Latch Music's Ezine #23
"The Zine" content is contributed by Dave Latchaw and colleagues who use the Internet to promote their musical projects. You can check out previous issues at "The Zine" Archives.
- Article: "Starving Artists" by Dave Latchaw
- Guest Artist: Claudio Allia - Great groovin' jazz.
- Featured Web Site: Jambands.com
- Featured Web Video: Congahead Movies
- CD Pick: Vinnie Colaiuta, Robben Ford and Jimmy Haslip "Jing Chi"
Starving Artists
by Dave Latchaw
Musicians have been plagued with this mentality since the need for money began. An artist puts all their heart and soul into their craft, and then has to try and make money from it. It's distracting to the artist and can make them bitter about their craft. The more bitter an artist is the more they can put off their prospective audience because of their attitude. We can empower ourselves by getting rid of this attitude. If a musician doesn't display the starving artist attitude, and comes across as positive and confident of what they are doing regardless of the financial outcome, the prospective audience is going to be more engaged. If your audience is engaged in what you do, you can demand more money for your work. It's a given that we all want to make money, and making money making music is nothing more than simple supply and demand economics.
In a perfect world Miles, Zawinul, Zappa, Fripp and music with similar creative intentions would be the mainstream music of today. But that's not reality. Playing your creative music for the sheer love of it is the only way to go. Chances are you won't be able to make a great living playing only your interesting creative music, at best maybe a modest living. The sooner we realize that art may not pay the bills or bring the economic status we desire, the sooner we can make the appropriate mental adjustments and eliminate the downer attitude of the starving artist mentality. Respect the work that goes into your craft, but don't expect more from it than the personal satisfaction it gives you, then you will never be disappointed.
The starving artist attitude also comes across as artistically righteous. Very often this type of artist will be anti-"any art form that has economic potential". I used to have music snob tendencies, thinking commercial music was a waste of musical space. Once I joined the Scottish rock band "The Heat" and participated in writing tunes for the group, I realized it was way more challenging to write music for millions of people than it was to write for a handful of artsy fans. I still respect and enjoy creating music that has a small audience potential, but I also think there is a real art to creating something that will appeal to the masses. Both disciplines have interesting challenges. My experience in "The Heat" helped me gain respect for what goes into making all kinds of music.
The market for music like Britney Spears is huge. If you want to write music for Britney Spears you are going to have an amazing amount of competition. This could lead to endless hours of work for no money, so again, only do it if you dig it. Of course if she records one of your tunes you are into some big bucks, but the chances are similar to winning the lottery! If you love writing 12 tone row music, you will also undoubtedly be into endless hours of work for no money, because (last time I checked) the market for 12 tone row music is so small. If you don't rely on your "art" for your living, it can take away a great deal of frustration, and allow you to take the pressure off your craft and enjoy it.
If one can be open to performing many styles of music, it will expand the economic potential of making music and the ability to create in many different environments. The player that can adapt to many styles and enjoys variety will have more fun and more opportunities to make music. If one can get into the spirit of the musical moment, they can find musical contentment. Being as open to "Old Time Rock And Roll" as to "Giant Steps" can be done, it's about being aware of your attitude and keeping it positive. Nothing is more of a drag than working with or going to see a musician that is not digging what they are doing. If you are so miserable playing "The Girl From Impanema" for the millionth time at a wedding reception, then don't do it! Either learn to enjoy the fact that you are making money making music, or find some alternative way to make a living.
Every musician would love to make a living with their art, but for most, there will be plenty of times that making music is a job. If you're lucky enough to have music as your job, do good work and remember that there are many other jobs out there that could be much more of a drag!
Claudio Allia
#1 Where can people find out more about you and your musical activities on the Internet?
I started my Internet promo experience in 1998 with the electronic music project Kosmodrome; followed in 1999 by my soloist music work "Torquemadness" with the pseudonym of Dok Allis. As Dok Allis I’m active on MP3.com, Vitaminic, Iuma, Besonic and PeopleSound.com, but I think that the most complete and dedicated music community online is MP3.com. With Insout music project I’m planning a full promotional strategy online contacting several music distributors covering territories all over the world (from Asia to Oceania). At the end of June we’ll complete our official site at www.insoutmusic.com at which it will be possible to have a preview of our music and further information regarding the band.
#2 What early influences do you feel have most inspired your current direction of music, and why?
My actual way of creating music is the result of past experiences and is the natural evolution of my artistic, cultural and spiritual growth. Looking at the past I feel inspired by these different artists that in a chronological sequence are: Bela Bartok, Duke Ellington, Gentle Giant, Premiata Forneria Marconi and Area (Italian 70’s progressive Bands), Miles Davis, Return To Forever and Weather Report, Brecker Bros, Phil Glass, and Magritte (I really love to be inspired by his paintings!). From my first prog rock experience I learned the melodic approach to my music with a special attention dedicated to folk and traditional ballads of the Mediterranean area. From the Jazz-Rock and Electric Jazz experience I learned the kaleidoscopic use of jazz harmony with multiple and composite rhythmical designs, from the electronic music I’ve learned the way to use soundscapes and ambients as a relevant part of a composition, whatever would be the final music genre.
#3 What was it like to write music for Italian singer Antonella Arancio and have it published by Sony Music?
In 1992 the A&R of the Sicilian Indie label SEA contacted me to write some pop songs for a promo of a very young singer (she was sixteen at that time). In 1994 one of my songs was selected by Sony Music to participate in the Sanremo Song Festival (the most important Italian song festival, seen on national TV network by more than 20 million people!) in the debut section. My song "Ricordi del Cuore" reached the second rank (first one was Andrea Bocelli with "Il mare calmo della Sera") and I obtained a publishing contract for this song and for three other songs included on the album. This experience gave me great satisfaction and good earnings as well and the latest publishing of the Spanish version of the album for the Latin America’s music market confirms as said. After eight years the song "Recuerdos de l’ Alma" is actually included in the Sony Columbia compilation CD "Pobre Diabla" (Spanish Soap Opera distributed in several Latin American countries) and in 2001 sold more than 250,000 copies.
#4 How did your group "Insout" get started?
All my latest music works since 1997 were recorded and mixed up at the TRP digital studio, a small but efficient recording studio located in Tremestieri Etneo (Catania, Italy), a small town based on the east versant of Etna Volcano. The owner of the studio and of the Indie label Track Records Productions (same which produced Dok Allis and Libertango albums) is Riccardo Samperi, an old friend of mine, as well guitar player, music writer, producer and very good sound engineer (worked on Italian tour dates for Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, Kid Creole, Manhattan Transfer, Scofield, Brecker, Corea and many others). During the final mixing of "Torquemadness" (by Dok Allis) in September 1999, we talked a lot about the possibility of creating a music project together, involving later on the drummer Enzo Di Vita. In January 2000 we fixed four days a week in the studio to play together and to search for our final sound direction.
#5 With such strong musical personalities, how are "Insout's" compositions, arrangements and orchestrations decided?
Well this is the most particular aspect of this music project, because I’ve started writing music together with Riccardo from the first step to the end of the project. We spent hours in the studio, looking at each idea from various points of view. It was a sort of creative happening, and every time our compositions grew up exactly the way we wanted them to. I suppose that this alchemy happens only between musicians that show first a very high artistic affinity, and that know exactly what will be the final objective to reach together. Sometimes we did not need to discuss how to arrange an entire tune, other times we stopped our work for days just to decide on the pan position of an instrument! We worked in a perfect symbiosis and in a common state of mind, as never happened to me before with other musicians. We were very critical of each other during the recording takes, but always in a constructive way, that’s why we recorded the final version of our tracks only when we were sure to respect the reciprocal music taste and sensibility.
#6 What do you want the listener to get from the "Insout" recording, TRIKKE & TRAKKE?
I hope that the listeners could get energized by our music and could breathe our joy and fun contained in it. The word Trikke & Trakke in Sicilian dialect means small and noisy fireworks used during the popular celebrations to capture the attention of the people on the street.
#7 How has the Internet helped you with your musical projects?
I have to be sincere with you Dave, the Internet did not help so much till now with my musical projects, but I suppose it came from my wrong way to approach it. In the real life you need to send hundreds of tapes and/or CDs to radio stations, major A&R, specialized magazines etc… and it takes a lot of time and energy to plan and realize it; on the Internet by the way, it seems to be all easier and immediate, but this does not often correspond to the truth. That’s why I think to move in two parallel ways: the real and the virtual...may be that in the future the two parallels can cross each other!
#8 What future projects and activities should people look for from you?
At the end of May we are printing the first 5000 copies of "Trikke & Trakke". We are planning to work on a new record in July and we’ll start with live performances in September. Our actual objective is to licence our product and distribute it to let us be known by a vast audience. Riccardo Samperi is getting in contact with major labels in the North of Europe, and I’m working at all the promotional opportunities offered by Internet.
Jambands.com
Jambands.com is your on-line source for bands that jam! There is a daily news section that gives you information on such artists as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, John Scofield, Charlie Hunter and more. At Jambands.com there is also a collection of various articles in the feature section, show reviews and a section of bands A to Z that provides links to tour information. You can also see which bands are doing well with CD sales in the Jambands.com monthly charts. The cool thing about bands that fall into the jam band category is that there is a homegrown, do-it-yourself vibe. A lot of jam bands come across as if they would be playing their music whether they were famous or not. You've got to respect that.
Congahead Movies
Congahead is Martin Cohen's website. Martin Cohen started Latin Percussion, Inc. in 1964. Congahead is the place where Martin has included from his personal collection many pictures, interviews and video clips of famous percussionists. The Congahead movie page is very cool, with lots of short clips to check out. Some of the interesting clips are Carlos "Patato" Valdez and Candido Camero doing an in-store conga jam, Carlos "Patato" Valdez peforming a Tumbao, Zakir Hussain hanging out in the Latin Percussion store talking about tablas and checking out the Udu Drums, and Harvie Swartz performing Bass Guajira. Click here to go to congahead movies.
Vinnie Colaiuta, Robben Ford and Jimmy Haslip
"Jing Chi"
What a great combination of musicians! Vinnie Colauita, Robben Ford and Jimmy Haslip provide the vibe of a classic rock power trio with the sophistication and freedom of jazz. Each member brings a broad range of experiences to the music that creates great depth and sonic color. Brilliant moments of all out jamming mixed in with thoughtful arrangements. "Jing Chi" was produced by Jimmy Haslip for Tone Center which is part of the Shrapnel Label Group. Definitely worth the time to check out.
Musicians for "Jing Chi"
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums and Programming
Robben Ford - Guitar and vocals on "Going Nowhere"
Jimmy Haslip - Bass, keyboards and vocals on "In My Dream"
Brian Auger - Organ on "Man In The King"
Dan Morris - Tablas on "Going Nowhere"
Steve Tavaglione - E.W.I. wind synthesizer, synth programming,
and additional keyboard performing and computer programming.
Tracks for "Jing Chi"
- The Hong Kong Incident
- Stan Key
- Tengoku
- Crazy Horse
- Going Nowhere
- Go Figure
- Man In The Ring
- In My Dream
- Train Song
- Aurora
Click here to learn more about "Jing Chi"
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