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I've been a huge fan of a particular podcast for a few years now - I initially got into it when struggling with insomnia as it is a good balance of funny and interesting, without being too much of either to stop me going to sleep if it's going to happen, but will keep me entertained if not. The podcast's shtick is a comedian interviewing other comedians about their comedy - not being funny (though inevitably they often are), and digging into the nitty-gritty of being a comedian. A lot of the things I've learned are applicable to any creative field really, and the general attitude that almost ALL comics seem to have is super applicable to all human life really - PULL YOUR FINGER OUT AND TRY! I'm feeling kinda ranty, so strap in for a long read, sorry Another couple of points that come up a lot (and is finally relevant to my post, rather than just going on about a podcast I like), are: 1: You only truly get good when you find your voice. 2: The best material is usually the stuff you do for *you* rather than trying to triangulate to what the audience wants. Slight expansion on each: 1: This applies more to comic I think, but have found myself thinking more and more that it applies to musicians too. I found I didn't hate my voice by doing Starsailor covers, because I was mimicking the artists I covered, rather than making them my own, and as such I was mimicking (*googles the name*) James Walsh's style - which is to belt it out a fair bit. Letting it out and going for it is the best way to make your voice sound better, so I found myself thinking 'hmmm, maybe I could do this singing thing with a bit of practice'. Fast forward a few years and I eventually had some actual lessons, and have been relaxing into being able to sing reasonably confidently ever since. The more I sing and experiment the more I am finding my voice, and indeed my musical style - which is a lot more metal than I ever would have predicted with my roots in punk and folk..! The more I find my voice, the happier the material I produce makes me. However, that doesn't necessarily jibe with what people want to hear... 2: Often on the podcast a comedian says that the moment they stopped trying to appeal to *everyone*, they improved massively. Because you *can't* please everyone, there's no possible way to do that. But if you make what *you* would want to see/listen to, or makes you laugh, then the problem is simply finding your audience. It can sometimes be that actually more people will enjoy it, or at least that the people who do like it will REALLY like it, rather than just tolerate it. But - and I think this applies more to music probably - that can be self-limiting, as you might also put some people off. Anyway. Just something I've been thinking a lot, particularly since returning here as I realised that quite often with musicians, the focus is on making something commercially 'good', based on a set of rules. Is that what we want to do? Is that what we need to do? Surely the most respected artists are those that *break* the mould, rather than those that fit themselves snugly into it? That said, respect doesn't always mean money, and fundamentally you need some of that if it's going to be your career... Although if you're mainly in it for the money, why not be a wedding cover-band playing the classics? Oooh, and I totally read an interesting thing about standing out to people when sending stuff in: Listening to the inbox And The Comedian's Comedian podcast Enough waffle from me! MORE than enough... As you were! Rohan
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Your eggs in the morning? I like mine with a kiss.......... How about you?