Posts from — July 2010

Judy Rodman

Some of my most eager vocal students paradoxically sabotage their progress by over-thinking their vocal training. This is a common saboteur in other kinds of training as well – musician, sports, acting, crafts, etc. As a vocal coach and producer, I find it particularly vexing because I know my client is getting frustrated “trying” so hard to get it. This is the way I help them get around this brain-tangle:

The key is the word “trying.” The voice has too many “parts” that activate it. If you try to apply too many new vocal technique changes manually-consciously, your voice will freeze as frustratingly as a computer with one too many apps working.

“But Judy,” a student may say, “you’re telling me so many things and I’m trying to remember to do them all – how can I do that?” Fair question, and a common one in my studio because I try to move people along fast.

Here are some points I will share that may help make this process of changing your vocal habits understandable and less frustrating… in other words: more “let” and less “try”:

• Vocal training is a process. You should be able to see some instant progress, but not expect to get it all and be able to remember it without spending some time integrating the training.
• The voice runs primarily on “auto.”  That means you will experience a bit of frustration because you will have to “think” in order to do something differently, but you must practice this new way enough that you no longer have to focus on “thinking it” and can just trust your new instincts. This is what vocal exercises, done with excellent form, should do for you. That’s why…
• Vocal exercises will probably be physically and mentally frustrating and energy intensive… in order to do them in a way that will strengthen and coordinate…not strain…your voice.
• When training your voice, stay present in the moment. Don’t live in the past, thinking about what your vocal coach just asked you to do, but instead trust that you will integrate the previously suggested change along with the new suggestion. Trust that if you get the previous thing wrong, your teacher will let you know, and will help you re-correct that one thing. Or, as I used to tell my son, don’t try to re-order the whole room instantly, just “pick up the sock closest to you.”
• The good news is that Power, Path & Performance
  is “synergistic.”Meaning integrating breath, open throat and communication techniques will ensure that if you get even one small area of vocal techique better, it will start to positively affect other areas. So relax. Let yourself learn, much like a baby learns to make vocal sounds.
• Bottom line: Don’t try. Instead, let. For instance:

1. Don’t try to make yourself stretch… instead, let your jaw, shoulders, upper back, face, etc., be relaxed, stretchy and flexible.
2. Don’t try desperately to project sound to your audience… instead, let your single-minded, focused intention to communicate with passion cause the body language necessary to resonate sound that causes rapt attention.
3. Don’t try to breathe. Learn how to let go of that which keeps you from good breath support and control, and you’ll have all the breath you need.
4. Don’t try to be a perfect singer or speaker. Let yourself learn, being kind and nurturing to yourself as you do so your voice can trust itself.

Does this make sense to you? What is frustrates you in vocal training you’ve done?

Judy Rodman is a singer, songwriter, producer and vocal instructor in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1980s, she topped the country music charts with the number one single “Until I Met You” and won the Academy of Country Music’s “Top New Female Vocalist” award in 1985. Her recorded songs include LeAnn Rimes’s number-one hit “One Way Ticket (Because I Can)” (co-written with Keith Hinton). Judy has developed Power, Path & Performance
a vocal technique she teaches and sells.

Don't make changes to your music based on someone's negative opinion. Make changes when they feel right to you. Painting: Road to Music by Ed Sandoval

One of the biggest problems that musicians face is holding on to their own musical identity and integrity. It’s often tempting to bail out on your own direction and capitulate to an agent, an audience, a label, or society in general.

Even with my experience in this business, I continue to be surprised by how a negative or even a neutral comment will often throw me out of balance. If someone says that my new CD “Freefall” is “nice,” it throws me. If someone doesn’t like my direction, my style, my songs or my sound, I feel emotionally like I should change what I do – what I am to please them.

The logical side of me knows that this is not true. But the logical side isn’t the only side that operates. In the arts, it’s probably not even the most important side.

I love Bill Evans’ comments on the November 6, 1978  Marian McPartland radio show. He said: “We must look at it as art. Otherwise, we’re going to get so confused because there are a million things you can do and so you just have to perfect your own art and hopefully, there’ll be room for it.”

Find the audience that likes what you like. You will never turn everyone in your direction. But you can find an audience!

My field is jazz, particularly the jazz guitar. But these comments are relevant to all sides of the musical world. For example, there’s the band that is confused about direction and worried about how much cover material they should do. Or maybe it should be all cover or maybe not - and on. The singer – songwriter who panics if everyone doesn’t love his or her material. Should I change the lyrics? Maybe they’re too deep or not deep enough. Maybe the chords aren’t complicated enough or maybe they’re too simple. Maybe my hooks aren’t memorable….

I think committed self-conviction is the only road map. Use your own instincts to make decisions. Stay single-minded. Keep open-minded. Always consider the possibility of change but not the necessity of change. Don’t use everyone’s negative opinion as a reason to change.

Change if you can justify and emotionally support change. If you don’t take that approach, you’ll be blown around by every opinion until you get to the point that you will not know who you are, what your music is for, and where you are going.

Visit Chuck Anderson’s website to join his mailing list and learn about upcoming concerts. Buy his CDs and educational materials. And of course, become a Facebook fan.

Incessant practice can be a delay tactic. It's important to get out there and perform - in any setting. Performing for family and friends is a great way to start. Painting: Audience by Jenny Wiik.

Practice is necessary to develop the skills required to pursue music successfully. But practice can also be a crutch – a delay tactic. Just as many people continue their college educations to avoid the necessity of getting a job – of facing the real world. It can be the same in music. You’re “never” ready. The fact of the matter is: you’re always ready. When you can struggle through one song, you’re ready!

As in most things in life, it’s important that you strike a balance between practicing and performing. By performing, I don’t mean a huge concert venue. It might be a performance for friends or relatives. It could be at a coffee house or an open mic night. Anything that puts you in the position of having to play songs – original or not, in front of people, is valuable.

Songs are not exercises. They are vehicles of self expression through music. This often strikes fear into the hearts of new performers. This is an understandable reaction.

Remember that fear can be redefined as excitement. They have the same physiological symptoms – shaking hands, a feeling in your stomach, the tendency to run. But if you enter the arena of performance, these feelings will ultimately turn to motivation.

So, practice and perform. Make it a lifelong habit!

Visit Chuck Anderson’s website to join his mailing list and learn about upcoming concerts. Buy his CDs and educational materials. And of course, become a Facebook fan.

The ancient Greeks organized music into a series of 7-note scales known as 'modes.' Music theory is a way to explain the undepinnings of music - it is not a set of rules.

In this post, I answer the following reader question: What is ‘music theory?’ I know what music sounds like, but what about theory do I need to know? It sounds too academic for me.

Music theory is a collection of the principles that lie under and behind music. What theory is not is a set of rules. It’s commonly perceived to be rules – you have to do this or that – or, this or that is right or wrong. This idea is and has always been wrong.

The word “theory” has implied to many that something doesn’t actually work in real life. In this case, theory just means the organized inner workings of music.

I prefer to think of music not as rules - but as a massive series of interconnected causalities or effects. Nothing is right or wrong in music. The application of certain chords, scales, and rhythms will produce a specific sound and effect. It’s up to you which effect you create.

Visit Chuck Anderson’s website to join his mailing list and learn about upcoming concerts. Buy his CDs and educational materials. And of course, become a Facebook fan.

Judy Rodman

It’s morning and I’m looking at a physical training session in my schedule today. Why do I do this to myself? Partly for my voice!

My recommendation to all singers and speakers is that you do some physical activity that strengthens the body’s core muscles. Without this strength, you cannot apply enough breath support and breath control to your voice to have it work optimally.

Health, weight control, bone building, mental clarity and endorphin release makes you feel so great… all these are fabulous side effects of regular physical training. (Only a vocalist would put it that way…). I’m very busy, but the truth is that I have a physical body that my voice cannot do without.

Find a trainer who understands the special precautions needed by someone who values their voice. For instance, when exercising:

• No grabbing at the glottis (vocally straining or grunting).
• Be very careful not to strain neck and shoulder muscles; strengthening is great, but not straining.
• Be careful not to overtrain and tighten muscles with too much weight lifting.
• Concentrate on core torso strengthening and flexibility (stretching).

Judy Rodman is a singer, songwriter, producer and vocal instructor in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1980s, she topped the country music charts with the number one single “Until I Met You” and won the Academy of Country Music’s “Top New Female Vocalist” award in 1985. Her recorded songs include LeAnn Rimes’s number-one hit “One Way Ticket (Because I Can)” (co-written with Keith Hinton). Judy has developed Power, Path & Performance
a vocal technique she teaches and sells.

Judy Rodman

There are lots of things blooming in this area of the world (Nashville). Beautiful, but for a singer sensitive to those particular flowers – scary.

What do you do when you greet the morning sounding like a frog? Well, because many allergy and cold medications dry the throat and vocal cords out, I recommend trying these non-medical suggestions first (but if in doubt, check all this out with your medical professional).

Nutrify
Start with a drink of lemon juice and water, then I would really recommend a freshly juiced ‘green drink’… put in (as long as you are not allergic to them and can digest them) things like lettuce, carrots, celery, beets, tomatoes, apples, pineapple, asparagus…you get the picture.

Then eat a light, non-mucous forming, protein-rich breakfast. What is non-mucous forming? It varies with the individual, so start to keep a journal of how foods affect your mucous thickness. Should you drink coffee? Observe its effects on you. Even black tea can feel dehydrating to some. Watch how much dairy you consume; this usually encourages excess mucous, as do rich and heavily sugared foods.

Here are breakfasts I eat that my voice likes:

• A fruit smoothie. To a frozen fruit mixture I add soy, rice or whey protein, or a supplement I particularly love called “UltraInflamX.” I add a little orange or other 100% juice and water to cover before I blend.
• Oatmeal with vanilla soymilk, nuts and seeds (especially pomegranate) , raisins and bananas. I sometimes add half an avocado.
• Fresh avocado, pineapple and orange slices, plus fresh nuts and seeds.
• Eggs scrambled with loads of sauteed veggies. I’d call it an omelet but I use more veggies than eggs. Instead of heavy bread, I accompany it with a rice cake with tamari sauce.

Then, I like to:

• Steam…I like to take a hot bath or shower and really breathe in the steam. Then using my Neti Pot helps get rid of whatever is irritating my tissues.
• Exercise…This is a morning you seriously need to warm your vocal cords up if you are singing that day. Warm up slower and longer than usual, and don’t forget… form is everything when doing vocal exercises if you want to make your voice better and not worse! Your vocal exercises should be stretching your sinus openings so they drain… a sign that you are doing it right. I also like to do a physical workout to get the junk in my chest moving out.
• Hydrate heal…I add cayenne pepper and lemon juice to a glass carafe of water and drink it throughout the day, or my ginger tea concoction. I definitely up my water intake, and even bring a shaker of cayenne with me if I need to eat out. This may sound strange, but cayenne is a healing herb for the mucous membranes!

What about you? What’s your favorite way to wake up a thick voice?

Judy Rodman is a singer, songwriter, producer and vocal instructor in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1980s, she topped the country music charts with the number one single “Until I Met You” and won the Academy of Country Music’s “Top New Female Vocalist” award in 1985. Her recorded songs include LeAnn Rimes’s number-one hit “One Way Ticket (Because I Can)” (co-written with Keith Hinton). Judy has developed “Power, Path & Performance,” a vocal technique she teaches and sells.

A good teacher will not focus on his or her playing during a music lesson, and have you copy it. He or she will focus on your playing. Image: "Music Lesson" woodcut by Jenny Carrington.

A teacher who plays excessively during a lesson is not an aid to a student. In fact, the teacher often creates problems for learning. The goal of a lesson should not be to get a student to play like the teacher but to encourage the student to develop  his or her own voice.

Playing can be helpful as a demonstration of a point - but not as a methodology to teach. Generally, this type of “teaching” is “showing” more than teaching.

The teacher needs to focus on what the student is playing – not what the teacher is playing. Too often, teacher virtuosity can be discouraging to students. Where the student is, where he or she wants to go, and how he or she can get there - these are the only considerations in the teaching process.

Editor’s note: For more on this topic read “When ‘Tell, Don’t Show’ Makes Sense.”

Visit Chuck Anderson’s website to join his mailing list and learn about upcoming concerts. Buy his CDs and educational materials. And of course, become a Facebook fan!

Rick DiBiasio

Imagine this: you prepare a recipe from Emeril’s cook book only to have him appear and tell you, “it’s dreadful and you should never cook again.” Or you play guitar on the beach for your friends, only to find out that someone brought Simon and he makes “a face” about the way you play and then everyone laughs at you…Happens all the time, right?

As adults, we are supposed to be right. No one wants to go to a surgeon who “isn’t afraid to make a big mistake.” We are not encouraged to give creative answers to multiple choice tests, no one wants a financial advisor who picks investments only by “feel.” No, our system is built on having the “right” answers.

It’s easy to reach a point where we stop doing anything that we might not get right. What’s the opposite of stretch? Cramp? That’s what we do, we stay uncomfortable, we stick with what we know. So when it comes time to express ourselves creatively, it’s easy to filter ourselves into complete submission. Much easier to watch a reality show than live a little reality.

Does Emeril show up if we botch one of his recipes? Not usually, but someone even harsher does – we do. And we are relentless in our self criticism. “I hate the sound of my voice, I can’t draw, I am a terrible writer.” It’s difficult to pick up new things as an adult unless we have decided we are “talented” or “gifted,” unless we are pretty sure we can do something perfectly right from the start. Mistakes, after all, are not allowed.

And I’m not giving others a pass either; people will give you a hard time. People will “kid us,” they’ll damn with faint praise, they’ll come out and tell us how terrible our work is. Putting yourself out there is risky business if you have a thin skin.

Not long ago I heard a PGA Tour Golfer talk about “amateur” golfers, mocking people who love the same game he gets paid to play. I’ve heard John Mayer, unintelligible-pop-singer-and-musician, mock “amateur” guitar players; I guess he has some security issues. People can be mean; they have their own issues.

Can you play an instrument like a maestro? Paint like Rembrandt? Sing like Sinatra? No, you can’t! No one can – that’s why they are celebrated!

Does that mean you shouldn’t try? Not try to be as good as them – just try. Play a few notes, write a few lines, paint with some of your kid’s watercolors. No one will die. Especially you.

Allow yourself to “suck.” If someone says you aren’t very good, especially you, let it go. You aren’t supposed to be good, at least at first. In fact, you don’t ever have to be a maestro, but you can make art. You can create, you can be open to new things while acknowledging that people are entitled to their opinions. Even Maestros get criticism.

Have you nurtured someone’s gift or have you been a critic? Not just to your kids, to your friends, to your co-workers – but to yourself? Here’s the thing: when you begin a creative pursuit, you will reach a point where you wonder if you will always be doing so in a vacuum. But you develop this fear: “What if they don’t like it? What if they mock it? What if they make that Simon face?”

It’s perfectly ok if you just write in a private journal, if you just play quietly for yourself, or if you just sing your grandkids to sleep. Good things will happen if you do; you will open up new connections in your brain. And, it’s ok to let others see your work. You might be surprised at how easily people are impressed, how supportive they can actually be. You won’t know unless you stretch, will you?

Rick DiBiasio is the author of The Affluent Artist. His new project is MiddleAgedCrazy.com

Virginia-based Furnace MFG pressed Tom Petty's new album 'Mojo.' Although vinyl is only 1% of all record sales, it is a growing niche market. According to Nielsen SoundScan, vinyl accounted for 2.8 million units in 2009, up from 1.9 million in 2008.

Music is sounding better than ever because we can hear it on vinyl again. Millions of music lovers all over the world are discovering and rediscovering why vinyl is the best sound reproduction format. Along with the growth of this historic sound medium is a renewed interest in record companies and manufacturers who produce the vinyl records.

Let’s explore a company dedicated to the quality of their vinyl products and most importantly, the sound of the music. I spoke with Eric Astor, CEO, and Manish Naik, COO, of Furnace MFG. Although the company offers a multitude of sound and promotional services, we will focus on vinyl records. The company has secured exclusive North American partnerships with two of the best audiophile-quality pressing plants in Europe.

Who are you and what does your company do?

“Furnace MFG is located in the Washington, DC metro area and we are a one-stop source for CD, DVD and vinyl manufacturing. Furnace MFG has been hard at work pressing CDs and DVDs for the independent music community since 1996. We have made exclusive agreements with two of the best pressing plants in the world to provide the best sounding records on the planet,” explained Eric.

Why is the vinyl record making a resurgence?

“We think there are two main reasons that vinyl is making a resurgence. The first is that consumers are re-discovering (or discovering for the first time) that listening to a vinyl record is completely different than listening to a CD or a downloaded song. The quality of sound is clearly better with richer tones since a vinyl record plays exactly how an artist recorded the song with no loss of translation to a digital format. There is also an entire experience of listening to a record which is missing from CDs and MP3’s. Selecting the record, taking it out of the sleeve, putting it on the turntable, looking over the jacket and liner notes; these actions combine to create an actual ‘experience’ of listening. Listening to a record is in and of itself, the activity. Listening to an MP3 is generally done while doing something else and is more often than not, a background activity,” said Manish.

“The second reason for the resurgence in vinyl records is that artists and labels are once again embracing the format. Artists love the sound of vinyl and feel it’s a truer representation of their music. Labels are realizing that although the raw sales of vinyl are low compared to CDs, the margins are much higher and are paying attention to this new revenue source in the face of decreasing CD sales and increasing digital downloads.”

“The combination of consumer interest and interest from the labels is what is fueling this growth. One couldn’t exist without the other and we feel that this trend will continue for years. Vinyl will never overtake CD sales but there will continue to be a core group of consumers interested in this format,” continued Manish.

“One thing that the music industry must take into consideration though is that vinyl will only grow and expand if the quality is there. If a buyer’s first experience with vinyl is a negative one, they will not be coming back to the format. There are a lot of poorly pressed records out there that do not enrich the listening experience. If this is what buyers come to expect, they will stop buying vinyl and go back to buying CDs or sharing files.”

Is the PVC made in America and then shipped to the pressing plants?

“Each plant that Furnace has a formed an exclusive partnership with source their own PVC. They are the experts in understanding which products work best with their pressing machines and which products produce the best sounds,” explained Manish. “Both Pallas (Germany) and Record Industry (The Netherlands) have their own PVC formula that is made specifically for their plant.”

“All vinyl is pressed in Europe and then shipped on pallets via airplane to our facility in northern Virginia (just outside Washington DC) where we assemble the final product and finish for retail distribution. Vinyl is usually from the plant to our dock in less than 24 hours which preserves the quality of the product and allows us to offer industry leading lead times.”

What are the costs associated with releasing a vinyl record?

“There are various costs associated with vinyl records. Some of these are mastering/cutting, test pressings, actual vinyl production, jacket & insert printing, assembly costs, and final finishing costs,” said Eric. “The costs varies greatly depending on the weight of the record (120 g, 140g, or 180g), the turnaround time desired (either 4 weeks or 8 weeks), and the complexity of the assembly and finishing.

You tell me the vinyl is pressed in different countries; can you elaborate, why ship the work overseas?

“As we entered the business of vinyl manufacturing, we knew that there was really only one plant in the US that has the quality that the audiophile market craves,” explained Eric. “There are other domestic options but the quality produced in these plants was less than we were willing to put our name on. We signed exclusive relationships with two of Europe’s best vinyl plants (Pallas Group, and Record Industry). These plants have a long tradition in the vinyl business and the craftsmanship of their employees is amazing. To give you an example, the mother plate inspector at Pallas worked as an apprentice for 10 years before taking over that job. At Record Industry, they have produced some of the world’s best selling releases on vinyl including “Dark Side of the Moon” and various Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam and Beatles titles. Record Industry’s main cutting engineer has cut all of the aforementioned records during his 33 year career with a variety of labels and plants. We are confident that any record produced by our partners will be of very high quality and consistency – because that’s what our customers and record buyers demand.”

What is the difference between ‘regular’ vinyl and the ‘audiophile’ releases that are becoming more popular these days?

“It’s all about the sound quality. If you take two plants and give them lacquers cut from the finest cutting studio in the world and ask them to press up some records – you will often times get two completely different products. The PVC material used, the galvanics process and the pressing formulas at our two facilities are the secret weapon to creating some of the best records in the world. If a plant does not put the care and expense into creating superior metal parts, you will hear it in the vinyl. If a plant treats each record the same and doesn’t factor in the cut and the other 9,000 things you need to consider when pressing vinyl records, you can have problems there as well. You will get non-fill, poor tracking, etc when inexperienced people are running the equipment. Both of our plants have been around for decades and the experience on the floor is not something you can buy or learn overnight,” explained Manish.

“Most of the records that are marketed as Audiophile releases are pressed on heavyweight vinyl. 180 g records, for example, are less prone to warp or dish. When pressed correctly, you will get a superior and long lasting product from a heavyweight record.”

Tell me about the picture discs manufacturing process.

“These are really old-school in that they are all made on hand presses, unlike our regular vinyl products that are pressed on automatic presses. The actual playable surface is a laminate similar to the flexi records of yesteryear. These make for great collector items that sell well as novelties. Although they are great for business, they are extremely inefficient and difficult to make and the sound quality leaves much to be desired,” said Eric.

What attracts you to records?

“We are consumers of records much like all other consumers. For us, records enable us to connect with the music in ways that CDs and digital music just won’t allow. We all have MP3 players and love them for the storage capacity and flexibility but there are times when putting on a record is an unbeatable experience. Also, some records I have owned for 25 years plus and I remember the money I saved to buy them, the smell of the record when I opened it and the store I bought it from. Each time I put on one of those records it brings me back to a place and time of my life – most of the time it’s a positive memory.”

Discuss the clear vinyl vs. black vinyl debate, does it matter?

Eric explains: “There is a debate in the audiophile market on whether the carbon in black vinyl creates a magnetic resonance that can be heard in playback. Some labels have gone so far as to start pressing their releases on clear vinyl to sidestep this perceived issue. We have talked to many in the industry about this and feel that with anything audiophile, this is up to each person’s personal experience. From a pressing plant’s perspective, we know for a fact that the sound quality and consistency of pressing with black PVC is night and day difference over any colored vinyl including clear. Considering there is equipment that will help you rid yourself of such carbon created audio atrocities, we feel black vinyl will always be the best choice for the audiophile client.”

What is the best way to clean records, what do you use?

“There are many different ways to clean records from simple soap and water to super expensive cleaning machines and formulas,” said Naik. “At the end of the day, the important thing is to take care of your records, not store them in fluctuating temperatures and handle them with care. Simple things can make records last a lifetime! Internally, we use a VPI cleaning machine because we clean a lot of records, it does a great job and it’s FAST. If you can afford one, they are a huge convenience and do a fantastic job. For normal cleaning we just use a static free brush to get all of the dust off the surface prior to play. That one two combo works really well.”

Do you or can you do the cover art ‘in house’?

“Most of our major label clients (i.e. Warner, Universal) have art directors in house who will prepare all the artwork files and send us the final, print ready files. But for the thousands of other clients we have serviced over the last 13 years, we have a full, in-house creative and production design staff who create unique designs for anyone who asks. Our rates are competitive and we have worked within the entertainment industry for a long time so we’re known for our creative side as much as our mechanics.”

Tell us about some of your clients.

“We have a wide variety of clients from major music labels like Warner Music and Universal to independent labels as well. We also work with licensed reissue labels that focus on high quality vinyl such as Mobile Fidelity, Acoustic Sounds and Original Recordings Group. These guys produce ultra high quality records and packaging that are amongst the leaders in the field – going as far as flying out the original tapes to the cutting studio or going through 3 and 4 sets of lacquers until they have the perfect cut.”

“We also work with a wealth of independent labels and bands. This is where we are put to the test. Everyone is looking to do something different and unique and everyone is on a budget. We have enough experience to work with people to collect their wants and desires, talk budget and then match them up with a package that most closely meets their needs. Since most of our customers are either new to vinyl or new to getting back to vinyl, we act as a consultant sometimes as much as we do a pressing plant.”

Where do you see the record industry in 5 years, is this just a fad or will vinyl continue to be in demand?

“We expect the record industry to continue its growth for the next few years eventually flattening out in about 5 years,” explained Eric. “We do not think the resurgence in vinyl is a fad but rather a new/old format that more and more people will continue to discover. As long as labels are willing to put out a high quality record for their bands, fans will be there to buy them. Vinyl never died. The customer never rejected the format. The labels, seeing higher profit margins, inflated MSRPs for the Compact Disc and shoved vinyl aside and told record stores to make way for CDs and liquidate their vinyl. Indie stores and mail-order houses/websites always sold vinyl and they always will. Let’s hope the labels and bands keep running with it and keep the customer base happy.”

Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He runs CollectingVinylRecords.com, where you can pick up a copy of his ebook, “The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting.”

The American jazz pianist Bill Evans is widely considered among the most influential in jazz history. Although he died in 1980, his recordings continue to inspire new generations of musicians.

Bill Evans has always been my favorite jazz musician. Despite the fact that I play guitar, there has always been something about Bill Evans the man and the artist that fascinates me. His harmonic sense was legendary. His ability to swing – unparalleled. But the depth of this jazz artist and how he thought was, to me, his most distinguishing and valuable attribute.

Here are some of my favorite Bill Evans quotes. I find them realistic and inspiring. They have been a source of comfort to me throughout the development of my career.

“In the long run, we must consider that what we do is an art.”

“I hope, through my music, to contribute to creating a better world.”

“Everybody talks about my harmonic conception. I worked very hard at that because I don’t have very good ears.”

“Now in retrospect, I think it was a good thing I didn’t have a great aptitude for mimicry though it made it very difficult for me at the time because I had to work very hard to take things apart. I had to build my whole music style. I’d abstract principles from people I dug, and I’d take their feeling or technique to apply to things the way I’d built them. But because I had to build them so meticulously, I think, worked out better in the end, because it gave me a complete understanding of everything I was doing.” 

“I think some young people want a deeper experience. Some people just wanna be hit over the head and, you know, if then they [get] hit hard enough maybe they’ll feel something. You know? But some people want to get inside of something and discover, maybe, more richness. And I think it will always be the same; they’re not going to be the great percentage of the people. A great percentage of the people don’t want a challenge. They want something to be done to them — they don’t want to participate. But there’ll always be maybe 15% maybe, 15%, that desire something more, and they’ll search it out — and maybe that’s where art is, I think.”

“To the person who uses music as a medium for the expression of ideas, feelings, images, or what have you; anything which facilitates this expression is properly his instrument.”

“Perhaps it is a peculiarity of mine that despite the fact that I am a professional performer, it is true that I have always preferred playing without an audience.”

“My creed for art in general is that it should enrich the soul; it should teach spirituality by showing a person a portion of himself that he would not discover otherwise…a part of yourself you never knew existed.”

“I believe in things that are developed through hard work. I always like people who have developed long and hard, especially through introspection and a lot of dedication. I think what they arrive at is usually a much deeper and more beautiful thing than the person who seems to have that ability and fluidity from the beginning. I say this because it’s a good message to give to young talents who feel as I used to.”

Visit Chuck Anderson’s website to join his mailing list and learn about upcoming concerts. Buy his CDs and educational materials. And of course, become a Facebook fan!