1. WHY’D I BLOG :: ELLIOTT RANDALL

THE GUITAR (Part Two)

2011-08-06T14:20:00.000+01:00

The second instalment of my blog trilogy for Guitar Player Magazine.

It gets plenty deeper . . . Enjoy the read

cyber-best to all

E

THE GUITAR (Part One)

2011-07-11T23:15:00.001+01:00

I am such a fickle kinda blogger... one day here, and then the next at Guitar Player Magazine.

Won't you have a read of what I thought would be the perfect 1st Blog for the magazine we've all grown up with? And please leave a comment while you're there. Thanks.

E

Is this another nail in . . . (?)

2011-03-11T14:34:00.006+00:00

Do you really REALLY want to know the state of the CD ["hardcopy"] industry???

In last night's Evening Standard (UK) a most interesting article appeared called "Return to sender could put HMV in heartbreak hotel". I strongly suggest a read of this. It's here. After your short read, come back to this blog (this page/tab will remain open), and share your thoughts.

My own thought: This does not mean that clever artists still can't make reasonable $£$£ in our whack industry by selling their product from their websites, and at live appearances. (Done skillfully the latter can produce handsome dividends.) The hypermarkets may be further exploiting the older more established artists (in conjunct with their record companies) - but today's market has plenty of room for profit - if you do it right!

Talk to me . . .

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E.R.'s Recommended Reading:

Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards

Al Kooper's seminal tome which I promise you, will have you rolling;

reality sandwiches all the way! I've read it more than once. E.R.

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Lost Chord

2011-03-01T11:50:00.000+00:00

As many of you know, I enjoy wearing numerous hats. One of the true joys of my life is teaching music: guitar, theory, musicology, various music technologies (recording techniques), stage performance, and one of my faves - the demystifying of musical improvisation.

I was incredibly fortunate to have three guitar teachers who "saw me through", from little-kid-hopeful to full-fledged-pro. These men gave generously of their time, expertise, and most importantly - great spirit, and because of their selfless dedication, I realized somewhat early on, that I was destined to "pass the torch".

I began my professional teaching career in 1966, having been invited to teach in Lima, Ohio; a far cry from my native New York City. My mentor was a gentleman named Bill Smith, who owned the local music emporium, called Custom Percussion. Bill oversaw much of my early teaching; he was the kind of fellow who believed that all aspiring musicians deserved an equal shot at gaining "the knowledge'". I guess the reason I bring this up is that he 'busted' me on several occasions, for favoring those students who possessed an intuitive grasp on the complexities ...and seemed to learn more quickly.

What I learned from Bill's sometimes less-than-subtle feedback, was that in order to become a really good teacher, one required infinite amounts of patience (along with sense of humor), and that the rewards for seeing numerous guitar playing hopefuls improve their skills - and most importantly enjoying themselves, were priceless. (By the way, "infinite amounts of patience" is itself a great skill to develop.)

Fast forward to today. I maintain a small but dedicated group of students, teaching "one-on-one", and find myself consistently delighted by watching and hearing their musical skills grow. To see the "lightbulb go off" as a student suddenly grasps a concept they thought was beyond reach, whether technical (execution), or theoretical (innate grasping of a concept), is always a thrill beyond description.

There are two questions I am frequently asked:
1. How did you do that?
2. Why did you do that?

It's the second of the two that makes me happiest; while the "how" is a request to demonstrate a particular set of notes or chords, and their literal execution, the "why" indicates a further curiosity and quest for deeper meaning. Someone is in search of the Lost Chord ...or Holy Grail, if you will. That's when I know I've done my job effectively.

I will be forever indebted and grateful to Bill Suyker, Roy Smeck, and Sal Salvador for giving me the tools with which to further my own musical journey; a quest that will never end.

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E.R.'s Recommended Reading:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solos and Improvisation

I had the pleasure of contributing to this fine book, which totally demystifies improvisation!
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from Guitar Hero to Guitar Zero

2011-02-11T13:26:00.003+00:00

It is with great pleasure that I announce the demise of the mind-numbing, non-expansive, un-educational "game" called Guitar Hero. I suppose that for some folks, with nothing but idle (idol?) time on their hands, it's as good (or bad) a time-waster as two too many Gin & Tonics.

Yahoo reported it here.

The Guardian reported it here.

Why this response from yours truly? Try this:

Prices: http://www.littlewoods.com/e/q/guitar-hero-game/s/bestsellers,0.end?aff=google&affsrc=acquisition&cm_mmc=Google-_-Electricals-_-Guitar%20Heroes%20Games-_-guitar%20hero%20price

...which brings us to the next logical question:

Q: How many real guitar lessons would this buy the punter?

A: A lot

Why would a parent buy their child this "game"? To keep the kid(s) in the bedroom, out of the parents' hair? Why would a parent not see the very clear sense in the idea that learning music (real music) is a social connector, a source of self-esteem for the young aspiring musician (or even hobbyist)?

The amount of time it takes to learn the ins-and-outs of the idiocy formerly known as Guitar Hero would pay incredible dividends if spent learning a real instrument.

That said - I've always loved to see large audiences grooving and playing "air guitar". That's very different indeed, as it is a communally shared expression of enjoyment...

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E.R.'s Recommended Reading:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solos and Improvisation

I had the pleasure of contributing to this fine book, which totally demystifies improvisation!
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Science '101'

2011-02-06T12:25:00.020+00:00

Amy Harmon has written a story which appeared on the front page of New York Times 5 Feb 2011 called "It May Be a Sputnik Moment, but Science Fairs Are Lagging".

Here is an excerpt: "But what has been lost, proponents of local science fairs say, is the potential to expose a much broader swath of American teenagers to the scientific process: to test an idea, evaluate evidence, ask a question about how the world works — and perhaps discover how difficult it can be to find an answer." The article is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/us/05science.html?_r=1 (This will open a new tab or window, so you can also stay on this page.)

WTF (W=where) has our education system gone... and why? I believe this downward spiral began a long time ago.

The situation is the same here in the UK. Tests and measurements and league tables stymie creativity. The 'original science' was known as 'alchemy' - which is invention, experiment, pushing boundaries, exploring the unknown; it was the domain of philosophers and thinkers. Perhaps that's why it was banned in some past eras.

I mounted this link on my personal FaceBook page, and it developed quite a lively thread. It would be great to know what you think.

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E.R.'s Recommended Reading:
A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition
'nuff said...
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Talent

2011-01-28T20:46:00.021+00:00

I’d like to share with you a quote from John Hammond, the legendary music producer and my personal mentor:

"I am still the reformer, the impatient protester, the sometimes-intolerant champion of intolerance. Best of all, I still expect to hear, if not today then tomorrow, a voice or a sound I have never heard before, with something to say that has never been said before. And when that happens I will know what to do."

By the late ‘70s, the disposition of the giant labels was to proceed on a descent to myopic lunacy. By 1980, the buzz-phrase in the industry was “records are shipping gold and returning platinum”. There was grandiosity, owing to past commercial success, and this was a key factor in the Labels’ downfall.

“Hold on, Els,” I hear someone piping up – “it’s the new digital technologies and the Internet that delivered the silver bullet to the record industry.” I would have to respond by saying that while indeed this is true; let me remind you that several decades of really bad A&R choices by the Record Companies were the poisons that weakened our industry to the point of collapse long before the file-sharers delivered the final blows.

Granted, even back in the fifties, record execs were “looking for the new Elvis”…so while this is not a new phenomenon, it grew unabated and gained increasing momentum (“find me the new Springsteen, Madonna, Britney, Christina, etc.”) while at the same time, the labels, once owned and run by people passionate about music, were slowly being taken over by the larger corporate entities, and good “Artist Developers” and “Artist & Repertoire” staff began to “be disappeared”. The remit of finding new (read: original, interesting, and off-the-beaten-path different) artists became history. The new breed of A&R person was focused on making their bosses happy, (keeping their jobs), and wouldn’t dare suggest a new Tom Waitts, Frank Zappa, or … It was all about MTV (video really did kill the radio star), and glitzy, brightly-lit, expensive-to-mount lip-syncing became the popular craze.

In the eighties, the “haircut-synthesizer” artists (in many cases duos and trios) with about as much stage presence as a sponge, dominated the public eye. The nineties brought us “grunge” and the proliferation of “gangsta rap” – musics that expressed the society’s disaffection with the world they found themselves in. (It could be said that Donald and Walter did this a little more gently back in the mid ‘70s with lyrics such as “Any world that I’m welcome to is better than the world I come from…”) I also acknowledge the birth of “punk music” in the mid-‘70s where the artists a) expressed their particular dissatisfactions and b) it was fun to “play” without needing a lot of musical training, and so a rather “democratized” form of musical communication.

So what’s my point, you might ask?

…oh heck – wait a minute – Pete Waterman on the radio explaining what he sees as the present state of the British record industry. It’s good… it’s real good!

Right. – the BBC have now mounted an article (only a few hours after I began typing this), and I can now take the opportunity to quote from their website:

The 1980s pop producer Pete Waterman thinks the findings reveal an insidious truth about the way the strings are being pulled in the modern music industry.

Sitting beside his wall of Ivor Novello songwriting awards at his studios in the former London County Hall building, Waterman is vociferous.

"This has been a gripe I've had for over 20 years, and particularly right now. It's never been worse," he says.

"The major companies dominate and they see a CV and if you haven't got 96 O levels you ain't getting a job."

"In the old days you got a job in the music industry because you knew something about music. Now when they see your CV they don't take you unless you've been to university, full stop."

But does the same requirement for academic credentials dominate when it comes to bands trying to break through?

"I think that when all the A&R people wear Jack Wills clothes it tells you where they're going."

"It's become snobbish. It's become a snobbish culture."

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Trust me - this short piece is well worth a read …it's the 'fast forward' - as seen by an industry icon, who has sussed out how today's British 'pop culture' is working - and not working.

The BBC link is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9373000/9373158.stm – clicking this link will open a new tab or window, so it's easy to pop on back here and share a thought or two.

***Addendum*** I realize, three days after initially posting this, that there are many non-Brits who won't be familiar with who Pete Waterman is. He owned PWL - an incredibly successful music production house / record label based here in London. Their list of successful records is formidable. I did a bit of recording at their big beautiful studio complex, nicknamed "The Hit Factory" ...and I was impressed. A Motown of a different dimension, if you will. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Waterman_Entertainment

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E.R.'s Recommended Reading:
Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business
– this is the record business I grew up into; reading it was an emotional journey.
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Copyright 2011 Elliott Randall / ELZ Music & Multimedia - All Rights Reserved

Introduction

2011-01-25T20:44:00.005+00:00

I’m not a ‘Dear diary’ kind of guy. When I write, it’s generally because I have thoughts I’d like to share with a wider public; to make a statement, to open up a topic for discussion, feedback, and … I won’t be telling you what I ate for breakfast – unless it’s pertinent to the wider concept of the essay.

I started blogging back in the early days of the now dysfunctional and virtually defunct MySpace. I saw that portal, an early example of a Web 2.0, as a means to communicate with my musician friends, fans, and strangers with whom I might (hopefully) enjoy becoming more familiar, as well as its being a ‘place’ to garner more ‘grass roots’ support for my own artistic endeavors.

FaceBook has become the dominant social networking portal (for now), and while I very much enjoy several presences there (personal and artist pages), it is not terribly conducive to blogging. I’ve had some very interesting “Discussion Group” threads, but alas, the commenting is totally linear, and as such, it becomes awkward when one wishes to address a comment made three entries before the blank “comment” box. One would need to type something akin to “@participant W – I disagree with…” Hence the move to this medium.

I intend to write about those issues that directly affect me & mine – the state of the music industry, the arts as a voice of the society from which they are birthed, the failing educational systems of the First World, thoughts about ethics and morality, technology, new media and …time will tell what else sparks the gray matter enough to write about.

So, my dear reader, consider this the introduction to what I hope will be a mutually enjoyable experience. Welcome to you.

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E.R.'s Recommended Reading:

The Elements of Style: 50th Anniversary Edition

Why the recommendation? The title says it all.

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