Is anyone here writing and playing original music?

[aronnelson]

And I mean non-popular music. Like Jazz.

Just wondering.

[Ensenada Guide]

just playing original music

[timwat]

Yes, playing my originals (jazz) on some gigs - some ensemble, some solo piano.

[Bobadohshe]

I get to play some on my jazz hits. Not often though.

[burningbusch]

And I mean non-popular music.

 

Everything I write is non-popular to an extreme. I am a master of the idiom.

 

Busch.

[David R]

I did for a very long time. I'm planning on starting my Master's next year which is basically a kick in my own ass to write again. I need deadlines and goals and I got very burnt out on being a bandleader, and I intend on using my Master's to pursue a couple of compositional projects I've been meaning to tackle for years.

 

I do have the pleasure of playing with a fantastic hip-hop artist which is all of his original music.

[Outkaster]

Yes we have to original Reggae CD's out.

[Doerfler]

I play non popular music for myself. No one likes it but me, but I, in fact, do like it.

Ring Mod on the Rhodes Piano, Ring Mod on the Hohner Clavinet, Ring Mod on the synth lead.

[seanl]

 

 

I started writing songs about 5 years ago. I was so moved by listening to David Helpling, Jon Jenkins and Deuter. Those three guys changed my life. Now almost every night I am in my music room writing songs.

[AnotherScott]

And I mean non-popular music. Like Jazz.

My group has a new album coming out in a few weeks. Not jazz. I'm resigned to it being in the "non-popular" category though I think it's quite accessible. But what do I know.

[MathOfInsects]

I do. I'm still always a little surprised when people say, "Oh, you write too?" since in my mind, it's always been that I PLAY too, but mainly write.

[aronnelson]

OK great, but now I ask the next part. Are you gigging and how is it going?

I mean writing original music and getting gigs to have people come. Reason I ask is that over here, it's very difficult to get support for Jazz. Yeah, sure there's one place that pays money for a weekly Jazz night - but everywhere else it's nothing.

Kind of depressing. Thinking of just playing the ukulele - hahahahahah

[RobP2]

Yes, I have a few albums out in different genres. At the moment I have one active originals band and a couple of recording projects.

 

While I enjoy playing in covers bands - and it forms the main part of my musical income - the reason I got into music in the first place was to play my own songs.

 

In terms of gigs it depends largely on the genre. Some genres have a big "scene" going on - such as garage /psychobilly in the UK and Europe. So it's relatively easy to pick up decent gigs and festivals

 

For other things, such as a rock band, it seems a bit more difficult, you are stuck between the pub circuit and the small/medium venue where you are up against tribute bands.

 

Having said that, it is so much easier to record and release your own albums now, you can get decent sales with the right promotion

 

 

https://wardroberecords.bandcamp.com/

[Doerfler]

over here, it's very difficult to get support for Jazz.

It's difficult to get support for jazz almost everywhere. That's why Darren Heinrich (dazz jazz) and Jim Alfredson crowd funded their most recent organ trio releases. Almost impossible to get the money on the back end anymore.

Tom O'Grady seems to be doing well with Resolution 88, though. I have no idea whether that project is profitable or not.

[The Real MC]

I have a lot of original music on staff paper that I have written down in the last 30 years. All in different styles. I can play jazz but not many of the originals are jazz songs. I finally got my project studio done and am starting to put them in audio.

[Al Coda]

Ring Mod on the Rhodes Piano, Ring Mod on the Hohner Clavinet, Ring Mod on the synth lead.

 

 

A.C.

[Threadslayer]

OK great, but now I ask the next part. Are you gigging and how is it going?

I mean writing original music and getting gigs to have people come. Reason I ask is that over here, it's very difficult to get support for Jazz. Yeah, sure there's one place that pays money for a weekly Jazz night - but everywhere else it's nothing.

Kind of depressing. Thinking of just playing the ukulele - hahahahahah

Someone quoted an article from one of the audio magazines on here a while back that said something like "There are more people who want to play jazz than there are who want to listen to it."

Depressing for sure, but unfortunately, spot on.

[HSS]

I compose and play originals, mainly jazz and blues. Lately I've been messing with Bossa's and Bolero's. Unfortunately the blues rock and old-school soul bands I've mainly played with in public never wanted to do any of my stuff. It's either because the audiences we play for don't want to hear mellow jazz / blues or because my songs suck. In any case, I enjoy my private "musical masturbation" and that's all that really counts.

[Al Coda]

Someone quoted an article from one of the audio magazines on here a while back that said something like "There are more people who want to play jazz than there are who want to listen to it."

Depressing for sure, but unfortunately, spot on.

 

The keyword is "want".

There are also too many who want but cannot do good enough to make others want listening to it.

 

I myself, I´d never say I´m a jazz musician even I love listening to jazz and was engaged in jazz to some degree too.

But I never did it from ground up and never decided to be a jazz musician only.

 

All the jazz I love to listen to comes from musicians living the jazz, may it be Oscar Peterson, McCoy T., Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Liebman, Miles, Herbie, Chick, JoeZ,- just only to mention a few old ones.

 

It´s hard to beat those cats deciding for doing jazz only, writing, practising and performing that stuff all day even being aware only a very few will be able making a living from that music.

It´s possibly obsession and that´s what you hear when they burn.

There´s also the attitude and appearence on stage.

 

Many can play the jazz standards correctly but it sounds boring.

Too many perform the same tunes like it is in the blues scene too.

Rarely you find some creating music on par w/ the best standards or w/ music some of the ones mentioned above created.

 

It also becomes harder and harder creating something new anyway ´cause it´s all said already according to the tools we have, the instruments, the diatonic system as well as polyrhythms etc..

That alone makes it much harder for the youngsters and compared to the old ones who grew up w/ it from the very beginning and developed.

 

According to the listening habit,- when the modal stuff appeared and odd time signatures were introduced it was already too complex for most listeners.

 

A.C.

 

 

[Dave Bryce]

Live - only covers.

 

Studio - covers and originals.

 

It's kinda cool because the industry has reverted to it being all about the single...you can release one any time you want. Don't even need a B side....

 

dB

[AnotherScott]

It's either because the audiences we play for don't want to hear mellow jazz / blues or because my songs suck.

If you want to find out which, I just read about this really cool sounding service that will give you the answer...

 

http://aristake.com/post/how-to-objectively-pick-your-best-songs-(or-find-out-if-you-just-completely-suck)

[Synthoid]

I was playing original electronic music and other instrumental tunes at local coffeehouses a few years ago. It was fun for awhile, but audiences were small and it ended up being a lot of work. Most venues had a sound system, but I had to bring my own on occasion.

 

Perhaps I'll try it again when I have some new material.

[MathOfInsects]

As a sideman, I made a conscious decision a few years ago that I would try to top-load my jobs with original music (other people's). I was doing almost exclusively cover stuff, and almost literally felt my soul dying. I was getting weary. I realized one day that as a songwriter, I tend to bring a lot to the table whenever I play other people's original music--I notice that I hear it through writer's ears, which I feel makes makes me a better player in those contexts as well.

 

So most (not all) of my sideman work is skewed toward singer-songwriters (or at least, people writing and performing their own music). And magically....they started to be ones that pay as well as the cover gigs. I still keep my larger soul-band active and do (very) select cover and tribute gigs--and other stuff, dork'$ gotta eat--but making this switch has been the best decision I made, musically, in recent years. I really do find it thrilling to discover something in someone's song that opens it up not only for me, but also for them.

[AnotherScott]

It's kinda cool because the industry has reverted to it being all about the single...you can release one any time you want. Don't even need a B side....

It's a double-edged sword. My band is about to release a concept album.

 

(waiting for the chuckles and groans to subside)

 

The 16 songs are an adaptation of one continuous poem. Shades of Gerald Bostock! But this time it's T. S. Eliot. Anyway, while most of the songs (we hope) still have plenty of individual appeal, it is really designed to ideally be heard as a continuous piece, with its recurring themes and such. (Rock opera, anyone?) But the entire structure of today's music consumption, as you say, revolves around individual songs, whether it's itunes, a largely self-directed streaming service like Spotify, or a curated service like Pandora.

 

I can't really complain too much though, it's not like there was EVER a time when an independent artist could easily promote this kind of thing. In the old days, whether you were focussed on individual songs or entire albums, there was almost no way to reach people without a major label and a bunch of airplay. Now at least there are more options, even if those options skew more to the song than the album. I really do think it's great that the ability to reach people with your songs has been more democratized. I just wish it didn't coincide with such emphasis on single songs. Though I don't know how it could have happened any other way.

[GovernorSilver]

I wrote my parts for the shows I've played with my friend's band Washerwoman. So far, I've played 2 shows with this lineup. The music is post-punk influenced, along the lines of Jesus And Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, etc. - not a popular style of music at all. The sheer volume and dark lyrics tends to drive people away.

 

This is my Soundcloud page - most tends to be improvised, but some tracks have varying degrees of composition. I'm really more of a string player who uses synths, samplers, etc. than a serious keyboardist.

 

[Synthoid]

I'm really more of a string player who uses synths, samplers, etc. than a serious keyboardist.

 

A stringthesist?

 

 

[Legatoboy]

I was as a sideman/ contributing bandmember, it was blues based original music project with traditional, bluegrass, jazz, NO, blues and rock all in a stew sort of thang.... 13 years of great gigs because we were a local favorite ...ended for me 4 years ago along with the rest of the original band members! I did want out anyway, got old and the leader didn't change the music up also new management factored in. After 13 years his approach was to change the band. Kinda backfired on him because the audience knows it is basically still all the same material. David Bennett from Country Joe and the Fish fame took my piano chair for the gigs the new band uses keys on which isn't many these days . . .

 

Good part with original music projects is that you get to develop your own keyboards parts/vocal etc.. ... nothing beats that..easier than copying other people's parts IMHO.

 

He replaced the whole band as I mentioned, though I will be playing a re-union gig in March at a national venue here on Long Island, The Bolton Center... we're not on the bill yet till the new year! The Kerry Kearney Band Reunion Show...probably be sharing the night with David on keys! Bolton Center

[aronnelson]

It takes a lot out of me to continuously practice when playing Jazz. Whether it's originals or with a big band or just a small trio. But sometimes I wonder - why? The audiences are tiny - no support. Don't get me wrong - I play Jazz because I like it, but sometimes it's hard playing when there's virtually no support. Sometimes I wish I had just kept playing local-style "Hawaiian music" and never listened to my friends (who were all Jazz musicians trying to get me to like Brecker Bros!)

 

My friends who kept playing and singing local music gig up to 5 times a week. For me, a Jazz gig might come around two or 3 times a month if I am lucky.

[xKnuckles]

I play in a modern jazz trio and we play a mixture of originals, classical music as jazz, some "world" music and non-mainstream standards. The music is challenging and unusual and I love playing it. We have had a residency at a popular restaurant for a few years and are about to make our first recording.

[NewImprov]

I play in a band that mixes prog rock and avant fusion, with a rapper for a frontman who raps about zen buddhism and hindu mythology. So, yeah, not popular. We don't play out very often, because we're all in a bunch of different projects, but when we do, the funny thing is, our shows are pretty well-attended, and our LP has sold enough to pay for itself just on local sales, and we're in the midst of mixing our 2nd, hope to have it out this winter. Booking outside of our local area has been nearly impossible, no one wants to take a risk on us.

 

It's kind of cool to play in a band for which there isn't even a niche audience, but frustrating at times. Recently, in the same week, we were turned down for a jazz festival for being too hip-hop, and turned down by a hip-hop festival for being too experimental. Ah well, I guess we're doing something right.