A Time of Reflection

Well, this blog kind of blew up. It does that if you don't commit to entering SOMETHING ever so often. I got disillusioned with trading after that last debacle. Also staying up until a trade at least got started was becoming a problem for me. I haven't even looked at the charts on a consistent basis for a few months now. I'm concentrating on music.

Let me update you on my 'music situation.' I am currently the bass player in a band call The Usual Suspects with a singer, Kelley, a guitar player, Tim, and a keyboard player, Joe. We have had various drummers and are in the process of settling on a new one. I am in other bands as well, but they are more for 'income' purposes and I don't have as much passion for them, probably because I don't have much input into what is going on with them.

I have been realizing lately that The Suspects lack a direction I believe is needed to become a viable band in the area. We currently do some 70's, 80's & 90's rock that is a combination of what we have done in former incarnations of the band and what Kelley brought in. Our old lead singer had an affliction, and a voice, for harder rock. Kelley is more attuned to the blues and country genres. Trying to do both the songs from the old Suspects and the new one don't really make sense, and I think confuses our audience. I want to take our set list and revolve it around Kelley's strengths.

Now music isn't exactly a great way to make an income - at least not the way I've been doing it. The pay for bands in bars has been going down over the last 30 years and it doesn't really show great signs of improving. At least, from the standpoint of doing it the way we've always done it.

I saw a video yesterday from a guy that preached, "figure out the 'why' first, then the 'how' and then the 'what.' It made sense, the way he said it. Let me put the link here for you.

I need to think in terms of WHY we do what we do. That takes some hard thought. I think I need to clear my mind of all other thoughts...



Okay - I think I've got a handle on why we do this. Music puts a great feeling in us (the musicians) when it is happening just right. We want to share that feeling with others as they watch and listen. The only way we can know people will get that great feeling is if we have it happen as close to that 'just right' as we can every time we play. Part of that 'just right' is us having a great time and feeling good ourselves about the music we are playing.

I believe we could rearrange the project - we probably should even change names, which I generally hate to do, but it looks like it might be very necessary in this case.

In talking with Cathy, we both agree that Tim and Joe may not be on the same page with regards to this as me and Kelley. Not that we can't talk about it, but I must be prepared to play with other folks, and I may not even know who they are at this point.

Both Tim and Joe are very analytical about the music stuff. I have been in the past as well. That is probably why the three of us worked so well together. Lately, I have been finding a spiritual part of music that is taking me in a different direction. Kelley has much of that spirit in her. I'm not sure how that equates to actually putting the band together, but I know it has a bit less to do with the particular songs we play and more with how we play them. (It does have a little to do with the songs themselves, I think. Maybe not :)

I would like to do a bunch of songs that would promote good feelings in people, not just be concentrating on whether they are dancing. One may result in another - it's the intent that is changing. I want to market the band to a different set of venues where the good feelings would be received with the most, well, feeling!

Kelley is out of town right now - her mom died and she had to go back to Ohio (strangely, that's one of the songs I had in mind) to take care of the arrangements.

All this may lead to Kelley and I parting ways with Joe and Tim, depending on how all this works out. I don't know. All I know is some different stuff is going to happen and it's going to take a lot of work (albeit enjoyable work!)