That nails it, Bill!
Look at early rock and soul records. A few hillbillies with old
instruments, an unknown choirgirl and a hacked together studio in an
old theater equalled - Chain of Fools. And many others.
Music doesn't require the highest technical standards - either in the
gear or the ability of the musician(s) to be valid. It simply needs
to be presented from the heart. When kids come over (practically
every other day!) to learn about the various instruments lying around,
I encourage them to relax and play something simple. Something that
makes them feel good as opposed to creating the "correct" sound.
Music doesn't have to be smart. Best of all, I learn more than the kids!
Chub - immature and built to stay that way!
--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, "wjhall11" <wjhall@...> wrote:
>
> Well - I'm a recovering perfectionist myself - and "perfectionism" has
> been the bane of my existence. Too often an excuse for not risking
> exposure to critisicm and my own self-consciousness.
>
> Doug:
> > Quite the interesting thing - do you hold out for some mythical
> > "best" recording gear and then panic and only get a video machine's
> > tracks?
>
> Right exactly... I think you can have access to the best equipment in
> the world and it all comes down to how you use it - and how good your
> performance is... and how good your music is - I mean if your music
> sucks nothing's going to make it better.
>
> I've heard incredible instruments played incredibly well - playing
> music with no soul - empty. I've heard mediocre instruments played
> pretty well performing music that transforms me. You can have access
> to the best recording equipment in the world - limitless tracks - a
> satellite to span the continent - and come out on the sterile side.
> You can have an old 8 track recorder and come out with a recording
> that's alive and vibrant - has soul. I've heard great recordings made
> with SM-58s and Oktava Mics. Of course, I've also heard great
> recordings made with great instruments on great equipment with
> phenomenal mics. And, let's face it - those recordings are - well -
> higher quality on the technical side - so, if anything, you can hear
> the music better, fuller. And let's face it - there is a point where
> the instrument or recorder just isn't good enough - at least not for
> release.
>
> I've come to think that the mythical best is just that - mythical.
> And that what you've got to be after instead is magic.
>
> It's the magic of that Chapin concert - the magic of PPM live - the
> magic that happens when you guys get together in AZ and create that
> music together.
>
> The better your synth, the more flexibility you have, the more colors
> you have on your pallet - well - the better you can do your human job
> of gluing it together - your job of infusing the sound with soul.
> That's what makes it music, after all - at least thats what I've come
> to think. Like that - the better your recording equipment, the better
> fidelity recording you can make. You can't make the music better but
> you can do a better job of technically recording it.
>
> So my own philosophy has become to get the best equipment I can
> afford. Then use it to try to create and capture magic - if there's
> magic to be captured in the first place. If there's not magic, all
> the snipping and pitch correction can't help anyway. If there is
> magic, too much snipping and correction can bleed the magic right out
> - so I guess it's "do only what you have to do and stay out of the way
> of the music."
>
> Sound about right?
>
> Bill
>