Thursday, June 18, 2009

A "Nun" Direction


So, very shortly I will begin a series of Video Blogs, or V-logs if you like.

I've decided to take the blog in a slightly different direction - more fun, less pun.  Or less nun maybe - I still have a lot to work out.

Anyhow, check back in a few days and see how things have changed.

Kisses,

Charlie

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Do it in the Backyard


As I ferviously cleaned my apartment today I oft thought to myself: "wouldn't it be nice to live somewhere where I could take this outside and clean it..." Yes, it would be nice. Especially since I almost started a fire with the vacuum... But I digress.

It would also be nice to practice guitar outside - which has become of a bit of an obsession for me as of late. I haven't really practiced this much or consistently for a long time. I think it's great. It'd be nice to do it in a backyard.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

My Fee


"If you're good at something, never do it for free."  


So says The Dark Knight's Joker, and so says I.  Except for the fact that, as musicians, as artists, we do it all the time.  We do it almost exclusively.  We practice, we write, we hustle - all with no immediate reward.  And we have done it our whole lives.  

We pay a private teacher to tell us to practice.  We pay a school to tell us to write.  We pay a band and we play.  We practice enough until we are good enough that someone will pay us - a tiny bit - once in a while.  But that is not good enough.  So, we practice some more, and we get slightly more gigs.  

We write some good songs, and maybe get paid a little less for not doing covers - but it's more satisfying and we get better in a more complete way.  We finally get to a point were we are considered a master on our instrument and an important thinker in our genre.  We are officially "good at it," but guess what?  We still have to teach to make ends meet.  We still have to do that summer camp.  We still have to practice.

If I were a hit-man, and good, I would never kill for free.  If I were a butcher, the best, I'm not putting on that smock without getting paid my fee.  As a musician I am almost always at work - and I almost never get paid.