saw the - Following - and it was to Venues, not vinyl or streaming - so they continued. Smart!
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So, I went on…, way farther then intended, but eh, just ignore it if makes no sense or does not fit what you meant when you commented “not yet ready”… I say, “always be ready”, hahhh! since one never knows, e.g. Seasick Steve - his age when “made it”, so to speak.
Play for fun and folks will have fun with you and then there’s never a reason not too! If one sings off key - do it bigly! : ) make it a feature - others may have heard it differently than our own critical, if even reasonable ears. Some, or much of our stuff may “suck” - eh, so what… you only need one that does not : )
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Thank you for the encouragement and info! I’ll look into those. I did enjoy my first few open mic nights and songwriter festival sets these past couple of years. And I’m really loving making and sharing these YouTube videos! (Which by the way I would not have started if it weren’t for Rocktober!) I did let my songwriter group know that if they ever wanted a background singer that I’m available. Some of them have their own bands and currently gig often. That would be a low-pain entry point, where the technical stuff is taken care of already.
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Hey : ) I’m glad it connects with your thinking. And, in what you say, I’d like to add a bit of my own reaction, stuff I learned and why, from how things “were” during a past period… well, not that it’s a major revelation; but, in case of interest, interesting on any level : ) to anyone (and not to “beat it to death” in re-commenting it either - never my intention) - beats silence? maybe?:
- in my area, you can’t swing a stick and not hit a musician, but can’t get’em to play (don’t know why, just how it is and I’ve mentioned it many times…). So, what came from that - was me, at that time - recording stuff in a DAW, and not just to “remember” it. I still have my “Tascam DR-1” digital, (“pocket” size) recorder for “that” - it’s “vintage” now : ) lol! (All my amplifiers and some guitars are vintage… - was just joking about that with someone…)
So, necessity is the mother of invention, and then (same time, fortunately), online “song-groups” came into existence, evolved (one of the first as we know them now - was a “Christian Songwriters Group” so to speak (song circle folks); again, prior to what it all is today - a kazillion of them, and many are members of ALL of them - funny - “facebook” profiles and some, a member of 750 songwriter groups : ) etc., why? How?).
- So, a good outcome was that I “gang-vocal-ed” my own voice as well as I could on occasion - no software just dubbed a second pass, or “harmony”, or just an accented backing vocal.
- Then, dubbed a simple 2-beat Bass for that sonic dimension
- Then, a second backing guitar, counter rhythm, and pan L/R 100% for some “real” : ) HP (headphone) head-space, adjusting volume, Hz filters
- Then, drum kit (real, live drums); then more convenient drum pedals, e.g., “TRIO Band Creator” pedals, other came and went, and etc. that stuff… some used “Looper Pedals” - I preferred single tracks so I could control all my tracks, and all were 100% dry (no effects of any kind)
That all lead to a DAW dilemma (what to use and what would work - that tech evolved slowly!) … and never liked any of them since I came from a 1 inch/25mm Tape experience (never paid attention to equipment brands then, not to many anyway…, Ampex/TEAC… and then all the “Reel to Reel” gear (Revox, et alia.). - And not to confuse multi-channel mixing boards with Tape-tech Track separations… - So, I wound up sticking with the most manual one (DAW) : ) “Audacity” with real two channel simultaneous recording if knew how to “Render” down their stereo track with separate inputs (both panned 100% L/R when recording) into two independent tracks (posted that on their board - no one cared : ) kind of funny to watch that ignored there) - for “real” Stereo I could control. For me, two track real time recording for 1v1g is nice to have! Balancing the Guitar, and spatially setting it in the track - also nice to have versus 1 mic, middle of the room and positioning sound sources to effect track placement front/back/left/right of… very archaic, old mono tech days.
And now, hahhh, me, many others are back to dry single track phone recording - kinda funny, so to speak, how to say that… - it’s a good thing.
So, if I had had folks to in person “play” with, sing, etc., none of the above would have happened.
So:
- How might that relate to anyone else?
Well, if someone asks you to do backing vocals for them - consider the above I deal with : ) If you can - just do it.
Watch, listen, and observe closely. I used to get surprised at what some venues, people did *not know (Phantom Power boxes, Ground Switches and etc. - figuring with the kazillion dollars invested they knew everything - well no one does and you may be able to help out. : ) )
- Like, not putting two mics, as backing vocalists, with two vocalist up against each other - separate them a few feet (3’-4’ works well, or remove 1-mic) … it otherwise, will cause a phase issue and never get what they are expecting, if even just a volume issue; keep the mics (all) behind the speakers - really simple stuff - but, interesting to watch folks wonder why all the feedback when have the PA aligned with them, inline, or behind them - literally feeding back into the mic since in front of the mic with *you, not “behind” it (chord side = behind it).
You’ll pick up on audience reaction to “stage craft” if/if not engaged (stagecraft).
Not getting up in front of a new audience and saying:
- “well, I kinda suck, and not really sure if this song is any good, and not really done with it, but hope you-all enjoy it” : ) oh my - don’t do that… forget the long 30, 60, 90 second chord “intros”…
- walk up, “hey, I’ve got this song I just finished - came from having my heart ripped from my chest - but saw the HUMOR in it ; ) and made me laugh” (short back story, framing always good to do) and then - “bang” one chord beat and then proceed. The audience brain is trying to process the new audio it’s never heard - get to your point and them into it (what/how you hear when the audience?).
Sing to the dirty spot on the back wall and just don’t see anyone. No one is hearing your “mili-second” mistakes… and if get flustered, take a 2, 4 beat pause (so dramatic) and start back on tempo… you may wind up keep it! Silence IS the music between the notes.
- So, yes, do that - what you said… you are very fortunate and may not realize the “desert” others live in : ) so to speak lol! (I love the Grand Canyon… hope to walk in it one day, not just “see it”; different kind of desert : ) )
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