A Somewhat Lengthy Ramblin'

[Tre]

Hello, member of songstuff.com:

I stumbled upon this site the other day while googling around trying to figure out how to turn a single acoustic guitar song into a full band arrangement. One article led to another, then to the forums and then I figured why not make an account. And so that's how I wound up here.

I've been writing songs for most of my life, starting with a tune on the piano 40 years ago when I was 6. Interestingly, I can actually still play it. It was then that I discovered that great lesson of live performance: if you make a mistake, play it again and everyone will think it's part of the song! That has served me well over the many years and I hope it helps you out of a mess.

In the sticky note section I found a nice set of questions that I thought I'd go ahead and answer for the odd person that might be interested in reading on. I might depart from the questions a bit, so feel free to skim. If I can stay down here in the basement writing this post I can avoid having to go upstairs and brush kids' teeth. :-)

1. Do you sing, play an instrument or instruments?

What instruments?

I sing and play guitar, primarily acoustic fingerstyle. I often use alternate tunings and different types and quantities of capos. While I have an assortment of guitars collected over the years, my primary instrument these days is a Larivee acoustic. I also play a mini Martin that I keep in a modified Nashville Tuning and a Holloway Harpguitar that I am just starting to write songs on. It's amazing how much the six additional bass strings will change your playing.

I also play piano and bass but can't sing and play at the same time. In addition, I play hand drums (such as djembe and a milltone metal groove tongue drum) and an Indonesian zither called a kecapi.

When did you start playing?

I started playing guitar when I was about 15 years old. Prior to that I had played alto and tenor sax for a few years and the requisite piano lessons.

Did you teach yourself?

Yes, I am basically self-taught. I have had the odd lesson from a friend every now-and-then (i.e. how'd ya get that sound?) but nothing formal other than a couple of weeks at the National Guitar Summer Workshop back in the early 1990's.

2. Are you in a band or bands?

No, not any more. Over the past decades I've been in a number of bands but since the last one broke up, I've just done the solo guitar player singer songwriter thing. From 2006 through 2011 I specialized in on-line musical performances in the virtual world known as Second Life. It gave me a worldwide audience (which paid!) all without having to leave the warmth of my basement studio. Great fun once the kids were in bed. I still hold the record on the largest virtual concert ever held. More info on that aspect of my life can be found here.

These days my live performances have taken another interesting turn as I've started to perform at a local art gallery doing their opening nights. For those shows I just do instrumental pieces (which gives me the opportunity to work on playing the music side of some of my songs and get paid for it!!) featuring different instruments.

Do you have a website?

Links to my various musical pursuits can be found at: www.musicbytre.com I am in the process of compiling my on-line musical lives into one location, as bits are here and there depending upon the genre.

3. Do you write songs?

Do you write lyrics, music or both?

I write both lyrics and music, although I always seem to have more music written then I do lyrics. That's one of the things I'm trying to work on during 2013, and I've undertaken a "song a week" project to force me to write more. During January I was a "song every other week" and finalized another one, so it's helping. That's in my Songwriting Journal section of my website.

Do you have a writing partner?

No. I have written with others in the past, but only on a few occasions.

4. Do you record your music?

Do you use a home studio? If so what gear do you use?

Yes, I have a home studio although my gear wouldn't make anyone envious. I started out on the old Tascam 4-track cassette tape recorder. Later I went to a Boss BR-8, then to a direct input into Sonic Foundry's Acid Pro. Once Sony bought out Sonic Foundry (or whatever happened), I switched to using Sony's Vegas, which is actually a video editing program. Since it is just me capturing a live performance (I don't do overdubs, just play the song until I get a version I can live with), I don't need anything fancy. I have a passive pickup on the Larivee that I run into a LR Baggs Para Acoustic Direct Box, then into a Digitech Vocalist Live 3 (along with my mic line), from that to a mixer and then into a USB input device. That gives me the greatest flexibility for instruments (as some of the others I play I have to mike directly) and takes some of the stress off of my computer as I use the same setup when I am doing an online performance. I keep it pretty basic.

Do you use a recording studio?

I have recorded in studios in the past and when I lived and played in Japan, we used to have practice studios that were great. Nothing like that here where I live.

Do you have music available on the web? if so where?

I have music available on Reverbnation, Last.fm and my own website. I think there is stuff elsewhere but those are the ones I try to keep current.

5. What other roles do you perform in the music business?

Management? Label owner? Publishing? Promotion? Other?

None

6. Are you a tech head?

Nope.

7. What country do you live in?

USA

8. What are your ambitions?

I made the decision years ago to make my living from something other than music so that I could have the time and money to make music the way that I wanted to and not the way I was contractually obligated to make. I've known enough people who have gotten and regretted being "signed" since they lost their songs or freedom to do what they wanted or how they wanted. My ambition has always been to continue writing and performing songs regardless of what life brings me. If people like them, great.

9. Do you draw/paint/write stories/computer art/dance or other creative pursuit?

Yes, I write stories (was a writing major back in college and used to teach writing). I am also a potter, which conflicts a bit with having fingerstyle-guitar fingernails, so when I am in a pot throwing mood I cut the nails and put down the guitar for a bit.

10. What would you like to get out of Songstuff?

I am always looking and interested in songwriting ideas and techniques. I am also looking forward to getting some tips from those of you with more experience than myself. I don't get out in the music scene here where I am for various reasons, so my world of contacts with knowledge about songwriting, performing, recording is limited to online articles and Youtube. It would be nice to find a community of like-minded folks.

[john]

Great intro. Welcome to Songstuff tre

[Janeva]

Hi

Welcome to Songstuff

Jan