I googled, “Why do people write blogs?” and the answer I got back, (in 0.41 seconds) was, “...at its most basic, blogs can help you develop an online presence, prove yourself an expert in an industry, and attract more quality leads to all pages of your site.”
That doesn’t really sound like me. Online? Clearly…. Expert? Hardly. I’m a middle aged man trying to process his thoughts. Trying to share some passion and experience that the common musician, possibly hiding out in their basement or attic, with an inkling towards actually playing in front of real people, might find useful. Or at least, vaguely interesting and occasionally funny. Google suggests that these are potentially secondary goals for blog writing. I don’t care. They’re my goals. If you're really looking for expensive guitar or amplifier demos, beautiful playing or just somebody with better hair and a nicer beard, google Paul Davids.
So again, without getting too hung up on definitions, please allow me to introduce myself, as a “professional” musician, with no formal training what-so-ever. I’ve gone from hiding out in my attic to playing at (and running) guitar clubs, teaching, open miking, and gigging at regional theatres and festivals….oh, and now songwriting (and blogging). More on all of these later.
I should also perhaps explain that for a very few people, this might seem like deja-vu. I actually wrote this particular introduction in November 2023, when I started this blog on the Google platform "Blogger". This, it seems for a number of reasons, was a mistake. Mainly, and possibly insanely, subscribing to anything on Blogger is virtually impossible. So I'm having a reset now that I understand the lay of the land a bit, and I'm going to republish everything to this shiny, new space. It looks like I can backdate the blogs I've already published elsewhere. That'll be a project!
The great thing is that, whilst we're still 'Back To The Future', I can tell you a little bit more about what I'm going to do. I'm going to be doing my best to alternate between general music topics, songwriting, playing live, tuition, gear and classic songs, and right now, 26 blogs in, I'm pleased to report it's going okay. This whole catchup period is going to be weird though...bear with me, I'll work it out. I think I'll just be posting quite a lot here, whilst content on my Blogger page slows...
Anyway, for now let's pull it together and move on!
This blog isn't not about conquering the Spotify playlists, mastering studio compression techniques or driving your Rolls Royce into a swimming pool for kicks.....I mean it might ultimately be, because I’m on a journey like everybody else. Our journeys are probably different, but we might share a parallel course for a bit, and that’s the bit I’m counting on.
This blog is about what I’ve found out whilst trying to play, and what I find useful. How I got to where I am, and what I’d like to do next, because it might be what you'd like to do next, you just haven't quite worked out how. I am fortunate to know some friends further down the musical road than me, I hope to enlist their help. They don’t know it yet.....It’ll be fine.
And I’m going to try and share good stuff I’ve seen, read or listened to. I encourage you to do the same, with me, or your friends….and we’ll see how it goes.
So in the spirit of sharing, whilst I’ve been writing this, I’ve been listening to the album “Southeastern” by Jason Isbell, who is for me, a relatively recent find. Fans of the “Americana / singer songwriter with a conscience” genre are probably screaming in disbelief right now, given the kinds of artists I’ve listed on my profile, that I should have discovered him sooner. If only some like-minded soul had made a recommendation….
Until next time!
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