I won't get all flowery and fluffy about how great he is and all of that. I love him, he's mine, I'm his.
But part of the point of my blog is to write about him and his music and maybe insert a little info on what it's like to be married to someone who's career choice is generally less than lucrative but is, at the very least, something he is wildly passionate about...in his own, laid back way.
So here's an update on the music scene that, for me, is as local as it gets...it's right here at home.
Brad's up coming cd is going to, most likely, be an EP. For those of you who don't know, EP is short for extended play...which makes no sense, because it has fewer songs than an LP (limited play) would have...all in all, it's usually about four or five songs.
Well, he's got several songs recorded so far...what are considered "scratch tracks". Meaning that they're not gussied up in any way, just Brad and his guitar playing the songs...no production, no mixing...raw. If the guitar is louder than the vocals in a certain part, well, that's how you hear it. Once it's mixed down things like that can be fixed. Except mixing and production cost money...and it's not cheap. Unless you can find some talented friends or friends of friends. Wink wink, nudge nudge...
The problem with being married to someone who is really good at something artistic that you appreciate but don't know much about, is that they tend to be much harder on themselves than you would ever be on them.
The vocals drown out the guitar on that bridge? What? I didn't notice that. The capo was a quarter of a centimeter misplaced on the fretboard and you can hear the off tone in the up beat? Uh...I think it sounds pretty.
So with his scratch tracks not being perfect but me needing something to send to venues to get some gigs (I'm the manager, see?) we have these little "discussions" about how he doesn't want to send out crap and I don't think it's crap so give me a friggin' CD ALREADY!
And we also have, like, a million people who have been waiting on an album for years now.
Plus, all those little things that don't sound like a professionally done cd are, to me, like how a live show sounds...when someone gets on stage and it's just them and their guitar and the audience...that's raw. So raw tracks aren't inherently bad. They're just not polished, and that's okay...for now.
So, I wanted to post a couple samples of his recordings...but he wants to clean them up a bit first. I'm glad I asked first!
This is my man.
I know what you mean with the "musician's perfection" stuff. I've gone through the exact same thing with Tre. I happen to think the stuff they recorded in the basement sounds perfectly fine to send to someone! But no; it has to be professionally done. Then, it still can't be sent, because it needs a professional press package to go with it. To me, it seems like it would be better to send SOMETHING, than to wait too long without sending anything. But I guess that's why they're the musicians and we're not. :)
Posted by: jenn | 01/14/2010 at 08:29 AM
Artists are perfectionists because they are giving a piece of themselves away. It never fully captures what they intended and so they remain forever pursuing perfection. The rest of the world benefits from their dissatisfaction.
I get your frustration though. Trying or wanting or both to make something happen to alleviate financial stress sucks. But know that most people struggle. The lucky ones are those that somehow remain content through it all. Don't ask me how to do this; I'm not real good at it yet!
Posted by: Keri Edmiston | 01/14/2010 at 10:01 AM
This is why I have never entered any of my photos in any contests. They are never "right" "done" or "ready."
Sometimes you just have to step out on that limb though!! :)
Posted by: JosieRae | 01/14/2010 at 10:29 AM