Oh, to Live the Rock ‘n’ Roll Life*
Look What Music Can Do For You
After AWP I’m overwhelmed with inspiration. Here is my new idea, which came as a result of many events of the past several days, including a panel called The Road Less Taken and the Ivory Tower: Getting Creative about Creative Careers.
I want to start a music collective.
In so many cities we have community writing centers that offer classes and host readings. Seattle has Richard Hugo House, Denver has Lighthouse, Minneapolis has The Loft, Portland, OR has The Attic, etc. I have sometimes wondered if I would have pursued music instead of poetry if I had found a way to methodically increase my musical ability and understanding of how the scene works. Why don’t musicians have the equivalent of writing centers?
It seems that musicians need each other far more than writers need each other. Sure, we need community, we need to be sucked out of our lonely vacuums, but musicians probably need similar things and more. These are some things I have in mind:
A place to swap instruments. I’ll trade you my tube amp for your upright bass—but just for the night.
A place to swap band members—you need a euphonium? Come borrow my friend Todd Van Selus.
A place to take classes—in songwriting, guitar soloing, creating a press kit, song arrangement, negotiating with your band mates, miking your drums, etc.
A place to record—through membership dues we could create a recording studio that members get to use as available and needed.
A place to practice–you know, band practice.
A place to perform, meet, and collaborate.
What do you think? Would this appeal to musicians? What else might they want? Do you want to come to Denver and help me start it? Where should we begin?
*This is a line from a Randy Nelson song, though I can’t remember the title.
Tags: Magnus, Music Collective, Randy Nelson, Todd Van Selus
Could it also be a place for learning how to be a fan or a groupie? I have not an ounce of musical talent in me, but I love listening to it. :-)
And YES, I want to come to Denver and help you start it.
Hooray. Looks like we’re set then.
I think that this is a fantastic idea. But then, I’m one of the rhythmless masses who no longer claps in public for fear that someone will say, “You’re so fucking white that you can’t even clap.” So I couldn’t help on the music end, but maybe the promotional end–bands, the co’op (I just can’t type “cooperative” as “coop” tonight.)…
Anything you would do would be helpful, Amaris. Even clapping. Once my partner used my clap track on a song. He said it was good that I clapped off-beat because then it sounded like a crowd.
I hate spelling the shortened version of cooperative as coop. My partner and I own shares in a coop in Seattle. It’s supposedly just an apartment, but it feels like we’re farmers or from a loony bin.
A bunch of people I knew back home lived in a house in which equipment, band members, talent, and ideas were shared and, as a result, phenomenal music and friendships were made. It’s a great idea. I suspect there were plenty of “Behind the Music” moments that I know little about, but such is life, and the good outweighed the bad by far.
That’s cool that you didn’t have to know about it all. I’m still living in the wake of band drama between some people who are very close to me. Musicians are intense.