Riffs, Rants & Remarks by Jason Hayward

The annual Newfound Music Festival takes place at MUN Music School, beginning this Thursday.  The opening day consists of concerts and presentations all day long. I’ve decided to take the day off so I can check some of it out.  More concerts follow on the evenings of Thursday through Saturday.  

Here’s some info I stole from the event’s Facebook page:

Join us for an amazing day filled with fun and fascinating talks, performances, and a HUGE Happening in the middle of the day.

• Talks will be on wide-ranging subjects from The Beatles to Japanese Popular Music, the Music of our SOCAN Foundation Visiting Composer Kar…im Al-Zand, and how a how a group of trumpeters got together to form a music collective.

• Come back for the 8PM concerts on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

• All listed events below are FREE and open to the public!

9:00 — Fab Harmony in Beatles Music- Clark Ross (Choral Room)
9:00 — Yoga for Musicians- Bring a yoga mat (or towel/blanket) and wear sports clothing! Laura Murray (Instrumental Room)

10:00 — Another World: Graphic Art as Musical Inspiration- Karim Al-Zand. A discussion of the ways in which graphic art has influenced the composer (Choral Room)

11:00-11:45 DF Cook Recital Hall Lobby James Tenney- “In a Large Open Space”- The lead-in to a performance of this colossal work. This portion will feature an electroacoustic realization by Andrew Staniland, with dancers from the Neighbourhood Dance Works, and members of Paul Bendzsa’s famed MUN Improv Ensemble!
11:45-12:15 Queen Elizabeth II Library — Atrium — Make your way to the atrium of the QEII Library, because this is where things get MASSIVE! The performance of James Tenney’s “In a Large Open Space” continues, with the MUN Wind Ensemble, Festival Choir, Paul Bendzsa’s Famed Ensemble of MUN Improvisers, and Neighborhood Dance Works.

12:15 — Take a quick break for lunch, then join us back at the School of Music!

1:00 — Student Recital (Petro-Canada Hall)
1:00 — Surrounded by Obstacles-Constraints in “Pattern Preludes” and other works- Karim Al-Zand (Choral Room)

2:00 — Let’s Go Band- The MUN Wind Ensemble, with Jason Caslor, presents two new works: “Rocky Mountain Lullaby” by Christiaan Venter, the winner of the Canadian Band Association’s 2011 Composition Competition and “Through the Haze”, by MUN’s own Aiden Hartery. Q & A with tips on writing for band to follow (DF Cook Hall)
2:00 — Nihonjin No Kokoro (The Heart of the Japanese People) – An introduction to the Japanese popular music genre of Enka. (Choral Room)

3:00 — MU 2025 Getting started with New Music: Experiences with the Reveille Trumpet Collective. Aaron Hodgson
3:00 — MU 2033 (Electronic Music Studio) A discussion/demonstration of the electroacoustic realization of Tenney’s “In a Large Open Space” Dr. Andrew Staniland

And here’s a link to the page: http://www.facebook.com/events/332203820143607/

While I’m interested in it all, I think some of the stuff is especially relevant to my own musical creativity lately.  Andrew Staniland’s “electroacoustic realization” of a another composer’s piece reminds me of my own work with Terry Riley’s “In C”!  And, there’s a Q&A on writing for concert band, which is a project I’m currently working on.   So, it should be interesting as well as informative.  Looking forward to it!

Beethoven is one of my main musical heroes.  When  asked who are my favourite composers, I usually include him in the answer.  And there is a reason apart from the music.  As far as the music goes, I’ve been drawn to both the emotional and intellectual aspects.  Beethoven tends to be quite colorful and dramatic, and he is adept at communicating a wide range of characters from the humourous to the mournful.  He has an uncanny ability to switch characters, often quite suddenly, yet maintain a sense of coherence and a smooth flow in the transitional sense.  In addition to these emotional aspects,  an analysis of Beethoven’s structural procedures – how he combines various musical elements from the small melodic or rhythmic nugget to the larger sections and even the work as a whole –  indicates a keen mind for structural balance (a musical architect) and a clever mind for manipulating expectations based on the norms of his era (a musical storyteller).

However, my admiration goes beyond the music to Beethoven’s work ethic.  There is something admirable about a man who has been considered a “genius” who evidently, as his surviving sketchbooks indicate, worked his ideas extensively, experimenting with various options before committing them to his full draft.  I think many composers feel a sense of musical kinship in that they can (and want to) relate to this exemplary example of the adage that genius is “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”

I found an article on a concert band website (I’m working on a piece for band and looking for some pointers!), which talks a little about composition, in general, but more specifically about Beethoven’s method or process.  It’s called “The Art of Composition” and it’s written by Bruce Gale. In particular, the article highlights the work ethic I’ve described.

http://www.theconcertband.com/focusmenu/111-focus/331-the-art-of-composition.html

It is nice to be reminded that working hard at creating music is normal and to be expected, and that it pays to put the effort in, striving to craft ideas to the best of one’s abilties.

What’s good for Beethoven is surely good for the rest of us!

Woohoo! My Spinoza Gambit project is in the media!!!

check this out:

http://vents.nixiweb.com/htdocs/spinoza-gambit-takes-on-rpm-challenge/

I’m so excited about this!

My band is opening for Ashelin at The Ship this Saturday night, January 14th.  The show starts at 11pm.  We will do a set consisting of 10 of my original songs and a cover of “Enjoy the Silence” (originally by Depeche Mode).  Accompanying my vocals and keyboard playing will be Charlie Barfoot on guitar, Chris Davis on bass and Chris Driedzic on drums. 

It has been a blast working with these fine musicians and we’ve been putting together some excellent arrangements.  In last night’s rehearsal, in particular, things seem to really gel together nicely.  We’ll have one more run-through on Friday, the evening before the show.

I don’t really know much about Ashelin yet, but I’ve been impressed by what I’ve heard so far.  Their music is a blend of folk and pop influences and notable for its beautiful vocal harmony.  They are gifted and accomplished vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, in many respects still up and coming, but also having played a fair bit abroad (and, from what I understand, at some high profile events).  Here’s a another link to their site:

http://www.ashelin.com/

This is going to be an awesome night!

Simple, isn’t it?  If there was ever a way to distill down to its essence a “formula for success”, it’s that two-word statement.

Once again, this comes courtesy of Marion.  This music promotion website has a little blurb, which I’ll paste below, about the band Nickelback with the introductory line “There are no guarantees of success in the music business”:

http://www.musicsolutions.com/radioairplay.html

Formed in 1995, Nickelback  self-released their first EP “Hesher”, followed by a self-released CD “Curb” in 1996.
 
Linda Dawe promoted Nickelback’s first self-produced single “Fly” in 1996 to radio. Other than airplay on Vancouver’s CFOX, it was considered a “stiff” (very unsuccessful) with few music directors willing to play a song by a new Canadian rock group then based in Vancouver. The band toured relentlessly, selling 10,000 albums on an independent label (the Curb album was certified Gold in Canada in 2010).

In 1998 Nickelback self-released their CD “The State,” and signed with Roadrunner Records in 1999.   Released to radio in the USA, the single “Leader of Men” peaked #21 Alternative Rock (8/12/2000) & “Breathe” peaked #21 Alternative Rock (2/10/2001).  Nickelback received a Juno award for ”Best New Group” in 2001.

So don’t expect to be an instant hit on your first try…or second. It usually takes “3 singles deep” to establish your “brand” at radio. Ask Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, who have released 94 singles to radio since 1996.

 As I said to Marion, I’m particularly inspired by the second paragraph, especially the part about touring “relentlessly.”

This is my plan, too.  If I can be confident about one thing, it’s my ability to be relentless.

A couple days ago, Marion drew my attention to this article:

http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/why-you-should-give-your-music-away-for-free.html

According to the article, indie artists should give music away for free for the following reasons:

1) digital music subscription services mean people can pay a nominal fee (generally, not more than the price of a single album) for access to thousands of tunes

2) we don’t sell that much anyway, especially in terms of online music sales (backed by stats for most indie artists, as explained in the article)

3) the “hear-like-buy” principle which means that people don’t generally buy stuff they haven’t heard – they must hear it first, decide if they like it, then buy it (or not).

I’m now sorting out how I want to approach the marketing side of my music in light of these points, which I agree with.  The decline of album sales with the emergence of digital distribution means that artists – even the popular, top-selling ones – make more money from shows (and other merchandise, etc.) than from album sales.  This has, perhaps, always been the case.  At the very least, artists have always needed to tour in order to ensure healthy sales.

There was probably a brief window of time – between the rise of home internet use and before the popularity of digital music subscription – when an artist could emphasize online marketing as opposed to performances and make substantial online album sales (physical copies).  I’ve heard of artists making a decent living this way.  Although, they were likely few and far between.  Also, I would imagine, even those artists have needed to adjust their approach more recently.

Frankly, I would’ve expected to make a few more album sales than I have by now.  I feel like I already have been following “hear-like-buy” because I’ve made my tracks availble in multiple places online where people can freely hear full tracks.  On the other hand, Marion has pointed out that most people might be hesitant to buy something that they can hear for free!  I just figured, if people like it, they would consider buying it so that they’d have their own copies for their iPods, iTunes, etc.  Obviously, this is not working. The really good news is that, with Marion’s efforts, my online exposure has been grewing exponentially since we started getting the current website up and running in August.  Last month the site had over 12oo hits!

[Here's the site, if you want to help with this month's stats   www.spinozagambit.com]

So, what might indie artists do in light of all this?

1) We need to tour and do more shows to become better known, and we need to deliver solid, entertaining and memorable presentations.  

2) We need to have other merchandise available, both online and at shows (eg. T-shirts).

3) We need to keep plugging away at online community-building because this does help create awareness, which will help build a following and translate (hopefully) into higher attendance at shows.

4) We need to create videos for YouTube and various blog sites because people are stimulated by visuals – these don’t have to be fancy (possibly just footage of live performances) – and because we can’t always be where our fans can readily see us!

5) We need to give away free stuff!

I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions.  I think I just figured out why.  It’s because they’re, generally, too vague, lacking a concrete action plan.  Examples I’ve heard repeatedly over the years include being a better a person, getting in shape, being more creative, etc. 

I seem to recall a resolution I once made NOT to make any more New Year’s resolutions.  I guess I’m about to fail at yet another one.  Although, to be fair to myself, I’ve been debating whether or not to even go for one, as well as carefully considering what it would be.  I’ve already made a life resolution, which I started (again) back in December, and that is to get back in shape.  However, since this is so vague and is complicated by the fact that I don’t have concrete fitness goals (obviously the reasons why I’ve failed so many times before) – I’m not really overweight and I don’t want to be a body-builder – I figure the best way is to be more specific.  So, I’ve resolved to go to the gym four times a week and do at least 30 minutes of cardio each time.  Again, I want to make this a life habit and not just one for a year.  Come February, when the collective resolve of all those extra bodies that I’ve noticed at the gym this week has waned, I’ll still be there, beating the treadmill or hauling at those rowing machines.   

But like I said, I’ve already started in on this goal and I’m well on my way to making it a life habit.  The other area of my life where I feel there has been something lacking recently is my creativity.  But “spend more time at creative pursuits” doesn’t cut it.  So, I’m resolving to work at my music composition for four two-hour sessions per week (at least).   And that’s my main resolution for 2012.  I probably would’ve made that one at some point anyway since I’ve  been thinking about it for months but it has really sunk in that I need to have a specific plan of action.  It just so happens that this realization has coincided with the coming of the New Year so it’s in keeping with the season.   Otherwise, I’d still be eschewing the custom for another year.

Happy 2012, by the way, to all readers.

The year has been launched on a good foot.  Marion and I spent a lovely New Year’s weekend in Twillingate, a welcome respite from all the artificial glitter and commotion of celebrations on the homefront.  We had a whole B & B to ourselves, and the owners were very kind and hospitable, even offering a free extension to our stay in face of the questionable weather on the day of our departure.

Getting back to work this week has been sort of blah, though, perhaps, primarily due to only a half-night’s sleep before my first day back.  I’m not getting the job satisfaction I once thought would come of it but it may turn around since we have some new programs in the works for this year.  Basically, I’ve been pretty bored at work for about two months, yet almost too busy outside of work.  Late fall and into the holidays tends to be hectic at the best of times, and I often find it a challenge to rise above the depression that seems to be accentuated by the clocks changing and less daylight.  All this means job satisfaction seems like “El dorado.”

Outside of my job, I’m focusing this month on preparing for my show on January 14th at The Ship, opening for Ashelin.  This is going to be a lot of fun and I’m excited to be sharing the evening with this group.  Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been enjoying spending more time on my songs and at the piano, which I will continue to do throughout the year, at least until it’s time to go on my world tour.  Have I mentioned my world tour? 

February is RPM: Record Production Month.  I’m going to tackle the RPM Challenge this year, writing and recording a Spinoza Gambit album.  I have a fairly concrete plan for the album and some ideas on how to approach the pieces, what gear to use, etc.  I’ll write more about this as the time approaches.

Over the next few months I’ll be composing some music for at least one, maybe two film projects spearheaded by my good friend, Mark Hoffe.  This promises to be fantastic experience.  There will definitely be more about this as it all unfolds, as the process will be new and quite intriguing. 

Well, that takes me up until early April and after that things start to get a little hazy because of the number of options.  If all goes well, however, I will be starting my world tour come September, if not before.  That’s right, a world tour.

To be continued…

The following is a quote that my friend Katrina, who is both a musician and climber, shared with me some time ago. I think about this sort of thing quite often. The quote is from:

“Maximum Climbing: Mental Training for Peak Performance and Optimal Experience” by Eric J. Horst, pg. 9, 2010, Falcon Guides, China.

For some climbers, the goal is to climb as difficult a grade as possible. While I admit to having owned this perspective on a few occasions, I have come to discover that the very best climbers¬–and the happiest as well–do not possess this as a primary intention. Certainly, great pleasure can be gained by achieving a rare, difficult climb. In making this your soul intention, however, you diminish the experience and quite possibly set yourself up for failure.

One of the greatest ironies of the performing arts–and one that all climbers should recognize–is that the mind-set of needing to succeed at a difficult task and the mind-set required to effectively undertake that endeavor are mutually exclusive. Climbing your best, then, comes only by replacing outcome oriented thinking with a focus on the process of climbing, an enjoyment of the dance, and a becoming one with the experience.
Master climbers, past and present, tend overwhelmingly to emphasize quality of experience, self-discovery, and attaining oneness with the climb and nature over pure difficulty of achievement and an absolute need for success.

It’s all about enjoying the ride as opposed to the destination.  Of course, this is an idea we’ve heard before.  However, it’s nice to be reminded, especially when these reminders come from varied sources (maybe this means it’s true after all).  I find it refreshing to hear this idea expressed occasionally because we seem to be bombarded by the opposite.  Somehow I think the concept goes against the proverbial grain of contemporary Western society, which seems to grossly over emphasize accomplishment as the primary indicator of success.

And sometimes I want none of this talk of accomplishment and success.  It makes me tired. I just want to enjoy doing what I do.

Periodically, I check in on this creativity blog called “HogaFish” published by the Creative Education Foundation, to whose e-newsletter I subscribe.  The mandate of both the blog and the foundation itself seems mainly directed toward creative solutions in the workplace as opposed to artistic ones, but I find it broadens my thinking about creativity and its applications to life, in general.

I’d like to share  some thoughts about the following post (which you don’t really need to read to get what I’m saying):

http://www.hogafish.com/2011/09/16/why-do-people-reject-the-creative-ideas-they-need-most/trackback/

Essentially, this article is highlighting the issue that a business (and I would extend this to anyone with a problem needing a “creative” solution) faces during any period of uncertainty.  A problem arises (eg. business is not exactly booming), which creates uncertainty, and then one is compelled to explore (with divergent thinking) a variety of solutions.  The issue is that the very uncertainty which compels a search for a creative solution to begin with, is the very uncertainty which is the main barrier to recogizing the best solution.  That is why, as the article points out, we “reject the creative idea(s) we need most.” It also shows, by citing a study (though what study is not immediately clear), that the greater degree of uncertainty faced, the greater negative bias toward creativity is exhibited.

It would seem that any creative or new idea itself brings a degree of uncertainty.  After all, it’s new and we don’t know how it’s going to work out.  Businesses, in particular, are, perhaps, more hestitant to pursue a new solution since they have something at stake and probably fear that any apparent solution, without a guarantee it will work, could make things worse.  Again, I think this is also very often the case for anyone searching for a creative solution to a given problem and, therefore, that is why I find the concept interesting.  I feel this subject has a universal application, not just to business.

My advice is to bring in an objective party to help with the convergent thinking, i.e. the ‘settling on’ a solution.  I think businesses do this occasionally when they bring in someone to analyze or “audit” (not necessarily financially) the various procedures of the company.  I think this could extend to any walk of life, including artistic ones.  When I’m working on compositions, it is very helpful, when things occasionally seem not to be “working”, to bring in a more objective perspective from someone who has less “at stake.”  I have writer friends who do the same.

Of course, this might seem so intuitive: ask someone else’s opinion when you’re stuck or when you’d like some feedback toward improvement!  But, I think we don’t always do this for various reasons, possibly all boiling down to fear -  of criticism or of an otherwise more subtle “belittling” of the ego. 

I guess the main reasons why I wanted to write this article are to show that this dilemma, caused by uncertainy, can happen to anyone (during the divergent thinking process) and then, to encourage people to seek out help in alleviating this (during the convergent thinking process). It is, indeed, simple, but, then again, “simple” is not always readily apparent.

And it works for me!