Members Geoff Grace Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 As we all know, anyone who has been a musician for awhile has learned to wear a variety of hats. Are you a writer, an engineer, a singer, a multi-instrumentalist, or something else? How many roles do you play, and which hat do you enjoy wearing the most? Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted April 21, 2008 Moderators Share Posted April 21, 2008 I played bass and sang professionally for years. After that, I got into engineering. Then producing. Then playing a little bit of everything and anything that's needed. But the other day, an old friend asked for help. He simply wanted me to play bass on a recording. I listened, I played, I shook his hand, I went home. Today I'm going to say that's my favorite. Playing music without too much mentally invested. To react in the moment with my main instrument. I'd forgotten what that felt like. It felt good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I'd say songwriting/composing is my main hat. It's the one I feel I was most "born with" and the one that seems to mysteriously grow back on if I try to take it off. Next, guitar/bass playing and performing. I wear the enigneer hat out of troubled necessity (see related current thread) and I am trying very conscioulsy to get better at that...hat. The hat that NEVERseems to sit right on my head is singer/frontman. I do it anyway 'cause someone's gotta sing my songs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 What about you, Geoff? I know your career has been marked by several pretty dramatic hat changes. Which "hat" is really home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted April 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 What about you, Geoff? I know your career has been marked by several pretty dramatic hat changes. Which "hat" is really home? Good memory, John! Yes, I've been through some pretty dramatic changes -- first performing in bands that I wrote music for, then working in the record industry as a producer, arranger, orchestrator, programmer, and keyboard player, and most recently being a composer in the film and television industry. I've always enjoyed the creative roles the most -- songwriting, composing, arranging, improvising, orchestrating, and producing. Second would be the next most expressive hats, the performance ones -- playing keyboards, singing, and playing drums. I used to enjoy programming back in the 1990s, but things are so well programmed these days -- especially sample libraries -- that I mostly just tweak patches now. Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff da Weasel Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have an honest-to-God Stetson that I thought i'd really like, but I don't. Like Barry Bonds but without the steroids, my head has gotten larger and the hat isn't very comfortable any more. In terms of metaphorical hats, I still like being the musician more than anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted April 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 In terms of metaphorical hats, I still like being the musician more than anything. But which musical hat do you enjoy wearing the most, Jeff? Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff da Weasel Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 But which musical hat do you enjoy wearing the most, Jeff? That's a great question, Geoff, and probably impossible to answer. - I consider guitar to be my primary instrument. - However, in terms of musical performance, I have received more compliments and done comparatively more sophisticated work (versus my guitar abilities) as a bassist. - And still, as rarely as I play piano/keyboard instruments (and incompetent as I am compared to most), I did most of my earlier composing work via that medium and I did, after all, start in that direction as a little kid. So, I have no answer. Picking a favorite instrument is like picking a favorite child... it ain't gonna happen. I can tell you which hat is my LEAST favorite, though; that of lyricist. Not because I suck at it, but because it's the least natural part of it, for me. I have to TRY, you see. I'm not into effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr. Botch Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 Consumer, I gues... :| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockViolin Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 Whichever hat I haven't had on for the last month. I had a cool thing happenin for a while. Home studio by day, orchestra player by night. Sometimes a few weeks just with one or the other. One was usually just the cure for the other. Tired of listening to my songs all day, of going over digital reverb parameters, of fine tuning compression settings? Well it just so happens it's time to go play a sweet violin, in a really nice hall, with some great players. Tired of playing somebody else's music, of conductors, of wearing a tux? Got two weeks off, some burning new ideas, and a studio to go home to. But I suppose it wasn't really getting me anywhere. It didn't last anyway. Whiplash. Nowdays I just have my electric violin which I can strap on for greatly reduced wear and tear on my neck. I'm glad for that. And it's not bad to finally just focus on my project. Sure do miss my other hat sometimes though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 I used to enjoy programming back in the 1990s, but things are so well programmed these days -- especially sample libraries -- that I mostly just tweak patches now. Totally agreed. I made a good lving out from programming synths and arranging sequences to my customer's synths. Nowadays it is very different. I take a good sample library and tweak it until it fits my tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 No, seriously: The musical capacity I think I have most enjoyed, I think, is writing SATB parts for choirs. I just lu-u-rve choirs, big ones, small ones. Probably the most exalted moment of my life was when I got to sing a lead solo with the 60-piece Berklee Gospel Choir on the Bobby Jones Gospel Hour on BET Network. I love to accompany female vocalists on piano, too, in the R&B/Pop/Jazz/Big Band idioms. One of the thrills of my life was when I ran into Joanie Sommers in Beverly Hills in a restaurant.... they happened to have a piano... and we just came together and did an impromptu but note-perfect version of Hal David's "Johnny Get Angry". Bliss. Magic. I long to try my hand at digital production of an artist... but the situation has just never arisen for me, and I haven't all the expensive studio toys. I've never been able to conduct an orchestra, either, something I've longed to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 21, 2008 Members Share Posted April 21, 2008 I was a recordist before I was a musician. I recorded my first overdub in 1964 when I was 13. I started playing guitar in college, when I was 20. I'd been a half-baked academic poet and I wanted to be a half-baked songwriter, instead. I spent most of the 70s learning to play guitar and learning to live. Not necessarily in that order. I'm a sloppy guitarist, finger pick a lot, comfortable playing annoying leads (big double stop gliss fan, used to do too many double bends, you know) been playing slide a long while, played bass in a few bands, still have a fretless, wish it was a 5 string (low bottom not high top). By some definitions, I sing. I've written about 150 songs, immortalized-in-my-own-mind on my blog/podcast. I can sort of fumble around on keys; I own an acoustic piano (sadly sequestered to the garage) and an 88 key full weighted keyboard that I mostly play Rhodes and B3 sims on. I've been patching synths and programming sequencers and drum machines since 1981. I learned on a Moog Model 15 modular. In the 80s, I freelanced as an engineer and/or producer on a number of record and demo projects. My strong point then was probably drums. In those days, I wanted to spend more time exploring advanced production techniques but, for the most part, I had to work out those experiments on my 4 track at home. In the 90s I tried the project studio thing (switching from an always broken 8 track 1/2 inch to one and then a second ADAT starting in '92) -- but once I quit drinking my enthusiasm for being around other humans took a sharp downturn. And my enthusiasm for working on other people's music -- tenuous for some time -- went out the window. When I set up my first 8 channel PC based DAW in 96, it was love at first slice and dice. I was pretty good with a razor blade and editing block -- but I was born for non-linear editing. Just as I abandoned the beloved Smith-Corona typewriter I got for my 13th birthday in about 2 seconds when I finally got my own computer at home in 1986, I never started another (personal) project on tape after that first project, a song that's still on my soundclick page. When I realized I enjoyed my old dayjob (database development) better than working on other people's music (but not nearly as much as working on my own) and could charge considerably more, it was the proverbial no brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted April 22, 2008 Members Share Posted April 22, 2008 I don't really know, but recording engineering and playing guitar rank very high. Although I am considerably better at keyboards, I don't seem to get as excited about playing keyboards, at least in rock bands, as I do guitar (although this one group that I am playing with, Sonelle, allows me to explore keyboards more, so I'm getting back into it). I'm not sure why that is. I do love playing keyboards, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimbroni Posted April 22, 2008 Members Share Posted April 22, 2008 Bass. I do try on other hats and wear em around, but in the end it mostly comes back to the Bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VinceDoomReaper Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Writer, multi(ish) instrumentalist, occasional singer. Top hats are good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billster Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 I have an honest-to-God Stetson that I thought i'd really like, but I don't. Like Barry Bonds but without the steroids, my head has gotten larger and the hat isn't very comfortable any more. Damn you and your cheesy jokes! That's MY line! I prefer a scalley cap, but sometimes a fedora. Baseball caps are not to be used on stage. Metaphorically, I'm a writer. Everything else (playing, recording, rapping the ruler across the knuckles of the other performers) follows from the writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kendrix Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 They are all links in a chain. I'm infatuated with it all. However, writing a good song seems somehow to be the most elemental- the most essential creative aspect of it all. Without a good song all the rest is just meaningless.If/when I write someting that i think is really worthwhile (it happens occasionally) it is quite a rush.Coaxing something stirring/beautiful to come out of absolutely nothing is a very rewarding experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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