Good Morning Class

[themistero]

Hi, I'm an old washed up low level rock star.Was in bands in the 80's and 90's. My son is pimply faced rising teenage noise maker. I struggle to play power chords (was/is a lead singer). He plays guitar,bass,drums,keyboards...whatever. He can learn anything.  We write music together in our basement. I was out of the music scene for twenty years. Long story short, my best friend and song writing partner died. This tragedy inspired to take my stuff (4 track..mixing boards,drum machines odds and ends from the 80's) and start working on a tribute album to him. It got my then 12 year old son turned on to music. We bought a DAW. I learned it. He learned how to play..everything. 3 years of nonstop writing together and now we have 11 albums on Spotify. It's been a great journey together. I know my time is done, but I hope he's learning a lot.

[Peggy]

Hi themistero,

 

Welcome to Songstuff! Sorry about your friend but what a great tribute. Now that's a very cool thing you have going and with your son!  Sounds like he was ready too, learning all the instruments and songs and probably picking up alot of music nuances from dad 😉

 

I look forward to hearing the music you guys created. You'll have to point us to your stuff..   

 

Let me know if you have any questions about things around here.  Glad you found us. See you on the boards.

Peggy

 

[john]

Hi and a big welcome to the Songstuff family! Pull up a chair and settle in

 

Sorry to hear of your loss.I lost a best friend when I was 19 and separately a good friend who had been a co-writer. It must have left a hell of a hole in your life. It sounds like a great tribute to have put yourself into.

 

As to "time is done"... I guess it depends what you mean. I think most get to an age where they think the pursuit of fame and fortune are well and truly packed away, or even stuff like touring, but music life just rolls in phases. For example focusing on writing, or as an online band or solo project, still recording and releasing but with less of an edge.

 

Well done on 11 albums. You must have learned a lot during that process. Did you release more for vanity/fun reasons or as a serious pursuit of growing a fan base and sales? Did you rely upon download sales through established sites like iTunes, or purely streaming through sites like Spotify, or did you also do direct sales from your own site? Just being nosy! lol

 

Either way, good to have you here.

 

[themistero]

We don't have any sales..LOL

actually I think 9 dollars and change.

 

We use distrokid so we are on all the platforms, iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, etc. We have videos on YouTube.

 

We just make music for the love of it, for the process. Definitely not to sell or grow a fan base.I mean I would love people to listen to it, but not looking for fame or money. I would love to have 10,000 listeners but now we get 20-30 a month in different cities all over the world. Which is cool but a little underwhelming.

 

I guess we just challenge each other to write good songs. We write for each other. Kind of cool for a father and his 14 year old son when at that age he's supposed to hate me and play video games. My son has his own band with teenagers. So I'll be ready to fade out as his band ramps up.

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by themistero

[john]

The perspective I personally take is not about fame, but that doesn't mean no fanbase, or money. I have no pretentions of getting rich and fame doesn't appeal. That said, 5000 fans isn't famous, and the income you could get from those fans can pay for new gear, studio time, session musicians, a better fan experience etc. Stuff that would beyond my own pocket... Songstuff tends to suck up my cash lol

 

Building a fan list doesn't need to cost anything. It doesn't mean being a sell out as some people think. Usually it just means catering for and engaging with fans. Importantly it means having listeners and encouraging people that your stuff is worth listening to and liking. It's nice not to release into a void!