http://griotmusic.com/blog.cfm Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:00:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com http://griotmusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=1503451&postid=321004 From the Beginning Well I have done it again! Started a blog in earnest, got the bright idea to give it its own page on my website and have now sent it into some kind of Internet purgatory where it is never to be seen again. Back to the drawing board. I call this blog "Life Through Music" because I have always believed and preached that "Music is the expression of life through the medium of sound". So it has seems to me that effective music is based on an understanding of life and a mastery of manipulating sound and this is so important for us humans to experience...an understanding of life through listening. As I go through my week it is inevitable that I will be approached by someone who is seeking a break in the music business (a 'buss' in Jamaican parlance). Invariably I will be approached to provide opportunities for work or performance along with a stated desire to record and travel the world. (I actually had a deejay who measured his success by the possession of a visa a la Ricky Trooper). I then ask a few questions: Do you have a picture? Do you have a bio? Do you have a set list? Most of the time the answers to these questions are not in the affirmative. If they do respond in the positive further pressing reveals amateur photos, poorly written bios that start with, "I was born in Clarendon..." and a set list that is really a list of songs that they like but have not taken the time to learn as yet. This is a crisis, if not for the Jamaican music industry but for me and my day coupled with my desire to not waste it engaging with individuals who are simply not prepared to have a conversation with me.... Back to the idea of music being an expression of life... Go for Value Unfortunately many of us are so centered on making a dollar that we have forgotten how to be persons. The basic principle of music performance is that you have a time, place, performers and audience. When that performer gets on the stage they must do something that the audience is willing to listen to. I simple terms, "Before you speak you must know what you are going to say". This is to say what might seem obvious that an audience is only willing to pay for something of value. Value is really about comparing stuff one to another. Should I buy a Mango for $1,000 when I can get a meal of Jerk Pork, Rice & Peas and Salad for $500? It might not seem like good value in Jamaica where Mangos are plentiful and a Jerk Pork meal can give you a bellyful, but living in Siberia for a few years one might consider it for all the memories and sensations a rare Jamaican Mango would give you. In the same way when someone considers paying money for music they are comparing it other things that they can do with that money such as other artists that they can support that they know very well, a romantic dinner, food, rent, school fees etc, you get the idea. Seeing that the race is on to determine value the least a performer can do is to decide carefully what they are going say before they say it. The artist should take the time to carefully choose their songs before they perform it so that the show has a definite value offering in the performance experience. A particular life experience must be focused on to offer the audience so that they can determine the value of it to them at this time of their life. By life experience I am referring to the very human experiences of living in intellectual, emotional and physical ways such as ecstasy, meditation, dance, happiness, joy, laughter and so on. Basically all the stuff that moves us in various ways and makes us more aware that we are alive. Staying alive to the end I think that is it…we should walk through life saying, “I am alive” and going to a musical concert should not take away from that instead it should enhance it to be effective, sustainable and loved. So instead of going to persons looking a “work” or a “buss” one should say something like, “I am a singer and I can make people dance with joy and I am looking for opportunities to do that maybe even for a living” and if you picture, bio and set list support what you have said we may have a ball game and you may have a chance to get a gig or two before you die. Wouldn’t that be great that instead of persons begging for opportunity that we would walk around prepared to give value to each other through knowing what we have to say before we say and not merely react to each other always being taken by surprise by our conversations and interactions. Crime would go down and productivity would be up and my days would be spent sorting through interesting and varied packages and looking at how best to place to glory of Jamaican musical expression. Nuff Love Seretse From the Beginning

Well I have done it again! Started a blog in earnest, got the bright idea to give it its own page on my website and have now sent it into some kind of Internet purgatory where it is never to be seen again. Back to the drawing board.

I call this blog "Life Through Music" because I have always believed and preached that "Music is the expression of life through the medium of sound". So it has seems to me that effective music is based on an understanding of life and a mastery of manipulating sound and this is so important for us humans to experience...an understanding of life through listening.

As I go through my week it is inevitable that I will be approached by someone who is seeking a break in the music business (a 'buss' in Jamaican parlance). Invariably I will be approached to provide opportunities for work or performance along with a stated desire to record and travel the world. (I actually had a deejay who measured his success by the possession of a visa a la Ricky Trooper). I then ask a few questions:

Do you have a picture?
Do you have a bio?
Do you have a set list?

Most of the time the answers to these questions are not in the affirmative. If they do respond in the positive further pressing reveals amateur photos, poorly written bios that start with, "I was born in Clarendon..." and a set list that is really a list of songs that they like but have not taken the time to learn as yet.

This is a crisis, if not for the Jamaican music industry but for me and my day coupled with my desire to not waste it engaging with individuals who are simply not prepared to have a conversation with me....

Back to the idea of music being an expression of life...

Go for Value

Unfortunately many of us are so centered on making a dollar that we have forgotten how to be persons. The basic principle of music performance is that you have a time, place, performers and audience. When that performer gets on the stage they must do something that the audience is willing to listen to. I simple terms, "Before you speak you must know what you are going to say".

This is to say what might seem obvious that an audience is only willing to pay for something of value. Value is really about comparing stuff one to another. Should I buy a Mango for $1,000 when I can get a meal of Jerk Pork, Rice & Peas and Salad for $500? It might not seem like good value in Jamaica where Mangos are plentiful and a Jerk Pork meal can give you a bellyful, but living in Siberia for a few years one might consider it for all the memories and sensations a rare Jamaican Mango would give you.



In the same way when someone considers paying money for music they are comparing it other things that they can do with that money such as other artists that they can support that they know very well, a romantic dinner, food, rent, school fees etc, you get the idea.

Seeing that the race is on to determine value the least a performer can do is to decide carefully what they are going say before they say it. The artist should take the time to carefully choose their songs before they perform it so that the show has a definite value offering in the performance experience. A particular life experience must be focused on to offer the audience so that they can determine the value of it to them at this time of their life.

By life experience I am referring to the very human experiences of living in intellectual, emotional and physical ways such as ecstasy, meditation, dance, happiness, joy, laughter and so on. Basically all the stuff that moves us in various ways and makes us more aware that we are alive.

Staying alive to the end

I think that is it…we should walk through life saying, “I am alive” and going to a musical concert should not take away from that instead it should enhance it to be effective, sustainable and loved.

So instead of going to persons looking a “work” or a “buss” one should say something like, “I am a singer and I can make people dance with joy and I am looking for opportunities to do that maybe even for a living” and if you picture, bio and set list support what you have said we may have a ball game and you may have a chance to get a gig or two before you die.

Wouldn’t that be great that instead of persons begging for opportunity that we would walk around prepared to give value to each other through knowing what we have to say before we say and not merely react to each other always being taken by surprise by our conversations and interactions. Crime would go down and productivity would be up and my days would be spent sorting through interesting and varied packages and looking at how best to place to glory of Jamaican musical expression.

Nuff Love
Seretse





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