It has now been about a year since I made my triumphant return to the music business and taken my rightful place among the protean giants, whatever that means. I've released 2 albums, gotten out of my comfort zone and returned to live performing, joined a number of professional associations, songwriters forums and groups, went to the ASCAP conference in Hollywood to hobnob with all the other desperate musical types trying to make good in these very interesting times, and reconnected with those publications, websites, and newsletters that keep me in tune with what I need to do to really get my music out there and make money and accept that statistically I don't stand a chance in hell of ever being anything more than an old guy pumping out very good records that no one will hear.
All very uplifting.
Minus the faux desperation, it has been a lot of fun. If you step back from the idiocy of trying to be a pop star, and, fortunately, most of the performers and songwriters I've meet aren't goo-eyed over becoming the next Taylor Swift, and are making an incredible array of interesting music. It's amazing how many people are out there making music; having fun and making the world a better place. All different styles and playing abilities, youngsters and oldsters grooving to the tunes, and proving that pulling out the earbuds and sitting back and listening to a person or persons playing live right in front of you is the best, whether it's Sting and Peter Gabriel or the kid playing his or her new song for the very first time in front of strangers.
All very uplifting.
I've added a few new items to my recording studio, electronic drums, some new effects, and a deep blue Rickenbacker 12 string. I writing and recording new songs, which is thrilling given how long I went between records, twenty some years, it nice to know that I can still write a song.
Speaking of writing songs, I've so far resisted the idea that I should do anything other than what comes naturally to me; I write what I write; I like what comes out and I know what's good, I'm not terribly concerned if it jibes with what the hit makers say because the hit makers contradict one another and say you should do something that stands out even if everything you hear them make sound depressingly the same. Which is too bad, but there is great music out there; whatever the state of pop music, the rest of music world churns right along, and if you spend a little time out there on the internet, you'll find more great music that you can ever listen to.
There's a lot of crap too, but that's life.
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