Here is a song I co-wrote with guitarist Jerry Swanson. This is not a studio cut so there are imperfections in it. The song was recorded on a home studio computer program. So the nothing is perfect about this song but it didn't turn out too bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haMpjUhgBTE
Not bad at all.
Quote from: milos on July 21, 2018, 12:29:32 AM
Not bad at all.
I'd have commented, but it's not my generation, so it wouldn't be fair.
Now, had it been big band swing, or 50/60s easy rock? :laugh:
Quote from: Solar on July 21, 2018, 08:18:20 AM
I'd have commented, but it's not my generation, so it wouldn't be fair.
Now, had it been big band swing, or 50/60s easy rock? :laugh:
I live in an area where writing original music is impossible. I tried for many years and gave up. I just live in the worst part of the country for originality. Not enough like-minded musicians to work with. Though its a shame I wasn' able to record more music because I am fluent in all vocal styles including big band swing and jazz. The recording your hear was done after me taking 8 years off of singing. I was rusty and never recorded an original before. I can writing up a storm and come up with one solid melody after the other, as I was very passionate about the quality of melodies written. But if you listen to my vocal timing in this song you will notice that my vocals do not follow standard 80s metal timing. I always try to stick to jazz timing. Trust me, regardless of the flaws in this demo-style like recording, the timing of my vocals is not something just any heavy metal vocalist can match. I once had a dream of being a world class vocalist, to set my aim high and change the face of the metal world. I never did come close to capturing that dream because I live in an area where getting a start is impossible. But I am truly over the loss of my career. I have moved on. But what has always been hard for me to get over is just knowing I had the right stuff and never truly being able to capture it in a recording.
Some people say I used too much vibrato in the song and that may be true. But had I reduced the vibrato of the song then the song would sound too 80s and dull and I would sound the same way. I was a European influenced metal artist living in the worst spot in America for that kind of music. Its not as easy as people think finding a good band. Its not just how well people know how to play their instruments, but more on their ability to be open minded and creative, trying new things and never being stuck in the past. But being stuck in the past is still the biggest problem for 99% of musicians in America.
Anyway, I'm a big jazz fan and loved that 40s, 50s, and 60s era big band.jazz era. I'm also a classical music fan and love folk among other styles of music. The reason why I gravitated towards metal music is because metal music allows the most diverse vocals which is what I wanted. In metal music, considering you have the right musicians to work with, you can fuse many different styles of music together and if done right it all sounds real good. I knew how to write metal music that would appeal to people who loved the old jazz stuff.
That song is recorded back in 2012. I gave up my singing career back in my prime in 2003.
Liberals rule the entertainment Industry. This is still the strangle hold they have over this country. They can use music to turn young people into liberals. I was a vocalist who tried to overcome the odds but failed due to a lack of support from other conservatives. What we need and have always needed are conservative musicians who are supported by conservative labels. As long as liberals run the entertainment Industry nothing is ever gonna change. They run education as well and if Trump don't do something to reform education and stop the spreading of socialism to the youth there will be a war in this country. I've seen how fast young people turn into liberals once they get into high school. The system is rigged against the parents. I did my best as an artist to turn this around. But one man cannot take on the world by himself.
Quote from: Ploughboy on July 25, 2018, 06:42:28 AM
I live in an area where writing original music is impossible. I tried for many years and gave up. I just live in the worst part of the country for originality. Not enough like-minded musicians to work with. Though its a shame I wasn' able to record more music because I am fluent in all vocal styles including big band swing and jazz. The recording your hear was done after me taking 8 years off of singing. I was rusty and never recorded an original before. I can writing up a storm and come up with one solid melody after the other, as I was very passionate about the quality of melodies written. But if you listen to my vocal timing in this song you will notice that my vocals do not follow standard 80s metal timing. I always try to stick to jazz timing. Trust me, regardless of the flaws in this demo-style like recording, the timing of my vocals is not something just any heavy metal vocalist can match. I once had a dream of being a world class vocalist, to set my aim high and change the face of the metal world. I never did come close to capturing that dream because I live in an area where getting a start is impossible. But I am truly over the loss of my career. I have moved on. But what has always been hard for me to get over is just knowing I had the right stuff and never truly being able to capture it in a recording.
Some people say I used too much vibrato in the song and that may be true. But had I reduced the vibrato of the song then the song would sound too 80s and dull and I would sound the same way. I was a European influenced metal artist living in the worst spot in America for that kind of music. Its not as easy as people think finding a good band. Its not just how well people know how to play their instruments, but more on their ability to be open minded and creative, trying new things and never being stuck in the past. But being stuck in the past is still the biggest problem for 99% of musicians in America.
Anyway, I'm a big jazz fan and loved that 40s, 50s, and 60s era big band.jazz era. I'm also a classical music fan and love folk among other styles of music. The reason why I gravitated towards metal music is because metal music allows the most diverse vocals which is what I wanted. In metal music, considering you have the right musicians to work with, you can fuse many different styles of music together and if done right it all sounds real good. I knew how to write metal music that would appeal to people who loved the old jazz stuff.
That song is recorded back in 2012. I gave up my singing career back in my prime in 2003.
Never stop dreaming or trying. Many of us envy people like you, the closest I ever came to playing music, was changing stations on the radio, sure, I had guitars and keyboards over the decades, but II just don't have the music connection in my brain, so never give up, you were blessed with the gift of music.
Quote from: Solar on July 25, 2018, 10:03:35 AM
Never stop dreaming or trying. Many of us envy people like you, the closest I ever came to playing music, was changing stations on the radio, sure, I had guitars and keyboards over the decades, but II just don't have the music connection in my brain, so never give up, you were blessed with the gift of music.
Thanks for the kind words and compliment. But keep in mind that I am 47 and no longer young enough to sing for a career. I'm not as good looking as I was 20 years ago and not as healthy as I was 20 years ago. I lived in an area that is the worst place an artist can possibility live. America in general is one of the most oppressed nations in the world when it comes to musical talent. Europe leads the world in most talented artists by a long shot. When you live in an area where singing is forbidden then you are doomed from the start. Do you realize that I have met young people today who have never heard a human being sing before? This is becoming more and more common. Almost all the younger people listen to nothing but rap.
I tried to continue the project band but nobody I work with is serious enough to learn new tricks. I cannot sing my styles of melodies unless I write the music myself. I did that and the song sounded stellar and even had strong support from a friend of mine from Finland who got Nightwish signed. But Americans have no sense of knowing the difference between good and bad music. And when this is the case and nobody can identify good from bad music, then your career is over. Also, when you write the music and nobody wants to do it because you're a vocalist who wrote guitar lines, then there is no point in trying. The very worst thing a person can do is continue trying .
Last, I wrote the lyrics to the song but not the concept. Jerry wrote the concept. I have no music career dream anymore and haven't since 2003. I tried to write some great music for online but even that could not even get off the ground. You cannot do it all by yourself and I am alone with no other musicians to share my Vuur (dutch word meaning fire, drive and passion).
Quote from: Ploughboy on July 26, 2018, 04:44:28 AM
Thanks for the kind words and compliment. But keep in mind that I am 47 and no longer young enough to sing for a career. I'm not as good looking as I was 20 years ago and not as healthy as I was 20 years ago. I lived in an area that is the worst place an artist can possibility live. America in general is one of the most oppressed nations in the world when it comes to musical talent. Europe leads the world in most talented artists by a long shot. When you live in an area where singing is forbidden then you are doomed from the start. Do you realize that I have met young people today who have never heard a human being sing before? This is becoming more and more common. Almost all the younger people listen to nothing but rap.
I tried to continue the project band but nobody I work with is serious enough to learn new tricks. I cannot sing my styles of melodies unless I write the music myself. I did that and the song sounded stellar and even had strong support from a friend of mine from Finland who got Nightwish signed. But Americans have no sense of knowing the difference between good and bad music. And when this is the case and nobody can identify good from bad music, then your career is over. Also, when you write the music and nobody wants to do it because you're a vocalist who wrote guitar lines, then there is no point in trying. The very worst thing a person can do is continue trying .
Last, I wrote the lyrics to the song but not the concept. Jerry wrote the concept. I have no music career dream anymore and haven't since 2003. I tried to write some great music for online but even that could not even get off the ground. You cannot do it all by yourself and I am alone with no other musicians to share my Vuur (dutch word meaning fire, drive and passion).
Interesting. Here in Ca where I grew up, if you didn't sing or play an instrument, you were kind of out of the clique and relegated to the sidelines and forced to find your own niche.
If it's not too late, move the Hell out West, it's definitely the opposite out here.
Quote from: Ploughboy on July 26, 2018, 04:44:28 AM
Thanks for the kind words and compliment. But keep in mind that I am 47 and no longer young enough to sing for a career. I'm not as good looking as I was 20 years ago and not as healthy as I was 20 years ago. I lived in an area that is the worst place an artist can possibility live. America in general is one of the most oppressed nations in the world when it comes to musical talent. Europe leads the world in most talented artists by a long shot. When you live in an area where singing is forbidden then you are doomed from the start. Do you realize that I have met young people today who have never heard a human being sing before? This is becoming more and more common. Almost all the younger people listen to nothing but rap.
I tried to continue the project band but nobody I work with is serious enough to learn new tricks. I cannot sing my styles of melodies unless I write the music myself. I did that and the song sounded stellar and even had strong support from a friend of mine from Finland who got Nightwish signed. But Americans have no sense of knowing the difference between good and bad music. And when this is the case and nobody can identify good from bad music, then your career is over. Also, when you write the music and nobody wants to do it because you're a vocalist who wrote guitar lines, then there is no point in trying. The very worst thing a person can do is continue trying .
Last, I wrote the lyrics to the song but not the concept. Jerry wrote the concept. I have no music career dream anymore and haven't since 2003. I tried to write some great music for online but even that could not even get off the ground. You cannot do it all by yourself and I am alone with no other musicians to share my Vuur (dutch word meaning fire, drive and passion).
There is a reason so many commercials utilize music from the 50's and 60's.
Quote from: Solar on July 26, 2018, 07:16:17 AM
Interesting. Here in Ca where I grew up, if you didn't sing or play an instrument, you were kind of out of the clique and relegated to the sidelines and forced to find your own niche.
If it's not too late, move the Hell out West, it's definitely the opposite out here.
I'm a man who lived in ultimate reality 24/7. Ultimate reality says record companies don't sign or promote people past 40, as they want younger people. I'm 47.
Secondly, music is not life. There is more to life than entertainment. I am fully aware of that which is why I won't waste time on something when a whole lot of nothing is all that's being accomplished.
Third, Americans are 25 to 30 years behind Europe when it comes to developments in metal music. But, then again, Europe has always had a rich and vast musical culture which makes all the difference there. I am strictly a European influenced artists who don't want no American influences in my music.
California is a place I'll never visit for any reason. Even when I was a musician I wasn't too thrilled about California due to it being so liberal. But today, I know I will never step foot in that state. So I have no desire to be a liberal which is the one of two reasons why I gave it all up. The other reason is that American metal music is horrible and sucks bad.
Things changed in America and these changes occurred during my career. Had these changes not been so damn extreme then I would have easily found a great band and been signed long ago. But I'm glad I failed as an artist. I enjoy doing what I do know and that's preach the truth of Christ. Being a Christian is very hard in the music Industry.
Quote from: Ploughboy on July 29, 2018, 10:34:51 AM
I'm a man who lived in ultimate reality 24/7. Ultimate reality says record companies don't sign or promote people past 40, as they want younger people. I'm 47.
Secondly, music is not life. There is more to life than entertainment. I am fully aware of that which is why I won't waste time on something when a whole lot of nothing is all that's being accomplished.
Third, Americans are 25 to 30 years behind Europe when it comes to developments in metal music. But, then again, Europe has always had a rich and vast musical culture which makes all the difference there. I am strictly a European influenced artists who don't want no American influences in my music.
California is a place I'll never visit for any reason. Even when I was a musician I wasn't too thrilled about California due to it being so liberal. But today, I know I will never step foot in that state. So I have no desire to be a liberal which is the one of two reasons why I gave it all up. The other reason is that American metal music is horrible and sucks bad.
Things changed in America and these changes occurred during my career. Had these changes not been so damn extreme then I would have easily found a great band and been signed long ago. But I'm glad I failed as an artist. I enjoy doing what I do know and that's preach the truth of Christ. Being a Christian is very hard in the music Industry.
Keep it up! The left has destroyed art of all kinds here in america and we need conservative christians to take it back, so fight the good fight.
Besides, i thought america had a thriving christian music industry? For instance toby mac, or mercy me.
Quote from: Ploughboy on July 29, 2018, 10:34:51 AM
I'm a man who lived in ultimate reality 24/7. Ultimate reality says record companies don't sign or promote people past 40, as they want younger people. I'm 47.
Secondly, music is not life. There is more to life than entertainment. I am fully aware of that which is why I won't waste time on something when a whole lot of nothing is all that's being accomplished.
Third, Americans are 25 to 30 years behind Europe when it comes to developments in metal music. But, then again, Europe has always had a rich and vast musical culture which makes all the difference there. I am strictly a European influenced artists who don't want no American influences in my music.
California is a place I'll never visit for any reason. Even when I was a musician I wasn't too thrilled about California due to it being so liberal. But today, I know I will never step foot in that state. So I have no desire to be a liberal which is the one of two reasons why I gave it all up. The other reason is that American metal music is horrible and sucks bad.
Things changed in America and these changes occurred during my career. Had these changes not been so damn extreme then I would have easily found a great band and been signed long ago. But I'm glad I failed as an artist. I enjoy doing what I do know and that's preach the truth of Christ. Being a Christian is very hard in the music Industry.
If I didn't live in Ca, I no doubt would have agreed, but what Ca govt does as opposed to reality are night and day, we are nowhere near as liberal as they'd like you to think.
In fact, the only two places to avoid is, La and the Bay Area, the rest is quite normal, as is the music scene as well as politics.
Hate to say it, but it sounds like you're your own worst enemy.
You claim all these barriers so it's easy to succumb and give up. Tell that to all the great minds of history that fought and won against all odds.
It wasn't all that long ago, I remember the head of IBM telling investors that personal computing will never happen. Look what happened to IBM, one of the biggest corporations in the world.
Did anyone listen to them? Let us be glad they were proven wrong.
Quote from: T Hunt on July 29, 2018, 12:42:12 PM
Keep it up! The left has destroyed art of all kinds here in america and we need conservative christians to take it back, so fight the good fight.
Besides, i thought america had a thriving christian music industry? For instance toby mac, or mercy me.
That was my original intent years ago. I knew it needed to be done and was confident I could contribute to the rise of conservative music. But a 47 year old has better things to do than to throw the rest of his life away chasing after the wind. If I am to do anything more in the future than I need to be very well sponsored!! I also need artistic freedom! But most importantly, I need the highest quality musicians in the United States because anything a notch lower than that is not going to be able to compete with the European scene which is 25 to 30 years ahead of the talent here in the United States. I have mastered the European art of singing and know how to structure metal music like Europeans do. I also know the difference between good metal and bad metal music. But here in America there are next to no musicians who even understand anything about metal let alone a basic understanding of music. Simply being able to play cover songs does not make one a musician. Being able to write grand masterpieces is what makes a metal musician qualified to complete. Each album must contain an average of (roughly) 9 masterpieces and 2 grand masterpieces. The Europeans are very talented and writing just anything will lead to disaster. Most metal fans won't even listen to American metal anymore. There's no art to it. Most American musicians don't feel they need to complete with Europe for talent. Well that explains why American metal musicians are considered to the worst musicians in the world.
Look, I love my country. I'm a true patriot. But when it comes to metal music our nation has been lost since the 90s. I started listening to European metal back in the 90s after American metal became extinct. All the attempts to revive have been awful! Nothing but hate metal and nobody is buying it. Metal music is becoming the Polka of the 21 century. By 2030 metal will reach Polka status. How many people do you know listen to Polka? I don't know any.
The Christian metal scene is unable to compete with the European scene. They don't have enough male vocalists who know how to be original and sing above average level. But the Christian scene has the golden opportunity to complete take over American music and command the market with great talent if they can find it. Christian metal needs several super solid vocalists who sing like vocalists who sound like they are Christians (and not Devil worshipers or Nazis murdering Jews) and who are masters in the art of writing melody. This also goes for guitarists also trained in vocal theory and understand the art of melody since moving away from the 80s metal approach and conforming more to European standards is an absolute must if Christian metal wants even a slight chance of survival.
Metal music is all about perfection. The competition is fierce and the standards are so high less than 1% of all metal musicians in the world are even capable of upholding those very high standards. But anything less results in absolute and total failure with the added insult of disgrace. Metal is not a field anymore for amateur musicians. European metal artists are in school for many years learning how to write and compose music. Your average European vocalists spends 10 years learning how to sing classical just so they can complete in the metal world. And even the world's most technical singer may not be able to complete in metal music if they are not original and/or the vocal melodies lack.
Seriously. I know the market very well. Metal is on its way to complete extinction and lowing the standards will not revive. I know how to revive it and make it mainstream again but nobody will listen to me. So I sit back and watch metal sales plunder down to Polka status just as I predicted back it the 90s would happen if American metal did not produce better vocalists and more melodic bands.
Though again, The Christian metal scene is capable of completely and most thoroughly conquering the entire music industry to the point where it owns the rights to all sound. The opportunity is there. All it takes is a little brains and some know-how and the music industry is completely conquered in Jesus Name. But we need much better artists than what we see anywhere in the United States today. I haven't heard anything that would make me want to go out in a desperate hurry to buy their record.
Quote from: Solar on July 29, 2018, 02:38:27 PM
Hate to say it, but it sounds like you're your own worst enemy.
You claim all these barriers so it's easy to succumb and give up. Tell that to all the great minds of history that fought and won against all odds.
Were you there when I was practicing 6 to 8 hours a day to become the best? Were you there to witness all the silly BS I had to suffer trough just to get into the basement? You are unaware of the problems in the music Industry and how severe they are. Were you there when a very well established artist from Finland decided to help me get started and work with me on some songs, even market the music in Finland where the music would market better than here in the United States? Were you there when American musicians rejected his help to get the ball rolling for us locals in my home town? Yeah, free music videos, working with a celebrity musician from Finland; free high level marketing in Finland---REJECTED!--by the musicians from my area. Were you there when this celebrity from Finland got the popular Finnish band Nightwish signed to Spinefarm Record?
Now here is Nightwish performing two songs live which I'll link up for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvn7h1k3Mo8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcNQZrhhKg
I could post a new pic of him standing onstage with the band showing the large audience but I'm not one for using photos without permission. Simply stated, American musicians have their heads up their arse and this is the type of mindlessness I've had to deal with from Americans who have no chance in saving their sound from utter extinction.
Quote from: Solar on July 29, 2018, 02:38:27 PM
It wasn't all that long ago, I remember the head of IBM telling investors that personal computing will never happen. Look what happened to IBM, one of the biggest corporations in the world.
Did anyone listen to them? Let us be glad they were proven wrong.
You are not living in ultimate reality. If you don't live in ultimate reality you will end up dying on streets of urine. I will not sing again for anyone unless I have lots of financial muscle and marking genius behind me.
Quote from: Ploughboy on August 03, 2018, 11:27:19 AM
Were you there when I was practicing 6 to 8 hours a day to become the best? Were you there to witness all the silly BS I had to suffer trough just to get into the basement? You are unaware of the problems in the music Industry and how severe they are. Were you there when a very well established artist from Finland decided to help me get started and work with me on some songs, even market the music in Finland where the music would market better than here in the United States? Were you there when American musicians rejected his help to get the ball rolling for us locals in my home town? Yeah, free music videos, working with a celebrity musician from Finland; free high level marketing in Finland---REJECTED!--by the musicians from my area. Were you there when this celebrity from Finland got the popular Finnish band Nightwish signed to Spinefarm Record?
Now here is Nightwish performing two songs live which I'll link up for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvn7h1k3Mo8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcNQZrhhKg
I could post a new pic of him standing onstage with the band showing the large audience but I'm not one for using photos without permission. Simply stated, American musicians have their heads up their arse and this is the type of mindlessness I've had to deal with from Americans who have no chance in saving their sound from utter extinction.
You are not living in ultimate reality. If you don't live in ultimate reality you will end up dying on streets of urine. I will not sing again for anyone unless I have lots of financial muscle and marking genius behind me.
Why would attend a concert of music I hate?
You just proved my point.
Either do what you love for the joy of it, or you make it a business, which appears you've failed at both.
Ask any famous artist, they'll tell you to do it because you love it and ignore the critics. But if you really want to succeed in anything, lose the chip/anger, not everyone is your enemy.
Quote from: Solar on August 03, 2018, 12:28:46 PM
Why would attend a concert of music I hate?
You just proved my point.
Either do what you love for the joy of it, or you make it a business, which appears you've failed at both.
Ask any famous artist, they'll tell you to do it because you love it and ignore the critics. But if you really want to succeed in anything, lose the chip/anger, not everyone is your enemy.
I had a business colleague who also was a musician. He said bands that play for themselves are not as successful as bands that play for the folks. If the band likes what the folks like they have a better opportunity for success.
Quote from: supsalemgr on August 03, 2018, 01:04:09 PM
I had a business colleague who also was a musician. He said bands that play for themselves are not as successful as bands that play for the folks. (http://)
Now that only sounds like good business. People pay money for something they like.
Quote from: supsalemgr on August 03, 2018, 01:04:09 PM
I had a business colleague who also was a musician. He said bands that play for themselves are not as successful as bands that play for the folks. If the band likes what the folks like they have a better opportunity for success.
That is soooo true.
One example that comes to mind is Susanne Chianni, she was struggling and playing small venues and bars, when a producer asked her if she was willing to play other music. (III hated her earlier stuff as did the majority)
Her album was an overnight sensation, but she said she hated the music she so brilliantly played but it paid the bills and made her a star.
Here's a sample if you've never heard her music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cifIriW5bi8
Quote from: Solar on August 03, 2018, 12:28:46 PM
Why would attend a concert of music I hate?
You just proved my point.
Either do what you love for the joy of it, or you make it a business, which appears you've failed at both.
Ask any famous artist, they'll tell you to do it because you love it and ignore the critics. But if you really want to succeed in anything, lose the chip/anger, not everyone is your enemy.
But you've never been in the music business, have you? When your younger you are full of drive and passion. But you cannot just do it...for fun...and end up laying dead in streets of urine. You cannot beat a monopoly. You can try...but you will fail. If I can't do it then nobody else will either. Everybody seems to think how they will beat the monopoly on sound. I tell ya it will never happen. You have no power over the labels nor do they care about your talent. You don't get signed on talent anymore. Its all far left politics and has been ever since rap and grunge started.
Here's my advice for anyone who wants to become a successful metal music. Move to Europe. Well, that is, if you don't mind being killed by muslims...since Europe is not Eurostan and body parts of little girls tend to explode everywhere during concerts over there.
Secondly, if you cannot make a living from what you do then clearly you do not have the talent to attempt such a feat. For no successful artist does just...for fun. Nobody successful has ever done anything just...for fun. Every musician know that does just...for fun, is someone who could never make it in the music biz no matter how much money they have to start with. You have to be far beyond driven. I was not doing it just..for fun. I was trying to make a career for myself. My failure has absolutely nothing whatsoever with me. America is no longer a nation that breeds talented artists. If you want to start a real talented band with a great singer...move to Europe where they exist.
I have already given my 110% effort which was more than I should of had to do. You would not even believe all the crap went through with idiot musicians turning down excellent opportunities just because they might pick up the European metal following, and these musicians were under the belief that the 80s were coming back. Well, Europe is where the 80s went and then developed into something better than the 80s metal from there. But even in Europe there was a weakness to their movement and that was the major lack of excellent make vocalists. They have some outstanding female singers over there, but the men tend to growl death metal instead of singing. While here in America male vocalists (if indeed we can call them vocalists) just do the barky bark. They bark and not one person steps foot in the bars to see these idiots bark like Nazis screaming "Ike! ike! ike!" Nobody cares. I knew that would be the outcome of the barky bark.
third, religious discrimination against Christian artists is much higher than you think. Its so high your talent and positive crowd reaction don't matter. In my local town I've always been rated the peoples singer by the fans. I don't have to try hard to win over an audience. Some people I've sang in front of have never heard a metal vocalist sing passionately as well as powerfully before and they lose their negative stereotypes about metal right away. At my very first gig in 1994 we played at a College bar that did not want to hear us. This was an alternative bar where college kids did lots of drugs and talk about how intelligent it is to be a communist. When they finally gave us a listen they loved the show and wanted us back again. The band broke up right over the show because when I covered the song "powerslave" from Iron Maiden I sounded too much like Bruce Dickinson. Well, duh, isn't that the whole point of covering an Iron Maiden song? Here I was an amateur vocalist at the time and singing perfect Bruce Dickinson. Yeah, this was back when I started as an amateur.
You can't train stupid. You can't teach a dumb dog new tricks. When you're constantly dealing with extremely low IQs there is nothing you can do. Maybe if you're wealthy and have money to buy people then you can succeed. But I never had the money to buy a person and there is no such thing as rags to riches anymore in today's music biz. In fact, you absolutely have to know a celebrity artists in order to get a major record deal. Well, I do know a celebrity but that person is from Finland. I still have to make it work with Americans and that simply cannot work.
So I had to combat two major issues: (1) religious discrimination which was total Christiphobia from nearly all musicians (2) the world's dumbest musicians ever.
You cannot have any intelligence in the American metal music scene. The intelligence level is so low among American musicians that it will drive you crazy out of your mind to be around this level of stupidity all the time.
So gave it up in my early 30s knowing that I was too old to make a career out of it, as I hadn't even got a start yet. You cannot be in your early 30s and not established and expect to accomplish anything.
You can do it for passion and still make a career out of it. That is what successful artists do. They love what they do and get paid for it. That is the whole idea of being a career driven artists. But it takes intelligence to make it happen and there simply isn't enough intelligence in my area to form a full band. You can't even do a project band where all you do is write and record music with different artists. That's what I tried to do when this song "Hold On" was done. I came out of 8 years of retirement to give this project band idea a try, thinking this might be a great idea. It was a great idea. Too bad the lack of intelligence among musicians kept this project from being successful.
Smoking pot lowers the intellect. It literally makes people dumber. When every one around you smokes dope then nothing is gonna get done. Even those who don't smoke dope tend to be dreamers who can't focus on anything. You have to be focused when writing music. You cannot be a dreamer and keep drifting away in your dreams when you should be practicing your music and working on writing music.
I'll just make this all simple: You can't win. Being a metal musician in America is a lose-lose situation. I gave it up and love what I do now better. I'm a high volume production worker and I can't do music unless great songs are coming off that assembly line one after the other. This is how determined and dedicated people think. They are focused and bettering themselves and their art. People who haven't been in band or tried to make a career just simply cannot fathom how dumb the world of metal actually is. Its a no brains allowed music these days here in America.
These days I have no desire to tour. I don' t ever want to step foot in Europe or any other muslim country. I don't want to step foot on California soil either because the dumbest people in America live in California and I cannot handle the idiots in Wisconsin let alone see how dumb Californians are!
So I don't expect you to feel sorry for me nor am I asking for any sympathy here. Just to be clear on that. I shared a song, the only song I have ever completed with someone. We didn't even make it into the studio with this song. Its not too bad of a song. We did mess it up quite a bit during the recording but its done. Jerry and I both had two different set of ethics and my view is always focused on perfection, while Jerry was fine with being average. But average didn't do it for the song.
So I'll just leave off with a song that sums up my career pretty well. This song is from The Gathering who's vocalist Anneke is now singing in Vuur. She is definitely the world champion of metal vocalists, and gold & precious metals is all I ever cared to listen to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y46Lft_BZxo
When I realized my career was over tears shot out of my eyes across the room and I broke down and cried so deep from my soul. I was singing before I could talk and that's the truth. I was the only American heavy metal vocalist who truly knew how to sing with my soul and capture emotion in depth. It was a part of me that died and had to stay dead. My vision was the correct vision for the time...and nobody ever figured it out and now metal music is on its way to Polka status just like I predicted would happen. I gave it my all but cannot give anymore. There comes a time when you need to stop and pick up the ruins of your life and move on. A fool keep on being a fool and will try to make it when their old and ugly and have no more appear to younger people. Records companies will not even sign musicians 40 or older. Its take years to make there and if you are in your 30s and not even an established artist by then it will never happen -- especially when you are fighting a monopoly on sound and religious discrimination you cannot beat. I tried and tried so very hard but I'm an American and here in this country talent and true artistry is dead.
Like I said, if you want to be a successful metal artist you need to leave the country and move you Europe. But you chances of being blown up by muslims increases every year. Now easy to throw a concert when your fans are being blown to pieces. So I never want to see Europe. I'm not a muslim so there is no point in going.
Quote from: supsalemgr on August 03, 2018, 01:04:09 PM
I had a business colleague who also was a musician. He said bands that play for themselves are not as successful as bands that play for the folks. If the band likes what the folks like they have a better opportunity for success.
That is a line of bull. However told you that is not a real artist. I'm 100% positive this person sucks and says shit like this to make himself feel better about his own lack of talent.
Look, you do not and cannot know what the people will like. People only like what they get a chance to hear. When marketed by the major record labels it has even more appeal. Its all in the marketing. Nobody knows what everybody likes.
Artist intelligence 101.When you write music you write what you enjoy and to hell with public opinion. You're not writing to please some butt holes out there with bad taste in music to start with. You are wring for your own good taste in music. So say you write an album with music you enjoy and it don't sell. Well, at least you get the satisfaction of the heart you put into the music. But if you write for those "folks" and your album doesn't sell, then you write music you didn't like for an audience who didn't buy your music. So when we examine the two sides of failure the side that writes what they love and still fail are better off then those who write for the folks and fail.
Today you are not successful by anything you write. Your writing has little to do with your success. Everything today is politically driven and the record labels push the same stuff all the time because it kills emotion in people and makes them hate more and want more Marxist revolution. Its all about string up hate and sexuality so the traditional family will be destroyed. And if you are an artist who wrote something really evil and your image is wicked; or, if you can get young girls to pop early and often -- then you will get signed and become a star. The music industry has nothing to do about genuine talent and artistry.
You write what you love and if you cannot do that then you what is called a poser.