Developing signature sounds (and younger musicians)

[EricBarker]

Been doing it once or twice a week for 4 years now. I was fortunate to get a really good financial setup with a great band (I also have a freelance day job that doesnt conflict). Ill be on island for another year. I suspect once I leave Ill probably quit with the pro gigging, concentrate more on originals and me bands (as I like to call them), but its been a fantastic experience. I really think every musician should go through playing in a cover group for a while, ya learn how everyone else does it.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Came back to this thread because of the great interview with Bruce Hornsby in the new Keyboardmag. I thought his response to the final question, about how to consider a career in music in 2019, was especially interesting:

 

When you look at the Grammys now, it's all very pop and very young. You won't find Evgeny Kissin playing Scriabin on the Grammys like you used to. You won't find Herbie Hancock and VSOP or Wayne Shorter playing a tribute to Tony Williams or whatever. You won't find that ever on the Grammys. You find that kind of person on the Grammys now, it's all about, "Let's get Chick Corea to play with some young rock band." It's very difficult now. It's a very different time. Most people would lament that and go, "It's terrible. There's no place for originality and art and consciousness in pop music." But that's not true. It's just under the mainstream radar screen and a very beautifully performed all across the Indie world where artistry is really prized. You could name so many groups that illustrate what I'm saying in a very clear manner. Check-out the group Palm. It's like The Beach Boys go to Uranus. Truly. There are so many groups. Dirty Projectors, for instance. Perfume Genius, Grizzly Bear. Fleet Foxes are fantastic. I feel like I have a Fleet Foxes moment on this new record, for instance. White Noise, one part of it. You can just keep naming them. I think it's actually a pretty good time if you don't care about being on national network TV. If you just want to do something of depth.