Ask a College Student/Musician

[downtown]

My personal thoughts (which Matt's band has apparently done) is that a band should have a good mix of standbys and original material. Plenty of bands have played Sweet Home Chicago and I'm Ready, it's because people love to hear them. Aces High plays a damn good Sweet Home Chicago (and no, he's not paying me to say this or anything--but I may be biased because it features the harp a bit more prominently than other recordings I've heard), but my favorite clip off the website just may have been Dirtay Jam. Having original material is essential to being an artist in one's own right.

I don't know if the people who make up the contracts and stuff agree with me on any of that, but it never hurts to hear the opinion of the regular folks, does it?

Hey, thanks man. Glad to have you back on CFC

for what its worth, in the next two weeks, Aces High should have a brand new album coming out, with a lot more orginal songs (some even with words! Just like a real band!). This album is being professionally mastered, and was recorded in a real studio. Keep checking www.aceshighblues.com for free sound clips and info

 

[Irish Caesar]

Actually, I was just wondering about the college application process. I'll be applying in about a year and a half, and want to get a head start on some strategies. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm college obsessed.

Apply to a couple of schools that will let you know early on if they are accepting you. If you know you're accepted somewhere before sending out more applications, it makes it much less stressful to send them all out. And if you know you're not...it gives you an opportunity to polish the application a bit more before mailing it off.

 

[Irish Caesar]

Hey, thanks man. Glad to have you back on CFC

Meant to PM you that, but your box was full a couple of days ago, and I figured I'd let everyone know what I thought.

for what its worth, in the next two weeks, Aces High should have a brand new album coming out, with a lot more orginal songs (some even with words! Just like a real band!). This album is being professionally mastered, and was recorded in a real studio. Keep checking www.aceshighblues.com for free sound clips and info

Will do!



Before you formed the band, did you check out clubs and bars and whatnot to meet up with potential bandmates? Or had you played with these friends for a long time anyway?

 

[downtown]

Before you formed the band, did you check out clubs and bars and whatnot to meet up with potential bandmates? Or had you played with these friends for a long time anyway?

Good question. With the exception of one of the guitar players, we've all been pretty good friends for a while, and have been playing for a long time. We had open auditions for the second guitar/singer part, and he was by far the best one. (we kinda stole him from another local, suckier band)

Some groups are able to just stick in guys they pick up in clubs. I think you can't trade good band chemisty for anything. We got good so fast because we've been muscal friends for several years.

For what its worth though, when we play, we often use guest musicians who just step in and play.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Why ask you, when I can ask myself! Horray for Music Minors!

 

[downtown]

What do you play Cheezy? Is it general music, or are you focusing on something, like performance, jazz studies, etc

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Right now, my minor is just Music, which may actually change to something of the engineering type, which I think I'll need more once I get out of college. I play pretty much any brass instrument with varying levels of capability; I can't do hard solos on th French Horn, but I cna hold my own on LV 6 music. My main instruments are Euphonium and Tenor Trombone, mostly seeing as they use the same mouthpeice.
My major is History.

 

[downtown]

Ok, digging this thread up from a long time ago...

Professionally, I have learned an awful lot from when I last posted this. My group recorded and independetly released a full CD, which has now sold hundreds of copies without even being sold online yet (and I know I keep promising thats coming soon. The paypal fight is over...im just building the webpage now)

I've also toured a lot more, often leaving for a weekend to do a few shows in a new corner of Ohio. I have another one of these this weekend, (College of Wooster, Case Western Reserve), so I have a few tales from the road.

At any rate, I hope that some of my new experiences, in regards to promotion, how musicians actually get a profit (now that I have a real money to account for), what it means to sell out, how to get gigs, CDs, etc etc that might help clear things up. Whenever we have a piracy thread, I see people say "Musicians make their money from X", and is usually wrong. People seem to have the impression that the profit margin on live performances is very high. It *is not!*

So, without further ado, if anybody else has any more questions about the music business, I'd be happy to help

 

[punkbass2000]

Sounds good.

 

[Ansar]

Whoops, wrong thread.

 

[downtown]

oh, I was going to change the thread title to just ask a musican..since I didnt want to make a new thread, but apparently, I can't.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I've changed my minor since then, but I've still got many years of music working for me, so I'm free to answer questions, too. Where MB might be more in the guitar/drums/whatev area, I'm more wind band oriented.

 

[punkbass2000]

If you want to know about bass, drums or guitar (and, to a lesser extent, keyboard, clarinet and a couple more obscure things) I'm also happy to help.

 

[MjM]

I really liked your CD.

 

[downtown]

Thanks. Lucky for me, lots of other people do too!

Quick lesson I just learned for my musician brothers. Never...EVER book a show blind. We offered to do a show for charity at the College of Wooster, and seriously just got taken for a huge ride (they want us to drive over an hour north...to play outside in the snow...for only 30 min. and for free.)

BOO PROMOTERS AND BOOKING AGENTS

HORRRAAAAAAY BEER!

 

[Maimonides]

Those Red Stripe commercials crack me up.

My memories of my musician days are very fond. When I was 16, a friend who knew 3 chords on his guitar talked me into buying a used drum kit & taking lessons. Long story short-we formed a band & played together for 6 years. We barely made enough money to replace broken guitar strings & drum sticks, but we had a great time. We played high school dances, frat parties, bars, restaraunts, house parties, even one Bat Mitzvah.

Now, my drum set sits in the basement & my 3 year old son beats on it from time to time. That friend now lives in New York & is still trying to make it big in music. He became one of the best guitarists I've ever seen.

 

[punkbass2000]

What band is he in?

 

[Maimonides]

They're called Less Nessman now. Last I heard, they are short a drummer & only have a part-time bassist. They play clubs around NYC & have had gigs as far away as Chicago. They just produced a music video, but they rely on their day jobs still.

Our old lead singer disappeared around Chicago. Our old bassist now buys real estate for Wal-mart in California. Our old keyboardist disappeared around Wichita. He put out at least one solo album. Our old violinist lives in L.A. & writes scripts. Another old singer is a photographer in NYC. Basically, we scattered to the wind. I still miss those days, but I'm way too old & married to relive them.