Greetings from The Music Bowl! I'm The Wonderfish.
Let's talk about mood this week, shall we? They say that most musicians, particularly ones that perform live, are especially good at reading a room. This is probably a skill that one can improve on the more gigs, or performances, one plays. Now, some musicians read the room and adjust what they are doing accordingly. Others ignore the mood of the room, or don't even attempt to read it in the first place. I am the type that constantly tries to get a sense of how the audience is responding to the music I'm playing. I want to create an experience for the listener, and if I notice there is not much of a response in the audience, it pushes me to put even more energy into my performance.
Music is a powerful mood setter all on its own. As we previously discussed, music is incredibly personal, too. There are certain songs and certain artists that can always make me smile, make me think, and me me want to play my guitar. It took me a few years into adulthood to figure this out, but once I did it was as if I found my own personal power source. Here are four of my all time favorites that demonstrate my point.
1) Death Cab For Cutie - Cath...
Cath... makes me practice my guitars. Chris Walla and Ben Gibbard's guitar progressions and tones are always an inspiration for me. I wouldn't change a thing about this mix. I love every part of this song, from the stumbling beat to the rush of symphonic sounds as the song comes to an end, but it's the guitar parts that grip me and this tune in particular pushes me to write more distinctive guitar riffs for my own songs.
2) Snarky Puppy featuring Magda Giannikou - Amour T'es La
This song woke me up from a musical rut of sorts. It captures everything positive that one can feel about playing, creating, and listening to music. Words truly cannot express how this song affects me. In fact, I probably listened to it 10 times in a row before I even looked up the translation of the lyrics. There is a simple piano intro and the groove shows up to sweep you away. You're on a joyride until the end. To me, it is a perfect work of art, and it's made twice that because of the visual accompaniment that Snarky Puppy presented with the live album that it's on. This song makes me dance in my kitchen.
3) Tina Turner - One Last Time Live In Concert at Wembley Stadium, 2000
I don't know what it is or why, but when I am depressed, sad, or just moping about, Tina Turner's music can change my mood instantly. She is so joyful when she performs, and the music just radiates through her as she pours her heart out to her audiences. For live rock and roll performances, she sets the bar. Plus, for this concert, Lisa Fischer is one of the backup vocalists (and if you don't know who she is, click here). Tina helps me see the big picture and reminds me that music is supposed to be fun! FYI, the DVD is for sale on Amazon for around $83.00 and here's the IMDB page for further details.
4) Kendrick Lamar - i
I first saw Kendrick perform this song on Saturday Night Live. In just four minutes, I became a fan of his for life. Passion, energy, thoughtfulness, effort, live instrumentation, the backup vocalists, everything about this performance hooked me from the get go. This song is one of my standards when I know I need to buckle down and get myself in gear. Kendrick helps me work harder as an artist.
Now, it's your turn. Which tunes change your mood? This is a question that's fun to explore and well worth the reflection. Shark's in the water! See you next week!
Let's talk about mood this week, shall we? They say that most musicians, particularly ones that perform live, are especially good at reading a room. This is probably a skill that one can improve on the more gigs, or performances, one plays. Now, some musicians read the room and adjust what they are doing accordingly. Others ignore the mood of the room, or don't even attempt to read it in the first place. I am the type that constantly tries to get a sense of how the audience is responding to the music I'm playing. I want to create an experience for the listener, and if I notice there is not much of a response in the audience, it pushes me to put even more energy into my performance.
Music is a powerful mood setter all on its own. As we previously discussed, music is incredibly personal, too. There are certain songs and certain artists that can always make me smile, make me think, and me me want to play my guitar. It took me a few years into adulthood to figure this out, but once I did it was as if I found my own personal power source. Here are four of my all time favorites that demonstrate my point.
1) Death Cab For Cutie - Cath...
Cath... makes me practice my guitars. Chris Walla and Ben Gibbard's guitar progressions and tones are always an inspiration for me. I wouldn't change a thing about this mix. I love every part of this song, from the stumbling beat to the rush of symphonic sounds as the song comes to an end, but it's the guitar parts that grip me and this tune in particular pushes me to write more distinctive guitar riffs for my own songs.
2) Snarky Puppy featuring Magda Giannikou - Amour T'es La
This song woke me up from a musical rut of sorts. It captures everything positive that one can feel about playing, creating, and listening to music. Words truly cannot express how this song affects me. In fact, I probably listened to it 10 times in a row before I even looked up the translation of the lyrics. There is a simple piano intro and the groove shows up to sweep you away. You're on a joyride until the end. To me, it is a perfect work of art, and it's made twice that because of the visual accompaniment that Snarky Puppy presented with the live album that it's on. This song makes me dance in my kitchen.
3) Tina Turner - One Last Time Live In Concert at Wembley Stadium, 2000
I don't know what it is or why, but when I am depressed, sad, or just moping about, Tina Turner's music can change my mood instantly. She is so joyful when she performs, and the music just radiates through her as she pours her heart out to her audiences. For live rock and roll performances, she sets the bar. Plus, for this concert, Lisa Fischer is one of the backup vocalists (and if you don't know who she is, click here). Tina helps me see the big picture and reminds me that music is supposed to be fun! FYI, the DVD is for sale on Amazon for around $83.00 and here's the IMDB page for further details.
4) Kendrick Lamar - i
I first saw Kendrick perform this song on Saturday Night Live. In just four minutes, I became a fan of his for life. Passion, energy, thoughtfulness, effort, live instrumentation, the backup vocalists, everything about this performance hooked me from the get go. This song is one of my standards when I know I need to buckle down and get myself in gear. Kendrick helps me work harder as an artist.
Now, it's your turn. Which tunes change your mood? This is a question that's fun to explore and well worth the reflection. Shark's in the water! See you next week!
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