Author: Teaj

In the big hair days of L.A. in the eighties, I was sporting said ‘big look’ and fronting my band at the time, “Reason Y”, and livin’ the dream.

The keyboardist, Kenny, and I wrote the tunes, and we were influenced by many various groups, but one that we dug quite high above most was Genesis. “Trick of the Tail” was especially a favorite, and I recall quite a few songs that we worked on that had that certain prog-rock, British tinge to ’em.

I wasn’t so aware of it at the time, since I hadn’t taken up drumming yet, but now that I look back on it clearly one of the reasons we were so drawn in by that band was its drummer – Phil Collins. The finesse, artistry and command of morphing grooves and time signatures was so tightly woven by his deft hands, it’s hard to imagine the group being at all the same without him.

Cut to this past year, 2017, when after decades of successful work in Genesis and as a solo artist, Phil released his autobiography, “Not Dead Yet”. I recognized the not-too-sublte nudge-nudge, wink-wink to Monty Python immediately, and knew I had to have that book. And thanks to my family’s giving Christmas spirit… I got it!

Behind the Lines

Every life is a library, I tell my kids, full of tales of wonder, mystery, loss, victories, creation and destruction. The only way we can know the stories is if they are either shared with us, or we live out a part of them.

Since most of us rarely get a sneak peek ‘behind the lines’ written by famous esteemed people, except through their books, magazine articles or on-camera interviews, all three are excellent ways to learn from their successes, and mistakes, and hopefully improve our own little corner of the stage as a result.

Who knows? Maybe they’ll be clamoring for our tell-all one day? 😉

In The EAR Tonight

Protect your hearing. I’ve said that countless times to my son, who took up drums so early he was not yet out of diapers. Thankfully, from that very first time at the skins, he was wearing drum cans, and I’ve never let him do otherwise. And, yes, I model doing the same.

Phil finally, very late, joined in on the ‘in-ear monitors’ game. Now he swears by ’em, but for years he continued with the old way: playing drums with no ear protection AND have a monitor screaming LOUDLY his bandmate’s parts so they could lock together. I’ve done it too. I’ve also heard sound engineers complain time and again about the musician monitors on stage being so loud they can almost turn the F.O.H. speakers off and not lose anything!

That’s some serious dB levels, people. And that… is terrible on the ears.

If you haven’t switched yet, definitely do so. You’ll thank me later, tho’ I’m sure Phil would be quick to point out that it’s also crucial to have someone engineering the monitor volumes that you can trust. He had a single burst of loud, piercing volume once by a green rookie that he still thinks has something to do with his one ear being 50% deaf now. Doctors disagree. He doesn’t believe ’em, and I know why.

That HURT!

“No” Reply At All

Learn to say “No”. A lesson we must all learn in life. For some, though, it comes late, and at a painful cost.

As Phil describes in his book the offers that were presented to him, I can totally understand why he didn’t say ‘no’. Imagine your musical heroes all lining up to want to work with you. Why, it’s like your greatest fantasies come to life! And when you know that the amount of wealth you’ll accrue for you family by taking on these prestigious responsibilities will be, um, … well, quite vast, then it would be hard indeed to turn down such overtures.

But what Phil gives us is a rare insight into the worth of accomplishments and successes when viewed in the cold pallor of regret. It wasn’t worth it. To miss the important stepping-stone moments in your kids’ lives… because of an itinerary so full that it just leaves no wiggle room at all for loved ones? Not worth the eventual cost. It wasn’t that any one of his obligations was so wrong; more that he just chucked balance out the window because he didn’t say ‘no’ to perfectly reasonable and desirable things that were handed to him on a silver platter.

Kind of reminds me of Mr. Creosote in “The Life of Brian”. Just that ooooooone last, little “wafer-thin mint”… caused a whole lotta damage. And no pail is gonna pick up all those pieces!

Living Forever

Phil sang on the “We Can’t Dance” album: “I’m trying hard / to do it all / so I can remain / healthy and sane / I’ll live forever…”

Unfortunately, in order to eke the most we can out of this incredible life we’re given, we need to be vigilant about guarding it from the effects of over-exertion and simple time. Phil took after his dad, he says, in that if something appeared to be wrong with his health, but wasn’t that bad, he’d just ignore it… It’s bound to just go away eventually.

But sometimes that eventuality does not coalesce.

On his last Genesis tour, in 2007, Phil suddenly found he could not hold his drumsticks. Something was wrong. Ignoring it didn’t help. He finally was forced to go in for treatment.

What they discovered was that his 50+ years of drumming had taken a high toll on his body, and at the moment it was most severely being manifest because around the upper spine vertebrae, the calcium had been basically demolished and the bones were severely worn away. The prognosis: immediate surgery or soon he’d be dealing with paralysis in a wheelchair.

The younger we are, the more impervious we feel to pain, decline, injury, deterioration. I know a 20-something friend of our daughters who, for example, just ran a FULL marathon… without training for it… for the first time.

Um… I like to run. And I want to continue to run. No matter how old I get. But this one thing I know… unless you want your body to revolt, you’ve gotta train correctly for such taxing endeavors in order to keep things strong for later years.

So the reminder to us is clear: check your health. Every year. Make “A Visit to the Doctor” an annual event. Because just ‘cuz we don’t see it doesn’t mean there’s not a “Lurker” in the bodies we are so demanding of. We ignore what’s going on inside to our own peril.

ABACAB

That the Genesis song “Abacab” ever became a successful single on the radio is still an astounding bit of luck to me. The song’s not bad, mind you; it’s another stellar piece of push-the-boundaries artistry by the band. The reason I still shake my head in disbelief is because 1) the song clocks in at 6:57 minutes total (very un-radio friendly!), and 2) the chorus has absolutely no meaning to most people who aren’t songwriters!

Do you know what ABACAB refers to? It’s the song arrangement; the form of the song, broken down into the constituent parts and laid out in the order they perform them in. “A” is the verse. “B” is the chorus. “C” is chorus 2. When you’re trying to figure out which order works best you can just write these letters as shorthand to try.

One thing was clear early on regarding Phil and the band: they worked hard at what they created and studied hard to not only perform well, but keep improving. Fleshing out the order of the song they were writing is just one example. Here’s another: almost every night or day after a concert, Phil would listen to at least some of the concert recordings taken at the sound board. Year after year, tour after tour, even at the height of their success around the Invisible Touch album, Phil was still studying and committed to improving his craft, and the skill and understanding of those around him.

Now, I’ve known a lot of musicians in my career. I can count on one hand (two, if I stretch it) the people who, to my knowledge, ever did this more than a couple times. Most of the time, once you’ve kicked off the tour and have a few venues under your belt, it’s time to glide, baby – just let it ride… go out do the show and collect the cash, then move on to the next jackpot, OH, I mean, concert.

Yet another reason why I’ve respected Phil’s career all these years, tho’ I only learned through his book the lengths he went to make sure he delivered the goods consistently. Every time.

Bottom line: ya wanna be good?

Work for it. And study it. Hard.

Counting Out Time

Quality time is a myth. What’s needed in relationships, especially those with kids, is simply time. Any time. Time doing absolutely nothing – sometimes those are the best times of all! If there’s one thing Phil teaches us, by drawing back the curtain on some of his regrets, it’s that if we spend a large quantity of time away from those we love and are committed to, that decision will definitely turn around and bite us in the butt… big-time. And like Tim the Enchanter said, it’s got “… nasty, big, pointy teeth!!”

More than any other regret, time not spent with his kids weighs heavy on his mind. If you were around for the 80s at all, you know that you couldn’t escape Phil – he was everywhere: films, bands, albums, soundtracks, cameos, concerts… LIVE AID, for heaven’s sake! And, of course, his songs were ongoingly the backing music for people’s lives around the world; to some degree, they still are today.

But all that accomplishment took time – lots of time. And, unfortunately, we only have 24 hours in our days. A guy’s gotta sleep sometime, even if it’s just for a few hours. Add to that the geographical challenge of his kids for some years living thousands of miles away from him with their mother in another country and you can see why it’s a period of time lost that he wishes he could regain.

In the end, we all must be very deliberate about the time we set aside, daily if at all possible, for our loved ones. This means not saying ‘yes’ to things that might challenge our family goals. Or let’s put it in more succinct terms…

Dance on a Volcano

One of his career’s worst nightmares that he’ll probably never shake was due to heat. Extreme heat. And the responsibility of his supersonic speedy race to play live in both Europe and America, the same day, for the Live Aid telecasts. He was facing a whirlwind tour day in all senses of the word except one: when he was onstage for the European concert set, there was definitely no wind. Of any kind. And that… was the problem.

It was a white, hot day. Blisteringly hot, as Phil puts it. He had already had to play a set backing Sting on drums and vocals, so he was already feeling the burn. There were no fans on stage. Zilch, Null. Nada. And everybody was sweating. Phil couldn’t help but join in the pool, not cool, party.

Problem was, he then had to do a short set himself, just him and a piano. His temp was up, he was trying to not looked soaked, since they were all baking, and his hands were also sweaty to the point of it being ridiculous.

Which is why he hit a clanger note in the middle of “Against All Odds” that soon became the ‘clam heard ’round the world’.

Not a great way to start a veeeeeeeery loooooooong day.

But soon enough he was rushed off so he could get to the airport in time to be flown over the Atlantic to the American concert in a Concorde jet.

And then more interesting madness ensued, having to do with Led Zeppelin. But I’ll let you read the book to discover that little treat.

So, my friends, no matter what genre of music you play; no matter how high or low on the music career ladder you have climbed; no matter what instrument you have to play with exceptional skill at any moment… if you’re too sweaty – FIND A FAN!! lol

One More Night

This one’s a simple, yet all to common trap: if you’re married, don’t allow yourself to be alone with an old flame you really loved years ago.

‘Nuff said.

That’s All

What a great read! Many thanks to Mr. Collins for really rather candid (British understatement, that) and letting us understand what went into so many things that we only heard about in a cursory (and many times WRONG) delivery, through a fan mag, or newspaper, or a VH1 video.

Regardless of scuttlebutt, Phil, your legacy will be timeless meaningful songs and, yes, being a family man too, despite shortcomings and challenges. Your heart is evident in your lyrics. Keep up the classic work, please!

If you’ve never read a musician’s autobiography, I heartily entreat you to do so. I’ve ingested about 20 to 30 now and I’ve learned so much from each one. Especially concerning what NOT to do. In fact, you’ll be hearing more from chapters in those other books about other musicians’ lives in the future too. But Phil’s “Not Dead Yet” is, without question, a great way to start!

Agree? Disagree? Got insights to add? Lemme know if the comments. As always, thanks for putting down your music gear long enough to drop by the site. Always a pleasure to have you.

Now, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

Happy New Year, everyone!! Here in the first days of 2018 I’m rarin’ to go, ready to dish out to you all some hot, fresh music gear content to rock your world! New days; new months; new opportunities for all-surrounding G.A.S. Whoot!! Let’s jump into the bangin’ fray!

David Lee Roth wrote in the lyric to the song “The Trouble With Never”, the following enticing query:

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?!”

Immediately, I said, “Now that is a killer question. That is a question we should all ask at least once a year.”

And what better time than now: New Years Day!

(Hit the U2 track NOW)   lol

Here are some methods, tools, tricks and off-the-beaten-path approaches I’ve taken, and will take again, that always shake up my songwriting and production.

How Do You Play That Thing??

Most of us that play instruments have certain styles, riffs and approaches that we use whenever we pick it up. The methods that come naturally to us; the ways we’ve played for years, if not decades.

But what if we didn’t just go for what comes natural? What if we tried playing our instrument in a way we never have?! Would this introduce a fresh bolt of espresso into our musical flavor?? You betcha it would!!

Here’s an example: Most of the time when I compose at the piano I tend to use triads or 4-note clusters in my right hand. I am very chord conscious when writing or playing, mostly due to studying Elton John, McCartney and Billy Joel so much.

But this past year I had to learn a piece by master composer Jimmy Webb – one of my favorite songs of his called “If These Walls Could Speak”. His piano part on that song is more different than any other piece I’ve ever played. He doesn’t play so much in chords, but more in a constantly revolving, complimentary duet of right-hand against left-hand melodies.

It was one of the hardest pieces I’ve ever learned, but finally nailing and performing it really taught me a new way to approach the keyboard when I compose. Totally worth the effort, the time, the focus.

So how can you do that on your instrument? Here’s some

• Strum if you usually pick.
• Record with a synth patch that you always thought you’d never use. Find a way to make it good.
• Play electric guitar with only your fingers, no pick.
• Put down your drumsticks and use only brushes on a song.
• Go fretless instead of using your regular bass. Yea, I know it’s harder.  lol
• Record a vocal track but sing like one of your favorite artists that sounds very different from you.
• Put a mute in your horn for a track
• Play a related instrument. Ex: instead of drums, play a djembe, cajon or Udu drum.
• Double or triple track your instrument if usually you’d only record it once.
• Record a pizzicato track instead of bowing on your violin, viola, cello or bass.
• Go early Peter Gabriel and lay down a drum track with no cymbals!
• Play a part on one instrument like you would play it on a different instrument! For example: construct an acoustic guitar melody while thinking of composing an alto sax line.

Okay, so… you get the idea. There’s lots of way to shake things up a bit, and I’m sure you can find more than these. Get at it and let me know how it goes!

How Does That Work, Again??

Now let’s put the same method to work with our studio hardware and software. We all know that there are certain ways we dial things up usually, because we know they work and don’t waste the client’s time.

Well, it’s time WE took the time to give ourselves a moment to just play. PLAY. Play around with all that awesome gear and find something new. Create a different way. Song hit history is full of these gear-driven breakthroughs – why can’t you do one of them?!

Here’s some wierd ways to get started:

• Put a gate on some track you normally wouldn’t. Phil Collins did it and transformed the industry in the 80’s.
• Use (or buy if you don’t have one) a looper pedal and figure out one song to do totally alone.
• When was the last time you put a tremolo on something? Do it, and make it complement the song.
• Run an instrument through an amp that normally shouldn’t go through an amp.
• Put a guitar effect on a vocal track.
• Try the AutoTune synth effect on something different. Cher won’t mind!  😉
• Run several effects on a track in serial fashion and see what happens.
• Put mics where you never have before. Try to fit the new angled sound in a mix.
• Run a track through headphones, mic it, and put THAT on a separate track.
• Sample a sound you’ve never used & put it in a song. More points if it’s a totally random noise.
• Introduce a new piece of software or hardware that you’ve never used. I just bought and loaded “Iris 2” by Izotope, for example, and am having a BLAST! Review coming soon!
• Get really wild and use a phone app, like Skrot, to add bizarre textures!

There ya go; enough to get started. Basically, just go into a private session this week saying, “I’m going to record in ways I never have and discover something new and brilliant.” If you do, you will!

“It Was a Dark and Stormy Night….!”

If you are a writer of lyrics for your recordings, challenge yourself in this new year to write just one story song.

Most songwriters of the last three decades have all but abandoned the story-telling technique of writing. I’m deliberately trying to bring it back this year. There are a few bastions of this tradition still out there, but not many. I want to see it proliferate again.

If you try this, you’ll want to keep it up. Not because it’s easy, mind you; it’s not. But the pay-offs are so uplifting and unforgettable. It’s like you wrote a movie, not just a song. In fact, many of the top story songs of our time have been turned into movies, simply because the narrative was too good for Hollywood to pass up!

Here’s my own personal list of story-song favorites. If I could have written any of these I would be very proud of my work. Have you heard these masterstrokes?:

• “Ode to Billy Joe” by Bobby Gentry
• “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Cryin‘” by Sting
• “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot
• “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan
• “Cat’s In the Cradle” by Harry Chapin
• “The Highwayman” by Loreena McKennitt
• “The Leader of the Band” by Dan Fogelberg
• “Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley
• “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles
• “Kawliga” by Hank Williams
• “Space Oddity” by David Bowie
• “Hazard” by Richard Marx
• “Angie Baby” by Alan O’Day/Helen Reddy
• “El Paso” by Marty Robbins

You’ll notice there’s a plethora of country songs within this list. The reason is that Country Music has always had a great affinity for the story song and, even to this day, country songwriters still strive for that emotionally explosive story song that will make them a lyric legend.

Who knows… could the next one be by you?!

Who’s That New Voice in the Mix?

No matter what, or how, we practice by ourselves, we all know that WHO we play with makes a big difference on the final product. Do you want to develop a new sound? Or discover new musical playgrounds? Then throw a new human being in the mix!

Invite a musician friend over to your studio that’ you never have, then pick up your instruments and see what happens. I can guarantee you it won’t be like anything you’ve done thus far. And THAT… is what makes it cool for both of you.

As proof, I have dozens of songs that I’ve written with other people, as well as dozens of recordings of me playing or just jamming with other people. On every single one I play differently than I would if left alone in my studio. Each person brings out something unique, and the collaboration, when captured, is elusive gold.

If you’ve worked with others before, invite over someone new for this new year. If you’ve never recorded or jammed or written with anyone else… um… why the heck NOT??

Give it a try. Not only will you probably not regret it, you’ll more than likely want to do it again. And again. And again…

Hey… That’s Different!

If you are a player, not a writer, you still can up the creative ante this year. Try this: take a great song that you’ve always appreciated and respect, and dare yourself to come up with a new, modern cover that reflects your own personal take on it.

The coolest way I’ve ever heard this done was when Peter Gabriel recorded a cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boy in the Bubble“. In a word: IN – CRED – I – BLE!!!!

Do yourself this favor: go listen to Simon’s original on his “Graceland” album. Paul wrote a doozy here; truly stellar and unforgettable. He’s always been a writer of songs you wish you could write and this is no exception.

When it’s down, immediately go to Gabriel’s “Scratch My Back” album and listen to his version of the same song.

If that doesn’t inspire you to give this technique a try, I don’t think anything will. What a moving, impactful, transcendent compliment to Paul’s original. When I hear these kinds of thoughtful quid pro quos that took such investment and care, I remember why I got into music in the first place. This is inspiration, people. This is where life pours into art… and art pours into life.

So go on – pour a little creative sugar on us. We’re all waitin’ anxiously!

The Beauty of the Blank Slate

No matter what last year was to you – good, bad, slow, swift, magic or meh – you have an open door before you and the chance to write this chapter with the ink and pen of your own strengths, beliefs and aspirations. Let’s go forth together and conquer some new heights, not just the same ol’ foothills we’ve been in for a while. I’m climbin’ with ya!

Try ‘these ideas for yourself, and let me know how they work for you. Share in the Comments section your great ideas, and let’s raise up flags of inspiration for all the Internet to see. I’ll be reading, and listening.

Now, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

So, Christmas and New Years Eve 2017 are now left in a crazy haze behind us. Hope yours was great! Hope your music G.A.S. was passed with brightly wrapped presents that gave you the “Ahhhh…!” of sweet Gear Acquisition Syndrome relief!

Ahead of us now is a great big open sky to fly into: live gigs; studio sessions; videos; podcasts; quiet moments of composing alone; louder moments of writing with others. The singing sky’s the limit.

But before we wander wildly into the thicket of of what 2018 may bring…

… what about 2017?

The Year’s Transformative Tunes!

All around us, music continues to be a force that shapes our thoughts, emotions, friendships… even our culture. Many acclaimed musicians used cutting-edge gear, well-honed songs and informed market savvy to bolster their presence in our lives. Let’s take a look:

Ed Sheeran was, as you probably noticed, everywhere. Not surprising since his new album this year, “Divide“, went to number one both in England and the U.S. He was Spotify’s top streamed artist, at over 6.3 billion (yes, that’s a “B”) streams, and finished strong by having the most popular album in the U.S. He set a record too: he’s the first artist to have two songs  debut in the top ten in the same week! Ed teaches us a lot about how to use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram effectively. If you wanna know how to do it as an artist, follow him and take notes.

Kendrick Lamar appears to have the largest overall total market activity though, with his latest rap record, “Damn“. It also took 2nd place in the list of best-selling albums of 2017. Total market activity takes into account sales, streams and all manner of music listening methods. He even did a collaboration with U2, which we’ll laud in a minute, on a good track that stays with you. Looks like Kendrick is in it for the long haul, y’all.

Coming in at number three in popularity, Taylor Swift nonetheless turned airing relationship laundry into gold again with her new “Reputation” album that scored the number one, top-selling album of the year. The category of ‘album sales’ does not take into consideration the streaming of songs, which Ed Sheeran clearly dominated. That means Taylor’s loyal fans want to actually BUY her stuff, not just watch it flow past. I know the feeling; I still support my favorite musicians by buying their material.

I learned to appreciate her talent due to our daughter Emily’s excessive consumption of all things Taylor when she was a teenager (the “Love Story” days). I still respect her for writing or co-writing all her songs, even if the lyric content is not exactly something I relate to at the moment.  😉

Rihanna was the top-streamed female artist, for the third year in a row. Wow – that woman knows how to build a music career! Social media; radio; television; music videos; live performances – she got the touch and she touches everywhere!

U2‘s new album “Songs of Experience” finally arrived, went to number one, and subsequently snagged a brand new Billboard record – U2 is now the only group in music history to have a number one album four decades in a row. And I had just read some critic saying how they were a thing of the past. HA!

(This is why I’ll always side with the artist over the critic. I mean, at least the artist is actually creating something!)

My favorite tune on the album is “You’re The Best Thing About Me”. If they don’t release that as a single they need a new manager.  lol

Toys That Keeps Us Up at Night!

As long as we live, there will probably never be a shortage of music gear to taunt us musicians. From the shop windows the latest, greatest electronic or musical wonder purrs, “Ohhhhh… but if you only had MEEeeee…!”

Heck, I get G.A.S. just thinking of walking into Guitar Center, let alone being there!

Here are some items that made really big splashes during 2017. Perhaps you bought ’em too?:

1. The Universal Audio Apollo Twin MkII: This thing is such the bomb. And yes, I want one… NOWWWW!! This hybrid hardware/software gift of the audio gods is so well-designed and full of truly transformative power, I can’t imagine anyone getting this, investing time to gain skill in what it offers, and not coming to the same conclusion. Take a look at the best review I’ve read about it HERE.
2. The Aston Spirit Microphone: Love, love, love this mic. Can’t say enough about it. Click HERE for my full review on it from this past year. For the latest song I just recorded I used only this mic for vocals and the results were the bomb! For lowest price information go to  THIS PAGE.
3. The Yamaha MX88 Keyboard: According to my man David at Guitar Center, this has been selling gang-buster with those keyboardists who want all the great Motif sounds in one package, and prefer the piano feel of weighted action keys. As a Motif owner myself, I’m sorely tempted! Check out the review on HERE.
4. Samson SR850 Headphones: I reviewed these last year in THIS article. Outstanding quality for a crazy low price – $32.80! They’re now my go-to cans for either listening to music or tracking a vocal at a mic. Probably the most comfortable when I’m in a long session too. Buy ’em like I did HERE.
5. The Gibson Les Paul Faded Guitar: We’re now able to get a true Les Paul guitar for under $800??? What??!! Never thought I’d see the day, but… here we are. If you’ve always wanted one, and you don’t mind the look of it being different than the typical Les Pauls you’ve seen, you must take a serious look at this aggressive, little beast HERE!
6. The Warm Audio “Tone Beast” Mic Pre: The versatility of this preamp is amazing. It’s not often you can get so many different colors out of one front-end sound unit. I also did quite a thorough review, complete with recordings, HERE. Truly one of my favorite pieces of gear from 2017. Not only is it’s sound stellar… it looks cooler than any of my other pieces of outboard gear too. May it stay in my studio forever! Buy it HERE and join me in singing its praises.

Stats for Another Musical Year!

Could our attention span as Earth’s dominating sentient species be on the wane? The average song length of top t10 entries in 2017 shrunk by seven seconds; the average length was 3:42, compared to 2016’s 3:49. A song called “Gucci Gang” was also the shortest tune to reach the top ten in forty-two years! A.D.D. much?

Musicians all across the world are now also having to consider the security of their shows more than ever. The explosives at Manchester Arena; the shooting at the Route 81 Harvest Festival; the still-remembered Le Bataclan shooting of 2015… it’s no longer a guarantee that a concert by your favorite artist, or you, is going to end all smiles, laughter and new t-shirt.

Because the reach of the world’s violent, radical fringe has extended even into our peaceful world of art and sound, the cost of security for major concerts and venues has increased by as much as 20 percent. Guess whose profits that eats into? Another way our career path is more uphill than ever.

Something called “Slow Ticketing” has arrived this year. It is being championed by Taylor Swift and it’s basically a way to keep bots from buying up all the live concert tickets before you can get a chance to buy one. Usually it means signing up with TicketMaster in advance of tickets going on sale so they can prove you’re a “Verified Fan”.

Not every music act is using it, but if we as fans choose to support the artists applying this method, perhaps we can get back to where each concert at least has some tickets at a price point that working-class fans can afford. Keep your ears open for this opportunity.

Finally, the stats show that music streaming became the number one way we listen to music now. It’s up almost 60% from 2016. Spotify pretty much owns the streaming world, mostly due to its being multi-platform: whether you’ve got an Apple phone or an Android, Spotify will work for you.

Music ownership continued to go the way of the dinosaur, with overall album and single sales declining again as they have for years now. Album sales dropped by 17.7%. Digital sale downloads declined a whopping 19.6% in 2017. Obviously, this streaming thing is taking its toll on the music industry.

CD sales overtook vinyl record sales in 1988 with the Dire Straights “Brothers In Arms” album, and had a good long run, but in 2014 digital album and single sales finally knocked it off its shiny, round throne. In 2017, CD sales continued their downward trend, dropping by 20% under 2015.

Overall, physical album sales (vinyl, cassettes, CDs) dropped by 16.5%.

Interestingly, well over half of those turning to Spotify for their music consumption use playlists as their go-to method. In the long run, this is a win-win for artists and audiences, as a no-name artist could, with the right song, move up the ranks into stardom in a relatively short time thanks to this all-inclusive method. Witness the rise of Cardi B and her “Bodak Yellow” as the latest, greatest example.

Another interesting musical tidbit about 2017: it was the first year that the R&B/HipHop category led the music industry with the largest share of music consumption overall for the year. Not bad, groove and rap-meisters! The Rock genre came in second, proving that the stone keeps rolling strong decades after its explosive birth.

Oh, and for you ol’ wax lovers, vinyl purchases actually went up this year, again. By 9 percent! Heh… who’dda thunk? The genre most purchased in vinyl? You can probably guess: Rock.

Any of those numbers surprise you? What you expected? Do they make you smile? Grimace? Want to make a tuna sandwich??

Regardless of what tanks or floats in our industry, keep your dreams alive and keep your nose to the DAW-stone.Wisely-directed efforts will pay off, and wisely-invested G.A.S. will help you get there!

The Forward-Thinking of Looking Back

At the end of each year it’s in our best interest to turn around, spotlight the awards that we earned, gather up any pieces that broke, and settle into considering… what made all the difference? As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” If it’s true then, it’s true in 2017. So, if you’re ready… let’s shine the spotlight on your perceptive past:

• How was 2017 for you?
• Do you feel it propelled you forward or dragged you back?
• Is it a year you look back on with fondness, or chagrin and regret?
• What were the failures you can learn from? What were the victories to celebrate?
• Was it us? Was it fate? Right place, right time? Wrong place, wrong time? An absurd, unexpected amalgamation of both?
•  Were results tied to your performance? Or were they delivered like Christmas presents from Amazon right to your door, whether you even ordered them or not??
• What did you do that strengthened your success trajectory? What harmed it?
• Which investments paid off the most and why? Which should you not spend money on again?
• What proved to be the best use of your time? What actions now look like time and resources wasted?
• If you could re-do one thing for 2017, what would it be and why?

Fears and failures. Grand slams and gains. Two sides of the same coin. All facets of what it means to live… human.

Remember these facets well – they will help guide you through 2018.

Sing Forth, You Ripples!

Just as our habits have a tendency to define us, so the decisions we make each year about our careers can either increase the odds of us making a splash in the big music pool, or further decline our efforts.

The big question of the year is… what ripples are you sending out?

We don’t always have clarity looking back; sometimes we find a long line of abstruse echoes, like Rey in the latest Star Wars movie – places where we’re unsure exactly how it all fits. Was that action/result/investment really wise in the grand scheme of our goals and dreams? Sometimes it’s hard to say. But more than likely we’ll glean some nugget of advice that the past you is dying to tell the current you. So listen to your ancient doppel-ganger; they know what they’re talkin’ about.

You probably also had at least one awesome discovery, new skill acquired, or a clear, perspicuous link that improved you to today. That counts for something; learn from it as well.

A Year of Gratitude

For me, 2017 was the debut year of “Serious G.A.S.”, my website you’re currently visiting. Welcome! This little eddy off the music pool is all about musicians and our love for the gear and instruments that help us do what we do: make music that transforms.

SeriousGAS has risen through the Google ranks in record time and has surpassed my expectations, so thank you. Thanks for tuning in. Without you, my own ripples would dissipate into glassy silence.

In 2018 I shall continue to bring you tips, tricks, insights, laughs and reviews about the machinery that is so intertwined with our artistic expressions. I have many new and hilarious surprises planned, so stay tuned. I think they’ll “resonate” well with you!

As always, do leave your own insights and comments below. That’s the great part of sharing on the Internet – it’s like we’re all in a big studio together. So share your latest gear madness with me and the fans.

So you’ll always find me here, ongoingly empathizing with those G.A.S. attacks that flare up from time to time… in you and me both.

But for now, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj