It’s ridiculously easy to collaborate with musicians around the world. We are so fortunate to be living in these times. The choices of genre are vast. There are many ways of going about this, but several sites exist that are set up to be very user-friendly.
It makes one wonder how we managed in the past. As recently as 2004, I hired a musician to record parts remotely, from across the Atlantic. We actually had to snail mail DAT tapes back and forth. I can’t even imagine it now.
For example, at kompoz.com, one searches the genre, mood, etc. of their choosing, then ‘auditions’ with whatever skill they have that the original composer is looking for. Often the composer will choose ‘Anything and Everything’, which leaves the door wide open.
The copyright issues are clearly defined here, and you can elect one of several different definitions, with what are called ‘creative commons licenses’. With upgrades, professionals can opt for full standard copyright and other benefits, such as the ability to upload higher quality files (such as .wav). This is advantageous if you and the other musicians intend to take things further and create a commercial CD.
Also, the means of recording your parts are quite simple. For Mac owners, there is the free Garage Band package, which is ideal for this kind of project, especially at the demo level. There are also many basic recording programs available for free on the net. One does not need access to any big fancy studio anymore. And almost everyone knows somebody with a half-decent recording system at home, that has some technical sound engineer skills if need be.
So, I absolutely encourage you to open up and get creative, build relationships and expand your horizons. If ever you feel in a rut or have that ‘creative block’, this kind of activity can be totally spontaneous and inspirational. It can be so much easier to jump in on someone else’s beginnings of a piece of music. Or maybe you have a sketch of a new song, and you need the instrumental, vocal and creative skills of others to take it up a notch. Go for it.
Here’s an example of what I contributed on a song about the Japan tsunami. There’s overtone singing included, and it really builds toward the end. I’d appreciate your remarks here on the blog too!
CommentThe tangible vs the non-tangible (ethereal)? We all have creative urges, I think, else we wouldn’t be human. This begins in childhood when imagination tends to be at its highest peak and innocence. To hell with what anybody else thinks. At least until peer pressure starts to take hold.
Whether we evolve into beings who need to work with our hands, creating objects one can touch, or beings whose souls are expressed through ideas, or perhaps music soaring through the airwaves- is a mystery. The rewards are essentially very different in nature.
If we create art that one can see, the pay-off (if not financially, then at least some sort of satisfaction) can be immediate upon completion. A physical object may be sold, exhibited, given away, used or admired by the artist or guests/ strangers who come along.
Music, on the other hand, may live or die depending on whether it is heard or not. Music may continue to ‘live’ on in this way for an indefinite period of time. This raises the question- If a piece of music is written or sung and nobody else hears it, does it still exist? This is the risk a musician takes, also subject to how many people are willing to listen. It seems to take more of a leap of faith. Being visible and promoting oneself certainly can make it easier. (American Idol?- that’s debatable).
Some of us cannot survive without both. A balance is necessary in order to feel whole. Or perhaps for some, the pendulum swings back and forth, according to many factors: financial, spiritual, philosophical, inspirational, practical, educational, idealistic, geographic, cultural, environmental, social, feelings of guilt, shoulda, woulda, coulda, etc. Maybe we create a certain way to impress certain people, whether it’s in our best interests or not.
I personally have had both in my life, mostly in balance, but for some periods of time, one vastly outnumbered the other in terms of hours spent. I always had the nagging feeling that one was ‘more important’ than the other. And it bothered me that I was somehow ‘spreading myself thin’ with two major interests, and never really going the distance with either of them. This may or may not have been true, or even wise to debate at a later point in life. Timing seems to be everything.
How many people have you heard lamenting- “If only I’d taken piano/ guitar lessons”, or “if only I’d painted every day”….They could take a look at what they HAVE contributed to the world, even if it is simply their own inimitable selves. And in that sense, maybe they’ve had a leg up over the over-achievers.
I know several musician/ artists that seem to be complete (at least on the outside) incorporating both or all of their disciplines into their lives. I hope they are truly fulfilled in all ways. For myself, I had to drop the physical object creation completely. It was the right thing to do. Now when I see how much time, effort and concentration it has taken to bring music completely to the forefront, I see that it could not have been any other way.
CommentSongwriting and composing methods are dependent on many different factors at any given time.
Throughout my musical life, I’ve gone through many stages of my approach to composing. There was a huge period where everything began using a Fender Rhodes sound (I owned the suitcase model in the late 70′s/ early 80′s, then began using the Rhodes patches on synthesizers). This sound never ceased to inspire me.
I’ve always been a big fan of Steely Dan, having learned several of their songs in various bands, and always sought to find the most unusual chord progressions, ones that folded my ears like origami.
As for lyrics, often it was a case of a phrase or a title that would be percolating for a while. Then, the chords I was cranking out would somehow mesh with more ideas about the phrase, and continue in a more or less synchronistic way.
I’d like to point out the composition of one of my songs ‘The Flip Side‘ from my CD ‘The Ladder‘, because it was so unusual. It started out as a cello track for my song ‘The Big Picture‘. Then we played it backwards, and I improvised vocals over it, without any reference point for what harmonies were coming up next.
Another composition of note was ‘Tuva on Rye‘, which started out as an impromptu a cappella performance of overtone singing in Tuva, only to be completed when I returned to Canada, with heavy instrumentation.
When I got around to writing for my second CD ‘Pulse‘, it involved a lot of different percussionists from various cultures (African, Latin, East Indian, middle Eastern, Caribbean). I found it inspirational to get a few 4 minute tracks from these guys, and take it from there. It would be easy for me to write the lyrics, melody or improvise along with what they provided. So these ventures were actually co-writes.
It seems so much depends on the type of equipment one is using, and how proficient one gets with a piece of gear. For a few years, I was using a digital 8-track by Roland. It was intuitive and fast. They are pretty much obsolete now, given all the recording software available. But so many of these programs are not that user friendly, and you need to be a sound engineer to operate them. A lot of musicians just aren’t engineers, and suffer for it. So much time is wasted that could be spent on creativity. Also, the fact that there are simply infinite possibilities for plugins, effects, sound sources, etc., one can get completely absorbed in these things and lose the initial inspiration. Spontaneity can go out the window.
These days, much of my composition involves writing for overtone choirs. For this, I use the Sibelius notation software. It is fantastic and fast for hearing complex combinations of voices in a vertical and linear way. I don’t even need much of an initial grain of an idea sometimes, it just takes off on its own. I often wonder how much more we would have gotten out of Mozart, for example, if he had had access to such amazing technology.
If you are new to notation software, or would like to start with a simple program, there are free versions available.
Starting songs is often easy, finishing them is a different matter. But, OH the satisfaction when they done!
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