Go to your local CD store and...

...buy an album that you have never heard of before, in a genre of music you never listen to. Huh? Yeah, you heard me right - get out of your comfort zone!

I think this is a good way to broaden your horizons. All too often I see people listening to one style of music, never branching out. While this may not seem like a terrible thing, for a musician, it can be the kiss of death.

Let me give you an example. Let's say you are the drummer for a rock band with a serious funky edge. Well, there may be a point where you find yourself getting a little stale. Maybe you didn't even notice yourself, but had another band member point it out to you. Well, listening to another drummer who plays a very different style could be just the thing you need to get out of your funk (pun intended).

Go buy a salsa CD - you might be pleasantly surprised at it. Or maybe go buy a smooth jazz album - you might be able to cop a sweet lick off their drummer, something you never would have heard had you not diversified your musical tastes.

Now you might not like the CD, you might think it is total garbage. But one thing is for sure - you will certainly gain something from it, even if you learn something NOT to do.

Try it out - you never know, you might find yourself going in a different direction musically than you ever could have imagined!

Tom

Finding your groove

Sometimes I see bands not really sticking with what works. Now you may have read a post I made about not letting yourself get stale, and while I think this is very important, I also feel it should be balanced.

What I mean by this is don't get to out of control always trying to do new stuff. When you take this concept overboard, you run the risk of losing your identity and not having an identifiable sound. There are bands that just have that great trademark sound, like Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones. When you hear one of these bands songs, you instantly know it is them. I personally think this is usually a good thing.

Some bands have been accused of taking this too far; for example, AC/DC. I tend to disagree, I still think they are a solid band, if not the most technically proficient. To add to this, by having that recognizable sound, you have a more marketable product (if you care about this at all :P).

Don't think I am telling you to stay the same - just remember, don't lose your identity as a band. If people know who you are, but also look forward to hearing your NEW song, you're doing something VERY right.

Just some ramblings,

Tom

The Classics

I look around today and see something that bothers me. Not enough music fans or musicians appreciate the classics - bands that influenced the bands they like today. For instance, if you like soul music, I am talking about artists like Stevie Wonder or Aretha Franklin. If you like rock music, I am talking about bands like Zeppelin, Purple, Sabbath, The Stones, Aerosmith, and on, and on we can go.

Why is is that so many kids today only like new music? I mean, come on, you aren't going to tell that Limp Bizkit can compare with The Who, are you? Not to say that there aren't some very talented bands coming out these days. I just think that the saying, "respect your elders," might ring true here.

If you go back and listen a lot of these bands, you will hear some really crazy stuff. And I don't necassarily mean their singles, I am talking about their good stuff. Like Zeppelin's "Achilles Last Stand." Not to say I don't love every Zeppelin album (I do), I am just pointing out that there is a lot of really great music out there that is pretty unknown.

Ever heard of Toys in the Attic? I hope so, that album is totally awesome. I bet a lot of kids in bands today don't know who did it. You gotta know your Sabbath though, I mean, come on. The funny thing is I am only twenty one, and I own every Sabbath album and love them all. I love every incarnation of them.

I know I have been influenced by old bands as well as new. I think you need to look to the past if you've never heard some of these albums. And if you own Van Halen II, go put it on your stereo and turn it up to "11!"

WOW...

...just got done with a really long practice, and man, am I spent. We worked on a few covers we have been trying to nail lately, and it was kind of draining. The songs we are doing are PANTERA's "Domination" and "Strength beyond strength," and SLAYER's "Postmortem." Not sure if any of you are familiar with these guys but both are really quality bands.

It is cool how we were able to all go home and learn the songs individually, then come together and play them. We are getting those three pretty tight, and also have a few Sabbath and Zeppelin covers in the wings! Lately we have been having trouble coming up with new material, and doing a few covers has given us a much needed creative break.

Check out my site, RockBlockOnline. There are some cool articles over there for musicians, and if you have a ever been in a band you know it isn't as easy as people think! Bands and musicians get together and discuss common (and some not so common) problems that you face trying to make it the music biz. Check it out, you might make some good connections!

Until next time,

Tom

PS - :-( patriots losing :-(

Sad day

Sorry for starting this blog off on a bad note, but there is no way to escape how you feel. Today is a sad day, and it looks as though the NE Patriots will not have the division locked up. At 6-3 now, it is still open. A really crucial loss, the Jets just played better on both sides of the ball. Brady seemed off, and it seemed everytime Pennington made a pass it was complete. Not to mention the O line is having its worse year in a long time.

On another note, this blog will mainly be focused on writing about rock and music - seeing how music is my number one passion (ahead of sports :-p). I am in a band, as well as in a couple of side projects that I think a lot of you would really enjoy. If you like to play guitar, or even listen to guitar, we already have something in common! I like all different kinds of music, especially heavier stuff and also more musically technical stuff.

If you're a musician, maybe we could learn a few things from each other. After all, it is hard trying to make it in this cutthroat music biz. From large studio recording fees to internal problems, we could all use support from our fellow musicians. Whether you like Kentucky bluegrass or UK synthpop, we all have something in common... a love of music!

Until next time,

Tom