Two local musicians wrote anonymously on the popular live music controversy!!
THE VALUE OF LIVE ORIGINAL MUSIC
I'm talking about new music that you've never heard before… written by that guy or gal sitting ten feet in front of you strumming a guitar, crooning into that Shure SM58 in this smoky bar. What's so special about that?
Granted there's a very-near-the-surface animosity between original and cover musicians and I dare not fuel that fire. Cover bands are hugely popular in ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />St. Louis. There is comfort in the familiar and many people want to relax their souls into lyrics and tunes they already know… all the more merry if those guitar licks are coming from a live human being rather than an iPod. Cover musicians respond to that call. A bit of money is to be made for St. Louis cover bands and I don't begrudge them their sweat earned dollars in the least.
It takes a different sort of mind to appreciate new original music… an adventurous mind unafraid of the unknown. But what I love the most about original music is the human interaction required to really HEAR it.
Once upon a time I was a college composition teacher. I loved it. I got to know my students much more intimately than my fellow math and science teachers because I read their words. I learned their lives and identities in their writing. Original music takes that to an even deeper level because the words are combined with melodies. Even wordless music can stir a soul.
An original musician bares their hearts before the audience every time they perform. These are words and melodies they have woven together with care and often pain. Songs are a musical diary of the musician's life. I feel honored to share that with a musician, honored that they give us this glimpse into their psyche.
As our culture has slowly evolved into our own navels we have less tolerance for original music. We want to dance and sing along with our beers lifted in the air. Our patience is not long enough to really listen to the soul cry of another unless it is fed to us by iTunes and VH1. We don't want to think.
But I want to dig deeper than the plastic music shoved at us by the media. I want to share emotional space with the musician sitting right in front of me at the bar down the street from my house. This is someone from my own neighborhood. We travel the same roads, experience similar worlds. We are kindred by location. I want to hear about this person's pain, love and struggles and forget about my own for a few hours. The microphone is the musician's confessional. By listening, by caring, we help them heal as well.
B.T.S.
Cover Bands Need Love Too!
I have been playing music in this town for over thirteen years – that's not a lot of time compared to some of the amazing veterans I have shared stages with. However, I have been around long enough to feel the separation amongst St. Louis musicians – original vs. cover. I am told it is the same in most cities – I wouldn't really know. I don't tour, don't play "my own songs", I'm not trying to "make it big" either. I love to play, I love to perform and I do so by replicating songs made famous by musicians before me.
I understand the need for original music. The songs I play were original once. I'm grateful to those who wrote them. I support anyone who composes melodies or writes lyrics that touch others. I also support this calling in youngsters. Yet I feel a lack of respect in my own calling. It took many years of lessons, patience and practice for me to "perfect" what I do – perfection is a work in progress. But I have to sound perfect to my audiences as they have been listening to the songs I play for years – over and over. I can mimic the guitar solos of the great legends as well as up and coming rockstars – but it had better sound exactly like the song in its original form or the audience will know and think I cannot play well.
When I perform, I am not displaying my personal creativity – I am replicating a sound heard by millions of people for fans who expect to hear their favorite songs played just like their favorite musicians. It's a lot of pressure – and a lot of fun. My reward will never be a record deal. However, almost every time I play I am told, "That was just like Hendrix, man." For the record, it was never just like Hendrix – but I will keep aspiring. Countless crowd members have requested songs for special occasions and I fulfill that need to hear a song, so close to their heart, at that very moment it is special to them. Whether they are getting married, just got engaged, celebrating a birthday or honoring a loved one no longer with them, I have performed for many people who do not want to hear a song I have written. They want to hear a song that means something in their life, played exactly how they hear it when they listen to their CD.
I think every musician should experience both sides of the original/cover fence so that they can grow in their own music. I tried both and found my path.
T.D.